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According to the National Institutes of Health, “an estimated 9.7% of U.S. adults had any mood disorder in the past year. Past year prevalence of any mood disorder among adults was higher for females (11.6%) than for males (7.7%).” In traditional Chinese medicine, classification, diagnosis, and treatment for mood disorders are different from their western counterparts. These two methods work well together as well as independently, however. In many cases, due to great variation in the causes of mood disorders as well as personal reactions, individual evaluation is needed to know how effective natural treatment may be.
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In traditional Chinese medicine, mood disorders fall into one or more of the categories of five souls or spirits: Hun (non-corporeal), Po (animation), Zhi (will), Yi (intellect), Shen (connector spirit). Each of these souls resides in a specific organ: Hun is in the Liver, Po is in the Lung, Zhi is in the Lungs, Yi is in the Spleen, and Shen is in the Heart (Aung, Fay, & Hobbs, 2013).
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We all are sometimes angry, sad, frustrated, unsure of ourselves, and so on—emotional experiences are a large portion of what life is about—but when these mood fluctuations become too volatile, too extreme, or become too persistent, this is when we may experience symptoms of a mood disorder.
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In traditional Chinese medicine, the classification of mood disorders is somewhat similar to that of western medicine, with a major difference in that whenever a specific soul is disturbed, then the mental symptoms are accompanied by the signs and symptoms of the soul’s associated organ. Knowing which organ is affected is important in diagnosing the mood disorder for acupuncturists and practitioners of traditional Chinese medicine.
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The causes of mood disorders can be genetic, stress or injury-related, nutritional, and/or consequences of substance abuse. Sometimes the causes are simply unknown. From the traditional Chinese medicine perspective, it’s important to know what causes mood disorders because providers can help regulate the disorder on an individual basis, such as adjusting one's nutritional intake or lifestyle, so the patient can find ways to improve or avoid exacerbating their condition.