05 Jan Treating Depression with Acupuncture and Herbs
Approximately 40 million Americans suffer with chronic anxiety or depression and 10-15% of women suffer from postpartum depression.
Often times many people don’t seek help for fear of shame or judgment and are left untreated. Those that are seeking help, approximately one out of eight adults, are currently taking antidepressant medications. While these medications offer support, there are many that do not respond well to medications. This can be due to a number of factors including:
- Numerous side effects that outweigh the benefits of the medication
- A developed tolerance to the medication that reduces the benefits
- Increased sensitivity to the concentration of the medications
- Beliefs that depression is not due to a biochemical imbalance
I have worked with a number of patients who were convinced that they were out of options after finding medications and/or talk therapy ineffective for their needs. As a last resort, many of these people try acupuncture. After working with a number of patients who suffer from chronic depression, I firmly believe that with the combination of Chinese medicine, look at nutrition, adding in good quality supplements and probiotics, meditation, and yoga can offer incredible support in healing the root causes of this epidemic. This is an all-natural approach which is much more comprehensive, less invasive to the brain than using medications and addresses the root causes of depression. This all-natural approach accounts for biochemical factors as well as energetic and nutritional influences.
Acupuncture
Acupuncture is a branch of Chinese medicine that has been practiced for over 2,000 years. The purpose of acupuncture is to treat the energetic level of the human body and mind. Most people are happily surprised to find that acupuncture is a profoundly relaxing experience that creates a deep restorative balance to the central nervous system. Most people feel relaxed, sleepy, lighter and sometimes invigorated after a treatment. These feelings will continue for a few hours afterward the treatment and will be longer lasting with repetitive treatments. How does Acupuncture work? It works to balance out the flow of Qi or as it is called, the life force, in the body. Depression and anxiety arise from a blockage of this Qi and acupuncture works to restore the flow. Often times other symptoms may accompany depression such as low back pain, insomnia, irritability and heart palpitations,.
Chinese Herbs
There are a number of Chinese herbal formulas that can work wonders for depression. In my practice I have seen better results when patients are using acupuncture in conjunction with Chinese herbs. In addition to Chinese herbs, there are some 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
- siberian ginseng
- gingko biloba
- rhodiola rosea
Nutrition
One of the most important components in treating depression is to look at your nutrition. 95% of serotonin, the neurotransmitter responsible for mood, sleep and inhibiting pain, are produced in your gastrointestinal tract. If there is not enough good bacteria in your GI tract then it’s nearly impossible to create serotonin. In addition, it is extremely important to maintain stable blood sugar throughout the day. Most anxiety patients suffer from hypoglycemia but don’t realize that they do.
Often times, when they do eat they tend to eat refined carbohydrates, sugar, or drink coffee to start their day, only to experience a ‘crash’ around 2-4pm. To avoid this and to keep blood sugar stable, start the day with a high protein meal such as eggs, turkey bacon, or a smoothie with hemp or some other protein powder and a good fat like almond butter or avocado. Eat a low glycemic snack every 2-3 hours, such as apples and almond butter or hardboiled eggs.
Eliminate coffee and other forms of caffeine. It is also a good idea to try an elimination diet to see if you are having any food allergies that are causing more intestinal issues, systemic inflammation and may be making the symptoms of depression worse. These tests can help you identify if there is an allergy to: wheat, gluten, dairy, and refined sugars. Here is a brief list of nutritional supplements that can be very helpful in treating depression:
- 5HTP
- Fish oil
- B vitamin complex
Yoga and Meditation
Yoga and medication have been instrumental for many of my patients as it has been their most powerful tool in helping them cope with depression. With regular practice of yoga and meditation people often feel that they have much more control over the depression and that isn’t running their life anymore. These practices are the gateways to the reset and restore the nervous system.