- Health Is Wealth
- Posts
- Emotional (or internal) causes
Emotional (or internal) causes
The Chinese word NeiYin literally translates to internal causes of disease, causes that are essentially emotional in nature. Medicine Traditional Chinese (TCM) qualifies them as internal because it considers that we are somehow masters of our emotions, since they depend on us much more than external factors. AT proof, the same external event could trigger a certain emotion in a person and an emotion completely different in another. Emotions represent changes of the mind in response to a very personal perception of environmental messages and stimuli.
Five basic emotions (described in more detail below) can cause illness when they are out of balance. Agree with the Theory of five Elements, each emotion is associated with an organ that it can particularly affect. Indeed, the TCM conceives of being human in a global way and does not separate the body and the mind. She considers that each organ plays not only a role physical, but also has mental, emotional and psychic functions.
Anger (Naked) is associated with Liver.
Joy (Xi) is associated with Heart.
Sadness (You) is associated with Lung.
The concerns (Si) are associated with the Spleen / Pancreas.
Fear (Kong) is associated with Kidneys.
If our Organs are balanced, so will our emotions, and our thinking will be fair and clear. On the other hand, if a pathology or a imbalance affects an Organ, we may see emotion partner suffer the aftermath. For example, if a person accumulates too much heat with Liver because it consumes a lot of Food of hot Nature (see Food) like spicy dishes, red meats, fried foods and alcohol, she could become short-tempered and irritable. Indeed, Excessive heat in the Liver will cause an increase in Yang, which can trigger feelings of anger and irritation. In this case, no external emotional reason explains the appearance of these feelings: it's a nutrition problem that creates a physical imbalance, which results in an imbalance emotional. In such a case, it can be assumed that psychotherapy would not be of much help to this person.
However, in other situations, it may be important to deal with the aspect psychological. This is usually done through an energy approach – since emotions are a form of Energy, or Qi. For TCM, it is clear that emotions are memorized inside the body, most often without our knowledge. So we usually treat Energy without having to go through the conscious (unlike conventional psychotherapy). It also explains that the puncture of a point can, for example, cause inexplicable crying, but oh how liberating! During psychotherapy, he may therefore be beneficial to treat, in a complementary way, the energy of the whole body.
If the imbalance of an Organ can disturb emotions, the reverse is also true. TCM believes that experiencing emotions is normal and important, and that they are part of the usual sphere mental activity. On the other hand, blocking the expression of an emotion, or on the contrary, live it with excessive intensity or over a period abnormally long, may unbalance the Organ which is associated and create physical pathology. In energy terms, we are talking about a disturbance in the circulation of substances, especially Qi. In the long run, it can also hamper renewal and distribution Essences and the right expression of the Spirits.
For example, if a woman is grieving for her husband, it is normal for her to be sad and cry. On the other hand, if after several years, it is still extremely sad and she cries at the slightest mention of the image of this man, it is an emotion experienced on a too long period. Sadness being associated with Lung, it could cause asthma. On the other hand, the Heart needing a "minimum" of joy, his associated emotion it may be that the woman is having problems like heart palpitations.
The imbalance of one of the five “fundamental” emotions identified by the TCM, or the disruption of their Associated Body, can cause all kinds of physical or psychological problems that we present you briefly. Remember that emotions must be taken in their broad sense and that they include a set of states related emotional (which are summarized at the beginning of each section).
Anger also includes irritation, frustration, dissatisfaction, resentment, emotional repression, fury, rage, aggression, anger, impatience, exasperation, animosity, bitterness, bitterness, humiliation, indignation, etc.
Whether it is expressed exaggeratedly, or on the contrary repressed, anger affects the Liver. Expressed violently, it causes an abnormal rise in Qi, causing syndromes called Montée du Yang du Foie or Feu du Foie. These often cause symptoms in the head: headache and migraines, redness in the neck, red face, red eyes, feeling of warmth in the head, bitter taste in the mouth, dizziness and tinnitus.
Repressed anger, on the other hand, Stagnation Liver Qi which may be accompanied by the following symptoms: abdominal bloating, alternating constipation and diarrhea, periods irregular, premenstrual syndrome, condition cyclothymic, frequent sighs, need to yawn or stretch, tightness in the chest, lump in the stomach or throat and even certain depressive states. Indeed, in the event of repressed anger or resentment, it often happens that the person does not feel his anger as such, but that she says she is rather depressed or tired. She will have difficulty organizing and planning, will miss regularity, will be easily irritated, may speak hurtful to loved ones, and finally have emotional responses disproportionate to the situations she experiences.
In the long run, Stagnation of Liver Qi can lead to Stagnation some blood Liver since Qi helps the Blood to circulate. This is more particularly remarkable in women because their metabolism is very linked to the Blood; among other things, we may see various menstrual problems.
Excessive joy, in the pathological sense, also includes exaltation, frenzy, restlessness, euphoria, excitement, extreme enthusiasm, etc.
It is normal, and even desirable, to feel joyful and happy. TCM considers that this emotion becomes excessive when people are overexcited (even if they enjoy being in this state); let’s think of the people who live “a hundred an hour”, who are in a constant state of mental stimulation or who are downright overexcited. We then say that their Mind can no longer focus.
TCM considers that a normal level of joy translates into serenity, joie com vivre, happiness and optimistic thinking; like discreet joy of the Taoist sage on his mountain … When the joy is excessive, it slows down and disperse the Qi, and affects the Heart, its associated organ. Here are the symptoms: feel easy excited, talk a lot, be restless and nervous, have palpitations and have insomnia.
In contrast, insufficient joy is akin to sadness. It could affect the Lung and cause the reverse symptoms.
Emotions related to sadness are grief, sorrow, depression, remorse, melancholy, affliction, desolation, etc.
Sadness is a normal and essential reaction to integration and accepting a loss, separation or serious disappointment. It also allows us to recognize our attachment to people, to situations or things lost. But a sadness lived on too much long period can become pathological: it decreases or exhausts Qi and attacks the Lung. Symptoms of the Void of Lung Qi are shortness of breath, fatigue, depressive states, weak voice, incessant crying, etc.
Concerns include the following emotional states: anxiety, obsessive thoughts, persistent worries, overwork intellectual, feelings of helplessness, daydreaming, etc.
Excess worry includes excess thought, both very common in our western society. Excessive thoughts is common among students or people working intellectually, and the excess of worries is found especially in people who have problems financial, family, social, etc. People who care about everything, or so who worry about nothing, often suffer from weakness Spleen / Pancreas which predisposes them to be concerned. Conversely, having too many worries knots and blocks the Qi, and affects this Organ.
TCM considers that the Rate / Pancreas shelters the Thought which allows us to reflect, to study, to focus and memorize. If the Spleen / Pancreas Qi is weak, it becomes difficult to analyze situations, manage information, to solve problems or to adapt to new ones. The reflection can turn into mental rumination or obsession, the person takes refuge in her head. Here are the main symptoms of a Empty of Spleen / Pancreas Qi: mental fatigue, rumination thoughts, worries, difficulty falling asleep, memory loss, difficulty concentrating, thoughts confused, physical fatigue, dizziness, loose stools, lack of appetite.
Fear includes anxiety, anxiety, fright, fear, apprehension, phobias, etc.
Fear is beneficial when it helps us respond in the face of danger, when it prevents us from taking action that could prove perilous, or that it slows down too spontaneous actions. On the other hand, when it is too intense, it can paralyze us or create harmful fears; if it becomes chronic, it will cause anxiety or phobias. Fear drives Qi down and affects the Kidneys. Similarly, a Void from Yin Kidney predisposes the person to feel anxious. Since the Kidney Yin depletes with age, aggravated phenomenon at menopause, it is not surprising to note that anxiety is more prevalent in the elderly and that many women feel anxious at the time of menopause. Events of the Void of the Yin of the Kidneys are often concomitant with those of an Ascent heat and a Void of the Heart: anxiety, insomnia, night sweats, flushes heat, palpitations, dry throat and mouth, etc. mention also that the Kidneys control the lower sphincters; a weakness Qi at this level, resulting from fear, can cause incontinence urinary or anal.