update: poking, prodding, and acupuncturing

The acupuncture appointment about which I previously wrote took place this afternoon, and was an entirely positive experience on every level imaginable.

For years, I have been dismissing my anxiety and depression as either incurable or inauthentic, refusing to take the first step toward eradicating them because to do so seemed self-serving and unnecessary somehow. Today, I found out what it feels like to have my feelings validated, my emotions understood and accepted without judgment or skepticism. For the first time, I feel justified in taking care of me, in acknowledging my need to invest in myself both emotionally and physically for the sake of my overall health.

I’m certainly not healed of any ailments after a single session, but I do feel open to the possibility of change. For me, this is huge. The treatment was an intensely emotional experience, tearful and unexpectedly cathartic. I can’t quite put into words how I feel, though I am optimistic about where this process will take me. I know it’s not a cure-all for my discontentment, but I’m confident I’ve taken a (bigger than baby) step in the right direction. That alone is progress.