Anxiety and Depression

Depression and anxiety are among the most common mental health disorders, and many people experience them at some point in their lives. It is often hard to tell a natural emotional reaction to life events from a state that needs real attention and care. This page explains what depression and anxiety are, how they are recognized, and how Chinese medicine and acupuncture can support people dealing with them, alongside conventional medical care.

Depression and anxiety in numbers

Depression and anxiety are the two most common mental health disorders, affecting about 16% of the adult population at some point in life. More than 121 million people worldwide currently suffer from depression, yet only about 10 to 20 percent of them receive medication treatment. These numbers are expected to keep growing over the years.

The Western medications commonly offered today for depression and anxiety mainly treat the signs and symptoms of the condition, and can cause a wide range of side effects, including insomnia, heightened anxiety, apathy, fatigue, appetite loss and sexual dysfunction. This reality leads many patients to look for complementary approaches that can help alongside conventional treatment.

How depression is diagnosed

For a person to be diagnosed with depression, four or five of the following symptoms must persist for at least two weeks, without being caused by another physical condition such as medication, alcohol, drugs or sudden bereavement:

• persistent feelings of sadness, hopelessness and low self-worth
• significant weight loss or ongoing weight gain
• loss of interest in enjoyable activities, including sex
• persistent fatigue
• sleep disturbances
• irritability and feelings of guilt
• poor concentration or difficulty making decisions
• unusual thoughts of death or suicide

Every healthy person experiences some form of depression during their life, as a healthy response to events that surprise us with their intensity or suddenness. When we are physically and mentally healthy, we are usually able to recover from a low period within a few weeks and return to our normal routine. But when these feelings become ongoing and appear without a clear trigger, that is true depression that calls for attention.

Symptoms of anxiety

Anxiety, too, is something every healthy person experiences, and some of it can even be positive, like the “butterflies” before a job interview, meeting new people or speaking in public. Such reactions help prepare us for uncertain situations. The problem begins when anxiety becomes ongoing and appears in unjustified situations, to the point of disrupting and limiting daily activity. Common symptoms of anxiety include:

• persistent worry
• muscle tension, pain and spasms
• sleep disturbances
• rapid and/or irregular heart rate
• frequent urination and shortness of breath
• fatigue, nausea and dizziness
• restlessness and poor concentration
• irritability and excessive alarm

Many people experience a combination of anxiety and depression together. They tend to feel down and tired, struggle to make decisions or focus during the day, and often feel anxious, restless and fearful, especially at night.

The Chinese medicine approach to anxiety and depression

Chinese medicine recognizes a strong interdependence between body and emotions, to the point that the two are essentially inseparable. Shai Davids, who has extensive experience treating depression and anxiety, approaches body and mind as one interwoven system: a careful intake and precise diagnosis lead to a treatment plan that, in many cases, brings relief of symptoms and an improved quality of life. According to Chinese medicine, depression and anxiety often result from an imbalance or blockage in the body’s energetic organ systems and meridians. When Qi, the body’s vital energy, becomes blocked or its quality is disrupted, emotional turmoil can arise, along with anxiety, depression and sometimes related illness.

What the research shows

A study conducted in Arizona, in the United States, examined acupuncture treatment in people suffering from depression. Participants received 12 treatments over eight weeks, and 64 percent reported significant improvement in the symptoms they experienced, with some reaching remission of the condition.

Scheduling treatment

At Machat Ruach, the complementary medicine clinic, Shai Davids treats exactly these difficulties through professional, effective acupuncture, sometimes combined with Tuina massage and cupping to improve treatment outcomes. This treatment does not replace psychological or medical care when needed, but it can be a meaningful addition to the recovery process. Get in touch to schedule treatment.