In traditional Chinese medicine, there is a saying of “treating winter diseases in summer”. For patients with depression, the upcoming “sanfu days” are a good opportunity for recovery of the illness.
Lately, many patients have sought my help, expressing that they have been feeling restless, unable to sit or lie comfortably, easily irritable, having trouble sleeping, and asking if there are any good methods to alleviate these feelings?
Ultimately, this issue stems from problems in our “heart”.
In Chinese medicine, it is believed that the heart houses the spirit. When burdened with too many worries, it is easy to become restless and agitated, leading to an increase in inner fire. If this fire burns towards the lungs, it can affect lung function, resulting in worsened temper, poor digestion, and for many, the sensation of being like a “burning pancake” when lying in bed without being able to sleep due to excessive internal heat.
On the other hand, the heart serves as the master of the internal organs, where one’s emotions, be it joy, anger, grief, or happiness, can all affect the heart. Particularly, negative emotions like anger, depression, irritability, or anxiety add fuel to the fire in the heart, leading to an unsettled inner state.
Facing such circumstances, how should it be treated? In my opinion, when dealing with excessive internal heat, it requires lilies to extinguish the fire. When the heart is restless, efforts should be made to calm it down.
There was once a patient, Mr. Wang, who approached me. At 35 years old and in a period of career advancement, the relentless work pace did not yield positive results. His hard work was taken by others, missing out on a promotion opportunity, which left him feeling burdened, gloomy, unable to sleep at night, often waking up in the middle of the night, and unable to fall back asleep until morning.
He had tried taking sleeping pills, but with unsatisfactory results. Thus, he turned to me with one request: “Let me rest well during this period, staying up every night has made my heart almost stop beating!”
Observing the patient with flushed complexion, red tongue, dry mouth, prominent dark circles under the eyes, he voiced disinterest in everything, lack of appetite, yellow urine, infrequent bowel movements. After diagnosis, it was clear he had a type of depression rooted in Yin deficiency and excessive fire, causing liver qi stagnation and escalating liver fire, leading to the series of symptoms. Treatment mainly focused on soothing the liver, nourishing Yin, reducing fire, and stabilizing the mind. I adjusted the prescription based on an existing formula called Baihe Dihuang Tang.
Prescription:
Lily, Zhimu, Huangbai, Yejiaoteng, Zhenshuimu, Shengdi, Suanzaoren, Hehuanpi, Gancao.
After taking the medication for 15 doses, the patient felt relieved of the body’s heaviness, slept soundly until morning, felt energetic, improved appetite, and continued treatment, gradually improving without relapse.
Baihe Dihuang Tang has multiple effects. If the insomnia is severe, one can drink a pot of Baihe Dihuang decoction before bed to relax and aid in sleep;
For those prone to nighttime edema from drinking water before bed, adding Dihuang and Lily to morning soups can help relax the nerves and start the day with a good mood;
For those in Guangdong who enjoy cooking soups, adding lilies to chicken soup unknowingly boosts nutrition.
If the aforementioned remedies prove ineffective, indicating a severe condition, it is advisable to seek a professional doctor for individualized treatment and dosage adjustment tailored to one’s constitution to address the issue promptly.
