Treatment for depression

Treatment for depression in allopathic medicine is never considered as simple, and the success rate of cure for depression is way below 25%. Over the years, advances have been made in treatments for Depression. The early treatments consisted of medication.

 

There is a variety of treatments for depression available which are listed below:

Medications

The use of pharmaceutical medications is one of the allopathic treatments for depression that has come a long way over the years, and you can lead an everyday life to a successful one. There are different classes of medications, each working differently. They all work on the chemicals in the brain, Serotonin and Norepinephrine. These medications are very effective but come with some severe side effects. In children up to 21, antidepressants have been linked to suicidal thinking and attempts. We believe that such medication does not fight the inner root of depression and works on suppressing symptoms. However, they may still be right for you, so discuss your options with a qualified doctor.

Medical procedures and medical therapy interventions for depression

ECT

• Electroconvulsive Therapy is also known as shock therapy. Simply put, electrodes are placed on the patients, and shocks are delivered from which a seizure will occur. The after-effects include confusion and memory loss, and prolonged treatment may lead to movement disorders.

TMS

• Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation is performed by a physician who uses a handheld magnetic coil. Electric pulses go through the coil as it is passed over the scalp. The current passes through the bones of the skull and stimulates nerve cells in the brain. This is an experimental procedure and has the potential to become a very exact procedure.

Note: Natural treatments for Depression are available, and they are effective. This is one of the best treatments for depression with no side effects.

What is depression?

Depression is the most common mental health problem in the United States. It affects 17 million of all ages, groups, races, and backgrounds yearly. Depression is a severe illness, and everyone needs to understand it, whether you’re suffering from depression, have a friend or loved one suffering from it, or just hearing it. Even if you’re not suffering from the disease or know someone suffering from it, it’s still good to familiarize yourself with it so that you can recognize its depression symptoms at any point in time, get diagnosed immediately, and get the help you or your friend or loved one needs.

 

The secret to the treatment of depression and overcoming depression in time lies in the early diagnosis of it. You can easily beat it when you recognize its symptoms and seek treatment.

Wikipedia defines depression as a low mood and aversion to activity that can affect a person’s thoughts, behavior, feelings, and physical well-being. There may be a loss of interest in activities that once were pleasurable. There may be an appetite change – a loss of appetite or over-eating. There may be insomnia or excessive sleeping. There may be a loss of energy and unexplained aches and pains. There may be contemplation of self-harm or suicide. For all these reasons, it is essential to understand that depression is natural – a medical condition.

Depression is not about having a bad day, a ‘blue’ day. That is just everyday life! The difference is how long those feelings last. Because they shouldn’t last for days or weeks, or months. And if you suffer from depression, they last long days.

In Oriental and Western medicines, anxiety disorder is considered the initial phase of depression, making it very important to address the first symptoms of anxiety to prevent the development of general depression.

What is an Anxiety disorder?

It is essential to differentiate between anxiety attacks vs. panic attacks. Anxiety disorder is one of the most common mental illnesses worldwide. Many people occasionally suffer anxiety, but others cannot manage this natural response to a stressful situation. When a person experiences a highly stressful or threatening scenario, the mind can be overloaded and fail to develop coping methods.

 

Although the symptoms can be as manageable as an ominous feeling in the pit of the stomach, some suffer much worse. Anxiety can trigger the following responses:

• Physical, such as an irregular heartbeat
• Cognitive, which can cause negative thoughts
• Behavioral, which may include uncharacteristic aggression or restlessness
• Emotional, such as fear.

Different anxiety disorders may be diagnosed depending on which of these symptoms prevail. This includes:

• generalized anxiety disorder (GAD)
• panic disorder
• social anxiety disorder
• post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
• obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)

There is a variety of causes of anxiety; all have different treatments. An individual’s personality, behavior, or style of thinking can cause them to be more susceptible to anxiety. Research has proven it also can be hereditary. A biochemical factor such as a chemical imbalance in the brain also has been proven to cause anxiety.

Traditional Chinese medicine relates anxiety to an imbalance of the energy of the heart and kidney. Fire represents the heart and joy according to the five elements of philosophy. The diagnosis is that too much heat in the heart would imbalance the interaction with the kidney (represented as water and fear). This will result in the water organ failing to contain the fire organ rising to the mind, leading to anxiety. Acupuncture on points around the heart, kidney, spleen, and ear is used to treat anxiety.

What is Depression?

It is estimated that approximately one in five people will experience clinical depression at least once in their lifetime. Although feeling sad and down sometimes is natural, especially after experiencing loss, these slight effects can be managed with gradual lifestyle adjustments. Clinical depression is a stable and intensely emotional, physical, and cognitive state significantly affecting day-to-day life.

Symptoms of Depression

Depression can affect everyone differently depending on the person involved and the situation that caused the depression. Unfortunately, not everyone will experience the same symptoms for the exact causes.

For instance, most men will suffer symptoms of loss of interest in activities, crankiness and restlessness, physical pain, and sleep problems. Women are more likely to overeat, feel a sense of worthlessness, and tend to sleep too much.

The symptoms of depression can vary based on how old you are. Teenagers, for instance, or more likely to be irritable and angry, suffer a loss of concentration, and might have physical symptoms of pain for no reason. However, older adults generally suffer feelings of worthlessness, sadness, and physical pain. Unfortunately, in teenagers and older adults, the signs and symptoms usually get brushed off as mere signs of how old they are, not as signs and symptoms of depression.

Symptoms of depression include:

• Loss of positive associations and sense of achievement (lack of interest in normally pleasurable activities)
• Negative thoughts (often worrying about the future)
• Irritability, agitation, and exhaustion
• Changes in sleeping patterns (too much or too little)
• Hopelessness (feeling trapped or suicidal)

Symptoms of depression in men

Although the primary symptom of depression for many is often a feeling of sadness, the symptoms of depression in men may have a higher tendency than in women to feel anger, demonstrate aggressive feelings, and engage in substance abuse.

Listed below are symptoms of depression in men:

Emotional symptoms of depression in men

• Anger
• Frustration
• Aggression
• Irritability

Behavioral symptoms of depression in men

• Drinking more or taking drugs
• Working obsessively without taking proper breaks
• Becoming more controlling or abusive in relationships
• Engaging in risk-taking behavior, such as gambling or unsafe sex
• Attempting suicide

Physical symptoms of depression in men

• Headaches
• Tiredness
• Sleeping too much or too little
• Feeling restless or agitated
• Eating too much or too little
• Unintentional weight loss

Symptoms of depression in women

 

Symptoms of depression in women vary from woman to woman. Listed below are the most common symptoms of depression in women:

• Irritability, anxiousness, and guilt
• Feelings of exhaustion, severe tiredness
• Loss of interest in previously pleasurable activities
• Inability to concentrate or remember details
• Suicidal thoughts or attempts of suicide
• Not enjoying the same hobbies or interests you once did or not getting the same amount of pleasure from these activities.
• Sleep disturbances; sleeping too much or too little, insomnia
• Changes in appetite – eating too much or too little
• Lack of energy
• Feeling out of control
• Mood swings and feelings of tearfulness
• Panic attacks
• Disinterest in daily activities and relationship

Symptoms of depression in teens

Symptoms of depression in teens may manifest differently than in adults due to the different social and developmental challenges facing teens.

Listed below are symptoms of depression in teens

• Sad or depressed mood
• Feelings of worthlessness or hopelessness
• Loss of interest in things they used to enjoy
• Withdrawal from friends and family
• Crying
• Inability to sleep or sleeping too much
• Loss of appetite or increased appetite
• Aches and pains that don’t go away, even with treatment
• Irritability
• Feeling tired despite getting enough sleep
• Inability to concentrate

Causes of depression

Causes for depression range from genetic causes to significant life events. If some members of a person’s family have suffered from depression, it increases their chances of developing depression. And if a person experiences a sudden change of events, such as losing a loved one or moving to a new area or the person someone is in a relationship with breaks their heart, it can lead a person to become depressive.

Other possible causes of depression could be a chronic illness, side effects from some medicine, or infections. The causes of depression are known to be similar to the causes of anxiety. It is traditionally treated with antidepressant medication, psychological methods, or both. 

Natural treatment for depression

Natural treatment of depression is an excellent way to balance mood without all the problems associated with drugs.

Unlike drugs, natural treatments for depression supply the brain with the nutrients it needs to achieve balance, elevate mood, overcome stress, and promote deep, restful sleep, enabling you to handle stressors as they arise.

Natural remedies for depression heal, while drugs only suppress and sometimes worsen the symptoms. Hundreds of thousands of people are turning to natural remedies for depression. Listed below are different approaches to the natural treatment of depression

Meditation for depression – most popular natural treatment for depression

Meditation is a form of mental training that requires calming the mind to achieve a state of “detached observation. Meditation for depression is a natural treatment for depression that helps sufferers become more aware of what’s happening within. It also allows them to relate more directly with benevolence – to the emotions brought to light, including anger, stress, anxiety, and craving.

There are different types of meditation for depression: Mindfulness, breath awareness, and walking meditation. These are the three best types of meditation for depression that are easy to practice with no side effects.

Yoga for depression – effective and affordable natural treatment for depression

Many studies have shown that exercise can help with depression. It was never entirely sure, however, which types of exercise gave the most benefit.

Yoga and other types of exercise were considered for a study conducted at the Boston University School of Medicine. It compared walking vs. yoga’s effects on depression to assess the health benefits of yoga. The results showed that yoga for depression improved emotions and moods more effectively than just walking by enhancing the production of GABA, a neurotransmitter in the brain. GABA, known as gamma-aminobutyric acid, reduces depression and enhances relaxation. It is the primary inhibitory or calming neurotransmitter in the nervous system.

The study was based on 19 people practicing yoga for depression for 60 minutes, thrice weekly, for 12 weeks. Similarly, 15 participants did a walking program for the same period. The participants’ moods and levels of GABA in the brain were assessed at the beginning and end of the trial period. At the end of 12 weeks, the findings were exciting and quite impressive, confirming the health benefits. The people who had engaged in yoga for depression had a much more significant mood improvement and less anxiety than the walking group. They also had higher levels of GABA in the brain as measured on an MRI scan.

Another study from Boston University in 2007 showed that a one-hour yoga for depression session resulted in elevated GABA levels in the brain and that GABA levels increased by 27% in the yoga group compared with absolutely no change in the other group. This was the first study to show that a modality such as yoga contributed to elevated GABA levels in the brain. This shows that yoga is one of the best natural remedies for depression and anxiety.

Different yoga poses for depression.

Simhasana

• This is the first pose for yoga for depression, also called the Lion Pose. It helps a person gain courage and lighten the emotional load.

 

It involves facial expressions that boost the mood, making the person feel lighter and elevated. The main benefits of the lion pose are:

• • It relieves tightness and stiffness of the face and chest.
  • It recovers blood circulation in the face.
  • It retains the eyes healthy by stimulating the optical nerves.
  • It stimulates and firms the platysma.
  • It helps avoid sore throats, asthma, and other respirational diseases.
  • It helps fight bad breath.

Matsyasana

• The Matsyasana pose is also called the Fish Pose. This is a good exercise for breathing that releases tension. Raise body energy and fight fatigue with the fish pose or matsyasana in Sanskrit, building confidence through loving shoulder stretching. It is said that you can swim like a fish if you do Matsyasana in the water.

 

• The yoga fish pose mobilizes and strengthens the upper back and neck; strengthens the quads; extends the shoulders; stretches breasts. The Matsyasana boosts healthier breathing and can help relieve vertebral stiffness and improve carriage. Fish Pose is known as the “heart-opening” yoga position. In yoga, this refers to the fourth and fifth chakra (energy centers) located on the heart and neck. Many people protect and hinder these chakras with poor posture, sagging, and lowered chins. Practicing backbends and opening the front of the body will help these chakras expand, which can increase self-confidence, well-being, and emotional growth.

• Backbends like Fish Pose can induce many emotions in practitioners. Hence, you must be calmly aware of your feelings as you practice this pose. Keeping them closed can result in physical stiffness, leading to injury.

Homeopathic remedies for depression – #1 natural treatment for depression

Homeopathic remedies for depression are natural remedies for depression that have been effective in completely healing various symptoms of depression.

One of the reasons why homeopathic remedies for depression are the best natural remedy for depression and anxiety is the lack of adverse effects. It is rare to hear a patient describe the adverse effects of homeopathy. Occasionally, there will be some minor intolerance. However, there are no lasting adverse effects — once the homeopathic medicine has been stopped, any minor negative effect goes away relatively quickly.

 Listed below are homeopathic remedies for depression

Arsenicum album

• It is a natural medicine to cure the severe problem of distress, in particular for those that obsess about health and look for perfection in everything. They are often depressed when they fail to reach lofty personal standards.

Aurum metallicum

• It is the best homeopathic remedy for depression for workaholic people with a tendency of worthlessness, distress, and aroused feelings of self-destruction after a job or personal life defeat.

Calcarea carbonica

• When people become confused with work and take tension from their job profile, this medicine dramatically affects them. At this time, a person may develop tiredness, worry, self-pity, sadness, and confusion. It is helpful for individuals who suffer from insomnia and periods of laziness.

Causticum

• When a person mourns for the loss, he comes across forgetfulness, constant crying for hours, and mental boredom. These people, at a particular time, feel sympathetic toward others, or they can have an annoyed and pessimistic outlook toward everything around them.

Ignatia Amara

• Ignatia is suitable for sensitive people that tend to overwhelm by frustration or painful thoughts. These people do not want to appear as helpless, irritable, and moody individuals in the eyes of others. At times they may laugh out loud or cry without any reason.

Acupuncture for depression – one of the most effective natural treatments for depression

Acupuncture has been practiced for over 2,500 years in various Asian cultures; acupuncture has made its way to the West, where it is soaring in popularity. Acupuncture for depression is one of the best natural remedies for depression that is safe and effective.

Acupuncture offers profound support for healing depression. It is also recommended to get one treatment a week for several weeks.

Acupuncture for depression is incorporated into Western medical science, mainly for treating soreness, seasickness, asthma, radiculopathy, and neuropathy. Though the precise mechanism of accomplishment for acupuncture for depression is unidentified, it is related to intensification in the concentration of neuro-biologically active constituents, for instance, endorphins and enkephalins. Information also demonstrates that acupuncture for depression prompts the release of norepinephrine, serotonin, and dopamine.

Acupuncture for depression has become a more and more demanded service at Philadelphia Acupuncture Clinic. As our broadband speeds up and our phones get smarter, some matters regarding our health get overlooked — especially our mental health. Tablets and smartphones have made connecting more convenient, but many people still feel disconnected. Fortunately, the Internet also has allowed people to explore the possibilities of trying complementary therapies such as acupuncture.

Acupuncture is an ancient form of traditional Chinese medicine. It works on the principle of stimulating points in the body to correct imbalances in the flow of energy (Qi) through channels known as meridians. This belief is based on the interaction of the five elements (wood, fire, earth, metal, and water) and profoundly affects internal organs, either yin or yang.

Traditional Chinese medicine also recognizes the mind and body interacting as one, meaning that emotions have a physiological effect on the body. Five elements represent five emotions:

• Water (fear)
• Wood (anger)
• Fire (happiness)
• Earth (worry)
• Metal (grief)

Western medical practitioners have traditionally questioned the validity of traditional Chinese medicines such as acupuncture. More recently, acupuncture has been recognized as a legitimate treatment for numerous conditions and is growing in popularity.

Adverse Effect of Acupuncture for Depression

Patients much better tolerate acupuncture for depression than tricyclic antidepressant pharmaceutical drugs. Side effects of acupuncture for depression, if any, is insignificant and short-lived and may manifest in slight fatigue, sleepiness, temporary exacerbation of main symptoms, and mild irritation in the regions in which acupuncture needles are inserted.

Physical problems during acupuncture for depression, for instance: pneumothorax, contamination, heart complications, and spinal cord traumas, had never been reported.

Available Data About Acupuncture for Depression.

Not many recently performed clinical studies of Western acupuncture for depression and conditions associated with depression are available. However, those few types of research published in professional medical journals deliver unbiased info to prove the value of acupuncture for depression treatment. These studies discovered the change in neurotransmitters level in different body tissues and symptoms. Bio-physiological studies simultaneously discovered electroencephalographic variations in response to acupuncture for depression procedures.
The first clinical studies to match the effectiveness of acupuncture for depression with conservative management were published in the 1970s.

Beth Kurland, Ph.D., published case reports of 3 women who suffered from severe emotional instability. All three patients suffered from severe depression. First, they were treated with various anti-depressant drugs and psychotherapies. After a few months of this treatment with no positive response, these females initially got commonly used in those cases electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) and then, after three months of ineffective medical care, were switched to electroacupuncture procedures (EAT). Electroacupuncture is a form of acupuncture for depression that assumes the stimulation of needles with low-intensity electrical currents.

While ECT somewhat decreased the severity of the depressive symptoms, signs of profound memory loss, misperception, and incomprehension were raised. The EAT version of acupuncture for depression caused substantial remission of the disease. Beth Kurland, Ph.D., accentuated that EAT works more effectively when combined with traditional treatment and is less effective if performed alone.

Notwithstanding ongoing pharmacological and psychological care, patients with depression show high relapse rates.

A group of scientists in Boston researched the long-term forecast for individuals with depression who received acupuncture for depression treatment.

Nineteen of 28 patients had attained complete remission during the acute stage of the study.

This research points out that efficacy and deterioration rates with acupuncture for depression are similar to those with the traditional pharmaceutical treatment of depression.

Another group of scientists in a similar study found no indications that pharmaceutical drugs are more effective than acupuncture for depression in aiding individuals to reach remission or in avoiding relapse.

Acupuncture for Depression in Pregnancy

A group of researchers at the University of Ireland deliberated on the beneficial outcome of acupuncture for depression during pregnancy.

Sixty-five pregnant females received 12 sessions (25 to 40 min each) of acupuncture for depression during six weeks.

The report for this study advocated acupuncture for depression as an effective drug-free treatment during pregnancy.

Conclusion on natural treatment for depression

There are many ways to deal with some of the symptoms of depression that don’t involve prescription drugs. If you suffer from depression, you may want to try managing it naturally, without medication or supplementing your antidepressant with other natural remedies. If so, check out these alternatives to treating depression and then discuss with your doctor which ones might be part of your treatment regimen.

Always take symptoms of depression seriously because depression doesn’t go away on its own. While there are many things you can do to support your mental health, don’t try to manage your symptoms on your own. Talk to your attending physician and discuss some of the holistic treatments for depression that can support your treatment.

Natural Treatment for Depression in Philadelphia

At the Philadelphia Acupuncture Clinic, the treatment effectiveness rate for depression is above the national average because, in this facility, we successfully integrate acupuncture for depression with hypnotherapy taking control over the subconscious mind of our patients and repairing emotional disconnections.

Under the strict supervision of the internationally recognized expert in holistic medicine, Doctor Victor Tsan, our practitioners deliver the best quality of natural medical care.

To make an appointment for an initial FREE consultation and to find out if acupuncture for depression will benefit your condition, contact our clinic or use our online scheduling system by clicking “book appointment” in the top menu of this site.