FOLLOW UP TO "SOME HELPFUL NEWS": ANCIENT CHINESE MEDICINE: HERBS & ACUPUNCTURE

Growing up in Southern California, a friend of mine was heavily immersed in the martial arts field. His step father owned a martial arts studio where Judo, Jujitsu, Aikido and Karate were taught. Since the age of seven he learned about ancient Chinese remedies for just about every aliment imaginable. Years later while living in New York and going through some stressful times he began using these remedies, but then stopped about five years ago simply due to a lack of discipline and consistency.

After watching me struggle for almost a year now and seeing me exhaust so many different options for my Treatment Resistant Bipolar Depression, he continuously suggested that we go to Chinatown and pay these doctors a visit ...and I continuously looked at him as if he had two heads!!!

Three weeks ago I decided to humor him. We walked into a long hallway on a little side street off of Canal and Mott. On the right was a line of metal folding chairs mostly occupied. On the left was a service counter behind which was a huge wall with hundreds of built in wooden boxes, much like tiny crypts. Each of the boxes were labeled and filled with a different herb: poria, salvia, raw rehmannia, lily bulb, white peony, corus, damiana, and the list goes on and on. We were sent up the stairs at the back of the place where we waited for the "herbal specialist doctor." While waiting I filled out a complete history and some consent forms. Once in his office, I could see by all the diplomas on his wall that he was in fact a "real" doctor who specialized in what ..."Alternative Chinese Herbal Medicine?" I would be lying if I said I had never heard of such a thing  but I had never really given it much credence before this.  Still at this point, unless my eyes were playing tricks on me or his diplomas were fake, I would have bet that this was all a farce. I wasn't convinced. He then took the forms from me and placed them to the side of his desk without even giving them a glance. Next he asked me to hold out my right hand, palm facing up. While examining my hand he began to ask me a series of questions, all of which I answered "yes" to. I began to wonder. Then he did the same with my left hand and asked more questions, again all of which the answers were "yes." Just to give you an idea, some of the questions were general, which 90% of the population might answer yes to. For example, are you tired a lot? Is your energy level low? However, some of them were quite specific; do you have frequent headaches, insomnia? Now I'm beginning to be drawn in a bit more as those are two symptoms that I battle on a daily basis. Next comes the clincher ...he asks me to stick out my tongue. As he leans over his desk and examines it closely, he asks, do you have ringing in your ears, anxiety, hair loss to all of which I answer, "YES!" This was all before even looking at what I had written on the intake history at which point he finally begins to read. Quietly as he's reading along I observe some looks of confusion on his face. Then, with his strong Asian accent, he asks, bipolar, what is this? Now faced with a state of utter confusion, I think to myself, "what kind of doctor hasn't heard of bipolar disorder?"  Here's where it's all over for me and I'm ready to get up and walk out. I shoot a look over to my friend who quickly yet tenderly puts his hand on my leg and signals me to wait. I explain bipolar disorder as best I could in summary mode to someone, a doctor no less, who has no idea what it is. "Mental illness", "depression", "mania" were the first three or four words that came to mind and shot out of my mouth. With that, he responds, "Oh, oh, I see, mood - up and down." "Yes, yes" I answer and then he calls in doctor number two - the acupuncturist. The two of them begin to collaborate and it becomes quite obvious to me that as he is explaining my history to the acupuncturist, he in fact seems to know and understand exactly what bipolar disorder is, at which point I begin to relax again.

The acupuncturist then spent about 45 minutes with me asking me all kinds of questions related to the intake - what appeared to be a very detailed and in-depth analysis. He began to sum up that I had reached peri-menopause and due to this hormone change, my bipolar meds are not working. I couldn't have said it better myself. That is exactly what I believe to be happening to me and what I've been telling my psychiatrist, who specializes in the treatment of bipolar disorder, as well as everyone else I know for over a year now. I was amazed and because I was so amazed, I had even more reservations!

The acupuncturist said that he would like to treat me for a little while, while the herbal specialist writes up a prescription for a certain blend of herbs that I would pick up downstairs on my way out. I somewhat reluctantly agreed as my friend nodded me onward. Before I knew it I was lying on what looked just like a massage table and I felt these tiny little needles enter, first, the right side of my neck with the slightest tap from his hand, then the left and lastly, in several different places along my back and then my calves. No pain at all mind you, in fact an over all relaxation as if the past 25 years of battles and struggles this disease plagues me with had just been lifted off my shoulders. For 20 minutes I was left there with a hot lamp over me heating my entire body and elevating this relaxed state to such high levels that I fell asleep, much the way one would while getting an entire body massage. When Mr. Acupuncturist entered the room again, I woke up and he began to remove the tiny needles. After removing each one he gently massaged the area they were in with his hands which felt like a soft rolling pin over my skin. Then he turned me over and repeated the process on my shoulders, abdomen and shins while explaining which symptoms and internal organs the placement of each of the needles were targeting. He left again and again, I slept. Let me add that in the past eight months I don't think there has been one single night when I slept more than three hours and I don't sleep at all during the day! When the treatment was over, Mr. Acupuncturist, in a most calm and soothing tone, accent as well, said "we will help you."

Now for my herbs:

Following 40 minutes of my newfound trance like experience and "comfort zone" I was directed back down stairs to pick up my custom blend of herbs. Specially put together by the herbal doctor these herbs were to address "my" specific symptoms and ailments. There were 12 of them all together, each one a powder in a tea bag packet with some Chinese writing, the name of the herb as well as the grams and its equivalency to the raw herb in grams. I was given seven7 little plastic packages, each one containing the twelve different herbs. I was instructed to blend all of the herbs together and boil them in two cups of water. I was to drink one cup in the morning and one cup at night and told to come back in a week.

I began drinking liquefied mud, to put it lightly. By the next day I felt some sort of change, drastic by no means, but an over all calmness that is difficult to even put into words. Perhaps a lingering effect from the acupuncture, perhaps the thought of a new found resource and hope, I had not a clue. By day four I was feeling differences in my mood; elation, no, but a general feeling or "well-being" if you will and overall better functioning. Daily tasks were not overwhelming to a point at which I become almost completely stagnant as they so often are. By day five I began to look forward to things as opposed to feeling impending doom at the thought of them. Thinking about the up-coming holidays, for example, brought a smile to my face. " A smile", yes, I began to smile again while looking forward to doing specific things.  Things I haven't looked forward to in the longest time such as watching the ice skaters at Rockefeller Center at Christmas time, seeing a Broadway show, contacting my friends again, the thought of a vacation, putting on make-up,(WOW!!! - haven't done that in months), and more.  It all seemed so unimaginable to me.

At my second visit to Mr. Herbalist & Mr. Acupuncturist on the following Tuesday, another 40 minutes of acupuncture was administered and my herbal mixture was only slightly changed as the first week on them was basically the "detox" week. However, because I had such a good response, only one of the herbs was altered. It was replaced with one called Rhodiola, which, after a great deal of research, I recently come to discover that Rhodiola is one of the main ingredient herbs used to make prescription drugs that treat mental brain dysfunctions and disorders such as depression, memory loss and more.

I boil and drink my herbal mud religiously, a full cup in the morning and a full cup at night. Tomorrow will be visit number three back to Chinatown. I am so looking forward to my 40 minute "comfort zone" and the soothing calmness taking over my mind and body that comes with it, as well as a refill of my herbs. It won't hurt to be there afterwards to get some of the best Pad Thai ever made, maybe a pocketbook and perhaps trade in some old gold on Canal Street to pay for it all, things I would have never even dreamed of doing only a month ago. Is it the herbs? Is it the acupuncture? Is it a placebo effect, or was it just coincidently my time to come out of the incapacitated state I was in? I don't know, and I don't care either. I'm welcoming it!!!

Below are some links that you can go to that will give you just a start into researching Ancient Chinese Herbal Medicine. I hope this was helpful and I wish the best of luck to anyone and all who are in the midst of dark times right now. I know your pain so well; reach out to me and try to keep an open mind.

http://vitamins.ultimatefatburner.com/rhodiola-rosea-review.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_herbology

http://www.raysahelian.com/herb.html

A special thank you to William who got me here and opened my mind.

~Michellerwites~

QUICK UPDATE:

FOLLOW UP TO "SOME HELPFUL NEWS" WILL BE ON HERE SHORTLY.  SORRY FOR THE DELAY!!!

~Michellewrites~