Mental and Emotional Problems

Mental and Emotional Problems

Mental and emotional problems like depression, anxiety, panic attacks and obsessive compulsive disorder are effectively treated with Chinese herbal medicine, together with Chinese dietary therapy and lifestyle counseling. This combination of methods is a very powerful, natural way to relieve and prevent the above kinds of problems.

Organs Involved

In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) mental/emotional problems usually involve the liver, heart, kidneys and spleen. The heart, in TCM, houses your spirit (shen) and controls mental functions such as consciousness and clarity of thought. When your spirit becomes muddled or disturbed through irregular lifestyle, poor diet, drugs, stress and/or other factors, you may develop problems such as anxiety, depression, panic attacks, insomnia, poor memory and others.

Diet and Lifestyle Factors

Dietary factors contributing to mental and emotional problems include foods which, according to TCM, aggravate the liver. Liver aggravating foods are those that are spicy, greasy and fatty. Alcohol, coffee and drugs in general also aggravate the liver. In addition, excessive emotions such as anger and frustration damage the liver. If your diet and lifestyle includes a lot of these liver aggravating factors you are at risk of developing liver problems and possibly certain mental or emotional problems.

The Liver

Why? In TCM liver imbalances (which as mentioned often result from dietary and lifestyle imbalances) underlie many mental/emotional problems. Basically, this is because one of the liver's functions is to regulate the flow of blood and vital energy (qi) throughout the body, and blockage of qi and blood is considered in TCM to be the underlying basic cause of ill health.

The Kidneys

Kidney involvement in mental or emotional problems can come from such factors as excessive sex (particularly excessive ejaculation in men), burning the candle at both ends through excessive working and partying, and working at night or going to bed too late at night. All these factors, according to TCM, weaken the kidneys and can cause or contribute to certain mental/emotional problems.

The above is a basic outline of how TCM views mental and emotional problems and the importance of a balanced diet and lifestyle in preventing and treating such problems. Various commonly occurring mental-emotional problems and how they are treated with Chinese herbal medicine are discussed via the below links.

Depression: Chinese herbal antidepressants are a safe, natural, proven way to relieve and prevent depression. No side-effects and not addictive.

Anxiety & Panic Attacks: Chinese herbal remedies for anxiety and panic attacks are also safe, effective and without side-effects or addictive substances.

Emotional Stress: Chinese herbal stress relief formulas mostly work on your liver which, in TCM, is responsible for keeping you feeling easy-going and relaxed.

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD): Western medication for OCD alleviates symptoms only. Chinese herbal OCD medication offers a natural solution for the underlying causes of OCD, not just the symptoms.