Oct 09
Aromatherapy and Chinese Medicine for Depression
By Dr. Marji Lee Pearson
Depression is running rampant through our society. Approximately 35 million Americans suffer with depression or chronic anxiety. Many are taking anti-depressant medications. While these medications do offer support for a variety of people some do not respond as well. A few reasons for this include:
- Side effects that can outweigh the benefits of the medication being used
- Feeling disconnected from themselves on the medication
- Having a belief system that says depression isn’t a biochemical imbalance
Aromatherapy – Essential Oils
Essential Oils can be quite helpful. Here is a brief list of oils:
- Roman Chamomile
- Lavender
- Citrus oils of Mandarin, Orange, Lime, Bergamot, Tangerine
- Geranium
- Ylang Ylang
Chinese Herbs
There are many Chinese herbal formulas that really work wonders for depression. Here are a few:
- Bu Zhong Yi Qi Tang
- Gui Pi Tang
- Tian Wan Bu Xin Tang
Acupuncture
Acupuncture is a branch of Chinese Medicine that treats the energetic level of the person. It is usually a profoundly relaxing experience that establishes a deep quality of restoration and balance to the central nervous system. Almost all people feel sleepy, dreamy, altered within the treatment and after. The feeling stays long after treatment ends and becomes better with continuous treatment. Many people don’t want to leave after their treatments and just want to curl up and stay in this wonderful feeling of well being.
Nutritional Supplements
I find that the majority of depressed or anxious patients suffer from hypoglycemia. Many of them begin their day drinking coffee and then crash in the afternoon. It is important to maintain stable blood sugar throughout the day. To help with this start the day with a high protein breakfast such as whole oats, eggs, turkey bacon. Make sure to have a snack with you and take it every 2 to 3 hours. Avoid caffeine and coffee or at least cut down your intake. Avoid allergenic food such as refined sugar, pasteurized dairy, wheat and gluten for 30 days and see what happens. The depression could significantly improve. Some nutritional supplements to help depression:
- Fish Oil
- B Vitamin complex
Emotional Issues
Depression means you are holding something inside of yourself. This could be from anger or frustration that you don’t express because of fear, low self-esteem or many other reasons. I have found that the use of Chinese Medicine, counseling and other holistic modalities work really well in helping to move through the issues and stuck energy. Something you can do for yourself is to move your body either through walking, running, biking, dancing to name a few. This also helps move the stuck energy inside your body/mind so you have more energy.
In my clinical practice I have worked with many patients who have lost hope and felt they had run out of options. Many come to me as a last resort. Based on my experience working with numerous patients that have suffered from anxiety and chronic depression I can safely say that using the above modalities has helped me in getting to the root cause of the depression and helping my patients move on with their lives.
To schedule a free consultation, ask questions or schedule an appointment call Dr. Marji Lee Pearson at 786.385.8629. Download my free e-book and sign up for an informative monthly newsletter at www.asianhealingarts-center.com
Dr. Marji Lee Pearson
Asian Healing Arts Center
2382 North Federal Highway
Ft. Lauderdale, Florida 33305
Phone: (786) 385-8629
http://www.asianhealingarts-center.com


January 2nd, 2009 at 7:36 am
Side effects that are produced by using aromatherapy products is almost nothing. This is the biggest advantage of those products. Yet another thing is that it might take time for real cure to happen
Regards, Sony Walker