Our mental health is of paramount importance. If our mental health is not balanced we cannot be physically balanced. Chinese Medicine recognises that our emotions are intrinsically linked with our overall health.
Chinese Medicine holds that emotions are "an integral and inseparable part of the sphere of action of the Internal Organs and also as direct causes of disease" (Maciocia).
I am still a work on progress on how you might live to manage or reduce mental health symptoms but @british_acu_council has just released a study saying that acupuncture could be just as effective as CBT for anxiety. This is amazing news.
There are 7 Qing (emotions) which will have an affect on your Qi (energy) and their related organ. But of course there are other emotions which this picture doesn't take account of and each of the below has a broad spectrum of other meanings e.g. anger could be frustration, irritation.
JOY (HEART) ~ causes Qi to slow. When talking about joy, this is not contentment but excessive excitement or over-stimulation. Symptoms may include palpitations, insomnia, restlessness.
ANGER (LIVER) ~ makes Qi rise and many of the symptoms will be seen in the head and neck e.g. headaches, tinnitus, red blotches on face.
FEAR (KIDNEY) ~ descends Qi. Symptoms could include bed-wetting, diarrhoea but in adults chronic anxiety could deplete Kidney Yin, leading to empty heat. Symptoms would then include night sweating, palpitations.
SHOCK (HEART) ~ scatters Qi. Symptoms include palpitations, breathlessness, insomnia.
SADNESS (LUNG & HEART) - dissolves Qi. Sadness affects both the Lung and Heart. As the Lungs govern Qi (and sadness depletes it) then we would see a weak pulse on both front positions plus shortness of breath, tiredness, depression.
WORRY (SPLEEN & LUNG) - knots the Qi. Worry is an emotion which affects everyone, in this day and age. If the main organ affected is the Spleen then it might manifest as poor appetite, some abdominal pain, pale. If the Lung we would see slight breathlessness, tense shoulder, dry cough.
PENSIVENESS (SPLEEN) - also knots the Qi. Pensiveness would be brooding or constantly thinking (but not worrying) about an event or people. Symptoms would be similar to worry.
Although they have an organ correlation, it is important to know that actually all emotions affect the Heart.
Every day I am inspired by how this medicine works.
ax
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