Understanding the Problem
The Scope.
Did you know that, according to the National Institute of Mental Health:
Clinical depression is the leading cause of disability in the United States for ages 15 to 44.
Depression affects 6.7% of the adult population, or approximately 14.8 million people.
Anxiety affects 18.1% of adults in the U.S., or 40 million people.
About 1 in 4 Americans will suffer a serious mental disorder in their lifetime.
The Impact.
The cost of dealing with the rising tide of mental and emotional imbalances is high. A U.S. Surgeon General’s report in 1999 found that lost productivity and absenteeism due to untreated mental health disorders cost American businesses $70 billion annually.
The Scope.
Did you know that, according to the National Institute of Mental Health:
Clinical depression is the leading cause of disability in the United States for ages 15 to 44.
Depression affects 6.7% of the adult population, or approximately 14.8 million people.
Anxiety affects 18.1% of adults in the U.S., or 40 million people.
About 1 in 4 Americans will suffer a serious mental disorder in their lifetime.
The Impact.
The cost of dealing with the rising tide of mental and emotional imbalances is high. A U.S. Surgeon General’s report in 1999 found that lost productivity and absenteeism due to untreated mental health disorders cost American businesses $70 billion annually.
Anxiety disorders alone cost the U.S. more than $42 billion a year.
But the impacts are more than merely economic.
Balancing the Mind and Heart: A Chinese Medicine Approach
The Philosophy.
The beauty of Chinese medicine is in its ability to see you as more than just a label, and to allow yourself the experience of being more than just your illness.
Treatment with Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine.
The first thing that a Chinese medical paradigm can offer is a more complete understanding of your mental, emotional, and physical state.
Mind, body, and spirit are inseparable in Chinese medicine. What you eat affects how you think; how you feel affects how you move. Chinese medicine provides an excellent framework to go in-depth into the details of your daily life, your mind and behavior, to arrive at a better understanding of where you are and how you got this way.
In order for a person to be diagnosed with depression, four or five of the following symptoms must persist for two weeks, and not be due to another physical condition, medication, alcohol, drugs, or normal bereavement:
Persistent feelings of sadness, hopelessness, worthlessness
Weight loss or gain
Lose of all interest in pleasurable activities, including sex
Fatigue
Sleep disturbances
Irritability
Guilt
Poor concentration or indecision
Abnormal thoughts of death and suicide
Some of the symptoms associated with a diagnosis of anxiety include:
Persistent worry
Muscle tension, aches, twitching
Sleep disturbances
Fast of irregular heartbeat
Frequent urination
Shortness of breath
Fatigue; Nausea; Dizziness
Restlessness
Poor concentration
Irritability; Overreaction when startled
Traditional Chinese Medicine and Depression/Anxiety
Every healthy person has experienced some form of depression in his or her life. It is a healthy response to overwhelming events in our lives. When we are healthy, physically and mentally, we can usually bounce back from a depressed state within a couple of weeks, and continue on with our normal lives. But when feelings become persistent and occur without precipitating factors, true depression may set in.
Every healthy person has also experienced anxiety in their life. We all know what it feels like to be anxious. “Butterflies” in the stomach when one is preparing for a job interview, meeting new people, or speaking in public are quite common, normal, and can be positive. Anxiety can be a positive reaction that helps prepare individuals for situations that are uncertain. But when anxiety is persistent, and exhibited in unwarranted situations, this positive emotion interferes with and limits our daily activities.
Many people may feel a combination of anxiety and depression. They may tend to be depressed, tired, and have difficulty making decisions or focusing during the day, and feel anxious, restless, and “shaky” at night.
Chinese medicine recognizes a powerful interplay between the body and emotions; the two are, in fact, inseparable. When we become emotionally upset, our internal environment also becomes disrupted, leading to the physical symptoms of anxiety and depression. When we are physically compromised, our emotions can be greatly affected.
According to Chinese medical theories, depression and anxiety are often the result of an imbalance or blockage in the body’s energetic organ meridian systems. If the Qi becomes obstructed or the quality becomes insufficient, emotional upset, anxiety/depression, illness and disease may occur. Many things may cause the Qi to become blocked or insufficient: physical trauma, emotional trauma, hereditary weakness, poor diet, and chemical, physical and emotional stress.
A ground breaking pilot study at the University of Arizona1 studied the treatment of depression using traditional, individually tailored acupuncture treatment, within the structure of a double-blind, randomized, control trial. Twelve sessions were held over an eight-week period, with an additional session per week for the next eight weeks that also treated the control and placebo groups. At the end of the study, 64% of the participants were judged to be in full remission of their symptoms.
Treating Anxiety/Depression with Acupuncture and Herbal Therapy
My treatments for anxiety and depression combine acupuncture, Alpha-Stim micro-current stimulation, and herbal therapy. A general protocol is 12 sessions over a 4 week period of acupuncture and micro-current stimulation
The herbal supplementation is key to the effectiveness of the treatments. The treatments will not be as effective with out the supplements. The herbal formulas are used to address stress, anxiety, depression, and insomnia. A few of the formulas that I use (you would only be prescribed one, or perhaps two) are: Calm Dragon, Compassionate Sage, Celestial Emperer’s Blend, Quiet Contemplative, Free and Easy Wanderer, Ease Plus™, and Ginseng and Logan Formula and more…
If you would like to pursue this form of treatment, contact me at the following telephone number or e-mail address. You will be asked to fill out a detailed intake form before your first appointment. You may pick this up at my office, or I can e-mail it to you.
tarraacupuncture.com
The success rate for this type of treatment is very high, 75%+. While severe depression may require more intensive treatment, relief of stress and anxiety is usually felt immediately and not as many treatments are required.
But the impacts are more than merely economic.
Balancing the Mind and Heart: A Chinese Medicine Approach
The Philosophy.
The beauty of Chinese medicine is in its ability to see you as more than just a label, and to allow yourself the experience of being more than just your illness.
Treatment with Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine.
The first thing that a Chinese medical paradigm can offer is a more complete understanding of your mental, emotional, and physical state.
Mind, body, and spirit are inseparable in Chinese medicine. What you eat affects how you think; how you feel affects how you move. Chinese medicine provides an excellent framework to go in-depth into the details of your daily life, your mind and behavior, to arrive at a better understanding of where you are and how you got this way.
In order for a person to be diagnosed with depression, four or five of the following symptoms must persist for two weeks, and not be due to another physical condition, medication, alcohol, drugs, or normal bereavement:
Persistent feelings of sadness, hopelessness, worthlessness
Weight loss or gain
Lose of all interest in pleasurable activities, including sex
Fatigue
Sleep disturbances
Irritability
Guilt
Poor concentration or indecision
Abnormal thoughts of death and suicide
Some of the symptoms associated with a diagnosis of anxiety include:
Persistent worry
Muscle tension, aches, twitching
Sleep disturbances
Fast of irregular heartbeat
Frequent urination
Shortness of breath
Fatigue; Nausea; Dizziness
Restlessness
Poor concentration
Irritability; Overreaction when startled
Traditional Chinese Medicine and Depression/Anxiety
Every healthy person has experienced some form of depression in his or her life. It is a healthy response to overwhelming events in our lives. When we are healthy, physically and mentally, we can usually bounce back from a depressed state within a couple of weeks, and continue on with our normal lives. But when feelings become persistent and occur without precipitating factors, true depression may set in.
Every healthy person has also experienced anxiety in their life. We all know what it feels like to be anxious. “Butterflies” in the stomach when one is preparing for a job interview, meeting new people, or speaking in public are quite common, normal, and can be positive. Anxiety can be a positive reaction that helps prepare individuals for situations that are uncertain. But when anxiety is persistent, and exhibited in unwarranted situations, this positive emotion interferes with and limits our daily activities.
Many people may feel a combination of anxiety and depression. They may tend to be depressed, tired, and have difficulty making decisions or focusing during the day, and feel anxious, restless, and “shaky” at night.
Chinese medicine recognizes a powerful interplay between the body and emotions; the two are, in fact, inseparable. When we become emotionally upset, our internal environment also becomes disrupted, leading to the physical symptoms of anxiety and depression. When we are physically compromised, our emotions can be greatly affected.
According to Chinese medical theories, depression and anxiety are often the result of an imbalance or blockage in the body’s energetic organ meridian systems. If the Qi becomes obstructed or the quality becomes insufficient, emotional upset, anxiety/depression, illness and disease may occur. Many things may cause the Qi to become blocked or insufficient: physical trauma, emotional trauma, hereditary weakness, poor diet, and chemical, physical and emotional stress.
A ground breaking pilot study at the University of Arizona1 studied the treatment of depression using traditional, individually tailored acupuncture treatment, within the structure of a double-blind, randomized, control trial. Twelve sessions were held over an eight-week period, with an additional session per week for the next eight weeks that also treated the control and placebo groups. At the end of the study, 64% of the participants were judged to be in full remission of their symptoms.
Treating Anxiety/Depression with Acupuncture and Herbal Therapy
My treatments for anxiety and depression combine acupuncture, Alpha-Stim micro-current stimulation, and herbal therapy. A general protocol is 12 sessions over a 4 week period of acupuncture and micro-current stimulation
The herbal supplementation is key to the effectiveness of the treatments. The treatments will not be as effective with out the supplements. The herbal formulas are used to address stress, anxiety, depression, and insomnia. A few of the formulas that I use (you would only be prescribed one, or perhaps two) are: Calm Dragon, Compassionate Sage, Celestial Emperer’s Blend, Quiet Contemplative, Free and Easy Wanderer, Ease Plus™, and Ginseng and Logan Formula and more…
If you would like to pursue this form of treatment, contact me at the following telephone number or e-mail address. You will be asked to fill out a detailed intake form before your first appointment. You may pick this up at my office, or I can e-mail it to you.
tarraacupuncture.com
The success rate for this type of treatment is very high, 75%+. While severe depression may require more intensive treatment, relief of stress and anxiety is usually felt immediately and not as many treatments are required.
