Depression in the family: The acupuncture sessions.



Image borrowed from http://www.beyondmedicine.co.uk/

So, as you might know the week before last my family and I had been having a difficult time. Since then what feels like a lot has happened, in actuality there has been no change.

We managed to send the relative, who for the purposes of these posts will be labelled K, to the Dr's. But upon K's entry into the doctor's surgery, they decided that they were absolutely fine and told the doctor so. The doctor then asked that a family member attend (with a list of K's symptoms) the next appointment with K to evaluate the situation. We obliged.

The doctor's response; despite a list of K's symptoms, and a very stressed, tearful relative the Dr said........."it looks like mild depression, and a bit of mild anxiety. I can offer you a counselling session in 2-3 months". K returned home triumphant and decided to do what K always does in such situations; go for a bodyblow style argument with the relative closest (K's aggression, passive- or otherwise, is reserved for those closest. Em & L had trouble believing me at first because K is a social butterfly). It's a difficult situation and is incredibly painful to be involved in.

Although I have studied up to Post-graduate level Psychology and have qualifications to attest to that fact, I am not a clinical psychologist. I've only ever experienced mood disorders "socially" rather than "professionally". While there is no doubt that K has a mood disorder, there is no way that we can convince a health professional that K needs help without K admitting that there is a problem.

Research has shown that acupuncture can relieve anxiety and depression in people suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) - (Hollifield, Sinclair-Lian, Warner, Hammerschlag, 2007. The Journal of Nervous Medical Disorders, 195(6); pp504-513). A review of 8 trials found that acupuncture significantly reduced the severity of depression (Wang et al., 2008). Both papers suggest that further investigation is required, but it's encouraging news. After 6 days of strife we finally managed to persuade K to see an acupuncturist. We had done our homework, a few other relatives had been treated by the same acupuncturist and we gave it a go.

K has only had 2 treatments so far, which has increased their short-term motivation for day-to-day tasks such as washing the car. It's a process and so far there has been a benefit, I'll update you in 1 months time to let you know whether repeat treatments have helped with any other symptoms.

None of us are trained in Traditional Chinese Medicine, but we have included the following links as references for anyone interested. Please remember to discuss any changes or planned changes to your health practices with your health practitioner.

If you are interested in Acupressure points for depression click here
If you are interested in Auricular Acupuncture points click here
update:Here is a paper by the Acupuncture council reviewing the effectiveness of acupuncture for anxiety and depression.
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