Depression is a group of mental disorders characterized by significant and persistent changes in state of mind or mood due to a variety of causes, and belongs to the category of mood disorders or affective disorders. Depression is characterized by the patient’s depressed mood, emotional instability, chest fullness, poor sleep, easy anger, strange sensation in the throat, and lack of pleasure and confidence in life as the main symptoms. Severely depressed patients often take extreme measures to cause self-harm or suicide, so depression ranks fourth among the causes of disability worldwide. The World Health Organization (WHO) even predicts that it may rise to second place by 2020. The prevalence of depression in the overall population may be as high as 30%, with the prevalence in women being twice that of men. Therefore, we must pay attention to depression and carry out scientific interventions for treatment and diversion, and also adopt some health and rehabilitation methods to achieve the purpose of prevention and treatment.
First, the understanding of depression in Chinese medicine
Depression in Chinese medicine belongs to the category of “depression”, “epilepsy”, “lily disease” and other illnesses. Chinese medicine believes that emotional factors are an important cause of depression, but whether it develops or not is closely related to the intensity and duration of emotional stimuli and physical condition. The “Source of Miscellaneous Diseases Rhinoceros Candle – the source of all the depression” said: “all the depression, the dirty qi disease, its original in the deep thought, and moreover the weakness of the organs, so the six depression of the disease is born. Six depressions, gas, blood, dampness, heat, food, phlegm also.” The early stage of depression is often solid evidence, mainly qi stagnation, followed by blood stasis, depression and fire, phlegm, food stagnation, etc., mostly solid evidence; but if it does not heal for a long time, affecting the internal organs, involving the heart, liver and spleen, depleting the qi, blood, yin and yang, can be turned from solid evidence to deficiency evidence. This disease is clinically related to the following etiology and pathogenesis.
1, worry and depression, liver qi stagnation: worry and depression, can make the liver lose the flow, qi is not smooth, so that liver qi stagnation and qi depression. Qi depression over time, the impact and blood, blood stasis is not smooth, the formation of blood depression; such as gas depression into fire, the formation of fire depression; if the fluid does not run smoothly, the water stops gathering in the internal organs and meridians, cohesion into phlegm, the formation of phlegm depression.
2, worry and thought, spleen loss of health: due to worry and thought, emotional tension or long-term ambulatory thinking, so that the spleen depression; or liver qi transverse offense spleen, can lead to the spleen loss of health, so that the water and grain essence transmission is affected; if the spleen and stomach can not grind water and grain, easy to cause food accumulation, and the formation of food accumulation; if the spleen loss of health and cause water and dampness within the stop, the formation of wet depression; if water and dampness within the collection can form phlegm depression.
3, the mood is too extreme, the heart is not nourished: due to unfulfilled wishes, mental anxiety, or work tension, excessive pressure, or family loss of harmony, misfortune and other reasons, damage to the heart and soul and a series of evidence of disease.
Second, depression health rehabilitation
(A) Diet for health rehabilitation
Patients with depression are advised to eat foods that nourish the heart and calm the mind, regulate the heart and spleen, open depression and remove annoyance. Avoid eating spicy, dry and stimulating food.
1, lean pork soup with lotus seeds.
Ingredients: 120 grams of lean pork, 40 grams of lotus seeds, ginger, onion, salt and a little.
Method: first wash the lotus seeds, remove the heart; wash the lean pork, cut into small pieces, with the lotus seeds, ginger, onion together into a casserole, add the right amount of water with high heat boil and then switch to low heat cooked until the lean pork and lotus seeds, add the right amount of salt can be eaten.
Effect: It has the effect of nourishing the heart and tranquilizing the mind, tonifying the middle and benefiting the qi.
2, red dates chicken soup.
Ingredients: chicken 1 (weighing about 800-1000 grams), 15 red dates, 100 grams of lotus seeds, ginger, onion, a little salt.
Method: the first chicken gut, fat and tail, wash, drain and cut; will be red dates and lotus seeds wash. Fry the ginger in a frying pan, then add the chicken, stir-fry for a few moments and then remove, then add the dates, lotus seeds into the pot, add the right amount of water with high heat and then switch to low heat and stew for 3 hours, add green onions and salt and then eat.
Effect: It has the function of strengthening the spleen, nourishing the heart and calming the mind, nourishing Yin and nourishing blood.
3.Rose tea.
Ingredients: rose 3 grams.
Preparation: the rose flower with boiling water can be consumed.
Effect: It has the effect of relaxing the liver and Qi, relieving depression and blood.
In addition to the above dietary therapy, we can also use appropriate dietary therapy meals according to the patient’s specific symptoms to regulate.
1, rose chrysanthemum porridge: 10 grams of rose, 10 grams of white chrysanthemum, 50 grams of glutinous rice, 100 grams of japonica rice. Wash and put the same into a pot with the right amount of water, boil over high heat and then change to low heat and cook until the porridge is ready. This porridge has the effect of relieving qi and depression, relaxing the liver and strengthening the spleen. Can be used for overthinking, chest congestion and irritability, appetite loss, fatigue and weakness.
2, lily date porridge: lily 50 grams, 25 grams of sour date, 100 grams of round-grained rice. First lily and sour date seeds with water decoction and juice, and then add round-grained rice boiling porridge. This porridge can be used for dizziness and weakness, insomnia and dreaminess, forgetfulness, pale face and other people.
(II) Exercise for health rehabilitation
For patients with depression, moderate exercise is good for the physical and mental health of patients. We can use qigong, taijiquan, eight duanjin, square dance and other forms of exercise for health rehabilitation. In addition, you can also use some acupressure points to achieve the purpose of health rehabilitation.
1, massage “Nei Guan” point
Nei Guan point is located in the forearm area, the distal palmar side of the wrist 2 inches above the transverse stripe, between the palmaris longus tendon and radial wrist flexor. Specific method is used to massage the finger point 80 times, once a day in the morning and evening. This point is a rendezvous point of the Eight Vessels and is effective in treating depression, epilepsy, palpitation, chest tightness, stroke, insomnia, and vertigo. In modern times, it is used to treat depressive neurosis, epilepsy, cardiac arrhythmia, stroke, hyperthyroidism and other conditions.
2, massage “Shen Men” point
Shenmen point is located in the anterior wrist area, the ulnar end of the distal transverse wrist palmar line, the radial edge of the ulnar carpal flexor tendon. Specific method is to massage the Shen Men point with the fingers 80 times a day, once in the morning and once in the evening. This point is effective in treating palpitations, insomnia, forgetfulness, dementia, epilepsy, heartburn, and heartache. In modern times, it is used to treat depressive neurosis, mental weakness, epilepsy, coronary heart disease, menopausal syndrome and other conditions.
3, massage “Taichong” point
Taichong point is between the 1st and 2nd metatarsal bones on the back of the foot, in the depression in front of the metatarsal base joint. Specific method is to use your fingers to massage the point 80 times a day, once in the morning and once in the evening. This point is effective in treating depression, epilepsy, headache, vertigo, tinnitus, deafness, and stroke. In modern times, it is mostly used to treat depressive neurosis, schizophrenia, hyperthyroidism, vascular headache, glaucoma and other conditions.