After many months of an unnamed chronic pain that my mom thinks is sciatica, I finally muster the will to get it treated by the traditional medicine of my peoples - aka acupuncture.
It's my first time and I don't quite know what to expect. I lay out all the various ailments that bother me, including anxiety.
Dr. Chi, this elderly Taiwanese man with a kind and jovial demeanor, asks me what I think is causing the anxiety. "I'm not a couselor," he says, "but I do know some things. I've lived to be 60, I have children... Is it work that's causing you stress?"
I laugh. "It's a long story. I mean work, yes, but I tend to see emotional issues as having roots in childhood and family."
"Is it ACEs?" he asks while preparing the needles.
I'm surprised. "You mean Adverse Childhood Experiences?" Seeing his nod, I reply: "Yeah, I score 3-4... they say that above a 3 people have serious problems."
"Yes. You know, 1/3 of the population is walking around with ACEs. It must not be easy for you."
As I lie there taking the conversation in, I start to cry.
Dr. Chi inserts the needles and assures me that things will get better. He believes things will get better for me.
As he wipes away my tears, he says, gently: "I have ACEs too."
I don't stop crying.
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