Anxiety and Depression - how acupuncture can help
Anxiety and depression are two of the most common mental illnesses experienced worldwide. Globally, more than 300 million people of all ages suffer from depression. Generalised Anxiety Disorder is estimated to affect up to 5% of the UK population.
Most of us have experienced these emotions at some point in our lives, and in fact they can be natural responses to the more difficult experiences life can throw at us, when things feel overwhelming. In a healthy individual, we are able to bounce back from these states relatively quickly and easily. However, some of us don’t bounce back and instead sink into a deeper cycle of anxiety and depression.
A completely holistic system, Chinese medicine understands the mind, body and spirit to be seamless parts of a whole, each impacting, and being effected by, the other. In this way, if one is unbalanced, it can affect all other aspects of our being. For example, imbalances of the organs can impact our mental state, and vice-versa.
The mind influences the movement of Qi throughout the body via a network of subtle channels / meridians. Therefore the state of the mind has a strong effect on the quality and quantity of flow. When our mind is happy, our Qi flows freely and smoothly. When the mind is disturbed, the flow of Qi is impaired and can cause illness.
Peaceful mind = smooth flow of Qi = good health
In general, acupuncture is believed to stimulate the nervous system and cause the release of neurochemical messenger molecules. The resulting biochemical changes influence the body's homeostatic mechanisms, thus promoting physical and emotional wellbeing.
Studies indicate that acupuncture can have a specific positive effect on anxiety and depression by altering the brain's mood chemistry, increasing production of serotonin and endorphins. Acupuncture may also benefit depression by acting through other neurochemical pathways, including those involving dopamine, noradrenaline, cortisol and neuropeptide.
Stimulation of certain acupuncture points has been shown to affect areas of the brain that are known to reduce sensitivity to pain and stress, as well as promoting relaxation and deactivating the 'analytical' brain which is responsible for anxiety and worry. Stress-induced changes in behaviour and biochemistry may be reversed.
Acupuncture can also help to relieve physical ailments such as chronic pain, which may be a contributing cause of depression. In addition, people struggling to cope with depression and anxiety usually find that coming to see a supportive therapist on a regular basis is helpful in itself.
In an acupuncture consultation, your practitioner will spend time discussing with you the nature of your experience, to try to understand the underlying imbalance at the root of your symptoms. This could include questions about your energy levels, sleep and triggers. This will help to form a diagnosis and treatment approach. In addition to offering acupuncture and related therapies, your acupuncturist will often make suggestions as to dietary and other lifestyle changes that may be helpful in overcoming depression.