DEPRESSION - Some self-help tips to fight depression

If you suffer from long-term or severe depression, with constant thoughts of death or dying, including ideas about suicide, seek professional help immediately. For occasional sadness and depression, here are some ways to lift the fog:

• EXERCISE. Depression is in many cases a result of a lifestyle of physical immobility. Studies have found that running or jogging for example, lifts depression. It has been theorised that depressed people who run notice new and real bodily sensations that distract them from preoccupations with minor but annoying physical symptoms of depression. In running, one has to think about breathing, have to notice the sky and the sun and the wind.  One also has to let go of one’s thoughts. If you don’t like running or jogging, try skipping rope, bouncing a ball, house-cleaning, gardening or any other physical activity in which you can gradually build up your ability to move your body for 20-30 minutes.  

• ADOPT GOOD POSTURE. Some experts believe that a bad posture can also cause depression. When people are depressed they assume a depressed posture — a slouching, tense, contracted pose. A person with chronically poor posture gets tired, starts having negative thoughts, and then gets depressed.

• ASSIGN A “DEPRESSION TIME” for yourself, for example: 7-8pm, when you allow yourself to feel as depressed as you really are.  Whenever you feel the depressed mood coming on, remind yourself as to when you will let the depression have its time.

• AVOID SETTING DIFFICULT GOALS or taking on new responsibilities. Break large tasks into small ones, set some priorities, and do what can be done, as it can be done. Do not expect too much from yourself too soon, as this will only accentuate feelings of failure. Similarly, try not to make major life decisions (such as changing jobs or getting married or divorced) when you’re depressed.

• RECOGNISE PATTERNS IN YOUR MOODS. Like many people with depression, the worst part of the day for you may be the morning.  Try to arrange your schedule accordingly so that the demands are the least in the morning. For example, you may want to shift your meetings to midday or the afternoon.

• PARTICIPATE IN ACTIVITIES that may make you feel better. Try exercising, going to a movie or ball game, or participating in religious or social activities. At a minimum, such activities may distract you from the way you feel and allow the day to pass more quickly.

• DON'T SPEND ALL DAY IN BED, no matter how tempted you are. While a change in the duration, quality and timing of sleep is a core feature of depression, a reversal in sleep cycle (such as sleeping during daytime hours and staying awake at night) can prolong recovery.

• DO NOT GET UPSET if your mood is not greatly improved right away. Feeling better takes time. Do not feel crushed if after you start getting better, you find yourself backsliding. With depression, sometimes the road to recovery is like a roller coaster ride.
  

Source: http://consumer.org.my/

HEALTH - Depression and its many causes

We all feel “down” or “blue” at times. All of us have days when we feel “depressed”. Usually, these feelings are temporary, and we can have a great day tomorrow. Even when we have a bad day, we can still find enjoyment in things. These occasional bad days are part of life and not depression.

Sometimes though, these feelings may persist for several days or even weeks. This is common following the break-up of a relationship or other unpleasant event.  In many cases, the sadness or depressed mood may accompany problems such as loss of appetite, overeating, sleeplessness, excessive sleeping, lack of energy and drive, loss of interest and joy, etc. This is when depression becomes a medical illness.

Still, while you may have some of the symptoms of depression, it is unlikely that you have major depression unless a number of the symptoms are present and impair daily functioning.

What is depression?

Depression is an illness that causes a disturbance in an individual’s emotions and feelings, what is referred to as mood.  

But depression is not just feeling unhappy. It encompasses feelings of discouragement and loss of interest or pleasure in almost all activities and pastimes that persist for over 2 weeks.

Among the warning signs of depression are: feeling sad, hopeless or guilty most of the time; loss of interest and pleasure in daily activities; sleep problems (either too much or too little); fatigue, low energy, or feeling “slowed down”; problems making decisions or thinking clearly; crying a lot; changes in appetite or weight (up or down); and thoughts of suicide or death.

What causes depression?  

Depression is often associated with times of stress and difficulty in life — eg: a divorce or break-up; the death of a loved one; losing a job; stress at school or work; illness; certain medical diseases (like diabetes, cancer, thyroid diseases and anaemia); and other stresses and losses.

Depression can also come on out of the blue when it is associated with a chemical imbalance of neurotransmitters (mainly serotonin) in the brain. This can be induced by the use of substances (like drugs or alcohol). There are indications that depression can be caused by genetic predisposition.

Also, women may become depressed after the birth of a child (ie post-partum depression).

Depression can manifest in symptoms such as weight loss, anxiety, irritability, agitation, chronic indecisiveness and sleep disturbances.  In other words, you may have a depressive disorder and not feel particularly “depressed”.

Depression can impair your academic performance, relationships and other daily activities. People who are continually depressed also become increasingly irritable, dependent, hostile, sexually unresponsive, and experience stress in their relationships — all of which reinforce feelings of depression.

Silent problem

Many people however, will not tell anyone about their depression because they are embarrassed. Talk is however, good therapy and can prevent you from being continually trapped in the vicious grip of depression.

Who’s at risk?

Depression can occur at any age, but the average age of onset is about 40. Although many people experience their first episode of depression in their late teens or early adulthood, the incidence of depression increases with age.

The elderly are at a high risk of developing depression as they face multiple health problems or the loss of loved ones.

Women more prone

Women generally suffer more from depression than men. Why is this so? The answer may lie in features that are unique to women’s lives, such as hormones and puberty, reproductive cycle, psychological and personality characteristics, and social pressures both at the workplace and home.

Puberty, menstrual cycle, pregnancy, childbirth and menopause may all cause “mood swings” in women. They switch from a normal mood to a depressed mood, angry mood, or a “frenzy” for no apparent reason. Hormones are suspected to be the main culprit here.

Men and women react differently when they are upset, angry or hurt. Women tend to “internalise” — that is, they absorb the pain and suffer quietly; while men tend to “externalise” — that is, they deflect the pain and someone else suffers with them.

Abuse, oppression and other forms of victimization that usually happen to women also have a lot to do with why women tend to be more depressed than men.

Source: http://consumer.org.my/

HEALTH - The drug-free way to fight depression: New hope to the one in five people threatened by the illness

The drug-free way to fight depression: New hope to the one in five people threatened by the illness

• It is thought that one in five people succumb to depression, the most common mental health problem
• But although prescription rates are rising - from 15 million in 1998 to 40 million in 2012 - for some 62 per cent of sufferers, they have little effect
• Alternatives to anti-depressants include magnetic helmets, vegetables and oily fish
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By LEAH HARDY FOR MAIL ON SUNDAY

PUBLISHED: 21:04 GMT, 11 October 2014 | UPDATED: 21:04 GMT, 11 October 2014

From magnetic helmets to vegetables and oily fish, how these alternatives to anti-depressants give new hope to the one in five of us threatened by the illness.

Statistics about depression make for sorry reading. It is now thought that one in five of us will succumb to this most common mental health problem. 

Yet it is becoming clear that the most popular prescribed drugs simply aren’t up to the job for the majority of sufferers. 

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Although prescription rates are soaring - from 15 million in 1998 to 40 million in 2012 – for some 62 per cent of depression sufferers, they have little to no effect

Most will be offered anti-depressants, generally in the form of SSRI (selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitor) drugs, such as Prozac, Cipramil and Seroxat. 

It was thought that a deficiency of the neurotransmitter serotonin was a key cause – and SSRIs increase serotonin levels. So far, so simple.

However, although prescription rates are soaring – from 15 million in 1998 to 40 million in 2012 – for some 62 per cent of depression sufferers, they have little to no effect.

So how do we combat depression in future?

We looked at the new solutions that offer hope to millions... 

 

TREATMENT: Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS)

BEST FOR: Severe long-term depression

HOW IT WORKS: One of the latest treatments is rTMS.

This uses magnetic pulses, similar to those used in MRI scans, to stimulate the left pre-frontal cortex area of the brain, the area involved in mood regulation, emotion, memory and motivation. It tends to be less active in people with depression.

This newly licensed FDA- approved treatment is for patients with severe, chronic depression, for whom multiple treatments with anti-depressants have failed.

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It is now thought that one in five people will succumb to depression, the most common mental health problem

It is available at The London Psychiatry Centre and the private Nightingale Hospital, also in London.

Pulses are delivered via a metal coil in a helmet that patients wear during five 25-minute sessions a week over two to six weeks, with studies showing most people need 12 to 20 treatments.

The studies indicate that more than 30 per cent of people who don’t respond to any other treatment recover using rTMS.

Psychiatrist Dr Michael Craig, senior lecturer in reproductive and developmental psychiatry at King’s College, London, who offers treatment at the Nightingale, says: ‘Success rates will double if used as a first-line treatment.’

It is available only privately (not through insurance) and treatment costs from £1,000 a week.

 

TREATMENT: Sleep therapy

BEST FOR: Depression caused by insomnia

HOW IT WORKS: Many sufferers from depression complain of insomnia, but there is now evidence that lack of sleep precedes and even causes depression.

In 2013, researchers at Ryerson University, Toronto, found depression lifted significantly among patients whose insomnia was cured. Treatment consisted of four talk-therapy sessions over eight weeks, and was twice as effective as taking medication or a placebo. This has been described as ‘the biggest advance in depression treatment since Prozac’.

Patient advice included: stick to a specific wake-up time; get out of bed when awake but don’t eat, read or watch TV; and avoid taking daytime naps.

Jason Ellis, a professor in psychology at Northumbria University and director of the Northumbria Centre for Sleep Research, says: ‘We aren’t entirely sure why insomnia makes us more vulnerable to depression, but there is some evidence that the changes that occur in our sleep, and particularly to our REM sleep when we first get insomnia, may impact on our mood.

‘REM – or dream – sleep is vital for regenerating connections in the brain. Older people, who are far more prone to depression, have less REM sleep, as do people with depression.’

He is studying if treatment at the first signs of insomnia can prevent depression.

 

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To combat depression, most people are offered anti-depressants, generally in the form of SSRI (selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitor) 

drugs, such as Prozac, Cipramil and Seroxat

TREATMENT: Oestrogen therapy

BEST FOR: Depression caused by hormones

HOW IT WORKS: According to new evidence, women who suffer depression at certain times of the month may have Reproductive Depression, or Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD). They could be sensitive to the surge in progesterone that follows ovulation and precedes menstruation. PMDD can cause rage, suicidal feelings and extreme tearfulness.

Dr Michael Craig, a gynaecologist and psychiatrist, has opened the first female hormone clinic at London’s Maudsley NHS psychiatric hospital with Dr Mike Marsh, a gynaecologist based at King’s College Hospital.

Dr Craig has published research saying PMDD responds positively to the prescription of certain agents that suppress ovulation, such as oestrogen gel, patches and pills.

John Studd, a former professor of gynaecology at Imperial College, runs the private London PMS & Menopause Clinic. He treats women with PMDD using oestrogen gel, which patients are told to rub on to an arm or leg every day.

 

TREATMENT: Lifestyle changes

BEST FOR: Depression caused by inflammation

HOW IT WORKS: There is growing evidence depression is linked to chronic, low-grade inflammation in the body, which may be caused by illness, infection or an overactive immune system.

Professor Graham Rook, Emeritus Professor of Medical Microbiology at University College London, says: ‘Millions of people have raised levels of inflammatory chemicals such as C Reactive Protein [CRP] and we know they are at increased risk of depression later in life.’

Inflammation-linked depression may be connected with alterations in the gut ‘microbiome’, the composition of the millions of microbes in the gut that communicate with the brain. We can unbalance our microbiome and cause inflammation by eating processed food or being too clean, too stressed, too sedentary or too fat. Studies have shown that you can cut inflammation by spending time in green spaces, eating a diet low in sugar and processed carbohydrates and high in vegetables, fruit, lean protein (particularly oily fish) and olive oil. Exercise moderately, sleep more and try to control stress.

Source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/

DEPRESSION - Top 10 Common Reasons for Depressions

Article by Anum

Depression these days is a very common phenomenon, it is found not only in adults but in children as well.  unfilled wishes, broken heart, desires, failed expectations, etc; these are the things which give rise to depression. This depression however takes the human towards their downfall, they lose their original form. When a person is suffering from depression, he would act in a way he has never done before, he or she would say things which he or she has never said before. This depression has such a strong impact on the mind that it can turn a happy go merry optimistic man into a pessimist.

People say that technology has made the human lives much more comfortable, easy and safe than before, it is due to the technology that we are able to complete a task in few minutes which earlier required days to complete. As we have made advancements, at the same times the problems in our lives have increased. These problems are the ones which we have created ourselves; these problems drag us towards depression too. The influence of depression is so strong that the person no longer wants to live his life; hatred, frustration, anger, sleepless nights are the most common symptoms.

The worst thing about human nature is that when they set up a goal they do everything possible to achieve it; they can’t stand failure and rejection. Be it a very small thing or a very big one, the game is always the same. You like something, and then you must have it. You are willing to do anything for it. There are some people who are such extreme that they cross the boundaries of right & wrong and good & evil just for the sake of fulfilling their lust. It is not easy for humans to stand failure, they cannot accept the idea that they have failed in fulfilling their lust. And this is the point where the depression begins, there can be many reasons for depression, the top 10 reasons are:

10. Medications:

Everything has which is giving you a benefit has few draw backs, although there are medications available for all the diseases but those medications do have some drawbacks because they have a very high power, most of the medications have side effects such as lack of sleep, acidity, nausea etc. As a result the person suffers from depression.

9. Chicken:

Chicken has become a very common ingredient in our diet; most of our dishes are made up of chicken. The demand of chicken is increasing so rapidly that the suppliers have to use artificial means for the growth of chicks; they use medications and high laser bulbs which are used as a catalyst to accelerate the growth of chickens. When we eat the chicken, all the effects of the chicken and the medications are experienced by our body and they trigger depression.

8. Sleeping habits:

Our sleeping habits play a very vital role in the generation of Depression, God has made the night to sleep and the day to work. Our body cycle is in such a way that it get maximum energy only when we sleeps at the proper time and then get up at the proper time. Most of the people stay awake entire nights and then they sleep late the next day. By doing this our body cycle get disturbed and this becomes a source of depression for our body.

7. Facebook:

The usage of facebook has grown so much these days that for majority of the facebook users their socializing on facebook is much more important that their real life. It has been find out that the people who have very attractive facebook profile actually suffer from depression and loneliness. It has also been found out that the people who use facebook too much are mostly suffering from depression. The life which is displayed on facebook is fake and it has no reality.

6. Death of someone close:

It is true that life is beautiful only when our surroundings are beautiful, the surrounding refers to the work we do, the place we live, the people we hang out with, our friends, family and loved ones. A loss of someone with whom you were very close takes a person towards depression. Death is bitter reality and it is very hard to accept that the person with who whom you have spent such a long time, whom you loved so deeply is now gone forever and is never coming back. If something like this happens then the places and things which you loved so much become an object of torture for you, and without that person you start feeling lonely or sometimes it becomes very difficult to get over it. Loosing someone also drags a person towards depression.

5. Unfilled expectations:

Life is beautiful for those who do not expect anything from others because if you expect things from others then you will definitely face disappointment. When we start expecting from others we give them the authority to hurt us. Not only with other peoples but the expectations which we have from our life and from our self also becomes a source of impasse. Things do not always happen the way we want them to be, our fate takes unexpected turns and brings us very strange situations in life. These things also lead the person towards depression.

4. Broken relationships:

A man and a woman are meant to be together, they are made for each other and they are incomplete without each other. Love is the most ravishing phenomenon, when we meet our soul mate our entire universe is completed. That one person becomes your entire universe, but when that relationship breaks apart, our heart breaks at the same time. Some people easily come out of it but some people find it very difficult to get over their past relationship. These broken relationships have a very strong impact on their heart, and when they are unable to get over it they gradually fall into depression.

3. Illness:

Life is incomplete without health; in order to enjoy life fully you must have a very good health. Illness is a part of life, it is normal for a person to get ill but if the person suffers from very serious extended diseases then it is natural for him to get despondent. Poor health ruins leads to cautions and they ruin all the excitement of life. Continuous and serious diseases also generate the symptoms of depression.

2. Lack of good looks or beauty:

Believe it or not but good looks matter a lot, those who have good looks enjoy a very warm attention for public but not so good looking people are often side tracked. In professional life good looks do not matter much because there people know you by your skills and abilities but in school, college and other places people often get depressed because they are not admired by others. Especially in youth when the person is going through a complete romantic phase of life.

1.   Not doing what you love:

Somebody once said that if you do something you actually love then you wouldn’t have to work for a moment in your life. Today the pressure of becoming successful has reached its peak that a person who wanted to be an actor is studying medical, someone who wants to be a writer is actually studying engineering and a law students is the Master of Arts. But they do not do what they love; instead they are doing something completely different. As a result, they do become engineer, doctor or lawyer but they do not love their job, they loathe it. Also they would never to able to completely accept their profession. This also leads to depression.

Source: http://listdose.com/

DEPRESSION - Top 10 Ways To Overcome Depression Quickly

Article by bhagyashreevyas

A prolonged state of sadness may ultimately led you to the dangerous state of depression. Lots of things may lead to the depressed state.The reason behind depression may be anything. It may be separation from a very good friend, lose of any closed one, failure in life, career or relationship. Whatever may be the reason, a state of depression may kill your will to live. It drains all of your hopes, happiness and enthusiasm down. If you are living in a state of depression, you cannot see the beautiful colors that life gives us, you cannot enjoy the gifts of the life. Thus the only way to live a good, depression free life, is to overcome the depression that has become a peculiar part of your life. Once you are over this state, you can relive your life with more happiness and enthusiasm. So given below are some of the points that may help you in recovering from a state of depression.

10. Know The Reason

If you want to remove something from your life, the first step to the task is to know all about the thing. You need to know the reason, what is the reason behind your depression, what is making it worse and what can you do to reduce it. Also the knowledge of the duration of depression period is of per mount importance. In case the depression is very old, like that of some years, you need to consult the doctor, who can help you out. If you know all these things, you have already climbed the first step of removing the depression from your life. So know all about your depression state and then you can easily fight back.

9. Do Yoga Or Exercise Daily

Yoga and working out are the solutions to your problems. They help keeping you distracted, healthy and refresh. If you start your day by yoga, then throughout the day. you will feel very rejuvenated and energized. This way you stay away from the thought of your depression reason. The intake of air while performing yoga is probably the best way to refresh your entire inner body and soul. According to a survey, running is the best exercise that can support you in coming out of your depression state. But you need to consult your doctor first, whether running will suit to your body or not. Thus take a little time from your busy schedule to do some yoga and exercise.

8. Take A Break

If you are going through a state of depression and are still busy in doing your office work, house work and other works that may cause you even more depression and tiredness, it will help you making your depression worse, rather than reduced. Thus if you wanna come out of this state of mind, you need to take a break. Take a break from all those things that may increase your depression. Just go and try those things that makes you happy. Go to some place you love and spend some time there, listen to music, play video games or some outdoor game. Do anything that may make you happy, even if you don’t feel like doing. You may find it little difficult in the starting but slowly it will help you feel energized.

7. Spend Time With Your Family And Friends

Your family and closed friends are the ones that accept you with all your faults and bad things. So whenever you feel depressed, you can just go to them and spend some leisure time at their place. Whether you tell them your problem or not, if you just go and live some moments with them, it will definitely help you put your sadness away. Do not forget to take chocolets and flowers for your loved ones, it will make them happy and seeing them happy will surely make you happy.

6. Adopt A New Hobby

The most important thing that will remove your depression in the distraction. So adopting anything that may distract you from your usual life will surely help in changing your state of mind. Adopting a new hobby is one way to distract you. Start doing anything that you love to or used to love doing. It will help you in removing the stress that you are having, also you will feel happy to do the thing that you enjoy. You can opt for painting, dancing, or learning some instrument that you could not do due to some reason will help you in rejuvenating your life.

5. Get A Pet Partner

It is well said that a pet may serve the best friend’s role. So in order to remove your depression, loneliness and stress, you can just go and get a new pet partner for yourself. This way you will remain busy in taking care of him, taking him for a walk, training him and you can even share anything with him, without having the fear of disclosure. The more you are busy, less you have time to get depressed. Thus a pet can serve as the best option for removing the depression by keeping you busy within himself the whole day.

4. Write A Journal

No one can understand you and problems more than you yourself. So writing a journal may help you a lot. Writing also helps in solving the problems in your life. Whenever you start writing something, the time you end up your writing, you may find the solution to it. So you can write down the reasons of your sadness and you can get the ideas to remove it from your life. Thus helping you sorting out your problems on your own. Writing a journal also helps in knowing your problems better, thus helps you in crossing the first step of your fight.

3. Sleep A Lot

A proper sleep is must for the removal of stress. The timing of sleep is also important. Make sure that you sleep at least 8 hours a day. The timing of sleep should also be the same. Sleep at the same time every night. One more important thing is the environment around you when you are sleeping. Try to have a proper sleep, with lights closed, calming surroundings and resting atmosphere. You can even opt for a warm bath or reading some book before sleeping. Stay away from working late at night, stressing yourself by thinking bad things.

2. Stay Away From Negativity

How you think matters a lot in your life. If you live in a world where you are surrounded by negative thoughts, you can never remove your own depression. In order to remove your depression, you need to think positive and live in a positive surrounding. Stay away from the people who impose stress over you and make you feel sick. Always remember and try to accept that you are the best, do not under estimate yourself. How you see the things and how you see yourself matters a lot. So make sure that you do not become a captivity of negativity in your own life. Think positive and you will surely gain positive outputs.

1. Take Care Of Yourself

Many things come under the point of taking care of yourself. You need to make it sure that you do everything that makes you happy. Intake of a healthy diet is also an important part of the process. A proper maintenance of your beauty will also help you in removing the depression by boosting your confidence. Keep the stress that you are gaining through your routine in a limit. Proper sleep and a proper intake of the morning sunlight also helps in removing the depression. Meet the people or friends that make you happy. Doing everything for yourself may help you a lot in freeing yourself from the web of depression real quick. Remember, no one loves you the way you do. So think about yourself, do thing for yourself and it will help keeping all you problems away from you.

DEPRESSION MANAGEMENT - Depression can triple risk of developing Parkinson's disease, scientists say

Depression can triple risk of developing Parkinson's disease, scientists say

• - Scientists in Taiwan studied records 23,000 people over 10 years
• - Those with depression 3.24 times more likely to be develop Parkinson's
• - Age and hard-to-treat Parkinson's risk factors, scientists said 
• 
  

By BECKY EVANS

PUBLISHED: 01:36 GMT, 3 October 2013 | UPDATED: 07:34 GMT, 3 October 2013

Depression can triple the risk of developing Parkinson's disease, according to researchers.

Scientists in Taiwan studied the medical records of 4,634 people with depression and 18,544 depression-free individuals for 10 years.

During the follow-up, 1.42 per cent of depression sufferers were diagnosed with Parkinson's compared with 0.52 per cent of non-depressed participants.

Scientists in Taiwan found people with depression were 3.24 times more likely to develop Parkinson's

People with depression were 3.24 times more likely to develop the disease than those without the mental health problem, said the researchers writing online in the journal Neurology.

However, scientists do not know whether depression is an early symptom of the neurodegenerative disease or a cause.

Depression has proven links to range of illnesses including cancer and stroke. 

Authors of the study in Taiwan said the risks of being diagnosed with Parkinson's increased with age and having depression that did not respond to treatment. 

Age and people with hard-to-treat depression are significant risk factors, according to the research

According to Parkinson's UK, one in 500 people in the UK have the disease - a progressive neurological condition.

Mental health charities say depression affects one in five older people and about five million people in the country are living with the illness. 

Lead author Dr Albert Yang, from Taipei Veterans General Hospital, said: 'Our study suggests that depression may also be an independent risk factor for Parkinson's disease.

'Many questions remain, including whether depression is an early symptom of Parkinson's disease rather than an independent risk factor for the disease.

'Our study also found that depression and older age, and having difficult-to-treat depression, were significant risk factors as well.'

Parkinson's UK said more research was needed into the link.

Dr Katie Le Blond, research development manager at the charity, told The Telegraph newspaper: 'This study found that people with depression were more likely to develop Parkinson's than those without depression. 

'But even among those with depression, the number of people who went on to develop Parkinson's was still only a fraction of those who took part. So there is by no means a direct link.'

HEALTH INFO - How acupuncture can ease depression

How acupuncture can ease depression:
Treatment alongside medication found to improve illness more than drugs alone

By FIONA MACRAE

PUBLISHED: 23:59 GMT, 24 September 2013 | UPDATED: 08:17 GMT, 25 September 2013

Acupuncture can help lift people out of depression, research suggests.

A British study found that people who had acupuncture alongside their anti-depressants improved more after three months than those who simply took drugs.

They also did as well as those who had counselling alongside their normal treatment.  

York University researchers said the finding is important because many patients with depression are interested in alternatives to drugs

The York University researchers said the finding is important because many patients with depression are interested in alternatives to drugs - which don’t work in up to 60 per cent of cases. 

Depression costs the English economy £9billion a year and although acupuncture is used to treat it, there has been little research into whether it helps.

More than 755 men and women with moderate to severe depression were studied.

Depression costs the English economy £9billion a year

One group had acupuncture alongside their normal treatment, including any drugs, a second had counselling added in, while a third group was treated as usual.  

Acupuncture and counselling improved symptoms for up to six months.  

After that, the health of those being treated normally had improved so much that acupuncture and counselling did not provide any extra benefit.  

Researcher Dr Hugh MacPherson, who is trained in acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine, said: ‘We have provided evidence that acupuncture versus usual care and counselling versus usual care are both associated with a significant reduction in symptoms of depression in the short to medium term, and are not associated with serious adverse events.  

Writing in the journal PLoS Medicine (MUST CREDIT), he added that it is still not clear if acupuncture will help people with mild depression.  

It is thought acupuncture stimulates the release of endorphins and other ‘feel- good’ molecules.