Anxiety in Traditional Chinese Medicine
In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), anxiety is categorized under depressive disorders, which belong to the category of emotional illnesses and have a direct relationship with the internal organs of the human body. Anxiety is commonly associated with the heart, spleen, lungs, kidneys, and gallbladder. For patients with anxiety, common syndromes include heart-gallbladder qi deficiency, deficiency of both heart and spleen, and yin deficiency with internal heat. Different syndromes require different therapeutic prescriptions.
Specifically:
1. Heart-Gallbladder Qi Deficiency
This type of anxiety arises from insufficient innate constitution or sudden fright, leading to a weak heart-gallbladder qi constitution. Individuals may be indecisive and prone to excessive worry over minor matters, often leading to melancholy and anxiety, accompanied by symptoms such as mental distraction, restlessness, and poor sleep quality. Patients are advised to consume Ziziphus Spinosae Decoction (Suanzaoren Tang) and Warm Gallbladder Decoction (Wendan Tang) under medical guidance for regulation.
2. Deficiency of Both Heart and Spleen
Prolonged excessive worrying can cause yin and qi deficiency, where yin fails to nourish yang, leading to anxiety. Symptoms may include dizziness, reduced memory, fatigue, and dull complexion. Patients are advised to consume Ginseng and Spleen-Nourishing Pill (Renshen Guipi Wan) and Nine-Ingredient Calming Heart Granules (Jiuwei Zhenxin Keli) under the guidance of a TCM practitioner for regulation.
3. Yin Deficiency with Internal Heat
Patients with anxiety who belong to the yin deficiency with internal heat type typically exhibit symptoms such as excessive suspicion, palpitations, short sleep duration, poor appetite, thin and rapid pulse, red tongue with little coating. Patients can choose medications that have heat-clearing, tranquilizing, and yin-nourishing effects under medical guidance, such as Anemarrhena-Phellodendron and Rehmannia Decoction (Zhibai Dihuang Tang) and Lily Bulb and Rehmannia Decoction with modifications (Baihe Dihuang Tang).
