Depression

Depression is a chronic and debilitating mental illness that influences approximately 15-20% of the world’s population. According to research, around 3 million Australians are living with either anxiety or depression. Especially since the start of the global pandemic where people have had fewer opportunities to socialise and exercise, there has been an increase in those struggling with depression.

Symptoms of depression

  • Lethargy, tiredness, lack of energy
  • Lack of motivation
  • Difficulty making decisions
  • Poor appetite or no appetite
  • Low self-esteem
  • Weight loss or gain
  • Feelings of worthlessness or excessive guilt
  • Recurrent thoughts of death or suicidal thoughts
  • Insomnia or sleeping too much
  • Restlessness or slowing down of thoughts and reduced physical movement

Causes of depression

  • Family history of depression
  • Major events: suddenly losing job, losing family members, getting married, getting divorced
  • Broken relationships with family, partner, or friends
  • Insufficient nutrients: poor diet
  • Abuse: social media, sexual, or emotional abuse
  • Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome (PTSD）
  • Lack of sleep or insomnia
  • Prolong illness or serious illness

TCM

TCM views the cause of depression to be a stagnation of Qi energy. Depression can also be caused by other reasons such as poor blood circulation, inflammation, heat, cold, dampness and phlegm. There are lots of TCM herbal formulas that help depression. TCM practitioners will customise your herbal formula according to your pattern identification. Acupuncture helps to relieve the negative energy and body tension and makes you feel more in control, grounded, and relaxed. You can imagine the body’s qi energy as a river – if it is blocked by a tree or dam, the river cannot flow and your qi becomes stagnated. Acupuncture acts as a tree removalist and helps restore normal energy flow in the body. Thus, bringing our body back to balance status.

Personal strategies:

Eat less sugar, refined carbohydrates and processed food

Research has found that sugar is more addictive than cocaine and, as a result, it triggers a drug-like dependency and associated highs and lows as your blood sugar spikes and drops. This makes it harder to maintain a constant mood, making it harder for mood regulation, which can exacerbate symptoms of depression. Moreover, these foods promote inflammation, which has overlapping symptoms with depression. This can be seen as a loss in appetite, changes in sleep patterns, and irritability.

Journal

Writing down your feelings helps you better identify what you are struggling with and gain more self-awareness of the cause. This can allow you to better manage your emotions and release pent-up emotions.

Sleep

Sleep allows you to better manage stress, clear your mind, and regulate your emotions. During REM sleep, the brain processes trauma and enables you to move on from stressors you have experienced during the day, increasing emotional wellbeing. Implementing a night-time routine, better sleep hygiene, and sleeping and waking at the same time can assist in improving your symptoms of depression.

Exercise

Exercise releases endorphins, which is a natural brain chemical that enhances well-being.Cardio burns cortisol, which is a chemical related to stress, and improves energy levels. Moreover, it supports nerve cell growth and connections, which helps the brain function and relieve depression.

If you need more information regarding how to improve your mental well-being and your symptoms of depression, get in touch with our team at Aster Chinese Medicine today on 0458 186 888.