by Candice Esposito, Naturopathic Doctor
Algoma Natural Healing Clinic, Sault Ste Marie, Ontario

One out of eight adults are currently taking antidepressant medications. Antidepressants can offer support and benefit under certain circumstances, however many people do not respond well to this form of treatment. This can be due to a number of factors including:

• Various side effects that outweigh the benefits of the medication
• A developed tolerance to the medication that causes the benefits to diminish
• Excessive sensitivty to the concentrated nature of these medications
• A belief system that suggests that the anxiety is not due to a biochemical imbalance, or that this imbalance is the result of a deeper spiritual issue

In my clinical practice, I have worked with a number of patients who were convinced that they had run out of options after finding medications and/or talk therapy to be ineffective for their needs. Many of these people try naturopathic medicine as a last resort. Based on the experience I have had in working with numerous patients who suffer from chronic depression, I now firmly believe that nutritional counseling, nutritional supplemenation, meditation, and acupuncture can offer tremendously helpful support in healing the root causes of this epidemic. This approach is much more comprehensive and much less invasive to the brain that using SSRI medications. It accounts for not only biochemical factors, but also energetic, nutritional, and spiritual influences as well.

Acupuncture works by balancing the flow of Qi, or internal life force, in the body. Depression is typically a byproduct of weak Qi in the heart or kidneys. Other symptoms such as low back pain, heart palpitations, insomnia, irritability, or nightmares commonly accompany the depression.

Chinese herbal formulas, such as gui pi tang, jin gui shen qi wan, and bu zhong yi qi tang may be beneficial. Western herbs, especially adaptogens like rhodiola or siberian ginseng can also be helpful.

Nutritionally, it can also be revealing to avoid allergenic foods such as wheat, gluten, pasteurized dairy, and refined sugar for one month to see if the depression significantly improves. Supplements like fish oil, vitamin D and B vitamins are an effective supports.

Many people find meditation and to be a powerful ally in healing depression. With regular practice of various breathing techniques, people often feel that they have much more control over the depression and that it need not run their life anymore. These practices can be direct gateways to the rest and restore mode of the nervous system. On a deeper level, they can help us forge a spiritual connection with our lives that instills an unshakable sense of trust and safety in the workings of the universe.

From a holistive perspective, our symptoms are never random. There is always a reason why they creep up. In the case of depression, it is helpful to disengage from our personal feelings about it and look at the bigger picture. What is the depression telling us about ourselves and where we are at in life? Is it a warning sign that something is amiss and needs to be acknowledged or changed? In any regard, the practices mentioned here can offer a profound level of support in getting to the root of the problem and inducing a gentle course in a new direction of inspiration and insight.

Contact our office today to make your first appointment and find out more about the use of acupuncture for depression.

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