I am often asked what made me want to become an acupuncturist and herbalist. My story begins during my undergraduate studies when I began to think about a career choice in the business world and how I could contribute to society. This experience was very exciting but also caused a lot of anxiety. I was thinking about working as part of a pharmaceutical marketing team. It seemed like a great career choice at the time because it was a job in my field of study that would be very stable. I noticed that so many people are prescribed pharmaceutical drugs such as opioids and anti-depressants. The more I talked to people the more common I realized it was, even amongst young people at the time. When seeking help for my own panic disorder and anxiety, I was prescribed an anti-depressant and benzodiazepines, a very commonly used prescription. I did not want to take daily medications to change my symptoms. I knew there had to be a better way and began to do my own research.
I discovered more natural ways that could help my anxiety and started holistic treatments such as acupuncture. When I started to feel better, I knew there were so many more people facing similar issues. I was inspired to become an acupuncturist and herbalist because I wanted to help people feel better using a natural medicine. The National Institutes of Health estimates 2 million Americans are suffering from substance use disorders related to opioid pain relievers. The CDC, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has issued the first national standard from prescription painkillers. The guidelines clearly recommend non-drug approaches such as acupuncture along with others to be a preferred method of treatment.