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[britmom]

I'm considering trying acupuncture to help with my depression. Has anyone here tried it (or anyone with experience of acupuncture in general)? I already take a bunch of medications for the condition; I've no plans to change that. I was wondering whether acupuncture might provide an additional boost to my mood. However, it's not particularly cheap, and family finances are very tight at the moment. I don't want to invest in this if it's unlikely to help. I have a very good alternative therapy centre close by - I haven't contacted them yet as I'd like to hear from those who've actually tried acupuncture themselves first.

[prytania3]

I had accupuncture to help quit a bad habit. It did not work for me. Also, I got a very high temperature and was sick afterward. This was in the 70s, though, so perhaps things are improved.

[frogfactory]

If you're already taking a bunch of other treatment, I doubt you'll see the placebo effect from acupuncture.

As far as I know, acupuncture has been shown to alleviate physical pain (although not at traditionally taught) but not psychic pain.

[monita]

I don't know about how it may/may not work for depression, but since it generally works best for chronic conditions, it might be worth a try.  I use acupuncture for migraine, which I've had since before puberty and regular meds/dietary changes/etc. just can't seem to control (and I've tried EVERYTHING).  In general, I find that acupuncture takes some time and needs to be maintained, but it helps cut down on symptoms.  So, in my case, it doesn't eliminate the migraines, but seems to make them less frequent and less severe.  Then, I can use my prescription meds for the ocassional flare-up.  At the moment, I'm 7+ months pregnant and cannot take migraine medication, but have had 3 acupuncture sessions during my pregnancy and it seems to be keeping them pretty much under control.

It's not cheap, but a few insurance companies will cover it.  My PEIA from the university had a $20 co-pay (instead of $60 per visit).  They'll often charge quite a bit more for a primary visit, and it's likely you'll need several rounds before you get any noticable effects, so the cost is definitely important to consider.

[oldfullprof]

I tried it once in a demonstration.  It definitely had a calming effect.  But I thought it was trivial and temporary.  As a Reiki practitioner, I might say the same about Reiki.  It works, but needs to be repeated frequently.

[britmom]

Thanks for those responses. The cost would be £35 (approx $50). I would need to see some radical improvement to justify that kind of expenditure so I think I'll leave it for now.

[alleyoxenfree]

I had a much better experience with it than others are reporting.  For one thing, it helps you sleep - it seems to push "reset" on the whole body, and that was huge at a time when I couldn't sleep and was going insane.  It also restored a healthy level of libido - again, like pushing "reset."  When I had migraines, they stopped on the table when the practitioner put a needle in a certain muscle.  My practitioner used a method of attaching an electrical pulse to the needles, having trained in India, IIRC, under a school that believes in putting energy "back in."

It doesn't induce "happy" so much as a sense of well-tended relief and calm.  I went home, slept, and woke up feeling quite well.  It lasted about a week to 10 days.  It just made me feel more capable and able to cope, which was very good feeling.

You can sometimes find chiropractors or general practitioners who are also certified acupuncturists, and thereby get it covered by insurance.  Your system may differ, but it's worth checking around.  You also might try an Oriental medicine school, as long as the people working on you are supervised.

Part of what may be placebo effect is that it's nice to have people attending to you, and to your concerns, especially in a hands-on way.  So massage may help.  Or you might consider seeing a Chinese medicine specialist. 

[mdwlark]

American medicine says depression is a "chemical imbalance" but they actually know little about correcting it, other than to prescribe the latest and greatest SSRI.  In traditional Chinese medicine, depression is considered a symptom, not a disease. It is a symptom of major inbalances between several body systems, involving both chemical and electrical signaling, and it takes a lot of tweaking to set things back on course.  In order to tackle something as complicated as depression, I suggest you find an acupuncturist who graduated in a TCM university or college (in China), and not someone who took a few weekend courses in acupuncture to get a state license, which a lot of states allow. 

I have been a patient of a TCM doctor for years, doing both acupuncture and herbal medicine.  I use doctors for lab tests and xrays.

[britmom]

I had a much better experience with it than others are reporting.  For one thing, it helps you sleep - it seems to push "reset" on the whole body, and that was huge at a time when I couldn't sleep and was going insane.  It also restored a healthy level of libido - again, like pushing "reset."  When I had migraines, they stopped on the table when the practitioner put a needle in a certain muscle.  My practitioner used a method of attaching an electrical pulse to the needles, having trained in India, IIRC, under a school that believes in putting energy "back in."

It doesn't induce "happy" so much as a sense of well-tended relief and calm.  I went home, slept, and woke up feeling quite well.  It lasted about a week to 10 days.  It just made me feel more capable and able to cope, which was very good feeling.

You can sometimes find chiropractors or general practitioners who are also certified acupuncturists, and thereby get it covered by insurance.  Your system may differ, but it's worth checking around.  You also might try an Oriental medicine school, as long as the people working on you are supervised.

Part of what may be placebo effect is that it's nice to have people attending to you, and to your concerns, especially in a hands-on way.  So massage may help.  Or you might consider seeing a Chinese medicine specialist. 

That's very interesting, thanks. I think I could really use some help in just calming down and reducing my stress. The depression has taken over my life in the last couple of months. Just the very fact that I'm often asking myself how I feel is stressful. (As I said to my psychologist: even when I feel normal, I'm very, very conscious of the fact that I'm feeling normal, which isn't very normal.) Perhaps a good massage might help with the stress, but--from what you say--acunpuncture might be a longer-lasting treatment.

American medicine says depression is a "chemical imbalance" but they actually know little about correcting it, other than to prescribe the latest and greatest SSRI.  In traditional Chinese medicine, depression is considered a symptom, not a disease. It is a symptom of major inbalances between several body systems, involving both chemical and electrical signaling, and it takes a lot of tweaking to set things back on course.  In order to tackle something as complicated as depression, I suggest you find an acupuncturist who graduated in a TCM university or college (in China), and not someone who took a few weekend courses in acupuncture to get a state license, which a lot of states allow. 

I have been a patient of a TCM doctor for years, doing both acupuncture and herbal medicine.  I use doctors for lab tests and xrays.

The acupuncturist at my local Chinese medicine clinic qualified as a TCM in Mongolia. They offer free consultations, and then $50-ish dollars per session. There's no way to reduce this cost; acupuncture is not an option on the NHS. (We don't have/want/need private medical insurance.)

I've noticed that the Chinese medicine clinic offers 'Oriental foot massages', where they use acupressure to help to 'restore physical and mental harmony.' I might be tempted to try that, just out of curiosity. It's not too expensive.

[fiona]

I've never used acupuncture for depression, but I get regular treatments for arthritic and other pains.

Agree with everything Alleyoxenfree says.

It's marvelous for making you feel relaxed. And do get someone trained in Traditional Chinese Medicine, as they may notice (and be able to help) with other things that aren't quite aligned.

The Fiona

[alleyoxenfree]

I could use an Oriental foot massage right now.  Only had one once, but it was amazing.  Lots of pressure, but not painful.  Left me relaxed as a limp biscuit. (Is that a phrase?)  I'm off to google what's available in my town.

Britmom, you might like the book, "Sunbathing in the Rain," by Gwyneth Lewis.

[scampster]

I could use an Oriental foot massage right now.  Only had one once, but it was amazing.  Lots of pressure, but not painful.  Left me relaxed as a limp biscuit. (Is that a phrase?)  I'm off to google what's available in my town.

I have a Chinese foot massage place around the corner. Best $30/hr I ever spent. Hmm, I should go back...