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chyisan
02-08-2001, 06:31 AM
Is there a treatment for depression in TCM? Herbal or otherwise?

Mindlessness is the enemy...

Chris McKinley
02-08-2001, 08:55 PM
Yes, there is. Though for ethical reasons, I won't describe specific treatments for psychoemotional concerns over the internet. For real clinical depression, not just the everyday blues, one would first need to seek a professional therapist for clinical diagnosis and therapy recommendations. At that point, it might be useful to ADD, not substitute for, TCM treatment as an adjunct therapy to whatever the professional therapist recommends.

Qiman
03-01-2001, 02:21 AM
Ask your Doctor about St Johns Wart. There are side effects and drug interactions. Please get MD advise.

JE
03-01-2001, 07:39 AM
Yes TCM can treat it.

The mind and body are the same in Chinese medicine. To treat one is to treat the other as they cannot be separated.

That being said there are things that are treated better with different modalities. If someone is already taking Western pharmaceuticals for emotional problems they should NOT stop taking them to pursue Chinese modalities. Most mood drugs take weeks if not months to begin to affect the body and it would be wrong to tell someone to stop taking their medication that might actually be helping to prevent them from injurying themselves or others.

Chinese medicine can be incorporated into the treatment and it would not be uncommon to transition over many months (or even a year or more) to an almost pure Chinese treatment modality. But this is a long term process.

As always I will say find a qualified local practitioner. If the depression is significant try to find someone who specializes in this aspect of Chinese medicine.

There are many modalities we can use and they do not vary from the standard ones we use to treat other pathologies (cold/flu, GI tract stuff, injuries, etc.). The art is in knowing which tools and combinations are right for the individual.

hope the info helps...

Justin

Rolling Elbow
06-19-2001, 09:50 PM
What are the side effects beyond sunlight for people with fair skin (i seem to recall what it was) when using St. John's Wart. I think i'm suffering from mild depression that affects me on a subconcious level..(read my other thread on fatigue) and I want to know if prolonged use of something like St john's wart will in flame my testies or give me three chins...alright, the side effects I made up but you get my point! ;)

Michael Panzerotti
Taijutsu Nobody from the Great White North..

Fish of Fury
06-20-2001, 07:36 AM
a study in the British medical journal 1996 found st johns wort to be as effective for mild to moderate depression as pharmaceuticals, while being better tolerated by the patient (look it upbmj (http://www.bmj.com))

one thing st johns wort does though, is stimulate the liver to "detox" faster (stimulates cytochrome p450 enzymes for anyone who cares)
as such it MAY (or may not...unclear)help the liver to flush drugs out of the system faster, meaning that the drugs wont be as effective.this is why they recommend you should be cautious taking st johns with other medications.

if you're not on other medication though (and maybe even if you are) st johns wort is arguably one of the best medications you could find for mild to moderate depression

__________________________________________________ _________________________ "I never drive faster than i can see...other than that...it's all in the reflexes" Jack Burton

origenx
06-21-2001, 12:37 AM
But the root principle of TCM is to treat the root, not the symptom. And it is my assertion that depression is the SYMPTOM, not the root. The root is unhappiness with your life. You need to change the parts of your life that you can, and learn to accept those that you can't and move on to another angle. Become one with the Tao.

Once your life is on the rightful course, your symptoms will take care of themselves and disappear.

Treat the symptom, and you will ignore the root. Treat the root, and you will cure the symptoms.

All easier said than done, mind you. But the answer isn't a genie (pill) in a bottle, it's in you.

kungfu cowboy
06-21-2001, 06:42 AM
Don't forget, some forms of depression ARE entirely chemical in origin. Sometimes its just biology. Or both.

lukrion
06-24-2001, 10:05 PM
Hi everyone,

I'm new to this board but have been reading some interesting threads on every aspect of the martial Arts. I'm sure I'll be spending some time here to see others ideas, but so far it is really cool.

This might be asking the obvious, but are these treatments Herbal, Qigong or Accupuncture rooted ?

I've taken some of the well known drugs, and I have to say that for me, these were all nightmares.

Seriously talk to a Doctor, but wiegh every option.

Gary

illusionfist
06-27-2001, 08:26 PM
There are many auricular points that are used to cure depression, it just depends on what caused it and what energy dysfunction you are suffering from. Shen Men is a very potent point that is used to cure depression.

Peace:D