Anxiety

Dr Justin Lim Professor Yoland Lim Dr Selina Lim Acupuncture Melbourne Knox Cosmetic Skin Treatment

Anxiety is the most common mental health condition in Australia with 1 in 3 women and 1 in 5 men experiencing anxiety at some stage in their life[1]. Anxiety is the condition whereby there are intense feelings of worry that are not easy to control and can ultimately interfere with everyday living[2]. There are different kinds of anxiety disorders each having their own specific set of symptoms.

 

Examples of different kinds of anxiety disorders include:

  • Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD)
  • Social Phobia
  • Specific phobias
  • Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
  • Panic disorder
  • Separation anxiety disorder, and 
  • Agoraphobia


Common signs and symptoms of anxiety include being:

  • panicky
  • irritable
  • agitated
  • feeling nervous or scared, and 
  • feeling afraid most of the time

Anxiety disorders are thought to be caused by a multitude of factors such as personality traits, life events or even genetic factors[3]. In western medicine there are two common forms of treatment for anxiety disorders: psychological therapy and medication.

    

References:

[1] Beyond Blue Australia. Anxiety beyondblue.org.au/the-facts/anxiety

[2] Black Dog Institute. What is anxiety? blackdoginstitute.org.au/clinical-resources/anxiety/what-is-anxiety 

[3] SANE Australia (2018, May) Anxiety disorder sane.org/information-stories/facts-and-guides/anxiety-disorder

Brahmi

‘Brahmi’ is a medicine traditionally used by sub continental people and is regarded as the reason why they are able to have such brilliant memory. Medical studies reinforce this as they have shown an antioxidant effect and cellular protective effects[1]. It has been used in traditional Ayurvedic treatment for epilepsy and asthma[2], ulcers, tumours, ascites, enlarged spleen, inflammation, anaemia, and gastroenteritis[3].


References

[1] Russo A, Borrelli F (April 2005). "Bacopa monniera, a reputed nootropic plant: an overview". Phytomedicine (Review). 12 (4): 305–17. doi:10.1016/j.phymed.2003.12.008. PMID 15898709.

[2] Rajani, M.; et al. (2004). Ramawat, K. G., ed. Biotechnology of Medicinal Plants: Vitalizer and Therapeutic. Enfield, NH: Science Publishers.

[3] Oudhia, Pankaj (2004). "Bramhi (Bacopa monnieri)". Society for Parthenium Management (SOPAM). Retrieved July 30, 2017.

Depression

While feeling sad and low are normal healthy emotions occasionally, depression is defined as the persistent feelings of sadness and hopelessness[1]. In Australia, depression is the third highest burden of all diseases[2]. 


Depression is commonly characterised as a mental health condition with signs and symptoms including:

  • changes in behaviour like withdrawing from friends and family
  • disengagement in usual enjoyable activities and 
  • not going out


Changes in feelings can include feelings of being overwhelmed, disappointment, frustration and lacking in confidence. Although a mental health condition, depression can also affect your physical health with symptoms such as chronic pain and digestive issues[3]. 


There are different types of depressive disorders each with their own symptoms and conditions. Post partum blues or postnatal depression is a common condition that affects up to 80% of women immediately in the year after birth[3]. 


As there are different types of depression, it is important to ensure the correct treatment is being provided. Currently, there are three broad categories of western medical treatment: psychological, physical and self-help/alternative therapies[2]. Complementary to these treatments, studies have demonstrated an effective role of acupuncture treatment in management of depression[4][5]. 


References

[1] Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5)

[2] Blackdog Institute. Depression. blackdoginstitute.org.au/clinical-resources/depression

[3] Beyond Blue. What is depression? beyondblue.org.au/the-facts/depression

[4] Li et al (2019) Effectiveness of Acupuncture Used for the Management of Postpartum Depression: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. BioMed Research International. doi: 10.1155/2019/6597503

[5] Lee et al (2019) Effects of Acupuncture on Chronic Stress-Induced Depression-Like Behaviour and Its Central Neural Mechanism. Frontiers in Psychology. doi: 10.1136/acupmed-2017-011530

Mental Health Rejuvenation

Migraine Famous World Renown Best Professor Yoland Lim Acupuncture Melbourne Knox Wantirna Natural

What is mental rejuvenation?

How do we rejuvenate our mental well-being?


The word ‘rejuvenate' means to look or feel better, younger, revitalized, regenerated and improve the psychological and mental vitality. Mental rejuvenation is the state we have when the mind feels optimized and prepared to take on any tasks at hand, with all the heaviness, complexities and muddled thoughts are removed.


In today's hectic world, it seems everywhere you turn there are people who stressed out and exhausted. We want to rejuvenate our health and well-being, whether it be physical or mental.

Practicing meditation in conjunction with binaural therapy, Professor Yoland Lim Health Care's form of Meditation Music (Chanting), ideally needs to be practised daily and consistently. 


Although patients may benefit even in the short term, by doing it at least daily for 6 weeks, this is a  longterm strategy to increase the liklehood of benefit. When we are calmer, we usually make better decisions, and can think clearer, with the external stressors clouding our judgement.

Schizophrenia

Schizophrenia is a complex brain disorder that affects the functioning of the human mind including thoughts, perceptions and behaviour[1]. Affecting 1 in 100 people worldwide, the main symptom of schizophrenia are:

1) Hallucinations (hearing, seeing, tasting, feeling or smelling things that do not exist) and 

2) Delusions 

collectively termed as psychosis[2]. 


Other common symptoms include:

  • thought disorder
  • lack of motivation
  • ‘blunted’ emotions
  • inappropriate responses
  • lack of insight
  • sleep problems
  • social withdrawal[3]


Symptoms usually start between the age of 16 and 30 years. Fortunately, schizophrenia is curable and there are different treatment options available. Treatment may include antipsychotic medications, psycho-social treatments or a combination of both[4].


References

[1] SANE Australia (2017, May) Schizophrenia facts. sane.org/information-stories/facts-and-guides/schizophrenia

[2] Health Direct (2018, December) Schizophrenia healthdirect.gov.au/schizophrenia

[3] Better Health Channel (2014, May) Schizophrenia betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/conditionsandtreatments/schizophrenia

[4] Department of Health – Healthy WA. Schizophrenia. healthywa.wa.gov.au/Articles/S_T/Schizophrenia

Stress

Throughout our lives, we experience many challenges, situations or circumstances which can result in the response of stress. This generally is caused by an imbalance between the demands being made on us and our resources to meet those demands[1]. However, the level or extent to which we experience stress depends on a wide range of factors such as lifestyle, attitude, past experiences, social circumstances and cultural background[2]. 


It may manifest itself as abnormal intense yelling, feeling as if we want to pull our hair out, bang our head against the wall, or even more dangerous actions like self harming or harming others. 


As stress activates the ‘flight or fight’ response, hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline in the body are released causing breathing, heart rate and metabolism to speed up[3]. When experiencing stress, it is important to handle stress in a positive way[4]. Positive strategies to help manage stress include: meditating, taking deep breaths, ensuring enough sleep, writing a journal, exercise, seeking help from a health care professional, talking to friends and family and sketching. If you have any concerns about you or anyone else, please consult your medical practitioner immediately.

    

References

[1] Better Health Victoria (2014, September) Stress betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/stress

[2] Lifeline Australia. Overcoming Stress lifeline.org.au/get-help/topics/stress 

[3] Health Direct (2019, September) Stress healthdirect.gov.au/stress

[4] Womens Health – US Department of Health and Human Services (2019, March) Stress and your health womenshealth.gov/mental-health/good-mental-health/stress-and-your-health