Depression - Chinese Medicine explanation and treatment
The stress of everyday life makes depression an increasingly common problem. There
are two types of depression, the kind which stems from pressing problems
or emotional upsets such as unemployment, debt, divorce or bereavement.
This is called exogenous depression. The second type results from a chemical
imbalance in the brain and is known as endogenous depression. The first
type can lead to the second, if help is not forthcoming, or if the exogenous
depression does not improve through time.
Chinese Medicine sees depression principally as a problem caused by liver qi stagnation. Normally a treatment with Chinese Medicine would involve moving the qi and balancing the liver with herbs such as thorowax root, Chinese angelica root, white peony root and liquorice, or sometimes skullcap root. Free and Easy Wanderer is one of the best medicines for this.
The holistic approach of Chinese Medicine will involve the use of herbs to correct the
chemical imbalance of the body, after which the depression will lift on
its own. Physical and mental illnesses are inseparable to a Chinese Medicine practitioner.
Professor Song Ke
