In my Charlotte, North Carolina acupuncture practice we use Traditional Chinese Medicine and acupuncture for depression and anxiety. This can include symptoms of:
1) Fatigue, lack of motivation, irregular appetite
2) Feeling sadness for unknown reason
3) Constant over-thinking
4) Worrying, anger, panic attacks
5) Poor sleep, restlessness
Acupuncture points for depression will be used during your session and may include other acupuncture therapies like Chinese Herbal Medicine.
Depression can happen for different reasons, sometimes it may be related to:
1) Genetic material passed down from your family
2) Develop from internalizing unwanted emotional stress over time
3) Happen seasonally especially in winter when the days are shorter and colder.
Experiencing long term depression or anxiety can take its toll on your personal and social life, as well as your overall health and well being. Western medicine can offer some treatment for depression but often medication can leave you with other unwanted symptoms. Acupuncture for depression and anxiety is a safe and effective treatment.
“Does acupuncture work for depression?” In a research article, Commentary on the Cochrane Review of Acupuncture for Depression it states “a subgroup of participants with depression as a comorbidity experienced a reduction in depression with manual acupuncture compared with SSRIs”. “When patients used antidepressants in conjunction with acupuncture the results are very promising in reducing both the symptoms and severity of depression.”
Acupuncture can also be a safe and effective alternative to antidepressants for women during pregnancy. In some circumstances using acupuncture in conjunction with psychotherapy can be a healthy addition to working through severe depression or trauma.
In Eastern medicine when your feeling depressed your energy can be low, you can feel a lack of motivation and fatigue, this can be associated with stagnant qi. This qi or energy can become build up within the body causing episodes of anxiety and/ or irritability.
