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Depression: Drug-Free Therapy with Oriental Medicine
By Shihan Mary Bolz
An inseparable body/mind continuum as a concept is one of the main
characteristics of Eastern thought. While the body-mind connection seems to
be a new approach to wellness in the West, it has always been considered to
be a standard concept without question in classical Oriental medicine. Mental
diseases were not treated differently from any other disorder.
The Chinese term “yu zheng” (depression) refers to stagnation on both a
physical and mental plane. In Oriental medicine, it is addressed with the
same diagnostic and therapeutic means as diseases that would be considered to
have entirely physical origins in the West. It is the absence of a body/mind
dichotomy that is at the core of Chinese medical theory and practice.
A traditional Oriental medicine doctor will conduct the same type of inquiry,
observation, pulse taking, tongue diagnosis and exam for a patient with the
chief complaint of depression as he/she would for a patient with a back ache
with some variations specific to each complaint. The method of treatment
would be the same modalities: herbs, acupuncture, moxibustion, dietary and
exercise modifications. The modalities are the same, but the prescriptions of
each modality would be entirely different. Not only would the prescriptions
for depression and back ache be different, but the individual prescription
for all patients with the same diagnosis, such as depression, would vary
according to each individual’s underlying cause or pattern. Conversely, the
same herbal prescription could be used for a person with depression as the
person with a backache, depending on the underlying cause or pattern of those
two individuals. In other words, “Different medicine for the same disease and
the same medicine for different diseases,” sometimes applies. Such a
statement is often found in classical Chinese medical texts.
There have been different schools of thought on Chinese medicine as
represented by the “Yi Jing” (the Book of Change), the “Dao De Jing”, and the
“Nei Jing” (Inner Canon of the Yellow Emperor) but all are based on the
concept of yin and yang as equal forces. Therefore, no matter what the school
of thought, Chinese medicine scholars usually agree that the mental and
physical aspects of the human body are engaged in a process of constant
movement and transformation. Any physical process has mental implications and
vice versa. What is the connecting entity? That is “Qi” (in Chinese) or “Ki”
(in Japanese), the life-force energy. Only academically can “Qi” be
differentiated into the physical and mental. Mental energy is defined in
traditional Oriental Medicine (TOM) as a more refined form of physical
energy. Traditional Oriental treatments for mental diseases, therefore, lie
inside the realm of standard diagnostic and therapeutic procedure. Even in
contemporary China,
persons with depression, anxiety and mental diseases will visit doctors who
specialize in general practice or “internal medicine,” that is, the treatment
of organ disorders with Chinese herbs, minerals, and animal materials.
Therefore “Yu Zheng” or mental depression, in classical Chinese medical texts
refers to a wide array of symptoms usually attributed to stagnant Qi. In the
Inner Canon, it states, “in a patient full of grief and sadness, the Qi
becomes depressed and does not move. “
Mental depression may be the beginnings of physical manifestations, such as
pains in the sides of the body, the sensation of a lump in the throat and can
even advance to severe symptoms of phlegm and blood stagnation such as tumors
or other chronic diseases. The affected person may be very emotional, may
sigh a lot, may complain about moving pain, cannot point out where the pain
is, and may have a feeling of distending pain. A female patient may develop
irregular menstruation and PMS (premenstrual syndrome) symptoms. Both male
and female patients can experience decreased libido or sexual dysfunction.
Depression and other emotional disorders are often maladies of the liver,
since it is the most sensitive organ in emotional imbalance. This can lead to
disturbances in digestion with a myriad of digestive symptoms, such as acid
reflux, and further lead to disturbances of the heart and other organs.
About sighing-sighing can be a symptom of what is described as “liver Qi
stagnation” in Oriental medical terminology. The action of sighing relates to
two different types of emotions. One is weariness and one is relief. When a
person is not happy, they sigh to express that feeling. Then relief can occur
after sighing because it forces a person to take a deep breath. A deep breath
gets the energy and blood flowing again and relieves the stagnation and the
person will feel better. Taking a deep breath is a manifestation of the body
trying to adjust itself. Breathing exercises and exercise of any form
relieves depression by moving the stagnated energy inside the body.
The traditional Oriental concept of health is closely tied to the presence of
an uninterrupted flow of energy. Depression, the manifestation of “depressed
Qi flow” has always been taken seriously by Oriental medicine physicians.
There are numerous influential physicians from the long line of past
dynasties in China
who have contributed a rich tapestry of medical thought and clinical
experience of herbal formulas that are frequently used in the treatment for
the different patterns and underlying causes of depression. Many of these
formulas regulate various aspects of the liver network, which is in charge of
the harmonious distribution of Qi - the life-force energy flow of the human
body/mind complex.
What about here in the West? Does Oriental medicine work for depression?
Recently, the National Institution of Health (NIH) funded a pilot study on
the effects of acupuncture on depression in women. The results of this study
showed that acupuncture was at least as effective as either drugs or
psychotherapy and there are no side effects! When acupuncture is combined
with Chinese herbal medicine, diet therapy and various other lifestyle
modifications, the effects are even greater. In addition, Oriental medical
treatment for depression doesn’t just alleviate the symptoms, but seeks to
find and then eradicate the root cause of the disease.
What about combining Western and Oriental medicine? Absolutely yes. In many
cases such a combination is the best and quickest way. Chinese herbs and
acupuncture can be used to lessen or eliminate the side-effects of Western
antidepressants while a certain amount of psychotherapy can help treatment go
faster. For those who want to get off their antidepressants by using Chinese
medicine, they should discuss this with their Oriental medical practitioner
and prescribing physician and work out a withdrawal schedule. There are safe,
effective and drug-free therapies for depression and Oriental medicine can be
one of the most effective.
For
more information, contact Mary Bolz at 707-455-0638
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