Mental health and mental disorder concepts in traditional Chinese medicine

Abstract

Guided by a systemic/holistic theoretical framework, traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has a long tradition of emphasizing mind-body connection. To address the somatization tendency among Chinese people, TCM addresses mental health problems in a strategic manner - relieving somatic symptoms as the entry point. By Tang Dynasty (618-907), a sophisticated specialist system was in place. There was no specialty in psychiatry with good reasons. Mental health problems were tactically incorporated into various disorders under internal medicine. TCM stagnation syndrome (鬱證) is a good example which takes individual illness behavior and societal stigmatization schema into account. In contrary to Western psychology, TCM does not label emotions as positive (e.g. happiness) or negative (e.g. anger). Instead TCM considers all different emotions as natural and necessary. With reference to Yin-Yang and Five Elements Theories, different emotions are in dynamic equilibrium, and regulate each other. Moreover emotional and somatic systems are interconnected. Based on such model, TCM pioneered strategic techniques for rebalancing emotional and somatic systems. In addition to herbal, acupunctural and other physical treatments, TCM offers an exemplary strategic-integrative approach in engaging and helping people in a holistic manner. Many of these concepts/skills are transferrable to modern mental health practice.