The concept of depression in Eastern cultures is not as well received as it is in Western cultures. This is not to say that depression is less common in the Orient. In Eastern cultures, illness is based on the physical rather than psychological aspects. If you do not have physical illness, you are not sick. Culturally, the idea of psychological illness is not well accepted. This leads to the frequent association of depression with somatic complaints, because it is much easier for patients to have a physical complaint than to have a psychological one. In addition, depression is often a stigma in Eastern cultures.



From a Chinese medicine perspective, depression is largely related to the stagnation of liver"qi." ("Qi" is internal life energy coursing through the physical body, nourishing your body cells with life-giving oxygen. When there is blockage, instead of smooth flowing, of "qi", disease and disorder occur.)

Essentially, stagnation of liver "qi" means the "qi" within your body is not flowing smoothly, resulting in symptoms of depression. Some of the common lifestyle habits which may have contributed to the stagnation of "qi" are: lack of exercise; poor dietary habits ? especially fried foods and/or alcohol; and repressed or overly expressed emotions - especially anger and/or grief.

Alongside with or as a result of liver "qi" stagnation, your heart, spleen and kidneys may also be affected. In the short term, weakness in your spleen may lead to problems with fatigue and digestion; in the long term, problems related to phlegm not only can distort your thinking but also deteriorate the quality of blood in your body, thereby ultimately affecting your heart with symptoms of insomnia and restlessness. Your kidneys, being strongly related to the foundations of "yin" and "yang" in your body (the Oriental medicine holds that "yin" and "yang" need to balance and complement each other for harmony and wellness), are also likely to play a role in your sluggishness and sleeping problems, which are common symptoms of depression.

Lifestyle factors also play an important role in improving your mental health.

In depression, exercise is particularly important. As depression is often linked to a stagnation of your liver "qi", movement and the circulation of energy within the body may resolve this stagnation problem. With the energy of your body flowing more smoothly, the corresponding symptoms related to "qi" stagnation should improve. Simple exercises such as walking and riding a bicycle are often beneficial, as well as Chinese exercises, such as Tai Chi and QiGong. In depression, diet is also important. You should avoid foods contributing to your liver "qi" stagnation, such as fried foods, excessive meat intake, and alcohol. Your diet should consist of wholesome foods, which are beneficial to your liver, such as apples, cabbage, cucumber and watercress, and which clear your liver qi stagnation, such as ginger and onion.

Your liver is related to the emotions of anger and frustration. It is important you learn how to manage your anger and frustration, including expressing and repressing them. Stress management plays a critical role.

Since "qi" regulates your spiritual, emotional, mental, and physical balance, and "qi" is influenced by the opposing forces of "yin" and "yang," the balance of which is responsible for the natural flow of "qi" in your body, acupuncture is most effective in controlling the symptoms of depression.

In 1998, a study by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) reported that acupuncture resulted in a 43 percent reduction in depression symptoms, and that more than 50 percent of patients no longer met the criteria for clinical depression.

Acupuncture may help your body's immune system function in an optimum way, thereby guiding your body to heal itself. Acupuncture may also help your body recover from years of abuse brought on by medication, excesses in food and drink, poisoning of chemicals. Acupuncture may even enhance the efficacy of Saint John's wort.

Your body has more than 2,000 acupuncture points on your body, connecting with twelve main and eight secondary pathways known as meridians, which conduct your body's qi between your body's surface and internal organs. Acupuncture stimulates these acupuncture points, unblocking the stagnation of "qi", which in turn enable your central nervous system to release chemicals into your muscles, spinal cord, and brain, thereby promoting your body's natural self-healing capabilities. According to the National Institute of Health (NIH), studies have shown that acupuncture may alter your brain chemistry by changing the release of neurotransmitters and neurohormones in a beneficial way, thereby attaining the balance of "yin" and "yang", and the restoration of health and wellness to your body and mind.