Definition
Western
Individuals suffering from anxiety worry excessively and unnecessarily. Issues that trouble them vary from health, relationships, financial, work-related or even day-to-day events.
Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM)
Anxiety is caused by emotional imbalance and manifests as constant worries or fears that one may not be able to handle with an uptight mental perception. According to TCM theories, emotional imbalance can adversely affect one’s physical well being. As such, anxiety can be accompanied by symptoms such as heart palpitations, headaches, tightness in the chest or insomnia.
Symptoms Displayed
Excessive or unrealistic worries about daily matters, muscle tensions, restlessness, fatigue, difficulty in concentration focusing, sleep disturbances [4], such as having multiple nightmares, talk or aggressive movements during sleep, persistent nervousness, trembling, uncontrolled sweating, lightheadedness, palpitations, dizziness or epigastric discomforts [5].
Classifications
Physical Stress
Anxiety can be caused by domestic violence, excessive use of alcohol and having underlying physical illnesses, such as high blood pressure, heart diseases or hyperthyroidism.
Psychological Stress
Examples of psychological stress include relationship break-ups, death of someone close, loss of a job, lack of sleep, work pressure or financial problems [3].
Causes
External Factors
Fast-paced, ever changing and highly stimulative environment may perturb the mind and contribute to constant anxiety. Emotional upheavals may likewise stir up the mind with unnecessary worries.
Predisposition
Individuals who are temperamental or uptight in nature tend to be easily affected by external conditions, such as stress and changes in working environment, and thus, more prone to anxiety [3].
Risk Factors
· Individuals who are sleep deprived are more susceptible to anxiety. Although the relationship between sleep and anxiety is accepted, the basis of these interactions is still not well understood [1].
· Anxiety and depression commonly co-exist as they have similar underlying cause [7].
Treatments
Herbs commonly used in prescriptions:
1. Hou Po - 厚朴
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English/ Common name
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Magnolia bark [8]
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Latin species
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Magnoliae officinalis Rehd. Et Wils [9]
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Park of plant used
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Bark [8]
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Action/s
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Helps to sooth escalated emotions [10] and is commonly used in the treatment for mild anxiety [11], gastrointestinal disorders and certain types of coughs [12].
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Precaution/s
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Women who are pregnant should use this herb with caution [10].
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2. Chai Hu -柴胡
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English/ Common name
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Thorowax root [13]
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Latin species
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Bupleurum scorzonerifolium Willd [13]
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Park of plant used
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Roots [13-14]
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Action/s
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Helps to calm nerves [15] and is often used in the treatment of chest tightness due to emotional issues [13] or common colds [16].
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Precaution/s
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Individuals who suffer from headaches and dizziness regularly should avoid consuming this herb [10].
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3. Suan Zao Ren -酸枣仁
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English/ Common name
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Spine Date [17]
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Latin species
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Ziziphus jujuba Mill. var. spinosa (Bunge) Hu ex H.F. Chow [10]
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Park of plant used
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Seeds
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Action/s
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Commonly used in the treatments of anxiety, nervousness and other sleep-related problems[11]. Also serves as a tonic and a possible antioxidant supplement for weak body [17].
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Precaution/s
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Over-consumption may result in allergic reactions [10].
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4. Ren Shen -人参
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English/ Common name
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Divaricate Saposhniovia root
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Latin species
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Panax ginseng C. A. Mey [19]
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Park of plant used
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Roots [18]
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Action/s
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Helps to alleviates tensed anxious emotions [20], calms the mind [18] and serves as a tonic for weak body [21].
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Precaution/s
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Individuals who have constipation or are prone to mouth ulcers should use this herb with caution [18-19].
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5. Lian Zi Xin -莲子心
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English/ Common name
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Chinese Ginseng [18]
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Latin species
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Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn[18]
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Park of plant used
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Plumule
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Action/s
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Helps to alleviates tensed anxious emotions [20], calms the mind [18] and serves as a tonic for weak body [21].
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Precaution/s
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Helps to calm the mind and believed to possess Anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. [19]
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Tests & Diagnosis
Self report measures
Questionnaires help clinicians gain better understanding of the patient’s anxiety source and conditions.
Clinician-administered measures
Clinicians make use of manuals and checklists to diagnosis the type of anxiety one is suffering from[2, 22].
Lifestyle
· Decorate one’s living surroundings in cool colours, such as blue, purple or dark green, as these colours are believed to have tranquilising effects on excited mind.
· Confide problems or difficulties to family members or friends to gain emotional and moral support[23].
References
1. Regina H. Silva, S.R.K., Rita C. Carvalho et al, Anxiogenic effect of sleep deprivation in the elevated plus-maze test in mice Psychopharmacology, 2004. 176(2).
2. Compas, J.K.C.-S.a.B.E., Analogue Measures of DSM-IV Mood and Anxiety Disorders Based on Behavior Checklists Journal of Psychopathology and Behavioral Assessment, 2003. 25(1): p. 37-48.
3. Christine K. Cassel, R.M.L., Harvey Jay Cohen et al, Depression, Anxiety, and Other Mood Disorders in Geriatric Medicine. 2003.
4. World Health Organization International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems 10th Revision 2007; Available from: http://apps.who.int/classifications/apps/icd/icd10online/.
5. A World Health Organization Educational Package Mental Disorders in Primary Care. 1998; Available from: http://whqlibdoc.who.int/hq/1998/WHO_MSA_MNHIEAC_98.1.pdf.
6. Ohaeri, J.U., The Management of Anxiety and Depressive Disorders: A Review International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction, 2006. 4(2).
7. Li-Tao Yi, Q.X., Yu-Cheng Li, Lei Yang and Ling-Dong Kong, Antidepressant-like synergism of extracts from magnolia bark and ginger rhizome alone and in combination in mice Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology and Biological Psychiatry, 2009. 33(4): p. 612-624.
8. Uwe Koetter, M.B., Svenja Lacher, Aliaa Abdelrahman and Deanne Dolnick, Interactions of Magnolia and Ziziphus extracts with selected central nervous system receptors Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 2009. 124(3): p. 421-425.
9. Hu-Quan Yin, Y.-T.J., Young-Chul Kim et al, Magnolia officinalis Reverses Alcoholic Fatty Liver by Inhibiting the Maturation of Sterol Regulatory Element–Binding Protein-1c. Journal of Pharmacological Sciences, 2009. 109(4): p. 486-495.
10. Run-tao Tian, P.-s.X.a.H.-p.L., Evaluation of traditional Chinese herbal medicine: Chaihu (Bupleuri Radix) by both high-performance liquid chromatographic and high-performance thin-layer chromatographic fingerprint and chemometric analysis Journal of Chromatography A, 2009. 1216(11): p. 2150-2155.
11. Liu, Z., Commonly Used Herbs in Essentials of Chinese Medicine. 2009.
12. Kok-Yang Tan, X.W.a.F.S.-C., Traditional Chinese Medicine in the Reduction of Discomfort and Side-Effects of Surgery in Supportive Cancer Care with Chinese Medicine. 2010.
13. Yeung-Leung Cheng, S.-C.L., Shinn-Zong Lin et al, Anti-proliferative activity of Bupleurum scrozonerifolium in A549 human lung cancer cells in vitro and in vivo Cancer Letters, 2005. 222(2): p. 183-193.
14. D.-J. Guo, H.-L.C., S.-W. Chan and P. H.-F. Yu, Antioxidative activities and the total phenolic contents of tonic Chinese Medicinal Herbs Inflammopharmacology, 2008. 16(5): p. 201-207.
15. Liu, Z., Commonly Used Herbs, in Essentials of Chinese Medicine. 2009.
16. Kok-Yang Tan, X.W.a.F.S.-C., Traditional Chinese Medicine in the Reduction of Discomfort and Side-Effects of Surgery, in Supportive Cancer Care with Chinese Medicine. 2010.
17. Tracy, T.S., Panax ginseng, in Medicinal Plants of the World, Volume 3: Chemical Constituents, Traditionaland Modern Medicinal Uses. 2005.
18. Craske, K.H.D.a.M.G., Generalized Anxiety Disorder in Practitioner’s Guide to Evidence-Based Psychotherapy, J.E.F.a.W.T. O’Donohue, Editor. 2006.
19. Debajyoti Mukherjee et al,Immunomodulatory potential of rhizome and seed extracts of Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn, 2009. 128(2): p. 490-494
20. Yanfu, Z., 中医养生康复学. 2003.
21. Zhou, L.D. and L.Q. Fu, 中医精神病学. 1990: 天津科学技术出版社. 129, 130-133.
22. Ying, Z.Z., 中医内科学. 20 ed. 2008, 北京: 中国中医药出版社. 519.