Acupuncture for Depression, Anxiety, Stress, Fatigue

About 8 million Americans are afflicted with depression. Some estimates state that about 20% of people will suffer a major episode of depression during their life. The western antidepressant drugs such as Effexor, Paxil, Elavil, Zoloft, Prozac, Celexa, Lexapro, Wellbutrin, Trazodone can be beneficial by focusing on maintaining the serotonin levels in the brain. There are side effects to these drugs, however, and the patients need to take them regularly. Acupuncture, combined with Chinese herbs, can be a very effective alternative to treat depression, anxiety, stress-induced fatigue and mood swings.

Acupuncture and Chinese herbal treatments treat the root cause of the disease - the internal imbalance caused by the exposure to external stress. Such stress, if not treated, can cause energy "blockages" or changes of the neurotransmitters such as a decrease of the brain serotonin levels resulting in symptoms such as anxiety, poor sleep, fatigue, and eventually, depression.

When the proper diagnosis is made, the results can be astonishing. Patients can experience relief in 3 to 6 visits. When patients with depression receive acupuncture, they generally experience improvement in the reduction of anxiety, insomnia, as well as more energy, and over all well-being. Best of all there are no side effects from acupuncture treatments. On top of these benefits, once patients get well, they will remain well even when their herbal and acupuncture treatments are completed. The body will be able to handle daily stress better or maintain the physiological balance better in times of stress.

I recommend beginning with 2 treatments per week for 3 weeks, then once a week for a month, and tapering off depending on how the patient is responding.