Why are patients with depression always unhappy? Maybe you have fallen into the following 6 thinking traps:
1. It’s either black or white, believing that everything is either “right” or wrong;
2. Emotions reach a dead end, believing that the future life is meaningless, hopeless, often in a state of despair;
3. Habitual rejection of positive emotions, believing that you are not worthy, not deserving of good things;
4. Subconsciously denying oneself, hitting and belittling oneself, thinking “I’m not good enough”;
5. Overemphasizing negative events, automatically blocking out or forgetting about happy things;
6. Arbitrarily defining oneself, making negative assumptions, and rationalizing forcefully.
If you have these 6 “depressive thoughts,” stop immediately! Take action promptly to avoid slipping further into the “black hole” of thinking. There are many intervention methods, today I will share with you an inexpensive and effective method of combating depression, which is very suitable for use after the beginning of autumn.
Today I want to talk about the small but mighty Wu Mei (Chinese plum). Despite its dark and unattractive appearance, it has great effects!
Although it is already the beginning of autumn, it is still the period known as the “three ten days,” with the high temperatures causing continuous depletion of qi, blood, and body fluids. During this time, many depression patients may feel emotionally low, restless, short of breath, hopeless about the future, easily fall into sadness, depression, and even exhibit behaviors like suicide or self-harm.
During this restless period, you can have a bowl of Wu Mei soup to calm the mind, regulate the qi, and make the body feel comfortable.
Wu Mei has a sour-sweet taste, moistening the mouth after consumption, replenishing the deficient yin and fluids in the body, maintaining the balance of yin and yang, relieving symptoms like insomnia and restlessness;
Furthermore, Wu Mei enters the lung meridian. The lungs correspond to “grief” among the Five Elements. Wu Mei nourishes lung yin, enhances lung function, and helps regulate feelings of grief and depression.
How can we prepare a truly heart-soothing and yin-replenishing Wu Mei soup at home?
Prepare Wu Mei, hawthorn, and tangerine peel in suitable amounts, put them in a pot, simmer over low heat for 15 minutes, according to taste, you can add rock sugar for flavoring. Consistent consumption helps regulate the qi, resolve phlegm stagnation, and gradually improve your mood.
Last week, a 32-year-old depression patient came to me because she was extremely upset about her child’s declining performance, feeling very anxious recently, unable to sleep at night, waking up feeling weak, and experiencing bloating after eating a little more. Her husband noticed her crying at night and brought her to me.
Observing the patient’s thin body, pale complexion, shortness of breath, and pulse stringy and thin, I prescribed a herbal formula for the patient:
Chai Hu, Dang Gui, Ban Xia, Bai Zhu, Bai Shao, Chen Pi, Fu Ling, Gan Cao, etc.
In addition to taking the prescribed medication, I advised her to drink Wu Mei soup as a tea every day. After a week, the patient reported sleeping more soundly, feeling more comfortable when waking up, not worrying as much, and having a more positive outlook. She now looks at changing her approach to her child’s education, realizing that health is the top priority.
This Wu Mei soup is suitable for almost everyone, but if you have a recent cold, refrain from consuming it as it may prolong the recovery. Also, since Wu Mei soup is made from medicinal ingredients, if you are unsure about whether it is suitable for you, please inform me of your condition, and I will provide guidance.
Wishing you all to have a cheerful mood.
