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Acupuncture

Acupuncture Treatments for Depression

Acupuncture health care alternative medicine Depression Treatments

Depression is characterized by feelings that may range from mild blahs or despondency to severe despair. It's composed of a combination of anger, irritability, sadness and grief, worry and "overthinking."

Its' symptoms may include loss of interest in life, feelings of low self-esteem, lack of motivation, fatigue, memory loss, anxiety, insomnia or loss of appetite. Depression is twice as frequent in women as it is in men, and for both usually begins in middle-age.

In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM,) depression involves the Ethereal Soul (Hun) and the Mind (Shen). One function of the Ethereal Soul is to support the Mind in its capacity to create and develop ideas, dreams, plans and projects. If its movement is obstructed by pathogenic factors, then the person may have depression. If the movement is excessive and uncontrolled, then the person might have manic behavior.

Treatment for depression would be based on resolving the primary pathological factors, and would focus on freeing the movement of Qi.

The following are questions designed to help you ascertain if you need to seek help for depression.

During the past 14 days:

  • Did you have difficulty falling asleep at night?
  • Did you have restless or disturbed sleep?
  • Did you awaken early and are unable to fall back to sleep?
  • Did you sleep more than 10 hours per day including naps?
  • Did you feel sad more than half of the time?
  • Has your appetite either increased or decreased?
  • Have you had a change in your weight- either gain or lose?
  • Did you have difficulty concentrating or making decisions?
  • Did you spend time thinking about major and minor defects in yourself?
  • Did you think about death or suicide several times a week for several minutes or more?
  • Is it an effort to start and or finish your daily activities?
  • Is your thinking slowed, or your speech dull or flat?
  • Did you feel fidgety or restless, wanting to move around?

If you answered yes to some of these questions you may want to see a health care practitioner to pursue treatment.

References and Footnotes

  1. "Clinical Depression," Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clinical_depression, 2007.
  2. Maciocia, Giovanni, "The Foundations of Chinese Medicine," Churchill Livingstone, Edinburg, Scotland, (2005) p. 342.
  3. Denmei, Shudo, "Acupuncture and Moxibustion Treatment for Depression," North American Journal of Oriental Medicine, volume 13, number 36, March 2006.