For those afflicted with depression, it can be hard to get out of bed in the morning or to go to sleep at night. Depression can feel like a cloud of hopelessness has engulfed the sufferer. Depression affects each person to a different degree. Some people lose energy and sleep more than normal. Others suffer from loss of appetite, loss of concentration, crying spells, and/or unexplainable feelings of irritation or anger, among other symptoms. Similar to any other medical condition, depression needs to be addressed and managed.
Often, sufferers of depression have a hard time taking the proper prescription medication. Either because the medication is ineffective or comes with a plethora of unwanted side effects, patients often opt not to take the prescribed depression medication. Fortunately, recent clinical studies and personal testimonies have shown that acupuncture may be an effective management tool in the fight against mild to moderate depression. Further studies are necessary to prove the effectiveness of acupuncture when treating severe depression, but members of the holistic, medical, and scientific communities are hopeful that these will be conducted in the near future. However, it is important to note that many patients have been able lessen or discontinue their antidepressant medication in favor of acupuncture (though this must be done under the guidance of a psychiatrist or appropriate physician).
The practice of acupuncture to treat depression is a relatively new phenomenon in the United States. Therefore, no one is sure exactly why it works. However, scientific studies assert that acupuncture serves to increase the levels of certain central nervous system hormones, such as serotonin, which has been shown to affect one’s mood. The central nervous system and its parts help to regulate heart rate, as well as the body’s physiological response to changes in the external or internal environment. Acupuncture’s ability to stimulate positive function within the nervous system may be the contributing factor in its efficacy in the fight against depression.
