In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), the seven emotions are joy, anger, worry, contemplation, sorry, fear and shock. The seven emotions can cause disease and conversely, disorders of the internal organs can cause the seven emotions. We all experience these emotions during our lives, but when they come as a shock or with great intensity they challenge our ability to maintain mental/emotional equilibrium. In homeopathy we know that the symptoms that take highest priority are the mental/emotional. It is also interesting that in TCM it is recognized that the seven emotional factors are of greatest concern to the physician because they directly affect the primary organs of the body as well as the qi (energy) and blood. These internal organs are the Liver, Heart, Lung, Spleen and Kidney.
The Yellow Emperor’s Classics of Internal Medicine states: “Anger will force energy to move upward, in severe cases, patient will display the symptoms of vomiting blood and diarrhea. Joy will cause energy to relax. When one is joyful, the energy will remain in harmony and the will is fulfilled so the nutritive and defense energies will flow smoothly. Grief will cause energy to disperse. When one is in grief, the heart connectives will become cramped, the lungs will be expanded with lobes lifted up, the upper burning space will be blocked up and the nutritive and defense energies will be unable to disperse. Fear will cause energy to move downward. When energy is in decline, it will cause a blockage of the upper burning space. Shock will cause a disorder of energy and contemplation will cause energy to coagulate.”
The ancient physicians gave the following correlates to the seven emotions: Anger injures the liver, Joy injures the heart, Grief and melancholy injure the lung, Worry injures the spleen, Fear and Fright injures the kidneys. As far as the movement of qi is concerned, anger will cause the qi to Excessively rise up; joy will cause the qi to move very slowly; grief will absorb or consume the qi, Fear cause the qi to decline, fright scatters qi to go in.
Your emotions affect your Health! Control your emotions before they control you!