August 21st, 2010 | Posted in Emotions+Stress, Female Problems
ACUPUNCTURE FOR POST-NATAL DEPRESSION
As the explanation below shows there are different forms of Post-Natal Depression and each of these are treated with Acupuncture according to the underlying cause. The terms used refer to TCM diagnosis but it is clear that post-natal depression is very recognised in TCM and is treatable.
Post-natal depression is usually explained in Chinese medicine in terms of Blood: the exertion and loss of blood occurring at childbirth induce a state of Blood deficiency. Since the Heart houses the Mind and governs Blood, Heart-Blood becomes deficient. The Mind has no residence and it becomes depressed and anxious. This causes a state of depression, mild anxiety, insomnia and fatigue. On a mental level the mother feels unable to cope, she is tearful, she loses any libido and she may feel angry or guilty.
From Blood deficiency, other conditions may develop after some time, and in women who have a predisposition to Yin deficiency, Blood deficiency may give rise to Yin deficiency and Empty Heat. This would cause a more severe condition of depression with more intense anxiety, insomnia, mental restlessness and agitation. Conditions of neurotic, obsessive, phobic or psychotic behaviour after childbirth are usually due to stagnant Blood harassing the Mind (rather than the more common Phlegm-Heat). In such cases, the woman is not only depressed but also confused, she may display obsessive behaviour or phobias and, in extreme cases, she may manifest psychotic or even schizophrenic behaviour. She may be aggressive and offensive, she may have hallucinations and delusions and she may display suicidal tendencies and even harbour destructive thoughts against her baby.
1. EXCESSIVE LOSS OF BLOOD DURING CHILDBIRTH
Excessive loss of blood during childbirth causes Blood deficiency; since the Heart houses the Mind and governs Blood, deficient Heart-Blood fails to house the Mind which becomes depressed and anxious. In women with a pre-existing deficiency of Blood, this situation may arise even if the blood loss during childbirth is not particularly heavy. Deficiency of Blood will cause depression.
2. BLOOD STASIS AFTER CHILDBIRTH
Blood stasis after childbirth occur frequently, especially in women who have a pre-existing state of stasis of Blood. Stagnant Blood rebels upwards in the Penetrating Vessel and harasses the Heart (though which the Penetrating Vessel flows): as the Heart governs Blood and houses the Mind, stagnant Blood harasses and obstructs the Mind.
3. CONSTITUTIONAL TENDENCY TO MENTAL-EMOTIONAL PROBLEMS
A constitutional tendency to mental-emotional problems is often the basis for the development of mental problems after childbirth. The signs that may indicate such a tendency are: tongue with a deep Heart crack tongue that is “hammer-shaped” very swollen tongue with a very sticky coating eyes lacking any glitter (i.e. eyes without shen).
