HEALING | INTEGRATIVE HEALING Traditional Chinese Medicine & Depression -- Part 2 by Zhuoling Ren For the treatment of depression and fatigue, traditional Chinese medicine offers an alternative to the use of antidepressants or St. John's Worth; traditional Chinese medicine depends upon the individual diagnosis and syndrome differentiation. Excessive Condition This condition includes stagnation of Qi, stagnation of blood, or stagnation of phlegm. The clinical manifestations are: mental depression, indifference, dullness, incoherent speech, changeable moods, anxiety and low motivation. The patient's pulse can be taut and smooth. In treating this type of depression, the general principle is to regulate Qi, relieve stagnation, resolve phlegm and restore consciousness. A combination of herbal formula and acupuncture points will be chosen based upon the above treatment principle. In the clinic, I have heard very common reports from my patients after a few sessions of treatment. "I feel mentally clear." I feel my mind works better." And, "I can concentrate again." There is an ancient story in China about how to deal with flood disasters. Year after year, there were many floods. Generally, people would build dikes to block where the water overflowed. But, continually, the floodwaters would break through -- disaster repeating itself. And then there came a genius named Da Yu who presented a different approach to deal with the flood. "Open" instead of "block" was his recommendation. In other words, don't obstruct the river. Let the water flow through. By building ditches or channels, this completely resolved the problem. Similarly, I have told some of my patients that their low motivation and tiredness was not due to a lack of energy, rather, it's because energy had become stagnated. After removing the stagnation, the energy will be able to flow thoroughly and the patient will feel "clear" and energized again. Deficiency condition There are other patients who have a deficiency of Qi and/or blood or a deficiency of the internal organs. The clinic manifestations are: absent-mindedness, inability to concentrate, dream-disturbed sleep, palpitations, fright, grief, weeping, lassitude, poor appetite. A pale tongue and a thready and weak pulse can be found. The treatment for this type is to invigorate the internal organ, nourish blood, replenish Qi, calm the mind and enhance the energy. A comprehensive and individualized formula will be made, and, step-by-step, acupuncture and Chinese herbs will bring the patients condition to a stronger stage. The above conditions are typical examples. Clinically, there is much more complexity but, if we can use traditional Chinese medicine theory to analyze each individual case, find the key, the cause, the body type, establish the syndrome differentiation and set up a correct treatment plan, the results are usually effective. There are several suggestions for patients: Express yourself -- Expressing yourself will prevent the stagnation of Qi and blood. Studies have shown that people who cry are more likely to remain healthy than those who refuse to exhibit any emotion. Meditation -- You don't need special training to meditate, but it is important to have an idea of the basic technique. Make sure you are sitting or reclining comfortably. Close your eyes, and breathe deeply and slowly. Focus on taking your inhale down to your abdomen, then exhale the negative energy out of your body. Try to empty your mind with "no thoughts." Exercise is important in treating depression even though the problem for most patients is that they lack the motivation and energy for exercise. In this case, a few minutes of walking is recommended to start with. As the condition improves, the exercise amount can be increased. Regular exercise is helpful and important. Positivism -- It is possible to teach our subconscious minds to be more positive. To do this, we have to clear our minds of negative thoughts by repeating a positive phrase. Anything is achievable if you have faith in yourself and refuse to accept the possibility of failure. Dr. Zhuoling Ren, a doctor of traditional Chinese medicine and professor of the China Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Beijing, was the recipient of numerous awards for her research work in China. She currently is practicing in Minnesota. For more information, contact her at the China Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 3125 Hennepin Ave., (612) 827-7908. In St. Paul, 1033 Grand Ave., (651) 222-1200. Copyright 2001 Zhuoling Ren Oct 2001

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