Treating Anxiety and Panic Attacks with Acupuncture
- Minnie Florence Podesta
- Mar 13
- 5 min read
My Journey from Panic Attacks to Nervous System Healing
There was a time in my life when anxiety completely took over. Not the kind that quietly sits in the background of your day. Mine was loud, constant and frightening.
It was the kind where anxiety becomes the thing you think about all the time, worrying about the next panic attack, scanning your body for symptoms, wondering when the feeling will hit again.
When you’re in that state, your nervous system never really switches off. Your body stays on high alert. Even when everything around you is technically fine. Looking back now, I can see that my nervous system was completely stuck in fight-or-flight mode. And when your body lives in that state for too long, it can feel exhausting, overwhelming and incredibly isolating.
This is one of the reasons I feel so passionate about the work I do today. Because I know what it feels like to live inside that experience.
And I know how powerful it can be when the body finally begins to feel safe again.
If This Feels Like You…
Many people struggling with anxiety don’t realise how many ways it can show up in the body.
You might recognise some of these:
• feeling constantly on edge or hyper-aware of your body
• sudden waves of panic that seem to come from nowhere
• tight chest or difficulty taking a deep breath
• heart racing or palpitations
• dizziness or feeling light-headed
• waking in the night with anxious thoughts
• nausea or digestive discomfort
• feeling like something is “wrong” even when you can’t explain why
• tight shoulders or jaw tension
• feeling exhausted but unable to fully relax
Or perhaps you recognise the cycle of:
“What if I have another panic attack?”
That anticipation alone can keep the nervous system stuck in a loop.
For many people, anxiety is not just emotional, it is deeply physical.
The Gut–Anxiety Connection
One of the biggest things that shaped my own healing journey was realising how closely gut health and anxiety are connected.
Living with coeliac disease, I became very aware of how digestion, immunity and the nervous system interact.
In both Traditional Chinese Medicine and Ayurveda, digestion is considered central to overall health.
When the digestive system becomes weakened, it can affect energy, mood, sleep and emotional resilience.
Western medicine now talks about the gut–brain axis, but these traditional systems have recognised that connection for thousands of years.
This is one of the reasons I always look at anxiety through a whole-body lens, not just as a mental health symptom.
How Chinese Medicine Understands Anxiety
In Traditional Chinese Medicine, anxiety is not treated as one single diagnosis. Instead, it is understood through different patterns of imbalance in the body.
This is one of the reasons acupuncture can be so powerful - treatment is tailored to the individual.
Some common patterns I see in clinic include:
Heart Shen Disturbance
In Chinese medicine, the Heart houses the Shen, often translated as the mind or spirit.
When the Shen becomes unsettled, people may experience:
• anxiety
• panic attacks
• insomnia
• racing thoughts
• restlessness
Treatment focuses on calming and anchoring the Shen.
Liver Qi Stagnation
Stress, emotional pressure or long-term tension can cause the body’s energy (Qi) to become stuck.
This pattern often shows up as:
• irritability
• tight chest
• tension headaches
• mood swings
• feeling emotionally “stuck”
Acupuncture helps move stagnant Qi, creating more emotional and physical ease.
Spleen Qi Deficiency
When stress has been present for a long time, the digestive system and energy reserves can become depleted.
Symptoms may include:
• overthinking or rumination
• fatigue
• digestive problems
• poor concentration
• feeling mentally overwhelmed
Treatment focuses on strengthening digestion and supporting the body’s energy.
Kidney Depletion
Chronic stress and long-term anxiety can eventually drain the body’s deeper reserves.
This pattern can look like:
• burnout
• feeling fragile or easily overwhelmed
• deep fatigue
• poor stress resilience
• fear or insecurity
Treatment supports restoring the body’s deeper energy and nervous system stability.
How Acupuncture Helps Anxiety and Panic Attacks
Acupuncture works by helping regulate the nervous system and restoring the smooth flow of Qi throughout the body.
Many people notice that during treatment something shifts quite quickly. Their breathing slows. Their shoulders drop. Their mind becomes quieter. The body moves out of fight-or-flight and back toward rest-and-repair.
Some of the acupuncture points commonly used to support anxiety include:
Yintang – between the eyebrows, often called the “calming point” for settling the mind.
Heart 7 (Shenmen) – helps calm the spirit and support sleep.
Pericardium 6 (Neiguan) – particularly helpful for panic, chest tightness and nausea.
Liver 3 (Taichong) – supports emotional flow and releases tension.
Stomach 36 (Zusanli) – strengthens digestion, energy and overall resilience.
I often also teach patients simple acupressure techniques and other energy techniques so they have tools they can use themselves when anxiety begins to rise between treatments.
Why Treating Anxiety Means So Much to Me
Supporting people with anxiety, panic attacks and nervous system dysregulation is something I care deeply about. Because it’s something I have lived through myself.
Having experienced how frightening and overwhelming anxiety can be, I know how important it is to feel truly supported and understood.
And I also know that healing is possible.
In my clinic I combine:
• acupuncture
• reiki
• cupping
• nervous system regulation
• holistic lifestyle support
to help guide the body back toward balance.
The goal is not simply to suppress symptoms. It is to help the nervous system re-learn how to feel safe again.
If You’re Struggling With Anxiety
If you’re experiencing anxiety or panic attacks, please know that you are not alone. And your body isn’t broken.
Often it is simply stuck in a protective state that it hasn’t yet learned how to leave.
Acupuncture can be a gentle but powerful way to support that process.
Over time many people notice:
• deeper sleep
• calmer breathing
• improved digestion
• fewer panic symptoms
• greater emotional steadiness
Healing the nervous system takes time, but the body has an incredible capacity to rebalance when it receives the right support.
Working With Me
I offer acupuncture and holistic treatments from my clinic in Somerset, just outside Castle Cary, supporting people with anxiety, stress, nervous system dysregulation and digestive health.
You can learn more or book a treatment here:
Or follow along with my work on Instagram and Facebook:
@minnieflorencehealing
