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Turning to Alternative Therapy for Depression and Mental Health
Did you know that according to the National Institute of Mental Health an estimated 1 in 4 adults suffer from a mental health disorder in a given year? In 2004, this figure translated to 57.7 million people. Approximately 19 million adults suffer from depression alone, and major depressive disorder is the leading cause of disability in the U.S. Up to one-half of all visits to primary care physicians are due to conditions that are caused or exacerbated by mental or emotional problems. With so many Americans suffering from mental health disorders, the FDA estimates that sales of antidepressant drugs, such as Prozac and Zoloft, reached over $10 billion in 2005. However, in a study of 2,318 patients conducted by the University of Colorado, only 20 percent of the patients taking these drugs were found to improve as a result. Furthermore, studies show that these drugs may even increase the risk of suicide rather than decrease it.
Depression and anxiety alone are debilitating enough but the side effects such as insomnia, anxiety, palpitations, fatigue, body rash, tremors, facial tics, diarrhea, loss of appetite and sexual dysfunction can add even more stress to the body and mind.
About half the people who seek treatment for depression are not helped by psychotherapy and medication or withdraw from treatment too early. Of those who recover, more than one third relapse within eighteen months. This suggests that alternative treatment may be very helpful for people who suffer from depression.
Acupuncture may just be one answer. This 3,000-year-old gentle modality provides safe, effective alternatives to controversial antidepressants and treats the symptoms and signs of depression and anxiety as well as the root or underlying cause of imbalances of the body. Depression is most commonly caused by a blockage of Qi (or, vital energy) in the body. It is Qi that regulates spiritual, emotional, mental and physical balance. Blockages of Qi can be caused by many factors such as physical trauma, emotional trauma, inherited weakness of Qi, poor diet, or chemical, physical and emotional stress. Acupuncture keeps the flow of this energy unblocked, and because Chinese medical practitioners treat patients as individuals, they consequently treat the true source of the depression instead of just prescribing pills.
According to recent studies, acupuncture may be a valuable adjunct therapy for those suffering from mental health disorders. A study conducted at the University of Arizona examined the responses of 34 depressed women to acupuncture, generalized acupuncture that didn¹t use specific points, and no treatment at all. Of the women who received acupuncture specifically for depression, 43 percent experienced a reduction in their symptoms, compared with 22 percent who received general acupuncture and 14 percent who received no treatment. After eight weeks, over half of the women who received specific acupuncture were no longer depressed.
Other studies verify these findings. Holly Middlekauff, an associate professor of medicine at UCLA, and a team of investigators presented their research at the American Heart Association's 2001 Scientific Sessions conference, which showed that acupuncture can block sympathetic nerve activity. Twenty-two advanced heart failure patients (both men and women, average age 43) were used in the study. Blood pressure, heart rate and sympathetic nerve activity which regulate a person's heartbeat and is also responsible for the "fight-or-flight" response - were measured in each patient immediately after subjecting them to four minutes of anxiety-producing situations. Results showed that sympathetic nervous system activity increased approximately 25 percent as a result of the mental stress.
After the test, the researchers divided the patients into three groups. The patients received either authentic acupuncture delivered for 20 minutes at established acupuncture points; sham acupuncture delivered at non- acupuncture points; or no-needle acupuncture, in which the patients were told they'd receive acupuncture, but were in fact only tapped by a needle holder on the back of the neck.
The mental stress test was repeated after the acupuncture treatments, with the same measurements taken at the conclusion of the second test. While patients in the sham and no-needle group experienced the same increases in heart rate, blood pressure and sympathetic nervous system activity after taking the second test as they had after taking the test the first time, patients in the authentic acupuncture group showed no increase in sympathetic nervous system activity.
American College of Traditional Chinese Medicine, a non-profit institution, is one of the nation¹s oldest and most prominent acupuncture colleges. Since 1980, ACTCM has provided affordable, quality health care to the public and trained professionals in acupuncture and Chinese medicine. ACTCM has been the recipient of many awards for its curriculum, faculty and clinic, and has been voted ³Best of the Bay² by both the San Francisco Weekly and the San Francisco Bay Guardian.
For more information on how acupuncture and massage can help depression and other mental health disorders, please call American College of Traditional Chinese Medicine at (415) 355-1601 x12. |
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