Western View
Depression is the most prevalent mood disorder. It is estimated that 20% of women and 10% of men will experience depression at some point in their lives.
There is physiological sadness, which is related to some event or circumstance in our life, a loss, a bereavement. Then it passes. Sadness alone is not depression. Major depression has more symptoms, such as:
- Sadness or depressed mood most of the day and practically every day.
- Crying more than usual and usually not feeling better after crying.
- Decreased pleasure and interest in things that previously interested them.
- Inability to enjoy pleasant situations they used to find pleasurable.
- Asthenia, tiredness, which is usually worse in the morning and improves in the afternoon-evening. Some cases are the opposite, better in the morning and worse at night.
- Abulia: it costs more than normal to do things. They postpone them and tasks pile up.
- They like to lie down.
- Less desire to communicate and talk.
- Avoids social contact.
- Slowness.
- Difficulty concentrating.
- Irritability.
- Feeling of loneliness and being misunderstood.
- Feeling of guilt.
- Less self-care: they don't feel like washing, putting on makeup.
- Loss of appetite and weight loss. Or there may be compulsive hunger for sweets and weight gain.
- Insomnia, the most common is waking up too early in the morning and not being able to go back to sleep. Or there may be hypersomnia, they sleep a lot.
- Recurrent thoughts of death.
- Symptoms last more than 15 days, for months or years. It can be episodic or recurrent.
Pharmacological treatment helps restore brain chemistry. Psychotherapy is effective and very helpful when the person is already feeling a bit better.
With acupuncture we can help. There are several energetic patterns related to depression that we can treat and help rebalance. The important thing is to make a good diagnosis for the person. It is also advisable to review the patterns of Anxiety since up to 70% of depressive disorders present with anxiety symptoms. And many people with anxiety also present with depression symptoms.
Liver-Qi Stagnation
Frustrated desires block Liver-Qi and give a depressive mood.
Trigger:
- Conflictive situation that generates frustration, humiliation, dissatisfaction. See The seven passions.
(See also: Liver-Qi Stagnation )
Symptoms
- Discouragement with crying, they are cyclothymic typologies, emotionally labile
- Pessimism
- Frequent sighing
- Chest oppression
- Liver attacks Stomach: reflux, nausea, belching.
- Liver attacks Spleen: constipation or diarrhea (irregular bowel syndrome), irregular defecation, loss of appetite
- In women: menstrual disorders (amenorrhea, dysmenorrhea, premenstrual syndrome)
- Wiry pulse
- Tongue with slightly red edges
Treatment
- Unblock Liver Qi: LR-3, BL-18, LR-14
- Main points: GV-20, Si Shen Cong, GV-24, GV-23, Yin Tang, GV-26, CV-17, HT-7, LR-3, PC-6
Liver-Qi Stagnation with Phlegm Accumulation
Cause
Liver-Qi stagnation with excessive reflection or inadequate nutrition that damages the Spleen and generates phlegm-dampness. It is also of Yin nature, more of sadness. In addition to all the symptoms above:
- Sensation of foreign body in the throat or stomach (globus hystericus, ...)
- Abundant phlegm and saliva
- Abdominal distension, loss of appetite, pasty stools
- Heaviness of limbs
- Wiry and slippery pulse
- Tongue with slightly red edges, greasy and thick coating
Treatment
- Unblock Liver Qi: LR-3, BL-18, LR-14
- Eliminate Phlegm and tonify Spleen: ST-40, CV-12, SP-6
- If there is globus hystericus in the throat: CV-22, CV-23
- Main points: GV-20, Si Shen Cong, GV-24, GV-23, Yin Tang, GV-26, CV-17, HT-7, LR-3, PC-6
Heart- and Spleen-Qi Deficiency
Qi/Xue deficiency or concomitant deficiency of S and B
Causes
Excessive worry, intellectual overwork, permanent obsessions exhaust Heart and Spleen Qi and Xue.
Symptoms
- Depression, lack of joy, sadness, crying...
- Fearful.
- Blood deficiency: dizziness vertigo, palpitations, abundant dreams, memory loss.
- Spleen-Qi deficiency: tiredness, pallor, physical and mental asthenia, pasty stools.
- Pale tongue, thin coating. Teeth marks. It may be cracked.
- Fine and weak pulse.
- May be accompanied by symptoms of Liver-Blood deficiency: muscle contractures, blurred vision, weak nails, amenorrhea, ...
- If Excess of Liver-Fire: headache, anger, irritability and agitation.
- If there are symptoms of Heart-Yin deficiency (or Heart and Kidneys): heat, night sweats, dryness.
Treatment
- Fundamental: tonify B and C BL-15, BL-20
- Mental hyperactivity, rumination: SP-1, SP-3, HT-5, HT-7, GV-20 + Si Shen Cong
- If there are menstrual problems: add treatment of Chong Mai
- If there is insomnia: SP-1, SP-6, HT-7, HT-6 (if there are night sweats)
Treatment syndromes with Liver
- Release stagnation: BL-18, PC-6, LR-3 + LR-14 + GB-34 (drain Liver and GB)
- Flow the energy: LI-4 + CV-17
- As there is depression better use PC-7 or PC-5 instead of PC-6
- If there is much sadness: LU-10, LU-11
- If there is Phlegm (sensation of foreign body in the throat): ST-40, CV-12, (Yin Wei Mai) GB-22 + GB-23 + PC-6 + SP-4 + SP-14
- If there is much anger: LR-2, LR-3, KI-1, LU-10
- Fury with insults: KI-9
- Very tearful, sadness: BL-13, GV-20
Kidney-Yang Deficiency with Weak Will-Power
Deficiency of will, survival, realization. Zhi is the ethereal soul of the Kidneys.
Usually occurs in elderly person or with chronic or serious illness that weakens, a very exhausted state. Very difficult that it is due to emotional blockage, rather due to energy deficiency.
Symptoms
- Depression
- Total absence of desire to continue anything: apathy, lethargia
- Phobias. Fear
- Lack of will, of effort
- Asthenia, weakness of lower back and legs
- Sexual impotence
- Cold
Many times Lung deficiency is added and sadness leads to wanting to die.
Treatment
Tonify Kidney-Yang and strengthen the will