Acupuncturist Questions Acupuncture

Does acupuncture work for mental illness?

I'm 40 years old, female, and I want to know more about acupuncture. Does acupuncture work for mental illness?

24 Answers

Yes and counseling as well
If you have a diagnosed mental illness such as schizophrenia, or bipolar disorder I suggest seeing a psychiatrist or another person trained in mental health.

Acupuncture can be very helpful for anxiety and depression.
yes
It can together with herbs.
I have successfully treated depression, anxiety, Bipolar disorder... Unfortunately, the medications given out by psychiatric doctors tend to be very toxic. Toxicity impedes acupuncture working, in my experience... and none of these should be stopped without talking to your doctor first. So yes, it can help... but toxicity makes it much harder for it to help.
Yes it works very good with herbs, but you should be patient!
Yes
Yes, along with herbal remedies it helps with mental illness
Some mental illnesses require taking medications to restore the balance and acupuncture can be complementary to the therapy. If a patient has anxiety and depression, acupuncture might be enough to help the patient and our approach might help restore the patient unbalance.

Alexandre Hillairet, DAOM.
There is a long history of acupuncture and Chinese medicine being used to manage/stabilize the spectrum of mental health conditions as before the development of western medicine, there was nothing else. That’s not to say every condition was managed well, but there is much success even today.

For more information, please read the following text written by Dr. Rossi, MD:

Shen: Psycho-Emotional Aspects of Chinese Medicine
Hi,

Acupuncture helps with many different mental disorders and ailments, from depression to anxiety attacks, and many more. Please consult your local acupuncturist.

Sincerely, 

Scott Sang In Lee
Hi,
What a great question. Acupuncture and herbal formulations have worked for many with various types of mental illness. However it is hard to make a diagnosis regarding success without knowing more information.
Good afternoon,

Acupuncture works for mental illness. Please talk to your acupuncturist.

David
Yes to some degree. It really has to do with the severity of the illness but as a rule of thumb, the more often you receive treatment, the more effective it’ll be for you.
Anxiety, depression, PTSD, ADHA, ADD, panic attack and so on are common in my clinic with great to excellent results.
Mental illness is a part of human health and acupuncture is a medical procedure, so yes, acupuncture can help with mental illness, but you would want to find a practitioner who has had experience working with mental illness. As you find a practitioner ask them if they have experience, as you would any other medical field, and go with one you trust.

Good luck.
It does. Working with mental illnesses can be difficult in every field of medicine. If you would like to try acupuncture, I implore you to keep an open mind. We actually understand mental illness as condition of the spirit, so you may find our explanations a little odd. You may also find yourself on something of a spiritual journey but don't let that scare you! Your acupuncturist will be there to support you the whole way.
Yes, it does.
A lot depends on the specific mental illness. For things like depression, anxiety and PTSD acupuncture has a very good track record and compares favorably against most of the prescription medications typically used in these conditions.

For things like schizophrenia, or other more complicated issues, acupuncture can be of benefit when combined with conventional pharmaceutical therapy and/or psychotherapy.
Yes, acupuncture can help with mental illness. TCM sees this type of problem in a very special way. We have to investigate what is going on and for that, an appointment is needed.

Be well, be confident, we can help.
Yes very well!
Yes.
Yes, there is a sub-specialty in acupuncture that can treat mental illness. Please find a practitioner who specializes in this treatment.
Yes, acupuncture has been used for all kinds of mental illnesses throughout the ages. Call some practitioners in your area and ask if they've had experience with your particular issues.

My all time favorite things to treat are anxiety and depression because acupuncture works so well, so take heart. It may help whatever you're dealing with just as well!