Acupuncture and Depression
Are We Really Depressed?

Acupuncture and Chinese medicine can offer an effective alternative to the treatment of depression. I have noticed that each time I consult with a patient who says s/he suffers from depression, I naturally ask myself: Is this patient REALLY depressed?

The reason I ask myself this question is because Metzl (2003) and Shorter (1997) have reported that there is a tendency for medical practitioners to both over-diagnose depression as well as to over-prescribe antidepressant drugs.

And it is also acknowledged that in many instances the diagnosis of depression may not, in fact, be a valid one. This is alarming considering the adverse effects of antidepressant drugs can be harmful.

Now consider this important fact from the Australian Bureau of Statistics:

In 2007, 12 million anti-depressant prescriptions were written for patients by medical doctors in Australia.

Now let's just do the maths for a moment...and it should raise some alarm. Rough calculations will do.

Australia is a beautiful country where we only have a population of roughly 21.3 million people. If you consider that 79% of our population is over the age of 15 years, it tells us that 17 million people are exposed to 12 million scripts for anti-depressant drugs.

That gives us ... roughly... one script for every 1.5 person.

Shocking, isn't it?

It makes you think that almost every Austrlaian adult is depressed, which is definitely neither true nor correct.

Zoloft was the most common script written by doctors. Keep in mind that Zoloft and other anti-depressants are drugs that are very helpful for some people. But I've spoken with many patients who have exprienced unbearable side effects when they have tried to reduce or get off the drug.

I suggest you also read this page Questions about antidepressant drugs for more information. Keep in mind that I am NOT saying these drugs are not good for you; some of these drugs can be very helpful for some people. But traditional Chinese medicine offers another way to combat depression, a method that is both complimentary or alternative to western drugs.

Below are some information that will help you understand the diagnosis of depression.

In the acupuncture clinic, the majority of patients I've seen presents with Minor depression. Patients should also expect to be referred to other health professionals if Major depression or other types of depression is suspected. These include Agitated depression, Anaclitic depression, Involutional melancholia, Reactive depression, Major depressive episode, Retarded depression, and Bi polar disorder.

Minor Depression

Minor depression is considered if an acupuncture patient presents with depressed mood such as feeling sad, anxious, or an "empty" mood that lasts for most of the day, occurring on more days than not, and has lasted for more than 2 months.

In addition, a few of the following accompanying symptoms should be present: