Why do we get depressed?
For those of us ages 15-44, depression is the leading cause of disability and affects approximately 14.8 million American adults. About 6.7 percent of Americans ages 18 and older are affected. This statistic is for depression only and does not include other mood disorders such as bipolar disorder and anxiety.
Though many people are feeling depression due to lack of a balanced diet, imbalanced nutrition and lack of exercise, many people also suffere from basic biologic imbalances.
Photo by Quinet
While depression has many symptoms, some of the most common are:
- Depressed mood most of the day, nearly every day
- Markedly diminished interest in pleasure in almost all activities most of the day, every day
- Significant weight loss or weight gain without dieting, or major changes in appetite or eating habits
- Insomnia or hypersomnia nearly everyday
- Psychomotor agitation or retardation (anxiety or lack of desire to do anything)
- Fatigue or loss of energy nearly every day
- Feelings of worthlessness, guilt, desperation, and psychic pain that are ongoing
- Inability to think or concentrate; indecisiveness daily
- Recurrent thoughts of death or suicide, or a specific plan or attempt of suicide
Acupuncture can help with Depression and Anxiety
Traditional Chinese Medicine states that the connection between the mind and body is absolute. To us they are inseparable and an imbalance in one will cause an imbalance in the other. Internal diseases in Oriental Medicine are said to be caused by emotions such as joy, worry, fear, anger and sadness. These emotions need to be in balance and controlled for the body and perceptive experience to be normal and healthy. These emotions correlate to the five Yin organs of the body of heart, spleen, kidney, liver and lungs. An unhealthy organ or set of organs can also cause unhealthy emotional states.
In the west, we tend to value productivity, strength and endurance. This tendency also leads to overwork, stress, over-thinking, worrying about small details and anger. We have so little time that we have to schedule time just to relax, to play and get quality time with our families. This type of lifestyle can bind up the emotional state of the body which in turn can cause depression, anxiety and severe stress.
Your acupuncturist can help you determine the best course of treatment by talking with you about your history, checking your tongue for signs of imbalances in the organs and taking your pulse. Chinese Herbs can be very helpful to alleviate these imbalances, give you more energy and help you to get the motivation you need to start making other life changes. A Chinese Herbal prescription will be written individually just for you and your constitution to bring you closer to a point of balance and allow you to feel better. Nutritional counseling is a huge part of every acupuncture experience and your practitioner can help you to determine the best foods for you.
Regardless of whether you are experiencing anxiety, depression, or some other emotional difficulty, making changes in your lifestyle can help balance your mind. The mind likes to attach to negative emotions and resists acceptance of new ideas. However, consider beginning a program of exercise to help circulate your own energy and studying a form of meditation to learn how to control and relax your mind. Activities such as Tai Chi, Qi Gong, and Yoga are excellent forms of mind-body exercise that can improve your ability to control both anxiety and depression. Practicing these arts in conjunction with regular acupuncture treatments will provide the foundation for a positive change in your life.
Here are some recommendations for practices in the Portland are:
Chinese Healing Arts – Gregory Fong is an amazing teacher of Tai Chi here in Portland, his work stands on its own!Qi Gong – Sheridan Horning, LMT, MAcOM, LAc, Qi Gong Insructor will provide you with an amazing, healing and relaxing Qi Gong experience.
Yoga – EB Ferdig at EB Yoga Therapy specializes in using yoga to help people with chronic pain and mood disorders. She’s a vibrant, strong and supportive practitioner who will be right there with you in your process of overcoming depressionResearch and Sources
- Allen, J. J. B. (2000). Depression and acupuncture: a controlled clinical trial. Psychiatric Times Online, 22, 3.
- Tian, C. H. (2002). Acupuncture treatment for depression. New England Journal of Traditional Medicine, 1, 4-7.
- National Institute of Mental Health