A medical expert predicted that depression will be one of the most common problems in the twenty first century. A recent research shows that almost ninety per cent of the patients seeing doctors suffer from stress or depression. It looks as if there are more people suffering from depression and anxiety nowadays than in the past. The reason is partly that the pace of life has become faster and faster and partly that there are more pressure from work and domestic affairs, which makes people feel more stressful.

Western medicine quite often can not give good answer to the problem. Anti-depression drugs only suppress the symptoms but not address the root cause. They can also give patients a lot of side effects. The researches on this problem focus too much on the brain and central nerve system and ignore the imbalance from other parts of the body.

With a long tradition to treat depression and anxiety. Chinese medicine is a very effective way to treat different emotional problems. In Chinese medicine, it is called 'Yu Zheng'(Depression syndrome ). TCM believes that depression and anxiety not only come from disorders in central nerve system but also come from imbalance in other organs that is quite often the underlying root cause for the problems. Generally, in the early stage of depression, patients will have an imbalance in their livers. Liver Qi (liver energy) stagnation is a term in TCM to describe this diagnosis. By TCM, liver is an organ to spread energy to the whole body. So any blockage or stagnation in Liver energy will bring about a lot of stress related problems such as headache, high blood pressure, irritable bowel syndrome, PMT etc. Liver energy stagnation can also generate heat, 'fire', or phlegm in the body which are common pathogenic factors in the body of a patient with depression or anxiety. When patients suffer from emotional problems for a long period of time, some deficiency can be found in their bodies, especially in their heart, spleen and kidney, which make all the symptoms even worse.

The practitioner will use either acupuncture or herbs or both to calm down the emotional aspects of the patient naturally and let patient feel more positive and happier. At the same time, the treatment is also directed to smoothes Liver energy to resolve the stagnation and accordingly to clear the heat or 'fire', or phlegm. This physical rebalance will help to break the vicious emotional - physical cycle and allow the patient to obtain a real recovery. To treat patients with chronic depression or anxiety, the practitioner need often to address the deficiency as well. Treatment will help to strengthen heart, spleen or kidney according to the diagnosis.

In our clinic, we have treated a lot of patients with depression, stress or anxiety, with very good successful rate. Many of them are totally back to normal. Some of them saw great improvement in their cases and can cope with their daily life in a easier way.

I have been depressed for a while and taking antidepressant tablets I wished to write off them. Acupuncture was suggested and after three sessions I am already beginning to feel more alive again-much more energy to do the things which I have not bothered with, I have even managed to cut the antidepressants down. My body is beginning to be my body again with renewed vitality. You are both very kind and have helped more them you know!

I was under the doctor for depression. The last 25 years had caught up with me, the doctor prescribed Prozac and one other antidepressant. Both sets of tablets made no difference to the way I felt. My partner suggested acupuncture and the cloud of depression has gone and I feel 100% better bearing in mind a phobia for needles! I would recommend acupuncture again. Many thanks.