Anxiety & Depression

MEDICAL ACUPUNCTURE AND TRADITIONAL CHINESE HERBAL MEDICINE FOR THE TREATMENT OF EMOTIONAL PROBLEMS

Emotions are a cause of disease only when they are excessive and/or prolonged. In the Chinese Medicine Five Element system, each organ has an emotion associated with it. Thus the Heart is associated with Joy, the Spleen with pensiveness and brooding, the Lung with worry and sadness, the Kidney with fear, and the Liver with anger.

Chinese Medicine recognizes Three Treasures: Mind, Qi, and Essence. Mind is the most subtle and is associated with the Heart (what we would recognize as the function of the brain). Qi is derived from the Lungs, Stomach, and Spleen. Essence is derived from the Kidneys, and is most dense. If Essence and Qi are strong, the Mind will be balanced. But if Essence and Qi are depleted, the Mind will suffer. This manifests as mental-emotional problems such as depression, anxiety, inability to concentrate, panic attacks, insomnia, and so on.

Medical Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Herbal Medicine can be helpful in balancing and nourishing these Three Treasures, thereby alleviating mental and emotional problems. The treatment works well in conjunction with psychotherapy and antidepressant medication.