Maybe it's a bit of everything. But while some people may benefit from anti-depressants, there can be no question that we are overusing these medications.
Why take anti-depressants?
If you speak to people who are taking anti-depressants, or if you yourself are taking them, you usually find similar reasons to explain it. Apart from the severely afflicted, most people say that they went through a hard time and started anti-depressants then. Most people say that they would like to find a way to get off the meds. A lot of these people seek out acupuncture to help them do this, which is how I hear about it so often.
What is depression?
Before getting into the scientific theories of depression, let's look at it from a Chinese medicine viewpoint. Chinese medicine may seem primitive to many of us, but in many ways this traditional form of medicine has a much more effective grasp on health and illness than we do. Chinese medicine may not explain the biochemical mechanisms of disease, but it understands the energetic imbalances involved in disease. More significantly, it knows how to treat these imbalances and restore health.
In Chinese medicine, ten different cases of depression may have ten different patterns of imbalance. That means that your particular pattern of depression may not be identical to that of the next person. Your treatment is based on your unique pattern, and is not a standard "formula" that is applied to everyone.
That said, however, there are some overarching patterns found in depression that are common to all. For most people, when you resolve these patterns of imbalance in the body, the depression goes away.
The main pattern of imbalance is related to the energetic system the Chinese call the "Liver." The Chinese Liver is not the same as the liver organ as we know it. The Chinese saw the body in terms of function more than form. For this reason, the Chinese Liver is a set of functions, many of which belong to the liver organ itself, but not all. For example,the Chinese Liver includes some nervous system functions that we would not attribute to the liver organ.
Here's the basic image. The Liver energetic system is in charge of keeping everything flowing smoothly in the body. It regulates "flow" of everything -- blood circulation, Qi (the Chinese term for "vital energy"), nervous system, muscles, and so on. Any dysregulation, including spasms, tremors, and pain in general, is related in some way to dysregulation of the Liver.
Depression is another form of dysregulation. Imagine how depression feels -- heavy, stuck, tired, without movement, no motivation, unending sadness. It reflects a lack of movement of energy (Qi) in the body. It's like when a flowing river dries up, little pools of stagnant water remain, breeding algae overgrowth and decay. To get the water flowing again, and revitalize the river, you need to open the dam and let more water flow again, and get it moving.
The plot thickens
Guess what causes this stagnancy of the Liver energetic system? Mainly it is stress. There's a lot to talk about regarding stress, which includes injury, overwork, overexcitement as well as emotional upset. But for now, let's just say that any stress pattern is a tension pattern, and tension creates blocked energy.
Stress is at all-time high levels for most of us today, and it's perpetual. Most people are living with high levels of daily stress -- long work hours, commuting, eating on the run and over meetings or computers, raising children, schedules that are extremely full from morning to night, and usually not enough sleep. And then there are the big stressors on top of that -- job loss, death of a loved one, long-term care of family members in need. Given the levels of stress we cope with daily, we're completely wiped out by these big ones when they come along.
If you look back at your own history of depression, you will almost certainly find that it started during or after a major or prolonged period of stress.
Get the energy moving
The good news is, when you get that blocked energy moving, most depression clears up. It really is that simple.
Acupuncture does this amazingly well. Often you will experience immediate relief. A treatment course may last from a few weeks up to several months to help you fully rebalance and heal.
What you can do on your own is:
- Reduce your stress: Most of us feel that our stress is our stress and there's nothing we can do about it. Take another look. Stop and question some of your own assumptions about how you are living. Is there any way to make your schedule work better for you? Can you ask for help? Can you cut back on some responsibilities or postpone them until a later date? Look at the choices you are making and recognize that you have the power to make choices more conducive to your health.
- Incorporate movement: Exercise moves the energy, even if it's simply a daily brisk walk. Often when depressed it's hard to get moving, so you don't need to feel it's either a full gym workout or nothing. Just take a walk.
- Breathe: While walking, use your breathing to move the energy. Take deep breaths in and out. During your day, whatever you are doing, pause regularly to check your breathing and take a nice deep breath, relaxing the diaphragm, the chest and the abdomen. Breathing is a potent self-treatment and it's free.
- Express yourself: Everyone needs creative expression, social connections, and fun. For many people, this is an element left out of the mix in a busy life. But it's essential to health. Find out what you love to do and what you are missing, and find a way to bring it into your life.
- Eat consciously: One of the best ways to reduce stress, improve digestion and heal naturally is to eat consciously. This means eating on a regular schedule, eating when you are hungry and not putting it off, sitting down to eat, chewing your food and breathing while you eat, not eating over your computer, while reading, watching the news, or over a meeting. It also means eating fresh, wholesome, healthy, unprocessed foods in balanced proportions.
By eating a diet that nourishes your body, and doing it calmly, you will receive all the nutrients your body needs, naturally. When you do this while also exercising, breathing, and minimizing your stress, and having fun, you can heal depression without medications, herbs or supplements.
