Depression

Depression is a mood disorder that presents a persistent feeling of sadness and loss of interest. It is a serious condition that affects your physical and mental health. The clinical assessment and treatments of Chinese medicine for depression have been documented in Chinese literature for over 600 years.

In the last two decades, there have been numerous clinical and experimental studies on the uses of Chinese herbal medicine and acupuncture for depression in China and other countries. The studies involved the efficiency and safety of these Chinese medicine approaches and some underlying therapeutic mechanisms were revealed.

If you have any questions regarding how Chinese Medicine can help you manage Depression feel free to contact us.

The conditions we focus on

We have primary experience on managing the following symptoms or conditions associated with depression:

Persistent feeling of sadness and loss of interest
Irritability, restlessness or frustration
Insomnia or sleeping too much
Tiredness and lack of energy
Reduced appetite and weight loss or increased cravings for food and weight gain

If you have suicidal thoughts or behaviours, you must seek emergency treatment immediately. Our service doesn’t cover this condition and other severe depression disorders.

The treatments we provide

Acupuncture: we have primarily used acupuncture for relieving depression, irritability, sleep disturbance and chronic fatigue. Our specific techniques for depression are integrated needling acupuncture with electrical acupuncture, ear acupuncture and cupping according to different individuals.

Chinese herbal medicine: we commonly use Chinese herbal medicine in conjunction with acupuncture for relieving depression, sleep disturbance, chronic fatigue, digestive problems. We use convenient herbal forms of granules, capsules or pills for our clients. All herbal prescriptions are designed for individuals.

Researches revealed that acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine might change the function and effect of some neurotransmitters to maintain mood stability. These Chinese medicine approaches might also balance the body’s hormones which might be beneficial for relieving depression.

Advice on diets and lifestyles: we provide advice on diets and lifestyles for our clients, especially based on the holistic concept of Chinese medicine.

Expected outcomes

The outcome of managing depression disorder depends on the severity of your condition, length of disease and your treatment adherence. Generally, you may need over 3 months of treatments with acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine to start getting results.

Please note that maintenance and preventive care with Chinese herbal medicine and acupuncture are important during stable or remission stage of depression. These cares may be undertaken for 1 – 2 years based on different individuals.

Our advantages

Dr. Henry Liang and Jessica Guo have clinical experience in hospitals in China and in Australian clinics for over 30 years.
Dr. Henry Liang was the key teacher and unit coordinator for Chinese Internal Medicine including disorders of mental and neurological systems at Western Sydney University.
As a university academic and researcher, we can update and improve our therapeutic approaches from time to time to meet individual’s needs.

Costs of the treatments

The initial visit is a longer consultation up to 40 minutes which is basically to make a strategic plan. Subsequent visits up to 20 minutes are to review the conditions and to modify the treatment plan if necessary. Current fees are as follows:

Initial consultation fee: $150
Follow-up consultation fee: $65
The cost of the herbs is generally from $12 to $15 per day
Acupuncture fee: $90

Please note that acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine are not covered by Medicare. It is covered by many private health funds including Bupa, HCF, Medibank Private, NIB, and many more. Your coverage depends on your insurance policy.