"Depression, only know how to regulate the liver, do not know how to cure the spleen, it is impossible to break the root" This is what my teacher once said to me, if you don't understand this, any effort is in vain.
Shouldn't depression be a problem in the liver, how can it be related to the spleen?
We all know that only fertile and good soil can make big trees thrive. If there is a problem with the soil in which the tree grows, then the tree will naturally suffer. The spleen belongs to the soil in the five elements, and the liver belongs to the wood in the five elements, so after the spleen and soil have problems, the liver wood will inevitably be involved.
Let's talk about a case from my clinic:
One of my patients, who was diagnosed with depression at the age of 18 for two years, had three or four episodes a year, and had uncontrollable emotional behavior, insomnia, and always thinking about bad things. The child has seen both Chinese and Western medicine, and has used a lot of herbs, but the effect is not good. The child's mother asked me, I don't understand why the child is always thinking too much and can't think about it at a young age. I told her that the inability to think about it was a consequence of depression and not a cause. From the point of view of the cause of the body, it is a problem with the spleen!
Immediate diagnosis: the pulse is slow and weak, yellow and greasy, the tongue is fat and large, and the tongue is light. Loose stools, body always feel tired, introverted and less talking, tired when talking too much, poor appetite, and bad complexion.
After understanding, it was decided not to use the experience prescription for liver soothing, but to focus on the spleen formula. Formula: Bupleurum chinensis, White Paeonia officinalis, Gallant Nanxing, Peppermint, Gardenia, Divine Comedy, Salvia, Licorice, Poria Cocos, Jujube Kernel, Yuanzhi, Zhuru. (The dosage needs to be dialectical, not self-proposed).
After taking 3 doses, the patient's stool improved, his appetite increased, his sleep improved after 1 month's follow-up, his mood improved, and there were no obvious adverse drug reactions. After continuing to consolidate**, no seizures were seen, physical strength and spirit were greatly improved, and he could study and exercise independently.
In fact, patients face increased pressure to study, leading to emotional instability. During this period, if they are scolded by their family members, their hearts will be more depressed, and then they may form a condition of liver stagnation and qi stagnation, and liver qi disharmony. Once this happens, the patient may develop symptoms of spleen deficiency.
During the consultation, the patient had symptoms such as lack of eating, fatigue, and weak pulse, all of which indicated that the patient had spleen deficiency. Because the spleen is unable to produce qi and blood normally, it may lead to phlegm turbidity and endogenous, which further hinders the clarity of the mind and thus aggravates the patient's mental abnormalities.
The older generation always said that Chinese medicine is more important than dialectic, and I feel deeply about it. After so many years of clinical practice, I have seen too many patients with emotional illness who need to be treated from the spleen. Many people only know that it is poor to treat from the liver.