Acupuncture and Natural
Treatment Options for Depression
Approximately 38 million Americans suffer
with chronic anxiety or depression. One out of eight
adults are currently taking antidepressant medications.
While these medications can offer support and benefit on certain
occasions, there are indeed many people that do not respond well
to this form of treatment. This can be due to a number of
factors including:
- Various side effects
that outweigh the benefits of the medication
- A developed tolerance
to the medication that causes the benefits to diminish
- Excessive sensitivity
to the concentrated nature of these medications
- A belief system that
suggests that the depression is not due to a
biochemical imbalance, or that this imbalance is the result
of a deeper spiritual issue
In my clinical practice, I
have worked with a number of patients who were convinced that
they had run out of options after finding medications and/or
talk therapy to be ineffective for their needs. Many of
these people try acupuncture as a last resort. Based on
the experience I have had in working with numerous patients who
suffer from chronic depression, I now firmly believe that
Chinese medicine, nutritional supplementation, meditation, and
yoga can offer tremendously helpful support in healing the root
causes of this epidemic. This approach is much more
comprehensive and much less invasive to the brain that using
SSRI medications. It accounts for not only biochemical
factors, but also energetic, nutritional, and spiritual
influences as well.
Acupuncture
Practiced for over 2,500
years, acupuncture is a branch of Chinese medicine that treats
the energetic level of the human body/mind. As surprising
as it is to most people, acupuncture is usually a profoundly
relaxing experience that establishes a deep quality of
restoration and balance to the central nervous system.
Most people feel altered, floaty, dreamy, or sleepy after
treatment. This feeling tends to stick around for a few
hours after the treatment and becomes a more continuous
experience with repetitive treatment. Acupuncture works by
balancing the flow of Qi, or internal life force, in the body.
Anxiety is typically a byproduct of weak Qi in the heart or
kidneys. Other symptoms such as low back pain, heart
palpitations, insomnia, irritability, or nightmares commonly
accompany the depression.
Chinese Herbs
There are a number of Chinese herbal
formulas that can work wonders for depression. Here is a
brief list of formulas I commonly use in my practice to treat
this condition.
Western herbs can also be helpful.
Here is a brief list of herbs that can be bought at the local
health food store:
-
St. John's wort
-
gingko biloba
-
rhodiola rosea
-
siberian ginseng
Nutrition
One of the most important
considerations here is to maintain stable blood sugar throughout
the day. The majority of anxiety patients suffer from
hypoglycemia. They tend to eat refined carbohydrates
and/or drink coffee to start the day, only to experience the
typical 'crash' around 2-4pm. To keep the blood sugar
stable, begin the day with a high protein breakfast such as
eggs, turkey bacon, whole oats, or smoothies with whey or goat
protein in them. Eat a low glycemic snack every 2-3 hours.
Avoid coffee and other forms of caffeine. It can also be
revealing to avoid allergenic foods such as wheat, gluten,
pasteurized dairy, and refined sugar for one month to see if the depression
significantly improves. Here is a brief list of
nutritional supplements that can be very helpful in treating
depression:
-
5HTP
-
SAMe
-
Fish oil
-
B vitamin complex
Meditation and Yoga
Many people find meditation
and yoga to be their most powerful allies in healing depression.
With regular practice of various breathing techniques and yoga
postures, people often feel that they have much more control
over the depression and that it need not run their life anymore.
These practices can be direct gateways to the rest and restore
mode of the nervous system. On a deeper level, they can
help us forge a spiritual connection with our lives that
instills an unshakable sense of trust and safety in the workings
of the universe.
From a holistive perspective,
our symptoms are never random. There is always a reason
why they creep up. In the case of depression, it is
helpful to disengage from our personal feelings about it and
look at the bigger picture. What is the depression
telling us about ourselves and where we are at in life? Is
it a warning sign that something is amiss and needs to be
acknowledged or changed? In any regard, the practices
mentioned here can offer a profound level of support in getting
to the root of the problem and inducing a gentle course in a new
direction of inspiration and insight.
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