Anxiety and Depression: Treating Mood Disorders in Chinese Medicine with Herbal and Essential Oil Medicine EN

Mood disorders and emotional neuroses are widely seen and on the rise. They powerfully influence physical wellbeing as well as the outcome of actual disease. The ability to identify, diagnose and treat these common conditions at any stage of their development can therefore make a big difference in clinical practice. In the case of patients on medication or pleasure drugs, systemic treatment can also reduce the need for these, counteract their negative effects and help resolve any actual addiction present.

Taking a systemic integrative approach, in this seminar we will consider anxiety, depression and other mood disorders such as OCD and PTSD from three perspectives:

• The mental-emotional disturbance or neurosis (often due to trauma) that usually underpins them

• The patterns of energetic imbalances that they present – as accurately described in Chinese medicine

• The dysfunction of brain chemistry: patterns of misdirected hormones and neurotransmitters

For treatment modalities, we will explore focused solutions with single herbs, formulas and nutrients, as well as with olfactory therapy techniques using essential oils by light inhalation. Particular acupuncture points will also be highlighted in the treatment discussion.

Essential oils used by light inhalation can complement herbal medicine and nutritional intervention really well: their psycho-energetic effects can directly impact the brain's limbic system and modulate peptide functions. They can act as potent catalysts for healing mood disorders. Some simple techniques using an oil on patients will be demonstrated during the seminar.