Schizophrenia, metaphysics, and matters of the supernatural shall not be discussed.
This is not an illness that arises suddenly; schizophrenia is a chronic physiological disease. Ultimately, it is still a physiological condition; individuals realize its abrupt onset only when they begin to seek medical attention due to feeling unwell.
Loss of sleep and disturbances from vivid dreams are precursors to the illness.
Sleep is essential for maintaining health; many psychological disorders stem from this. Even when the illness stabilizes, attention must still be paid to it.
Patients with schizophrenia often awaken early, with actions taking place by two or three o’clock; it is not that they do not wish to sleep, but rather that they are unable to due to shallow sleep and frequent dreaming.
Symptoms are varied, and I will briefly outline a few.
Firstly, let’s discuss the symptoms.
Those who suffer from constipation have a more severe condition related to gastrointestinal issues.
When the gastrointestinal tract is not healthy, toxins accumulate within; Traditional Chinese Medicine refers to this as the upward reversal of turbid qi, causing issues with the heart and brain, leading to illness.
The symptom of excessive phlegm is not phlegm in the throat; there are ancient medical cases where patients would cough up phlegm upon waking. Although this may raise suspicion, the ways of Traditional Chinese Medicine are profound and difficult to measure, as I have personally witnessed patients take reishi mushrooms and cough up large amounts of phlegm.
The harm of insomnia has been previously mentioned and will not be repeated.
Cardiovascular blockage leads to breathing difficulties and chest tightness.
Adequate blood supply to the brain is insufficient; patients often crave sweet and greasy foods, generally indicating unhealthiness, as the body attempts self-regulation.
It is likely that patients feel comfortable after eating, thus the brain compensates by adopting this nutritional pattern, but overeating is not a long-term solution.
Those who are not afraid of the cold are actually internally heated; they are not truly unafraid of the cold. Can a flesh-and-blood body really exist without the instinct to fear the cold?
Now, let’s discuss the onset of the illness.
There are hallucinations and hearing voices surrounding them; people of all ages, of both genders, experience this.
Fear and a lack of courage can be alleviated through addressing constipation and bile flow issues.
Pessimistic emotions lead to cardiovascular diseases, naturally causing a feeling of blockage.
Irritability and anger result from excessive liver fire caused by internal heat, so those who are “hot” should avoid certain foods.
Patients who do not cooperate with treatment may notice their self-awareness declining and feel as though they are not ill, thus refusing to cooperate.
Those who create disturbances may perceive neighbors as enemies within their hallucinations.
The path to treatment primarily lies in resolving issues related to sleep and the gastrointestinal tract.
In urgent cases, treat the symptoms first by clearing internal heat to stabilize the condition; in less urgent cases, treat the root by synchronizing sleep and gastrointestinal health.
Avoid sudden nourishment, as the weak cannot be supplemented; if blood vessels are severely blocked, excessive nourishment will cause heart unrest, necessitating blood flow to be restored first.
For medication, addressing deep-seated ailments involves using green peels to disperse qi, pinellia to dry dampness and regulate qi, dried tangerine peel to promote qi and eliminate dampness, and polygala for calming the spirit, which serves as a fundamental formula.
For true treatment, rhubarb must also be added. Rhubarb promotes bowel movements and provides an outlet for phlegm heat. Acorus and mentha help awaken and clear the mind; Chinese yam and schisandra assist in calming the spirit.
With appropriate medication, the illness subsides, and clarity of thought gradually returns, which indicates a turning point.
The fear of schizophrenia lies in the lack of treatment.
The more one thinks about it, the worse the mistakes become, and the severer the condition.
