Anxiety
The main cause of anxiety in Chinese medicine is a kidney deficiency. The kidney
in Chinese medicine includes the adrenal glands. The adrenals provide for two
actions - the yin and yang - the yin allows you to relax, the yang provides for action.
With adrenal exhaustion, the balance of yin and yang is disrupted allowing for
fatigue and/or anxiety.
Causes of kidney deficiency:
- age - we naturally deplete our kidneys as we age
- stress - acute from injuries, surgeries, etc., or chronic from life - work, diet,
attitudes - big causes are coffee, sugar, alcohol, the typical American diet
Treatments:
- Vitamins - particularly the B vitamins
- Chinese herbals - Liu Wei Di Huang Wan and its variants
- adrenal supplements - Drenatrophin
Another contributing factor, especially for Americans, is liver qi stagnation. I
am not sure if this is a part of the original syndrome or due to the medications.
This anxiety is a little different - due to hormonal imbalances, toxins in the
blood and possibly blood sugar regulation problems.
See Liver Qi Stagnation for treatments.
Another problem can be hyperthyroid. This also falls under the classification of
kidney problems, but I slant the treatment more toward the thyroid.
Possibly adding:
- thyroid supplements - Thytrophin
Another problem, especially with the elderly is anxiety due to brain deterioration.
This is difficult to treat, but there are many exciting new supplements that can be
useful. See Brain Fog.
There are many self-help treatments that can help:
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