Acupuncture and Depression
By Artin Mahboubi, L.Ac., DiplAc.
Depression, a term used to describe feelings of sadness and hopelessness, has varied and complex causes. Depression can affect the quality of life, our productivity, our problem solving skills, our memory, our ability to experience joy, happiness, and optimism. Being depressed can cost us our health.
Depression and sadness aren't always an abnormal response to life's events. Some depression experienced at some point in life is normal. When we are healthy and balanced physically and emotionally we easily bounce back from a depressed state and move on with our lives. However, when negative emotions and thoughts dominate our thinking, depression can become chronic and debilitating.
In our society drugs are often prescribed for many ailments, including depression. Today there are over 28 million Americans taking prescribed anti-depressants. However, pharmaceutical treatment only relieves symptoms and does not address the underlying causes of the disease. For example, low serotonin in the synapse may cause depression but is there is a deeper cause? What causes seratonin to be low? Perhaps the neurotransmitters are out of balance and not functioning correctly. Acupuncture goes to the root cause by balancing the qi and creating the possibility for the body to heal itself.
Medications prescribed to treat depression often have direct side effects such as loss of appetite, diarrhea, facial tics, tremors, body rash, fatigue, listlessness, anxiety, insomnia, sexual dysfunction. More medicine may be prescribed to relieve the side effects. By combining drugs and subjecting the body to many drugs we run the risk of creating toxicity and imbalance. Rather than supporting better health, this approach may be making us sicker. These medications provide temporary relief, but they compromise our health.
I recommend trying the natural approach first. If that doesn't bring satisfactory results, it is then time to try medications.
Acupuncture has been used for thousands of years to treat depression by balancing the energy meridians of the body. The short explanation is that if the body is balanced, the body will have the resources to do what it needs to do, and being happy and able to deal with stresses of life is a built in ability of the body.
The definition of life is movement, not just physical movement but emotional and energetic movement as well. The meridians of energy that flow through the body must flow unhindered or energy will back up and become stagnant. If the energy can't flow where it's supposed to flow it will try to flow somewhere else and create too much energy in other places. What the problem is and how to solve it is dependant on a number of other variables, but the bottom line is when flow is restored and balance is once again achieved, the nervous system and the immune system can function normally and unhindered. The result is a mind that is able to deal with the stressors of life more effectively.
We know also that diet and regular exercise play an important role in the normal functioning of the brain and the body as well. In addition to balancing the energy flow through the meridians a skilled acupuncturist will educate the patient about what they need to do to be healthier. Sometimes it takes several weekly treatments to achieve long term results, but by working together to make positive changes better emotional, mental and physical health is possible. Depression didn't come about over night and it will not go away over night. Acupuncture is not a quick fix. It is a process of restoring the normal flow of energy through the body to restore healthy functioning with the ultimate goal of achieving happiness and balance.
Depression is a very complex condition, as the brain is a very complex organ. It is not one neurotransmitter that is out of balance in depression, it is a number of things, some of which haven't even been identified yet. Acupuncture, and herbs when indicated, bring balance to a body which then does what it is great at doing: healing.