Treating Depression with Traditional Chinese Medicine
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Symptoms of Depression
  • A persistent sad or empty mood
  • Fatigue or lack of energy
  • Loss of interest or pleasure in formerly enjoyable activities
  • Problems with sleep
  • Changes in appetite & eating
  • Difficulty concentrating, remembering, & making decisions
  • Feeling guilty, worthless, or helpless
  • Thoughts of death or suicide
  • Irritability
  • Crying at the drop of  a hat
  • Bodily aches and pains which do not respond to treatment
Western Medicine
Although a whole family of new anti-depressant drugs, such as Prozac and Zoloft, have brought relief to millions of patients, these drugs do have unpleasant or unacceptable side effects in many patients. In addition, these drugs do not cure depression; they only manage its symptoms. Few patients relish the idea of staying on such medication their whole lives.
Chinese Medicine
Chinese medicine has been treating depression successfully for more than 2,000 years with various combinations of acupuncture, herbs, diet, exercise, and other low or no cost home therapies.

Recently, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) funded a pilot study on the effects of acupuncture on depression in women. The results of this study showed that acupuncture was at least as effective as either drugs or psychotherapy and there are no side effects! When acupuncture is combined with Chinese herbal medicine, Chinese dietary therapy, and various other lifestyle modifications, the effects are even greater.

Can You Combine Western & Chinese Medicine?
Absolutely. In many cases, such a combination is the best and quickest way of treating depression.Chinese medicine, including acupuncture, can be used to lessen or eliminate the side effects of Western anti-depressants, while a certain amount of psychotherapy can help the Chinese treatment go faster.

Anyone currently on anti-depressants who wants to get off these by using Chinese medicine should definitely discuss this with their prescribing physician and work out a withdrawal schedule in concert with their Chinese medical practitioner.





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