What is Depression?

It’s normal to feel sad or low sometimes.  But if you’re feeling miserable all the time then you may be dealing with depression. In this article, we’ll discuss the symptoms, causes, and prevention of depression.  We’ll also present depression treatment options including Chinese Medicine.

Depression Symptoms:

Since sciatica is caused by damage or injury to the sciatic nerve, you may experience general symptoms of nerve damage along with the specific symptoms of sciatica.  You may experience symptoms like pins and needles in the feet, or numbness and even loss of feeling and movement in the legs and feet in severe cases.  Sciatica patients often notice that their pain gets worse as they move.  In some cases, sciatica patients may also lose control of their bladder and bowels.  This may be a medical emergency that requires urgent medical assistance.

What Causes Depression?

Some people who have depression experience symptoms constantly.  Others may have symptoms that come and go.  Generally, if you get symptoms most days for over two weeks, you probably have depression.  Common depression symptoms include:

• Hopeless feelings
• Feeling worthless
• Feeling empty
• Crying all the time
• Fatigue
• Waking up too early or oversleeping
• Change in appetite or weight
• Having trouble focusing, remembering things, or making decisions
• Doing everything more slowly
• Digestion problems or aches and pains

If you have severe depression, you may even have thoughts of self-harm or suicide.  If left untreated, these thoughts may transform into real attempts.

What Causes Depression?

There are a variety of causes of depression.  Some of these come down to biology, while others depend on your circumstances.  The main causes of depression are listed as follows:

• Long-lasting pain (physical or emotional)
• Medical conditions like cancer, heart attacks, or chronic illness
• Hormone changes
• Alcohol or substance use
• Traumas
• Family history

How Can I Prevent Depression?

Since depression can affect your physical, emotional, and mental health (and even lead to suicide if untreated), you may wish to prevent it from developing.  Some helpful prevention tips include:

• Maintaining a regulated sleep pattern
• Exercising most days
• Maintaining a healthy and nutritious diet full of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains
• Reducing stress through meditation or relaxation
• Building positive relationships

Depression Treatment

If you already have depression and want to get better, there are many treatment options available.  An important aspect of treatment is your desire to recover. Depression treatments range from medications and therapies to home remedies and lifestyle adjustments. 

Many medications are available for depression treatment. However, they all come with the risk of side effects.  They typically work by reducing the symptoms of depression.

You may wish to have therapy to help recover from depression.  This could include talk therapy, cognitive behavioural therapy, or psychodynamic therapy to help you deal with your life.

Lifestyle changes like adding meditation to your day can also help reduce depression.  Meditation is a great way to gain control over your mind, through silent observation or positive engagement like mantra meditation.  It also helps to exercise regularly, and check that you aren’t deficient in vitamins like B vitamins and vitamin D.

How Can Chinese Medicine Help?

If you have depression and want to get better naturally, Chinese Medicine is an excellent treatment option.  While other treatments focus on reducing or suppressing depression symptoms, Chinese Medicine gets to the root of the problem.  If the underlying cause is treated, there will be no obstacles to your recovery.

There are many external causes of depression, but very few people consider the internal causes. In Chinese Medicine, the organs within your body are linked to your physical and emotional health.  If there is an imbalance in the functions of any of your organs, you may experience illness.

For example, your liver and gallbladder work together to maintain detoxification and nerve health.  But they can also affect your mood.  If your liver or gallbladder is too weak you may experience anger, frustration, or depression.  Your Chinese Medicine practitioner will be able to analyse whether any of your organs are too weak, and prescribe a treatment plan of acupuncture, acupressure, or Chinese herbs for you.  Once your organs are healthy again, your body will be able to recover from conditions like depression.

Conclusion:

Overall, depression is a health condition that can interfere with your life and can be dangerous if it’s not treated.  Common symptoms are feelings of hopelessness or emptiness, excessive crying, fatigue, and sometimes self-harm attempts.  Factors like pain, traumas, and alcohol or substance use can all contribute to depression.  You can prevent depression through lifestyle habits, and treat the condition through medications, therapy, or home remedies.  Chinese Medicine is also a great treatment option, as it addresses underlying health problems.

References:

Higuera, V. (2021, November 1). Everything You Need to Know About Depression (Major Depressive Disorder). Healthline. https://www.healthline.com/health/depression

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