Holistic treatment helps fight depression

By Lee Sung-hun

Today’s Koreans are under constant and severe stress for a variety of reasons.

According to the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service, the number of patients seeking medical help for depression has increased by 12 percent from 534,800 in 2011 to about 601,000 in 2015.

Of those patients in 2015, females numbered around 406,000, slightly more than double that of males at 194,700.

Depression is common but serious mood disorder causing symptoms that affect how you think, feel and act, and should not be dismissed lightly.

As the Korean media has shown over the past decade, a number of well-known celebrities who tookhave taken their own lives after battling depression for many years, . it It is an illness that can lead to serious consequences.

In our lexicondaily use, the expression “I am depressed” can be lightly used lightly in many different cases, ranging from failing a test at school to having a fight with one’s best friend.

In such cases, the feeling of being depressed lasts for a short period of time, and most bounce right back, resuming their normal lives.

However, clinical depression is far different from such a temporary mood state.

With clinical depression, patients display physical symptoms and/or behavioral changes as well as experience an underlying emotional downturn lasting over two weeks.

For most of the day, patients Patients may express feelings of depression or through having lost anyloss of interest or pleasure in daily activities. Other signs and symptoms may include severe weight gain or loss without intentional diet changes, insomnia or increased desire to sleep, fatigue or loss of energy, feelings of worthlessness or self-ridden guilt and having trouble thinking or concentrating.

In modern medicine, depression is said to be linked to the imbalance of neurotransmitters in the brain.

Stresses from our daily lives and surrounding environment, such as the loss of a loved one, being fired or even economic hardships can trigger a bout of depression.

Although it is not a hereditary disorder, having a member of the family who suffers from depression can may slightly increase the likelihood of developing it yourself.

In Oriental medicine, whose wholistic perspective posits that our body and mind are organically interconnected, depression is also explained in relation to the functions of our internal organs.

Interestingly, the word “heart” can mean either our bodily organ or a place where our emotions are felt in both the English and Korean languages.

Therefore, Oriental medicine puts the emphasis on the role of the heart when addressing emotional illnesses.

Oriental medicine designates a separate internal organ for each emotion we feel. The liver is responsible for anger, heart for joy, spleen for worry, lungs for sadness and kidneys for fear. Among these organs, the heart is said to oversee all other organs to manage and control a person’s emotional state.

As a result, the heart plays the role of a king.

With a strong heart, the mind does not falter at adversities and remains steadfast, but with a weak heart, even light troubles can make the mind anxious and impatient while physically the heart can races and makes one feel suffocated.

Accordingly, Oriental treatment for depression aims to bring down the heat of the overworked heart while loosening the congested flow of qi, and replenish the weakened qi of the heart caused by emotional stress from depression.

In the Korean language, another example of connecting emotions with organs is when we describe decisive risk-takers as someone with a large spleen (“dam” is the Korean word for spleen.).

In Oriental medicine, the spleen oversees one’s decision-making abilities.

Those with strong qi of the spleen will move forward without any hesitation once a decision is made.

In contrast, those with weak qi of the spleen tend to be indecisive, worrisome and hesitant, and are prone to anxiety and insomnia _ two symptoms of depression.

Therefore, Oriental medicine’s treatment for depression addresses aiding the spleen’s qi that can affect the patient’s confidence and decisiveness along with treating the heart.

Unfortunately, in Korea, there is still stigma attached to being treated for mood disorders such as depression, leading to a lack of awareness and a general unwillingness to seek treatment out of fear of being stigmatized.

When depression is left untreated, for whatever reasons, it can lead to grave consequences.

To successfully treat and prevent depression from recurring, patients have to be willing to be treated themselves while friends and family lend a helping hand.

For patients, the general outlook should be one of confidence and positive thoughts while not fretting over the little things too much.

They should be aware of internal and external stress triggers that can affect their emotional well-being.

Regular exercise is always good, and meditation and yoga can bring peace of mind.

Alcohol consumption should be avoided as it does not help treating depression at all.

If naps are taken, limiting the time to less than 30 minutes or less can help prevent insomnia at night.

Family and friends can play a role in treating depression.

If your friend who suffers from depression misses an appointment, or acts irritated, or acts sluggish and powerless, having a calm conversation about it is more helpful than criticizingcriticism.

Rather than offering unsolicited advice, you can just listen to the patient and suggest seeking professional help.

If you suspect that you are suffering from depression, you should not hesitate to seek a proper professional medical consultadvice.

If you would like an alternative treatment to modern medicine, you are always recommended to can visit your local Oriental clinic, but this should never be done in lieu of professional medical help.

The writer practices Oriental medicine at the UN

Oriental Medical Clinic in Hannam-dong, Seoul.