Several Home Remedies for Treating Depression
Depression has become one of the leading causes of suicide worldwide, and how to treat depression has become a focus of attention. How does Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) treat depression? Below are several home remedies recommended by TCM for treating depression.
How to treat depression? Depression is a psychological disorder caused by external pressure or mental suppression. However, TCM believes that depression can also be treated with medication. Here, we introduce several TCM home remedies for treating depression. Take a look!
People Prone to Depression
- Genetic predisposition: If there are patients with depression in the family, the chances of other family members developing depression are higher.
- Emotional infection: If family members or friends have depression, it can influence one's emotions and lead to depressive feelings.
- Disease-induced: People with poor mental resilience, combined with chronic diseases such as cancer and Alzheimer's disease, have a higher risk of developing depression. Even mild hyperthyroidism can lead to depression. Depression can also be a precursor to serious illnesses such as pancreatic cancer, brain tumors, Parkinson's disease, and Alzheimer's disease.
TCM Home Remedies for Treating Depression
1. Xiaochaihu Tang (Minor Bupleurum Decoction)
Ingredients: 20g of dangshen, 15g of chaihu, 12g of huangqin, 10g each of ginger and licorice, 6 pieces of ginger, and 6 jujubes. Boil all ingredients in water and drink once a day.
2. Buyuan Jieyu Tang (Supplement the Source and Resolve Depression Decoction)
Ingredients: 30g of dihuang, 20g each of baishao, dangshen, hehuanhua, and gouqizi, 10g each of chaihu, yuanzhi, muxiang, danggui, baizhu, fuling, huangqi, zaoren, licorice, and guizhi, and 5g of mint. Boil all ingredients in water and drink once a day. Make into pills after symptoms disappear and take for 10-15 days.
3. Huanglian Ajiao Tang (Coptis and Donkey-hide Gelatin Decoction)
Ingredients: 30g of fuxiaomai, 15g of zaoren, 10g each of huangqin, baishao, changpu, chaihu, licorice, yujin, ajiao, 5 jujubes, and 3g of huanglian. Boil all ingredients in water and drink once a day.
4. Jieyu Anshen Tang (Resolve Depression and Calm the Mind Decoction)
Ingredients: 30g of yejiaoteng, 25g of wuzi, 20g each of chaihu, fuling, danggui, hehuanpi, baishao, and fried zaoren, and 10g of zhimu. Drink once a day.
5. Pingxin Wangyou Tang (Calm the Heart and Forget Worries Decoction)
Ingredients: 30g of cishi and mengshi, 12g each of zhishi, huangbai, banxia, houpo, fuling, shenqu, 9g of fresh ginger, 6g each of rougui, suye, and changpu. Drink once a day, divided into 3 doses.
How to treat depression? Depression is a psychological disorder caused by external pressure or mental suppression. However, TCM believes that depression can also be treated with medication. Here, we introduce several TCM home remedies for treating depression. Take a look!
6. Guipi Tang (Restore the Spleen Decoction)
Ingredients: 25g of fuling, 20g of renshen, 15g each of baizhu, huangqi, longyanrou, 12g of danggui, and 10g each of licorice, zaoren, yuanzhi, muxiang. Drink once a day.
TCM Syndrome Differentiation Treatment for Depression
1. Liver Depression and Spleen Deficiency
Main symptoms: Excessive sadness, pessimism, depression, unstable emotions, sighing, distension and fullness in the sides, abdominal distension and diarrhea, fatigue, poor appetite, pale tongue with thin white coating, and wiry, thin pulse.
Analysis: This syndrome is caused by emotional stress and liver depression affecting the spleen. The liver loses its smoothness, leading to sadness and depression. Symptoms of distension and fullness in the sides and abdominal distension and diarrhea indicate liver depression and spleen deficiency. Excessive worry, sighing, and thin pulse are the key points for differentiation.
2. Qi Stagnation and Blood Stasis
Main symptoms: Depression, suicidal thoughts, restlessness, slow thinking, slow movement, dull complexion, distension and pain in the sides, amenorrhea in women. The tongue may be purplish or have blood spots, white coating, and the pulse may be deep and wiry.
Analysis: This syndrome is caused by long-term qi stagnation and poor blood circulation, leading to blood stasis. Depression, slow thinking, slow movement, dull complexion, and distension and pain in the sides are the key points for differentiation. Purple complexion, purplish tongue or with blood spots, and deep, wiry pulse are all signs of blood stasis.
3. Heart and Spleen Deficiency
Main symptoms: Insomnia, forgetfulness, lack of interest, palpitations, easy startle, easy crying, fatigue, pale or sallow complexion, abdominal distension, loose stools, pale tongue with white coating, and weak, thready pulse.
Analysis: This syndrome is caused by excessive worry and overwork, which damages the heart and spleen. Heart-blood deficiency leads to inadequate nourishment of the heart and spirit, resulting in insomnia, forgetfulness, lack of interest, and palpitations. Spleen deficiency leads to fatigue and poor function, causing abdominal distension and loose stools. Insomnia and forgetfulness, along with weak, thready pulse, are the key points for differentiation.
