Among all the debilitating conditions and illnesses acupuncture can treat, depression is one of the most challenging. This is partly due to Western conventional medicine that considers depression as a mood disorder that is evidenced in both psychological and physical symptoms.  Acupuncture, which is a part of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), however, sees depression not only as a disease but also as a result of an imbalance in the patient’s system that can be addressed with using problem-specific massage, herbal medicines and, of course, acupuncture treatment.  There might be no “magic bullet” for addressing depression but it is good to consider all options that can include holistic acupuncture, antidepressant medicines and psychotherapy before embarking on the best treatment program.

Depression is quite an uncommon study area that can be caused by a number of factors including chemical imbalances in the brain, individual circumstances, the environment, behavior and genetics. Even if Western medicine may have had successes with antidepressant medicines and psychotherapy talk treatments, there is still no sure-fire cure for depression since each patient can have varying symptoms.  There may be patients that may experience stomach pains, insomnia and anxiety while others may show little or no interest in just about anything or sleep all the time and may have feelings of hopelessness and even ideations of suicide. Because of the difference in depression symptoms, diagnosing depression isn’t always easy to do.

If a patient has undergone psychotherapy and medication without success, then acupuncture should be seriously considered. As with other acupuncture therapies, the aim is to know the acupuncture points on the body to be treated that may have disruptions in the flow of the person’s life force energy the Chinese call ‘qi’. TCM sees diseases like depression to be connected to imbalance of energy flow in the person’s body – using proper insertion of very thin needles along the energy vessels the energy flow can be brought back to its proper state addressing thereby the symptoms caused by depression.

Treatments for depression can differ widely unlike treatments for torn ligaments or broken bones. There are people who respond well to drugs while some receive benefits from talk therapy in relieving stress and anxiety. There are others who got well using the holistic approach of acupuncture treatment along with problem-specific massage and Chinese herbs. Certain individuals will opt for acupuncture primarily due to the fact that it is an all natural treatment and doesn’t entail one becoming dependent on a certain medicine. There may be individuals who may find that a combination of acupuncture and psychotherapy to be effective in alleviating the more serious symptoms of depression. If you are suffering from depression, then you need to seriously consider acupuncture as treatment for it. It may be the solution you’ve been looking for.