Acuponcture For Depression

[tigrou465]

Has anyone had acuponcture treatment for depression? If so, did it work? Did you have lots of treatment before noticing improvement in your health? Any information would help me in my decision for this type of treatment. Thanks

 

[snugglepuss]

I have used acupuncture off and on for a few years now, and find that it does help me with anxiety. I take anti depressants, so it's hard for me to gauge the reaction of it on the depression. I also used it to help me with horrible menstrual issues, which had not been helped by medications. With two treatments, I was symptom free, where I had lived with the problem for over 10 years before trying different meds.

I would suggest seeking a TCM doctor, as opposed to a certified acupuncturist, as the traditional chinese medicine doctors have access to different knowledge and herbs and treatments that really work on a whole body scale.

 

[curiouser]

Yes, I have found traditional acupuncture helpful for both physical and emotional things. I agree with snugglepuss that finding a good TCM doctor is important when seeking this type of treatment, I really like the TCM I've worked with for different issues.

You might also want to look into some self therapy like EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques) which is a form of acupuncture without the needles, that I have found extremely helpful with my PTSD healing, I am and have been for several months now symptom free because of it.

 

[snugglepuss]

Sorry, one other thing. Please ask the practioner directly if they have experience treating patients with PTSD!!!! Because of the somatic memories we all hold in our bodies, it is incredibly easy to be fully triggered while having any kind of body and/or energy work done to you.

If the practioner is competent in dealing with PTSD patients, ask them how they deal with situations like that, and if you feel comfortable with the answer, then you know you might have found someone you can work with. Don't be afraid to shop around!!

Good luck.

 

[tigrou465]

Thanks for all your information. I will take good notes about them

 

[Philippa]

All I can say is make sure the person knows their stuff.

I had a guy who had apparently been practising for 15years, put a needle into a raw nerve, and I have never experienced anything as painful. I was screaming at him to take it out...and then the next time I visited him, he did it AGAIN. He said that had never in all his time happened, and he'd never seen it before. Guess I just got lucky, but maybe PTSD and the emotions and pain from my experience was so intense that the needle triggered something that wasn't ready to surface?

I'm sure it wouldn't happen to most people though, so I don't mean to scare you, but that was my experience with PTSD and acupuncture. I have had other times of having acupuncture that have been tremendously relieving and really got my energy flowing tangibly again, so it does work. Just make sure you are with someone you trust and who has been doing it a long time.