How Acupuncture Can Alleviate Depression and Anxiety

Depression and anxiety are signs that your body and mind are not in balance; life-changing events such as the loss of a loved one or the birth of a child can put your body into a state of stress that unbalances you. If this stress and lack of balance are not addressed, depression and anxiety can quickly take root.

That being said, situational grief and the natural stress that comes with some huge life occurrences should not be mistaken for clinical depression or anxiety. Only if symptoms present themselves consistently for two weeks can depression and anxiety be considered clinical.

Symptoms of Depression and Anxiety

• Consistently low mood on a day to day basis which shows little change
• Diminished interest in activities that are usually enjoyable
• A lack of feeling in general also called anhedonia
• Significant weight gain or loss in a short period of time
• Difficulty in maintaining a normal sleeping pattern
• Decreased energy levels and extreme fatigue
• Inexplicable guilt, panic, or fear with no root or obvious cause
• Lack of self-worth
• Inability to concentrate
• Extreme indecisiveness

Any mix of these symptoms could be present at varying levels if you are anxious and/or depressive. Acupuncture can help you to alleviate the symptoms of anxiety and depression before they spiral out of control by enabling your body to restore its natural balance.

A Non-Pharmaceutical Method For Managing Depression and Anxiety

Acupuncture is a safe and affordable way to manage depressive and anxious symptoms without pharmaceutical intervention. Better yet the relief it provides is almost instant; acupuncture cannot cure depression or anxiety because it treats only the symptoms, but it does provide relief and management without requiring you to wait weeks for any sign of improvement (as many anti-depressants do).

Unlike Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (or SSRIs), acupuncture does not need excessive amounts of time to rebalance your body, and better yet it lacks the nasty side-effects of medical intervention.

Many SSRIs cause weight gain, loss of libido, headaches, and they can sometimes make you feel worse before you begin to improve. Acupuncture carries no such risk!

Prozac Minus The Side Effects

A study published in January 2008, by doctors in Guangzhou, China, found that acupuncture was a safe and effective therapy for those suffering from depression and anxiety. They found that the effects on the symptoms presented were, in fact, comparable to the effects found when Prozac was prescribed, but acupuncture recipients suffered none of the side effects and none of the dietary or medical restrictions.

Tricyclic and MAOI inhibitor antidepressants, too, have a number of side-effects and can interact badly with certain medications and contraceptives as well as things like alcohol, tobacco, and even certain foods! Of course, once again, acupuncture lacks these restrictions and side effects.

Depression and anxiety are, of course, complex conditions which, literally, have their ups and downs, and acupuncture is not a cure. However, if you want to find a safe, natural, non-pharmaceutical way to manage your symptoms and provide overall health benefits then acupuncture could be just what you have been looking for.