Is it necessary to treat psychological heart disease? If it is only psychologically caused, is it possible to regulate it by yourself? This is a misconception, psychological heart disease must be treated. Many patients say to me, “Doctor, I don’t want to take medicine or have tests, I’ll just go back and try to open myself up.” In reality, however, in many cases it is not possible. This is because there is a corresponding material basis for psychological heart disease, such as the neurohormonal disorders and even deprivations talked about above. If these problems are not improved, the patient’s state may still not be relieved. At present, what are the main treatments for psychological heart disease? Treatment is divided into four main areas, and we always emphasize that pharmacological treatment comes last. First, psychological support treatment, for example, we encourage patients to spend more time with their families and good friends to find an emotional outlet that facilitates their own recovery. Secondly, we suggest patients to change their lifestyle, such as insisting on 40 minutes of physical exercise every day (jogging, skipping rope, swimming, etc. are available), so that the blood circulation in the body is accelerated and the metabolism is promoted, which is conducive to the recovery of benign hormones. Third, dietary treatment, patients are recommended to adopt a balanced, diversified and moderate diet to supplement various nutrients, which is conducive to improving the emotional state of patients. Fourth, drug treatment. We will use some neuromodulatory drugs, as well as anti-anxiety and anti-depressant drugs, and certain Chinese medicines to help patients to get out of depression and anxiety in time. Generally speaking, what kinds of drugs are available? In terms of pharmacological classification, we may use Chinese or Western medicine. Some herbs of the blood activating and aromatic opening class can be used to soothe the mood and treat bipolar disorder. The most commonly used western drugs are pentraxin reuptake inhibitors, which can normalize the level of pentraxin in the patient’s body and help improve the patient’s emotional state. In addition, there are dual-channel drugs that can improve both pentraxin and norepinephrine levels. For small vessel dysfunction in the heart, we apply drugs to improve the microcirculation of the heart, thus improving the patient’s heart condition. How does the medication work? How long does it usually take for the patient’s symptoms to be relieved? Generally speaking, after two weeks of treatment with a combination of Chinese and Western medicine, the patient’s condition will improve significantly; after one month, the patient will basically be in a stable stage. However, during the whole treatment process, patients will have some slight repetition and fluctuation, and the patient’s symptoms will not decline linearly, but gradually like a spiral shape. How long does general medication take? Do I need to take medication for life? The duration of treatment depends on the patient, usually as little as 2-3 months or as much as 7-8 months, and in some cases it may take longer. The vast majority of patients do not require lifelong treatment. We always believe that medications are a “crutch” to help patients regain their quality of life. As the body heals, the patient’s own ability to recover gradually increases, and the patient can gradually throw away the medication as a crutch. We do not want patients to be dependent on medications, even for the rest of their lives. What is the next step for patients with cardiac symptoms who have been tested and are fine? For these patients, the first step is to go through a series of scientific and objective judgments. If the various tests of the heart, such as ultrasound and imaging, are indeed fine, but the patient still has persistent chest tightness and chest pain, we will recommend that the patient discuss the specific condition with a psychiatrist. The psychiatrist can determine whether the patient has corresponding mental and emotional problems. This is because the heart is also capable of experiencing myocardial ischemia under the effect of adverse emotions, except that the patient may not have had an episode when he or she comes to the hospital for examination. Therefore, such patients must be evaluated systematically.