Does acupuncture really help with stress and moodiness?

I have been incredibly stressed out and I feel as though my mood is all over the place lately. I can feel the stress in my shoulders, neck and back. I also have TMJ so the stress makes my jaw hurt and that makes me miserable.

I also feel like my mood lately has been all over the place. I know it's because I am stressed out.

So my question is does acupuncture really help with stress? Also is it safe? Are there any risks.

I researched, but I was hoping to get some personal experiences with acupuncture.

I have had acupuncture many times and it does help. I did not use it for stress management though.
You might also consider a massage to help you feel less stressed.
Eli Bay has some great CD'S to teach you deep breathing exercises.
You will learn how to breath and control yourself under stressful situations. Take a good book into a hot tub and unwind.
Avoid or cut back on sugar and caffeine.Go for a long walk, take time out for yourself and breathe slow deep breaths.

i went for sciatic nerve problem in my leg it was 9 months of pain, but when i had acupuncture it helped in 3 sessions. i have tmj too and it helped me for that. i have heard you can use it for many things. i worked for a dr that did acupuncture and i would say 85% loved it. it wont hurt to try it at least. good luck to you.

The needle is really thin so you won't feel it as much as a scary medical shot. haha. But yeah I had acupuncture a long time ago and it worked pretty well on me. I wanna do it again but I don't know any places around where I live now

Wow i have know quite a few people that got acupuncture and it didnt work. Kinda interesting that so many people say it works here. Hope it works for you. Its always worth a try no matter what people say. different strokes for different folks. ya know

do you think millions of people would stick themselves if it didn't work?

It can help, as can *acupressure. STRESS: A selection of treatments follows, because circumstances, and individual preferences vary. See stress treatments, at ezy build, below, in section 42: view page i first. A certain level of stress is unavoidable, in modern society, so it is a good idea to develop effective coping methods. For others, or yourself: A massage (at least neck and shoulders) with jasmine, lavender, juniper, and/or bergamot, or German chamomile essential oils added to the massage oil, and to a warm bath, preferably beforehand, to help make any tension knots and muscles more pliant (they may only want, say, a juniper and/or bergamot and/or sandalwood mix: check first). I am aware of advice that strong heat, applied to essential oils can damage them, and so I would not use a diffuser.

Also consider anise, basil, bay, eucalyptus, peppermint, rose, and thyme. Place some pieces of rock salt in a small vial, then add a few drops of the oil of your choice (the rock salt absorbs the oil and is less risky to carry around than a bottle of oil). Open the vial and breathe in the scent whenever you need a quick stress release. See if they will do long, stretching yoga exercises, or t'ai chi with you (see section 2, at ezy build, below).

Practise daily, one of the relaxation techniques on pages 2, 11, 2c, or 2i; whichever works best for you, but the mindfulness breathing for 15 - 20 mns is ideal, although the progressive muscle relaxation can be learned quickly, and takes only several minutes, if pressed for time. Repeat: "I feel calm" and/or "I can handle this." A variant of EMDR: Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing therapy is shown on page i, in section 42, at ezy build. I have found that the 2 - 3 minutes spent using the EMDR markedly reduces distractions to the relaxation process, and is repaid many times over.

Employ the EFT version for use in public, for which you can reasonably claim that you have a headache, as you massage/tap your temples, but it may be advisable to restrict yourself to subvocalising (saying it to yourself, in your mind, not aloud). Section 53*, and pages 2, 2.q and 2.o refer. "Even though I sometimes suffer from stress, I deeply and completely accept myself".

You can also multitask, using the gazing technique, as you walk/jog or exercise, by focusing on a distant object, or just focus awareness on how each step feels, noting any thoughts which flash across your mind, without pursuing any particular train of thought, just gently redirect your focus to the task at hand.

For some people, it helps to visualise a quiet, relaxing scene, (Imagine, as vividly as you can, that you are on a tropical beach, reclining comfortably; you luxuriate, as the the sun warms you, and a gentle breeze caresses your skin lightly, inhaling the tangy, sea scented, salt laden spray from the sparkling, translucent, aqua waves, crashing on the white, coral beach sand, and feeling the hot sand slip through your fingers in one hand, sipping your favorite drink with the other; all the while, the seagulls call, swoop and cavort playfully overhead in a cloudless, azure sky: you feel just like one of them, free to soar and cartwheel, or just glide in the moist, heavy air, and that this moment will last forever ... ).

Some people may find it helps when they listen to: http://www.amazon.com/Sounds-Of-The-Ocea... Other suggestions: http://www.secretsofmeditation.com/demo....
and the audio, as well as the printed version, at: http://www.lessons4living.com/relaxation... and http://www.amazon.com/Ambient-Rain-Sound... or the mountain river sounds. Take 4 Omega 3 fish oil supplements, daily: (certified free of mercury) it is best if consumed with an antioxidant, such as an orange, or grapefruit, or their FRESHLY SQUEEZED juice. If vitamin E is added, it should be certified as being 100% from natural sources, or it may be synthetic: avoid it.

Light to moderate daily exercise helps fight stress. http://www.ezy-build.net.nz/~shaneris Try Ginseng or Lady's Slipper.