Stress – we all know what it is, and many faces it daily. A UK-wide mental health survey found that 74% of adults have felt so stressed at some time in the last year they felt overwhelmed and/or incapable of coping. London, the most populated city with over 9 million residents in the UK, can become a boiling point of anxiety and worry. And it is a place that can leave many feeling depressed and isolated. It’s no longer a simple case of everyday minor grievances but a national epidemic. So, just what is the cause behind this sharp rise? Today, we’ll talk about why stress is rising and how acupuncture for stress in London dwellers can help.
The Top Causes of Stress
Stress comes in many forms and impacts people differently on an individual level. The top three stressors in the UK are:
- Work at 79%
- Money at 60%
- Family at 48%
Unsurprisingly, these issues are at the heart of stress levels in the UK, but resolving them takes a lot of work. Many of these issues are also influenced by age, gender and other factors. As Deloitte notes, 50% of millennials (born between 1980 and 1995) and Gen Z (born between 1996 to 2010) feel constantly worried. And this can have a severe effect on the body.
What Happens When Stress Isn’t Addressed
Stress isn’t just a psychological state. It is physiological – this means it can affect how the body functions. Research on these effects tells us ongoing stress can influence our:
- Nervous system;
- Neural pathways;
- Hormonal balance
- And even affect our gene expression
Left unaddressed, stress can cause severe damage leading to conditions such as anxiety, insomnia, mood disorders, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and metabolic diseases, including diabetes and high blood pressure.
How Acupuncture for Stress Can Help
Many doctors are inclined to treat the symptoms of stress with medication. However, their conditions continue to develop for some and put more pressure on the body. If you’ve tried traditional medicine and haven’t found the answer – this is where acupuncture can help.
At our acupuncture clinic in central London, we help clients find a release from the physiological strain that stress can produce. Our treatments combine holistic programs of Chinese medicine and traditional and low-impact exercises, such as Qigong, yoga and pilates practices, to target stress at a base level. Then with mind and body aligned, acupuncture can help guide these efforts by finding areas in the body most affected by stress and working to relieve them.
If you want to learn more, why not visit our acupuncture central London clinic to start you on the path to stress release?
