Five Element Acupuncture for Depression

CAN ACUPUNCTURE HELP DEPRESSION?

One of the wonderful benefits of five element acupuncture for depression - apart from being safe, gentle and highly effective - is that my clients not only improve rapidly but often notice that the treatments provide them the inner resources to start making healthy choices. 

A recent national survey conducted by the CDC titled ‘The Household Pulse Survey’ shows that many people are still struggling with the emotional strain of pandemic life. The survey reports that as of mid-May, almost one-third of Americans (30.7 percent) were experiencing symptoms of anxiety or depression. 

While I give each of my acupuncture clients in my office in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, different recommendations based on their particular life dynamics, below are some tried and true methods for overcoming depression, with or without the help of five element acupuncture for depression.    

AN ACUPUNCTURIST’S GUIDE TO OVERCOMING DEPRESSION

Here is my go-to punch list to put you back in the driver’s seat.  These diet and lifestyle approaches will help you regain your zen and improve your mood naturally.  

EAT A NOURISHING DIET AND DRINK PLENTY OF WATER

• Prioritize a whole-food plant-based diet. The apple-a-day thing is real. The research is in: eating more fruits and vegetables can make you calmer, happier, and more energetic.

• Drop the junk food.

• Stay hydrated.  It is estimated that 75% of Americans are dehydrated; each one of your billions of cells needs water to function properly.

• For those looking to begin five acupuncture for depression, we will conduct a full-scale diet evaluation in the 4th treatment to ensure that you are getting a healthy amount of nutrients, micronutrients, vitamins, and minerals.

• It’s important to make any dietary changes gradually, realizing that the goal is to improve your diet and nutrition in both the short and long term.  For that reason, it’s best to go easy. 

  
  

SUPPORT YOUR GUT HEALTH

• Consume probiotic-rich fermented foods (yogurt, sauerkraut, kimchi) for increased beneficial gut flora.

• Avoid inflammatory foods.

• Consider taking a probiotic.

• Eat a variety of prebiotic, fiber-rich foods such as fruits, vegetables, and starchy tubers to feed the good bacteria in your gut.

  Note: I gave gut health its own category because the negative ramifications of poor gut health on the brain are clear and staggering. Inflammation is now thought to be either wholly or partially responsible for a great number of diseases/disorders ranging from depression to autism to Alzheimer’s to ADHD.

GET PLENTY OF SLEEP

• Poor sleep is significantly correlated to both anxiety and depression.

• A big reason to get acupuncture, if you are suffering from depression, is to get back in rhythm with the natural cycles of life, the circadian rhythms. Every animal on the planet adheres to them, and for good reason: you’ll feel better when you are in tune with the daily rhythms of life.

• Beyond the circadian rhythms, according to Chinese medicine, there is an internal clock ruling your body’s organs, such that each organ has a prime window within the day to perform its functions at peak ability. One takeaway: there is a logic to “early to bed, early to rise”.  

  
  

EXERCISE

• The health benefits of exercise are legion, but the important thing to know is you actually don’t need a new pair of running sneakers, smartwatch, or anything at all really to get started. All you need is the motivation to get moving.  Five Element Acupuncture can definitely help with this piece of the puzzle - getting you unstuck!

• Having lived in Boulder, Colorado, I am aware of the ultramarathoner’s lifestyle, and the efforts that can be made to optimize every aspect of daily life in order to attain peak health. But here’s the great news: most of us don’t need that.  Walking alone.  Just walking, is an amazing form of exercise that is often overlooked.

• From an acupuncturist’s perspective, what I often notice in people who exercise regularly are pulses that clearly demonstrate greater vitality. Without going too deep into Chinese medical theory, exercise is a great way to boost the subtle energies in the body by increasing the circulation of qi and blood throughout your body.

  
  

LEAN ON FRIENDS AND FAMILY

It’s what they are there for.  Truly.  If the situation was reversed, you would surely help them, so why not pick up the phone or meet a friend for lunch.  This is what being human is about.  And going through adversity together is proven to strengthen relationships.

OTHER HELPFUL TIPS

• Manage stress.  If this seems impossible, then it’s probably time to add acupuncture into the mix.  As you get started with five element acupuncture for depression, what often happens, is we start to re-prioritize what is valuable in our lives, and we increasingly can avoid ‘sweating the small stuff.”

• Yoga, meditation, mindfulness, and tai chi are natural ways to get your mind, body, and spirit back into alignment. 

• Get intentional about reducing screen time.

• Get outside as much as possible to increase natural light exposure.

• While I’m a practitioner and advocate of a rare style of acupuncture, if you can’t locate a five element acupuncturist nearby, you could always try searching “acupuncture near me” in google.   

• Try to have a few laughs.  If you are in New York City you can take advantage of the abundant amount of live entertainment, outdoor activities, and volunteer opportunities available.

  
  

David Leeds
Acupuncture in Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Five Element Acupuncture

For more background of Five Element click here.