Have you ever felt so angry that you turned bright red and later got a headache? Have you ever been so anxious that you felt like your heart was going to burst out of your chest? Have you ever been so afraid that you wet yourself? These are examples of how our emotions can impact our physical health. Chinese medicine takes a holistic approach to mind and body, understanding that mind and body are inextricably linked. Just as we address bodily conditions such as pain, the menstrual cycle, diabetes, high blood pressure, and digestive disruption with acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine, we can also address concerns such as anxiety, stress, fear, worry, grief, and more. Working to address these emotional conditions will allow you to move through life with more ease and will help to preserve your physical health. [caption id="attachment_2579" align="alignright" width="383"] Chinese herbs that support mental health and wellness[/caption] The biomedical establishment has conducted many studies showing the impact of stress levels on the body including raised blood pressure, decreased immune system health, potential increased risk for some cancers, and more. However, Chinese medicine theory proposes that any sustained excess emotion can create imbalances in the body, creating potential long-term health impacts. Chinese medicine proposes that each of the major emotions is correlated with a particular organ system:

• The lung is correlated with grief. Have you ever felt so sad that your chest aches, or you have trouble breathing?
• The kidney is correlated with fear. In Chinese medicine, the kidney organ is related to excretion, and this is why during periods of intense fear, one can lose control of the bladder.
• The digestive system, or “spleen” in Chinese medicine, is connected with overthinking and rumination. Excessive thinking and worrying can weaken digestive function and can feel like a heaviness or bloating in the digestive system.
• The heart is associated with both joy and anxiety. Chinese medicine suggests that a sustained excess of either emotion can damage the cardiovascular system.
• The liver is associated with anger and stress. In Chinese medicine we understand the detoxifying function of the liver to also include detoxifying emotions. An overload of stress or anger can stagnate the body’s energy, sometimes leading to pressure or tightness in the diaphragm area (near where the liver is located).

If you’re interested in maintaining optimal health, take a look at how frequently you sustain heightened excess emotions. Are you often under periods of high stress, high anxiety, excess worry or fear, or other emotions? If so, I recommend that you begin to work on managing those emotions better – through self-work, through changes to your lifestyle and life situation, by engaging a therapist, or by working with a Chinese medicine practitioner.