🌿 Folk Prescriptions

Chinese medicine holds that humans experience emotional changes—joy, anger, worry, thought, sadness, fear, and shock—collectively known as the “seven emotions.” Among them, anger, joy, thought, worry, and fear are the five emotions, closely linked to the five zang organs. The *Inner Canon* states: “Anger injures the liver; sorrow overcomes anger,” “Joy injures the heart; fear overcomes joy,” “Thought injures the spleen; anger overcomes thought,” “Worry injures the lung; joy overcomes worry,” “Fear injures the kidney; thought overcomes sorrow.” This theory has been widely applied in health preservation, playing an irreplaceable subtle role in emotional regulation, disease prevention, and longevity.
We know humans are complex organisms. Emotions and desires are natural mental activities, beneficial to physical and mental health. However, abnormal emotional states can lead to emotional instability, nervous system dysfunction, internal imbalance of yin and yang, resulting in myriad diseases, premature aging, and even shortened lifespan. Thus, those who value health should pay attention to emotional regulation. Excessive emotions can disrupt internal organ functions and affect the five zang organs.
Emotional injury to the liver
Anger is a common emotion. Anger causes qi to rise, harming the liver, leading to irritability, easy anger, dizziness, and blurred vision. It is also a major cause of hypertension, coronary heart disease, and peptic ulcers.
Emotional injury to the heart
Joy promotes blood circulation, relaxes muscles, and aids recovery from fatigue. But excessive joy damages heart qi. As recorded in *Huainanzi: Yuan Dao Xun*: “Great joy leads to collapse.” Excessive joy damages yang, causing heart qi to surge, spirit to scatter, and evil qi to dominate. This results in palpitations, insomnia, forgetfulness, and senility. The story in *The Scholars*, where Fan Jin goes mad after finally passing the imperial exam in old age due to overwhelming joy and sorrow, is a classic example of joy injuring the heart.
Emotional injury to the spleen and stomach
Traditional Chinese medicine holds: “Thinking causes qi stagnation.” Excessive rumination disrupts nervous system function, reducing digestive secretions. This leads to poor appetite, loss of interest in food, emaciation, shortness of breath, fatigue, and depression.
Emotional injury to the lungs
Worry and sorrow are closely tied to the lungs. Intense sorrow can damage the lungs, causing dry cough, shortness of breath, hemoptysis, hoarseness, altered breathing patterns, and severe digestive disruption. The character Lin Daiyu in *Dream of the Red Chamber*, whose melancholy and sorrow led to illness, is a perfect example.
Emotional injury to the kidneys
Fear and fright disturb the nervous system, causing tinnitus, deafness, dizziness, and impotence—potentially fatal. Reports of people dying from psychological shock due to terrifying suggestions are not uncommon. This illustrates the danger of fear causing qi to descend.
In summary: emotional activities are closely linked to internal organs. With aging, organ functions decline, and adaptability weakens. Facing extreme emotions, older adults struggle to cope, making them prone to illness. As Chen Zhi said: “The frail are like candles in the wind—easily attacked by all diseases.” This shows that extreme emotions are a major factor in disease onset. Life inevitably involves joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness. The best way to avoid emotional extremes is to remain calm and composed when facing complex situations. After the event, don’t dwell on it—avoid self-inflicted distress. Cultivate an optimistic outlook, strengthen psychological resilience, maintain broad-mindedness, and stay cheerful. Practice detachment and contentment, regarding life’s joys, sorrows, honors, humiliations, labors, and gains as fleeting clouds. Seek only inner peace, maintain spiritual integrity, and longevity follows. Additionally, cultivating diverse healthy interests and finding spiritual fulfillment can actively prevent emotional excess and ensure organ harmony.