The holiday season often brings unwelcome guests and events that trigger stress and depression. And it’s no wonder because the holiday season is so demanding with all the parties, shopping, baking, cleaning and entertaining…just to name a few. As Chinese medicine practitioners, we can offer some practical tips and focus on how we diagnose our patients. Be sure to use the four techniques: looking, listening/smelling, asking, and palpating. These techniques should be applied across the board to all patients, whether they present with an organic symptomatology or with emotional problems. In Chinese medicine, emotional presentations are treated just like any other disease, since the seven emotions are intimately connected with the health of an individual. So, with a proper diagnosis, some guidance and the right herbal formulas, you can minimize the stress that accompanies the holidays for your patients. You may even wind up helping them enjoy the holidays more than they thought they would.
