焦虑症，忧郁症的中医治疗

Treatment of stress, anxiety, depression, restless, hysteria, OCD.

 

人生在世不可能没有不顺心的事。不是由于自己就是由于别人的原因使得你焦虑烦躁，紧张不安而饭食不香；或抑郁寡欢，情绪低下。对此，一般人都会自我克制，待以时日，或原因消失后这些情感异常也会自然消失。如果没有明显的原因而自我感到焦虑不安，或抑郁，或时而焦虑时而抑郁，又难以自拔，影响工作，学习，生活时，我们就称之为焦虑症，或抑郁症。

 

对于这种精神情绪异常，西医多给予镇静安眠类药物，服用后病情会有一定改善，但是这类药物的副作用使得病人旧病未去又添新病，比如服药后头昏头晕，恶心，精力不能集中，脑力体力下降，记忆力减退，不喜社交，甚至有自杀倾向。

 

During our life, it is impossible that we never have unhappy things. The unhappy things may be due to others, or due to ourselves, which make us feel anxiety, stressful, mad, upset, or depression, no willing to work, to meet people or even to live. Usually, we can handle these bad things, to forget them after some times, or after the reason for that unhappy things disappear. However, if we feel anxiety or depression but without clear reason, and if such emotion affects our daily life and work, we call it emotional disorders and need some medical help. For such conditions, western medicine would give medicines, which will work somehow to calm down your stress or depression, but which usually also cause headache, dizziness,  imbalance,  poor memory, blurring vision…, or hard to focus on works… even prone to suicide. 

 

中医认为情感异常的原因可以是体内肝气不舒，或火过旺，或火过少，或痰郁，或血瘀。肝气不舒，人容易焦虑烦躁，胸闷嗳气，火过旺，人容易焦虑烦躁，口破咽痛；火不足，人容易感到抑郁寡欢，生活情趣下降，自闭，甚至自杀；痰郁阻塞心窍，会导致情感错乱，出现精神病；血瘀则会使人发狂。中医治疗就是对于火旺者清火；火不足者补助阳气；痰郁者消痰；血瘀者化瘀，目的是平衡人体气血运行，恢复正常的心脑功能。

 

In Chinese medicine, the emotional disorders can be caused by sluggish of Liver Qi movement, by over Fire or less Fire in the body, by stagnation of Phlegm or Blood in the body. If the Liver Qi is stagnated, the client would feel bloating in chest, belching, bitter taste in mouth, as well as easy to get upset. If the Fire is too much in the body, the client is anxiety very much. If the Life Fire is not sufficient, the client would feel more as depression, cold hands and feet, tending to be OCD, even to suicide. If the Phlegm is block the life energy flow, the client would be psychosis-like condition. If the life energy flow is blocked by stagnated, dead blood, the client may feel mania and pain in lower belly. The aim of the Chinese medicine is to restore the normal amount of Qi, Blood, and makes sure that the movement of the Qi and Blood in the body smoothly.  

 

中医治疗这类精神情绪性疾病有很大优势。用药得当则病人精神情绪恢复很快而且少有副作用。这里介绍常用的几种治疗方剂。

 

Chinese medicine (here means Chinese herbal therapy and acupuncture) has very strong advantage in the treatment of such emotional disorders. Here we introduce some of the herbal formula that we use very often in our clinic:

 

 

Xiao Yao San (San means powder)

 

逍遥散由柴胡、当归、芍药、薄荷、茯苓、生姜、大枣组成。病人时常觉得焦虑烦躁，容易生气，还有两胁作痛，头痛目眩，口燥咽干，神疲食少，女性病人或有月经不调。如果这类症状的发作具有周期性，比如常在月经前或月经中加重，就更应该考虑用逍遥散治疗。

 

Xiao Yao San contains herb Chaihu, Danggui, Shaoyao, Bohe, Fuling, Fresh ginger, and Chinese dates. It works for such patients who feel anxiety, restless, easy to feel upset, feel dull pain in the upper-side of belly, headache, dizziness, dry mouth and throat, tired and poor appetite. Women may have disorders in menstruation. If the anxiety or depression comes close to the menstruation, or if it is worse before menstruation, this herb formula should be considered first.   

 

加味逍遥散：如果病人潮热盗汗，烦躁易怒，或自汗盗 汗，或头痛目涩，或面颊赤口干，或月经不调，少腹胀痛，或小便涩痛，舌红苔薄黄，脉弦虚弱。就要考虑用加味逍遥散。本方是在逍遥散的基础上加入了丹皮和栀子，所以增加了清除内热的功能。

 

If patient feels more hot in the body, more dry mouth or even sour throat, constipation, night sweat, dry eyes, red cheek, pain in the lower belly, or pain in the urine tract, or the tongue is red and tongue covering is thin-yellow in color, Jiawei Xiao Yao San would be used. Jiawei here in Chinese means to  add some more herbal ingredients. It means herb Danpi and Zhizi were added to the original Xiao Yao San to increase its fire-cleansing function.

 

Gan Mai Da Zao Tang (Tang here means herbal decoction)

 

主治脏躁。症见精神恍惚，常悲伤欲哭，不能自主，心中烦乱，睡眠不安，甚则言行失常，呵欠频作，舌淡红苔少，脉细微数。临床常用于治疗癔病、夜游症，更年期综合征、神经衰弱、小儿夜啼等属心阴不足，肝气失和者。甘麦大枣汤组成及其简单，就是一个甘草，小麦和大枣，然而具有很强的精神安抚作用。

 

If a patient feels more stress and depression, tends to cry without clear reason, feels annoyed, has poor sleep, frequent yawn, we use Gan Mai Da Zao Tang。 This herb formula is commonly used for the treatment of hysteria, noctambulism, menopause syndrome, nervous prostration, child crying at night. This formula is also very simple: it consists of licorice, wheat, and Chinese date only, while it works very well to calm down emotion.

 

3. 黄连上清丸

 

Huang Lian Shang Qin Wan (Wan means pills)

 

黄连上清丸用于那些常常面色红润，容易激动，坐卧不安的病人。病人常有头晕目眩、牙齿疼痛、口舌生疮、咽喉肿痛、耳痛耳鸣、大便秘结、小便短赤。常常饮酒的人容易有这些症状，所以本方也用于治疗嗜酒的病人。

 

If a patient feels more as anxiety and restless, has red face, easy to have pain in gum, ulcer in tongue or mouth, sour throat, pain or ring in the ear, constipation, we will consider to use Huang Lian Shang Qin Wan (Wan means pills) to reduce Fire in the upper part of the body (head). Those patients are usually craving to drink alcohol, so it is used more in people who crave for wine or liquor.  

 

4. 三黄泻心汤

 

San Huang Xie Xin Tang

 

适合三黄泻心汤治疗的病人，眼目赤肿，口舌生疮；外证疮疡，心胸烦闷，大便秘结；湿热黄疸，胸中烦热痞满，舌苔黄腻，脉数实。一个特点是病人多有出血倾向，比如吐血，衄血，牙龈出血，小便带血，痔疮出血等。另外常有皮肤痤疮等皮肤病。

 

San Huang Xie Xin Tang is also used to patients with Fire inside the body, similar to the Huang Lian Shang Qin Wang, but the patients suitable to the San Huang Xie Xin Tang tend to have red and swelling in the eyes, ulcer in the mouth and tongue, ulcer or rash on the skin, pressure feeling in the chest and difficulty in the bowel movement. Most importantly, they tend to have bleeding in the gum, vomiting blood, cough with blood, blood in the stools or urine.

 

5. 栀子豉汤

 

Zhi Zi Chi Tang

 

适合栀子豉汤治疗的病人，心中懊憹，饥不能食，头汗出，苔白厚。栀子豉汤也很简单，就是一样栀子，一样豆豉。豆豉是平常的食物，但是和栀子合用就会有明显的安神镇静作用。

 

If a patient feels annoyed in heart, feels hungry but not want to eat, has sweat only in the head,

we consider the use of this Zhi Zi Chi Tang. This formula is also very simple. It contains only Zhi Zi and Dou Chi. Dou Chi is kind of food product from soya bean. When used together with Zhi Zi, the formula works well to reduce the Fire in the Chest.

 

6. 四逆三生饮

 

Si Ni San Sheng Yin (Yin here means drinks)

 

病人常面色青白，形寒肢冷，生趣全无，容易疲乏，动作迟滞，话语减少，注意力分散，浅睡易醒，性欲下降，时有痰涎呕出，反复出现轻生的想法与行为。脉象沉滑，舌淡红，苔白厚水滑。

方用：制附片三钱，干姜二钱，甘草一钱，制南星二钱，木香二钱，制川乌一钱，生姜三片。

 

If a patient feels cold hands and feet, easy to get tired, always likes to lie down for a nap, has slow motion, slow mind, has hard to focus on things, has poor sleep and reduced sexual willingness and ability, even has frequent mind to suicide, we need to think about the use of herbal formula Si Ni San Sheng Yin. Such client usually has white tongue covering.

 

7. 半夏厚朴汤

 

Ban Xia Hou Po Tang

 

咽中如有物阻，咯吐不出，吞咽不下，胸膈满闷，或咳或呕，舌苔白腻，脉弦缓或弦滑。临床常用于治疗癔病、胃神经官能症、慢性咽炎、慢性支气管炎、食道痉挛等属气滞痰阻者。这类病人常有自我感觉异常，表现为幻觉，如幻听、幻视、幻嗅等。 其人多有精神的过敏，一闻到不适气味就想呕吐，恶心是常见症状。

 

Ban Xia Hou Po Tang works for those of patients who usually feel choking feeling in throat and need to clear the throat from time to time. They may also feel choking in chest, have cough or nausea. This formula is usually used for the treatment of hysterical depression, gastric neurosis, chronic pharyngitis, chronic bronchitis, esophageal spasm and so on.

8. 柴胡龙骨牡蛎汤

 

Chai Hu Long Gu Mu Li Tang

 

患者有胸满、烦惊、谵语、小便不利等证，最主要的是有明显的惊悸史。病由惊而起，或病情本身就以惊悸为主要特点。比如因惊吓而阳痿，因爆震而耳鸣耳聋，因惊吓而失眠，惶惶不可终日，或因面临考试，面试，演出等而心慌不安，心悸胆怯等等。这类患者也常有失眠多梦、心悸胆怯，厌生人，胸满口苦，心烦易怒、纳谷不香、神疲嗜卧等症。本方也常用于治疗高考紧张综合征或者强迫性官能症。

 

The patients feel choking and fullness feeling in chest, easy to feel scared or shocked. They may have delirium, or difficulty in urination. The most important thing is that they may have history of being scared or shocked, and the current symptoms occurred after that. For example, they have impotency which started after his previous sexual activity was interrupted by someone’s walk in or watched. Some people may have ear ringing that is due to a strong explosion sound. Someone has poor sleep after being scared or being intimidated by some others. This formula is also used for those of people who are to go to a very important exam, interview for job or for a date and feel stress and anxiety. Therefore, it is good for students who need to calm down their emotion before participate a graduation test, and also good for the treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). 

 

9. 桂枝龙骨牡蛎汤

 

Gui Zhi Long Gu Mu Li Tang

 

男子失精，女子梦交，两足乏力，头晕目花。夜寐盗汗。就要考虑桂枝龙骨牡蛎汤了。本方用于治疗癔病、失眠、遗精或滑精、不孕症、先兆流产、久泻、更年期综合征、盗汗、小儿支气管炎等属上述证机者。这类病人多比较消瘦，常精力不足，小时候容易得扁桃体炎，青年期得结核病或甲状腺疾病，在后容易得乳房，卵巢，子宫或男性得前列腺疾病。

 

This formula is used for man with leak of semen, or for women with sexual dream. Such patients are usually also feeling tired, weak in legs and feet, dizziness and blurring vision, and have night sweat. Such patients are usually slim and weak, easy to have trouble in tonsil when they are in childhood, in breast and in thyroid when are young, and in uterus, ovary or prostate when

 

they are older. They tend also to have tuberculosis. In clinic, this formula is also used for the treatment for such body constitution with hysteria, insomnia, lead of semen, infertility, threatening miscarriage, chronic diarrhea, menopause syndrome, night sweat, child bronchitis, etc. 

 

10.百合地黄汤

 

Bai He Di Huang Tang

 

以神志恍惚、精神不定，夜游症，沉默寡言，如寒无寒，如热无热，时而欲食，时而恶食，口苦，小便赤。入睡困難，睡後雜夢繁多且易醒，醒後不易入睡，或徹夜難眠，伴心煩、口乾，或伴頭暈、心慌、身倦，或伴手足心熱，舌質紅或舌邊紅，少苔，脈細數。

 

Bai He Di Huang Tang is used for those of patients who look as having scattered mind and spirit. The patients may complain pain in the body sometime here, some other times there, complain cold feeling but the body (including the hands and feet) but not cold by touch, feel hot but the body is not hot when touched. They feel sometimes very good appetite, but sometime no any desire to eat. They feel bitter in mouth, have poor sleep with lots of dream, early wake up, or have dry mouth or sour throat. They may have poor sleep with lots dreams, or have noctambulism (sleeping walk).

 

以上这些方剂都可以治疗精神情感异常，对于每个具体的病人，需要咨询医师才能决定到底那个方剂更适合这个病人。当然，对于焦虑不安，或轻度抑郁的人，你也可以先用一些基本的中药丸剂先行治疗，如果效果不佳，还是找中医医生看看。

 

The formulas above all can be used to solve emotional disorders, however, for a given client, it is still recommended to consult with a Chinese medicine doctor to see which condition you have and which formula you should try first. Certainly, if your condition is not so severe, you can try some herbal pills for one week to see how if it works.

 

常用的中药丸剂有：逍遥丸，加味逍遥丸，甘麦大枣汤丸。

 

The commonly used herbal pills are Xiao Yao Wan, Jia Wei Xiao Yao Wan and Gan Mai Da Zao Wan.

 

 

针灸治疗情感异常

 

The use of acupuncture for the emotional disorders

 

针灸对情感异常的治疗效果也非常好。很多情况下，用针灸治疗病人的其它疾病，如背痛，肩痛，腰痛的时候，病人也会在躯体疼痛减轻的同时心里面感到特别安详。如果针灸和草药同时使用，则效果更好。比如在我们诊所，我们常会让病人在针灸前就先服一杯草药再针灸。这样，针灸和草药同时发挥作用，疗效要比单独用针灸或草药出现的早而且持续时间更长。

 

Acupuncture is also used for the treatment of emotional disorders and it works very well. Many times, we can see that, when we use acupuncture for the treatment of pain syndrome for a patient, along with the improvement of the pain, his or her emotional disorders are also much improved. The patient no longer feels as much as stress, anxiety or depression as before. Many times, during the acupuncture session, our patient could fall into sleep on the clinic table. When the acupuncture was used the same time with herbal therapy, the improvement occurs much fast. In our clinic, we normally let our client drink a cup of herbal tea before acupuncture. After one hour acupuncture, usually the client can feel calm, along with reduced pain.

 

针灸治疗常用的穴位有四神冲，百会，太冲，神门，合谷，列缺以及督脉上的诸穴等等。用针刺的同时，我们一般也会用艾灸，就是将艾炷插在针灸针的尾部，再点燃它。这样，穴位就会同时受到针的机械性刺激和艾灸的温热刺激，所以效果会更快更好。

 

For acupuncture, the commonly used acupuncture points are Si Shen Chong and Bai Hui (on head), Shen Men, He Gu and Lie Que (on the hand), Tai Chong (on the feet) and several points on the Du Mai (the middle line, on the top of the spine, on the back). We also insert a moxi pole (a kind of herbal pole) on the top of the needle and burn it. By this way, the needle becomes hot, which is therefore called warm-needle acupuncture. It works much better than ordinary acupuncture technique. 

多数情况下，第一次治疗后病人就会有明显的镇静安详感。第一二周，最好每两天治疗一次，之后每周一次连续两到三周就可以结束治疗。

 

Usually, even with one session of acupuncture, the patients could feel calm. They would not feel as much as anxiety or depression as before. Normally, it needs 5 to 8 times of acupuncture sessions, but the best way is to have acupuncture every day or once every two days.

 

中医不仅仅对于焦虑烦躁，容易激动生气，或抑郁，或情绪低落等有治疗效果，就是对于嗜烟，嗜酒，强迫症，自闭症，狂躁症等都有很好的疗效。

 

Traditional Chinese medicine not only works for the stress, anxiety, easy to get upset, or depression, loneliness, sadness, hopeless, but also works for hysteria, various craving syndrome (such as craving for cigarette, alcohol, drugs, food), OCD, autism, and mania.

 

当然，如果病人的情感异常有明确的原因，比如说病人现在正在闹离婚，正在失恋中，或者被解雇，一时半会找不到新工作等等，那么，这些原因不解除，中医的治疗效果也只能是暂时的。

 

Of course, if the emotional disorder has clear reason to cause it, for example, the client is struggle for divorce, or he is disappointed in love, or he is fired and hard to find a new job recently, if the reason remains, the healing effect of the Chinese medicine would be also limited.

 

还有，如果烦躁不安是某种疾病过程中的伴随症状，那么就只需要治疗疾病本身就可以了，伴随的烦躁症状会随着本病的好转而好转。比如说病人发热，寒战，咳嗽，咯痰，胸痛，极度烦躁，这在西医要考虑急性肺炎，而我们中医考虑它是大青龙汤证，用大青龙汤后这种烦躁会随着发热消失，寒战停止，咳嗽好转而同时好转，并不需要特殊的治疗。这种例子在中医临床上非常多。

 

In addition, if the anxiety or dysphoria occurs along with other symptoms of a disease, it is enough to only treat the original disease (without specific concern about the dysphoria per se). For example, if the client has fever, chilly, cough with phlegm, chest pain, as well as restlessness, which in western medicine belongs to Pneumonia, and in Chinese medicine, to Da Qing Long Tang Condition, the use of the Da Qing Long Tang would solve the fever, the chilly, the cough and phlegm, chest pain, and the same time, the restlessness. No special herbs is needed to calm down the client. Such clinic conditions are very common in Chinese medicine practice.