In my last blog, I was discussing the distinct differences in approach between TCM and Western medicine in diagnosing and treating Mental illness. The biggest difference I highlighted was how a Neurologist or Psychiatrist will isolate the disorder as compared to TCM’s philosophy of treating mental illness as part of the greater bodily system.

          As I touched upon in the last segment, the first thing I ask a patient, complaining of some mental disorder, is if he is experiencing other symptoms, such as pain, in another part of the body. The main reason I want to know this is because I can better be able to diagnose which Meridian(s) are most affected.

          For instance, many patients tell me that they are stressed out and have trouble sleeping etc… By the way, I am getting more and more patient’s complaining of such disorders. The Western approach to treating mental fatigue is generic. Even the expert in treating mental illnesses, the Psychiatrist, is trained to view these disorders as distinct and have created unique labels for these mental disorders.

          Treatment is often centered around just prescribing drugs that help alleviate the symptoms associated with the ailment. They are trained not to look for distortions in other areas of the body that may relate to the mental disorder. Often, the result of such an approach, is to prescribe a “generic” treatment plan that rarely seeks to look for a “causal” relationship from another part of the body.

          In contrast, TCM encourages the practitioner to actively seek out such “causal” relationships and the practitioner will use an integrated approach to treat instead of isolating the mental illness, on to itself.

          For example, I often diagnose a patient as having an issue with pain that came about around the same time his depression did. By treating the Meridian(s) that are associated with both disorders, I often see that as the pain is getting better so is the depression.

          This is treating the body as an integrated whole.