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Depression

Typical symptoms:

Disease description:

Everyone knows a phase in life when you are sad and can’t be happy about anything. Certain signs indicate that it is a serious mental illness, a depression, and not only a temporary phase: a depressed mood, suffer from loss of interest and joylessness, exhaustion and lacking in drive, persist over a longer period. They affect central life functions and can lead to sleep disorders, concentration problems, loss of appetite and libido and can even develop into physical symptoms such as pain, stomach pressure or headaches.

Explanation according to the Traditional Chinese Medicine:

Chinese medicine believes that the occurrence of depression is mainly a Liver dysfunction which affects the Heart, Spleen, Kidney and other organs. It leads to Stagnation and reversal of Qi, retention of endogenous Phlegm, Blood Stasis and Shen disturbance.

Possible syndromes causing these problems:

Liver Qi Stagnation

Liver Qi Stagnation can disturb Spleen function and generate Phlegm or it can generate Heat or Blood Stagnation. It can lead to irritability, lack of social interest, breast distension, poor appetite.

Main Formula: Merry Life Formula

or Relaxed Wanderer if additionally, symptoms like increased irritability, red face, restlessness and dry mouth occur, which is a pattern of Liver Heat.

or Smooth Liver if stress related rib-side pain or stomach pain

Recommended formulas to use:

Merry Life Formula, Relaxed Wanderer, Smooth Liver

Phlegm Retention

Phlegm blocks the flow of Qi and disturbs Heart Shen, causing: depression, lack of social interest, significant changes in appetite and/or bodyweight, chest oppression, feeling of a lump in the throat, brain fog can occur.

Recommended formulas to use:

Nervolax, Relaxed Wanderer

Liver Qi Stagnation and Kidney Yang Deficiency (often seen in old patients)

Liver Qi Stagnation and Kidney Yang Deficiency are leading to: depression, extreme tiredness, lack of social interest, fatigue, difficulty concentrating, back pain, cold feeling.

Combine Tonic Yang with either Merry Life or Smooth Liver