Emotions play a huge role in our lives, shaping who we are, stemming from our childhoods. Chronic states of any emotion can be depleting. Last week I wrote about worry, this week I am tackling fear.
From a traditional Chinese medicine perspective, fear depletes the kidney qi and makes this energy decline. For children, fear can lead to bedwetting, and, for adults, incontinence and diarrhea. Children who endure chronic fear and anxiety in their formative years can be physically weaker and more vulnerable as they age.
The heart energy (that also controls the mind from a TCM perspective) can be directly affected by anxiety and fear. From the perspective of the five elements, the kidneys represent water and the heart represents fire. If the water is weak (kidney) it cannot cool down the fire (heart) so the fire can flare what seems uncontrollably, affecting the mind. This depletes the kidney (yin) and can lead to palpitations, insomnia, night sweats, dry mouth, flushing, and a rapid pulse.
Fear may not always stem from something situational. There are some constitutional energetic deficiencies that can make a person fearful under normal circumstances. These TCM patterns include liver blood deficiency and gallbladder deficiency. Liver blood deficiency can come from loss of blood, which can happen after giving birth or after surgeries, poor nutrition, and other organ imbalances. Some symptoms of liver blood deficiency can be fatigue, poor vision, dry eyes, muscles spasms and weakness, and insomnia. Gallbladder deficiency can arise with liver blood deficiency. Symptoms of gallbladder deficiency are dizziness, blurred vision, timidity, nervousness, and a lack of courage and initiative. Repressed anger, emotional trauma from childhood ridicule, as well as blood loss and improper nutritional issues, can lead to gallbladder deficiency.
As quoted in The Practice of Chinese Medicine by Giovanni Macioca, “The positive counterpart of fear with the mental energies of the Kidney is flexibility, yielding in the face of adversity and quiet endurance of hardship.”
Acupuncture, herbs, and proper nutrition based on an individual’s patterns of disharmony can all help balance a person physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. Take time for yourself. Reflect, respect, and reset.
Contributor
Acupuncturist, herbalist, Maya abdominal practitioner, and reflexologist Christina Morris is the founder of Element Natural Healing Arts. Writing about health and wellness gives her an outlet to express her care and concern for her beloved community. She believes everyone can achieve better health and happiness–emotionally, physically, mentally, and spiritually.