Herbal Antidepressants

Chinese Herbal Antidepressants

Chinese herbal antidepressants are a safe, natural, proven way to relieve and prevent depression. These natural remedies for depression have no side-effects and are not addictive. In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) psychological depression is often caused by an impairment of liver function. Other organs involved in depression, according to TCM, include the spleen, heart and kidneys.

In TCM one function of the liver is to regulate the flow of blood and vital energy (qi) throughout the body. Irregularities in qi and blood circulation, over time, cause ill health and disease, which may be physical, e.g. painful conditions and/or mental-emotional, e.g. depression. The liver's function of regulating the body's circulation of qi and blood can be affected by:

Poor diet
Irregular lifestyle
Lack of exercise
Excessive stress, anger and frustration
Drugs, alcohol and other factors

Fortunately, TCM has a long history of treating depression and other mental-emotional disorders with Chinese herbal medicine, as well as with dietary therapy and lifestyle counseling. Chinese herbal antidepressants are time-tested formulas consisting of up to a dozen or more individual herbs with the overall function of regulating the liver and other affected organs.

Many Chinese herbal remedies for depression also improve appetite, digestion, bowels and sleep, as people with depression usually have problems in one or more of these areas too.

Impaired liver function is often the underlying cause of these depression-related problems. Chinese herbal remedies for depression have been proven over many centuries of use.

They contain herbs such as bupleurum (pictured right), licorice, dang gui, peony and longan, each of which has specific functions within the formula such as to:

Resolve depression
Regulate liver function
Circulate blood
Nourish blood (some people with depression, e.g. post-partum women, need blood tonics to cure their depression).

Chinese herbal antidepressants are very effective for relieving and preventing depression, but to know which remedies are best for you you must first get a Chinese medical diagnosis from a professional Chinese medicine practitioner.

This is the same as getting a Western medical diagnosis before being prescribed Western Medicine (WM). A Western medical diagnosis, though, is NOT enough on its own to effectively prescribe or to purchase Chinese herbal remedies. WM and TCM are two completely different medical systems.