Depression is a serious illness and approximately one in ten people will experience it at some point. Depression can affect people of any age, including children. Many times we do not necessarily realize that we are suffering from depression, but it disrupts our normal life if it is ignored for too long.
There are some common signs of depression, if you can identify with several of them and they don’t go away easily, chances are you are suffering from depression to a greater or lesser extent.
1. Having trouble sleeping, insomnia, or sleeping too much.
2. Have feelings of helplessness, hopelessness and nothing will improve.
3. Significant weight gain or loss, eating too much or too little.
4. Having trouble concentrating, making decisions, or remembering things.
5. Loss of interest in daily activities, even those that previously seemed very interesting and easy to do.
6. Being irritable and in a bad mood than usual.
7. Feeling of lack of energy, fatigue, sluggishness, heaviness all the time.
8. More physical pain, such as headaches, back pain, stomach pain, etc.
9. Strong feeling of self-criticism, having thoughts that life is not worth living (this is serious, seek help immediately!)
10. Experience of lowered sexuality.
In addition to seeking professional help, there are two acupuncture points that you can use to alleviate and cure depression yourself, they are the Nei-guan points (PC 6) and the Tai-chong points (LR 3).
Nei-guan points are located on the center lines of the arms on the inner sides, 3 cun (the width of your thumb at the middle joint is one ‘cun’, the width of the three middle fingers at the middle joints is two ‘cun’, the width of the four fingers without the thumb at the middle joints is three ‘cun’.) from the wrist lines. They belong to the pericardial meridians and they are responsible for heart health, mental normalization, and psychological well-being.
Tai-chong points belong to the liver meridians and they are responsible for the health of the liver, alleviating irritability, clearing the mind and stabilizing emotions.
Pressing and massaging these two points on both sides for 5-10 minutes each day and whenever you feel depressed will lift your spirits and recharge your body and mind with energy over time. If you can massage the Tai-chong points after a hot foot bath before bed at night, the result will be greater.
Also, there is an acupuncture point called Tan-zhong point (CV 17), it is a very important point to improve mood. The Tan-zhong point belongs to the boat design y is the midpoint between the centers of the breasts. It collects energy from the chest and provides energy to the heart. It has a close relationship with our emotions. Whenever you feel sad, upset, or angry, massage this point, it will calm you down and give you feelings of peace.
Massage the Tan-zhong point in a clockwise direction with 4 closed fingers or rub this point downwards. 100 times or 2 to 3 minutes a day is a good and easy practice. There are many other benefits of massaging the Tan-zhong point: improving breast health (especially for women); relieve or cure asthma, cough, congested chest, fast heartbeat, etc.
Finally, having a positive outlook on life is always the key to stepping away from depression. Be more tolerant and understanding, listen to calm and upbeat music, talk with upbeat friends, participate in meaningful activities, and let go of things you can’t control.
Disclaimer: This is not intended as a substitute for personal medical advice and care. You should always consult a healthcare professional about any health problems before starting any health therapy and program.
