Mental Health - Traditional Qi

From Exhaustion To Depression

by Angela Tian Zhu | Oct 15, 2017 | Mental Health

Often, when people get exhausted, they feel depressed or easily get upset, on the other hand, when people are depressed, angry, they may feel tired and even exhausted.

For many years, I have seen that a lot of my patients, friends, family members and even myself would have a bad temper and get depressed when we are very tired. If the mental and physical exhaustion lasts and our bodies feel “overdrawn”, there is a possibility that it could lead to depression.

Patient A: I feel exhausted and depressed. I work full time and I’m a single mum. A few years ago, I bought a house. I had to manage everything by myself,to work getting and paying for the mortgage, packing, moving and redecorating the new house. When I moved into the new house, I was too tired even had no energy to appreciate the new house. I felt exhausted and buried myself in the depressing mood. I suffered from stress, anxiety and insomnia. My periods became irregular, it seemed menopause happened to me out of the blue. I felt that everything became meaningless. The pressure of the mortgage was overwhelming and I always got angry with my child. I hated myself, the new house and I regretted that I bought it. (In reality, the new house was very good).

I told her that in Traditional Chinese Medicine, overexertion causes loss of Qi (energy). It is because the physical and mental exhaustion made the Qi (vital energy) become deficient, which caused the depression and other symptoms. Mental and physical health always connect.

Patient B: Because of my son’s death, I immersed myself into the deep grief. I couldn’t get out of bed and had no appetite, no energy to do anything, all I can feel is endless sadness and exhaustion.

I told her that in Traditional Chinese Medicine, excessive sorrow dissipating Qi (energy). Because of the extreme mental trauma, the Qi (vital energy) in our bodies maybe damaged or stagnant and become weaker, which could lead to exhaustion and depression.

Given the two cases above, we can see that exhaustion and depression are co-related and co-existing, one triggers the other one and one affects the other one. Exhaustion reflects the weakness of Qi (vital energy) and blood circulation. When the Qi (vital energy) and blood circulation of the brain becomes deficient, the brains chemicals would lose balance, which would lead to depression. Also, the deficiency of any other parts of the body would also lead to this psychological condition. In modern society, due to exhaustion from physical and mental stress, a considerable number of people are diagnosed with illnesses such as anxiety, depression, high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, infertility, impotence, irregular menstruation and irritable bowel syndrome even cancer.

What can we do?

Take a rest before you get exhausted, otherwise, you are overspending the energy and over using your body.
Drink before you get thirsty. Do not drink too much coffee to borrow energy.
Try to figure out the reason when you start feeling worried, depressed and stressed and than avoid it.
Appropriate good diet. Trying to lose weight too fast sometimes can weaken the Qi (vital energy) and you might also can feel mentally stressed .
Sleep before you get too sleepy. From Traditional Chinese Medicine point of view, the night belongs to Yin (as in Yin and Yang philosophy), Yin is static. Therefore, night is the time for us to replenish the Qi and blood circulation, and to get rid of exhaustion. Inadequate sleep could weaken the Qi and blood circulation, decrease the oxygen in the brain and dehydrate the body. If we still have to work and study hard the following day, our Qi gets more deficient.
Eat before you get too hungry. Make sure to have meals on time. When we feel hungry, the sugar level in our blood drops and the Qi (vital energy) weakens. Bad temper and tension are common. After having some food, the blood sugar level increases, but the Qi (vital energy) may not be replenished straightaway. Our bodies have to spend energy to digest food first, then the Qi can be replenished. In order to adjust the blood sugar level, our body keeps working constantly, which damages the pancreas, and maigth lead to diabetes.

Written by Angela Zhu

Threats – Seeds of Depression

by Angela Tian Zhu | Aug 29, 2011 | Mental Health

threats - nobody wins

One day as I walked down the street I saw a little girl of four or five years having a tantrum and hitting her mother. The mother was very angry and said “if you hit me, tonight you are on the street”. The little girl stopped.

I asked myself:

If the girl didn’t stop, would the mother really put her on the street?
If not, will the threat still work?
How does the little girl imagine the street at night?

A friend of mine told me that when she was about seven her mother told her “if you do that you are out of the car”. My friend opened the door and walked away. The mother, feeling helpless, got out of the car and ordered my friend to get back in.

Have you heard sentences such as these?

“if you don’t change I will leave you”
“if you do this I will kill myself”
“if you don’t pass this exam you can’t have a holiday”
“if you don’t listen you can’t have a bicycle”
“if you do that again I will throw you out of the house”
“if you don’t stop you will get a hiding”
“if you tell anyone about this, you’re dead”

Sometimes people will try to get a quick result without thinking through the right way to achieve what they want.

What is a threat?
It is to try to get what one wants by frightening others.

Why threaten?
People try to frighten others because of their own fear, or because they have learned it from their parents or other people.

The damage done:

Threatening someone will only either undermine trust, or put you in a dead corner. It also sets a bad example to others.
Resentment and disharmony will remain.
A threat has the potential to damage mental health especially in children.
Whatever the outcome, a threat damages both parties. Either the threatened person gets frightened into obedience but is left with fear and resentment or the threat doesn’t work and the person making it is left in a dead end. Both cases plant the seeds of depression.
Subconsciously, a threat relies on the belief that everything has a price.
A threat brings disharmony into all aspects of a relationship.
To threaten is to misuse one’s own power at other peoples’ expense.
A threat plants the seeds of ill will and reprisal.
A threat plants the seeds of depression. It can bring worry, fear, anger and grief.
In Chinese Medicine:
- Worry can damage the stomach and spleen energy, leading to stagnation.
- Fear can damage the kidney energy.
- Anger can damage the liver and heart energy.
- Grief and resentment can damage the lungs.

All these emotions can lead to depression.

What can be done?

It is important to ask ourselves what we are afraid of.

What might happen and what would be the worst?
How do we face our fear?
How should we behave?
- For example if you are afraid your children will not listen to you then you must first make sure you are listening to them. Always be sure to explain to them the reasons kindly, reasonably and wisely.
- Do not misuse your power to push those around you down. Especially with children, who are dependent and vulnerable.
- A threat can be counter-productive.

Wise persons will maintain their own mental health to help the people around them.

True love does not ask for reward. Threatening — what are you asking for?

Traditional Qi’s two concepts are prevention and wisdom.

Written by Angela Zhu, Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioner, Qi Gong & Tai Chi instructor.

Wisdom guides you out of depression

by Angela Tian Zhu | Jan 6, 2011 | Mental Health, Traditional Chinese Medicine

Those with wisdom are not easily depressed, and they can walk out of depression more easily as well. Being depressed is like circling a black hole round and round, some would need a while to crawl out of it, some would go through a long journey, and some would never find their way back.

More than ten years ago, I treated two patients who were a couple. The husband told me a few times that his wife is the wisest person, but he didn’t tell me the reason why he said this. One day, out of curiosity, I asked his wife, “your husband told me you are the wisest person, can you tell me how to be a wise person? I want to learn from you”. Then she told me a story, “once, I found out my husband was having an affair with a much younger woman, then I immersed myself into anger, anxiety and worry, I became depressed. We have a son and a daughter, what should I do? Quarrel with him? Fight with him? Get a divorce? Then what? What could I possibly get from this? Will my home and marriage be kept? I can predict the horrible outcome of doing this. So, I thought if I quarreled, fought and had a divorce because of the pain I had during that period, I couldn’t get what I want—-protecting my family and being with the man I deeply loved. After careful consideration, I invited this young woman to have dinner with us in my house. At the dinner, she saw our two lovely kids and our beautiful house, and I didn’t mention a thing about her relationship with my husband, I just entertained her politely and calmly. Our kids were being polite to her as well (they knew nothing about this at all). After that, the woman quit voluntarily.”

After hearing the story, I admired her for her wisdom. The wise action not only saved her time and energy to complain, to hate and to depress, but also saved a good marriage and a perfect family. This dinner achieved many things in one stroke. Therefore, when we encounter difficult situations and when we walk towards the black hole of depression what should we do? Please use your wisdom, not only your emotions.

Figure out what you want.

To get what you want may require you not to do things that you prefer to do, such as quarrelling, fighting, drinking and doing drugs. And also it may require you to do things you are not willing to do, such as confronting, tolerating, considering and eventually figuring out what you really want.
Ask yourself what you are depressed about and why.

Some depressed people do not know what they are depressed about. What you need to do is to ask yourself and give yourself an honest answer. “Is it worth it?”, “What am I worrying or being terrified about?”, “What is the worst situation?”, “What should I do?” We all know that problems always have two sides. It is wise to look at the bright side with an optimistic perception.
Admit and accept reality.

Facing the reality that can’t be changed, we have to admit, accept, and face it. Otherwise you would bear double of the suffering and punishment to yourself. Only by admitting and accepting the reality can you let it go and walk towards freedom.
Try not to give in to blind emotions, since blind emotions always wear you out and lead you into a deeper black hole.

When you think you are at the edge of the black hole, try to grab a piece of paper and write down these negative emotions, then read them out loud. Train yourself to form this habit, and you will find you walk further and further away from depression. Because wisdom will bring you a calm and joyful attitude, it will guide you to what you really want, and strengthen your self-confidence as well. This is truly a stroke of genius.

Prevention and wisdom are the two principles of Traditional Qi.