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抑郁症 1. Overview and Causes 2. Symptoms 3. TCM Effectiveness and Evaluation 4. Common Syndromes and Treatments in TCM   a. Stagnation of Liver Qi   b. Qi stagnation turning into fire   c. Phlegmatic Qi stagnation type   d. Heart and Spleen deficiency type 5. Healing by Other Therapies   a. Qigong and other   b. Medicated diet   c. Life style 　 1. Overview and Causes 　 Depression is a psychological condition characterized by prolonged sadness, combined with other negative mood symptoms, such as loss of interest in others, in work, and in recreation. There may also be indecisiveness, inability to concentrate, anxiety, apathy, loneliness, lowerd self-esteem, and self-blame. Normally depression is a temporary reaction to a specific disappointment or loss. It can be helped by the support of family and friends or simply by the passage of time and by the steps which the person takes to change his or her life situation. Treatment is not usually necessary. Severe depression is another matter. Some cases of severe depression may be caused by a chemical deficiency and a small percentage of severe depression is linked to mental disease. 　 Return To Top 2. Symptoms 　 (a) The symptoms of severe depression include crying spells, slow speech, agitation, hopelessness, helplessness, withdrawal from usual activities, recurring thoughts of death and suicide and irritability. Insomnia, fatigue, loss of appetite, weight loss or gain, loss of sexual desire, and imagined pains. (b) Depressed patients with certain mental disease may hear voices accusing them of unpardonable sins, and suffer delusions that they are terribly worthless, sinful or incurably ill. (c) Diagnosis of severe depression can be complicated. The doctor needs to rule out any possible physical causes of the depression, such as that induced by disease, deficiencies, or medication. Return To Top 3. TCM Effectiveness and Evaluation 　 Many cases of depression are successfully treated with Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). Most cases show great improvement after about two to three months of treatment. However, the treatment should be longer in order to get rid of the root cause. Return To Top 4. Common Syndromes and Treatments in TCM This ailment, according to TCM, has different syndromes. The treatment for these syndromes using herbal medicine and acupuncture is shown below. 　 Syndrome (a) Stagnation of Liver Qi A person with stagnation of liver qi exhibits emotional depression, restlessness, fullness in the chest, pain in the hypochondrium area, anorexia, nausea and vomiting. They may have a thin, greasy tongue coating, and a wiry pulse. To treat by Herbal medicine Therapeutic principle: Herbal medicine can help soothe the liver qi and regulate the qi circulation. Prescription/Formula: Modified ChaihuShugan San. Bupleurum (chaihu), Cyperus tuber (xiangfu), Ligusticum (chuanxiong), White peony (baishao), Licoroce (gancao), Bitter orange (zhiqiao), Green tangerine peel (qingpi). 　    To treat by Acupuncture and Moxibustion Therapeutic principle: Acupuncture can help soothe the liver qi and regulate the qi circulation by using points mainly from the Liver meridian, and the Ren channel. Prescription/Formula: Taichong (LR 3), Shanzhong (RN 17), Zhongwan (RN 12), Ganshu (BL 18).    Return to Top Syndrome (b) Qi Stagnation Turning into Fire A person with qi stagnation turning into fire may have an irritable temper, a dry mouth, headaches, congested eyes, tinnitus (ringing in ears) or constipation. The tongue may be red and pulse may be wiry and fast. 　 To treat by Herbal medicine Therapeutic principle: Eliminate the Liver fire, soothe the Liver Qi and regulate Qi circulation. Prescription/Formula: Modified Danzhixiaoyao San. Moutan bark (mudanpi), Capejasmine (zhizi), Bupleurum (chaihu), Chinese angelica (danggui), White peony (baishao), White atractylodes (baizhu), Licoris (gancao), Mentha (bohe), Fresh ginger (shengjiang), Rhubarb (dahuang), Chinese gentiana (longdancao).    To treat by Acupuncture and Moxibustion Therapeutic principle: Eliminate the Liver fair, soothe the Liver Qi and regulate Qi cicurlation by using points mainly from the Liver meridian of Foot Jueyin and the Gallbladder meridian of Foot Shaoyang. Prescription/Formula: Xingjian (LR 2), Yanglingquan (GB 34 ), Xiaxi (GB 43), Zhigou (SJ 6), Shangwan (RN 13).    Return to Top Syndrome (c) Phlegmatic Qi stagnation type A person with plegmatic qi stagnation may have depression, an uncomfortable situation in the throat, a possible lumpy feeling in the throat, but no difficulty in swallowing. Their tongue may have a white, greasy coating and they may have a wiry slippery pulse. To treat by Herbal medicine Therapeutic principle: Herbal medicine helps soothe the Liver Qi, promote Qi cicurlation and controls phlegm. Prescription/Formula: Modified Banxiahoupo Tang. Pinellia tuber (banxia), Magnolia bark (houpo), fresh ginger (shengjiang), Perilla leaf (zisuye), Poria (fuling), Coptis (huanglian),Rhubarb (dahuang), Chinese gentiana (longdancao). 　    To treat by Acupuncture and Moxibustion Therapeutic principle: Acupuncture and moxibustion can help soothe the Liver Qi, promote Qi cicurlation and resolve phlegm by using points mainly from the Liver meridian of Foot Jueyin and Ren channel. Prescription/Formula: Taichong (LR 3), Tiantu (RN 22), Shanzhong (RN17), Neiguan (PC 6), Fenglong (ST 40).    Return to Top Syndrome (d) Heart and Spleen deficiency type A person with a heart and spleen deficiency may show sorrow without any obvious causes, abnormal joy or rage, unreasonable suspicion of fear, insomnia, weakness or a decrease in appetite. The tongue would have a white coating and the pulse thready and feeble. To treat by Herbal medicine Therapeutic principle: Herbal medicine helps reinforce the heart and spleen, nourish the blood and reinforce the Qi. Prescription/Formula:Modified Guipi Tang. White atractylodes (baizhu), Poria (fuling), Astragalus (huangqi), Longan aril (longyanrou), Wild jujube seed (suanzaoren), Ginseng (renshen), Costus root (muxiang), Licorice (gancao), Chinese angelica (danggui), Polygala (yuanzhi), Curcuma root (Yujing). 　    To treat by Acupuncture and Moxibustion Therapeutic principle: Acupuncture and moxibustion can help reinforce the heart and spleen, nourish Blood and reinforce the Qi by using points mainly from Ren Channel and the Bladder meridian of Foot Taiyang. Prescription/Formula: Xinshu (BL 15), Pishu (BL 20), Qihai (RN 6), Sanyinjiao (SP 6), Neiguan (PC 6).    Return to Top 5. Healing by Other Therapies (a) Qigong and other therapies For effect of Qigong on the Nervous System Function, click here. Qigong, generally, is good for relieving anixety and stress as well as improve the circulation of qi and blood. As a result, it provides a good healing effect for this ailment. Despite an increase in energy, you won't see or feel any effects right away, it takes several weeks, possibly months of practice before you notice any effects. The following types of Qigong may help: Static Qigong: Relaxation Qigong Relaxing Quiescent Qigong, . Dynamic Qigong: Baduanjing of Internal Exercise Taiji 　 For the information of different types of Qigong ,just click a link above. This information is for education purpose only. We strongly advise you seek a licensed Qigong master to learn the correct ways to conduct these exercises before attempting them. (b) Medicated diet 10 Jujube (dazao) 10g, Baked licorice (zhigancao) 6g, Light wheat (fuxiaomai) 50g, make soup to eat, once every other day. (c) Life style 1. Treatment can save the life of someone with an eating disorder. Friends, relatives, teachers, and physicians all play an important role in helping the ill person start and stay with a treatment program. Encouragement, caring, and persistence, as well as information about eating disorders and their dangers, may be needed to convince the ill person to get help and to stick with treatment. 2. Eating disorders often have an emotional basis. Keeping a good mental health balance will help prevent eating disorders as well as many other problems. Depression, in particular, has been linked to eating disorders. If you often feel depressed, consider professional help. Return to Top Acknowledgments: Healthphone.com greatly acknowledges the support and dedication of our Healing Centre Panel, without whom this section would not be possible. We also greatly acknowedge Ms. Najaf Munir, MBBS, for her editorial support. Ms. Munir simplified the highly technical medical documents into easy-to-read documents, for the enjoyment and education of our numerous visitors.