-IBIS-1.7.6-
tx
immune system
chronic fatigue syndrome
Psychospiritual Approaches

metaphors and correlations

• Overwhelming life circumstances. (Epstein, p. 103)
• Emotional needs repeatedly violated; in unproductive relationship patterns where needs not met; "sick and tired of whole situation"; feel incapable of challenging source through which anxiety is generated, primarily due to fear of rejection; dynamic of emotional violation; insecurity, inability to challenge, followed by inability to speak up followed by more violation.
(Shealy, p. 212)
• Resistance, boredom; lack of love for what one does. (Hay, 1984, p. 164)

Chinese psychophysiology:
Liver ~ Gan is the home of the Hun (Ethereal Soul); it relates to decisiveness, control, and the principle of emergence; stores and cleanses the Xue (Blood); maintains smooth flow of Qi and Xue (Blood); and reflects emotional harmony and movement.
» Healthy expressions are kindness, spontaneity, and ease of movement.
» Liver Xu (Deficiency) signs include impotence; frigidity; pain in thighs, pelvic region, and throat; ready tendency to "the blahs" (Seem, p. 28); timidity; depression; irritability; vertigo; pruritus; dry skin and/or tendons; asthma; aching at the waist; hernia; and difficulty raising head up and down.
» Liver Qi Stagnation reflects and accentuates emotional constraint as the Liver's function of facilitating smooth flow in the body is constricted. Stagnation is associated with frustration, irritability, tension, and feeling stuck. With time this pattern tends to produce a gloomy emotional state of constant resentment, repressed anger or depression, along with tightness in the chest, frequent sighing, abdominal tension or distension, and/or a feeling of a lump in the throat with difficulty in swallowing. (Maciocia, p. 216)
» Mental signs of Liver channel disorders include irritability; difficulty developing ideas; depression; and lack of energy. (Seem, p. 28)

Mental signs of Small Intestine channel disorders include poor mental assimilation; a feeling of mental deficiency due to inability to assimilate ideas; and insecurity. (Seem, p. 27)

San Jiao ~ Triple Warmer regulates the relations among the three regions roughly delimited by the chest, abdomen, and pelvis; influences the supply of Xue (Blood), Qi and Fluids; is the source of Wei (Protective) Qi; and relates to the function of heat regulation.
» Mental signs of Triple Warmer channel disorders include emotional upsets caused by breaking of friendships or family relations; depression; suspicion; anxiety; poor elimination of harmful thoughts. (Seem, p. 28)

Spleen ~ Pi governs digestion and manifests in the muscle tissues; transforms food into Qi and Xue (Blood); governs the Xue (Blood); resolves Dampness, and relates to the ability to assimilate, stabilize, and feel balanced and centered.
» Healthy expressions are fairness, openness, deep thinking, and reminiscence; » Spleen Xu (Deficiency) signs include slightness (deficient "form"); abundant elimination; morning fatigue; cold, wet feet (Seem, p. 28); abdomen taut and distended like a drum; craving for sweets; flatulence; nausea; mild edema; memory failure; heavy feeling in legs; easy bruising; pale lips; loose stools; and muscular weakness.
» The excessive use of the mind in thinking, studying, concentrating, and memorizing over a long period of time tends to weaken the Spleen. This also includes excessive pensiveness and constant brooding. (Maciocia, p. 241) Likewise, inadequate physical exercise, overexposure to external Dampness, and excess consumption of sweet and/or Cold foods will also deplete the Spleen.
» Mental signs of Spleen channel disorders include mental sluggishness; vertigo; melancholia; obsessions turned toward the past; fixed and rigid ideas; sleepwalking; agitated sleep; and nightmares. (Seem, p. 27)

Mental signs of Stomach channel disorders include depression; death wishes; instability; suicidal tendencies; mentally overwrought; doubt; suspicions; tendency to mania; and slowness at assimilating ideas. (Seem, p. 27)

Lung ~ Fei is the home of the Po (Corporeal Soul); governs the Qi; facilitates the immune function by assisting the dispersal of the Wei (Protective) Qi; regulates the rhythm of respiration, the pulse, and all bodily processes; relates to strength and sustainability; moves and adjusts fluid metabolism; extends through the skin; and controls the pores.
» Healthy expressions are righteousness and courage.
» Weakness, dysfunction, and illness are associated with excessive grief, sadness, worry, and depression. Worry depletes the Lung Qi.
» Lung Xu (Deficiency) signs include cold shoulder and back; changing complexion; inability to sleep (Seem, p. 28); shortness of breath; changes in urine color; rumbling in the bowels with loose bowel movements; pallor; malar flush; chills; sniffles; sneezing; light cough; and sensitivity to cold.
» Mental signs of Lung channel disorders include obsessions that are future directed (Excess); and a feeling of being vulnerable (Deficiency). (Seem, p. 27)

Kidney ~ Shen stores Jing (Essence) and governs birth, growth, reproduction, development, and aging; houses the Zhi (Will) and supports the core vitality; expresses ambition and focus; produces the bone marrow and thereby much of the immune system; and displays the effects of aging, chronic degenerative processes, and extreme stress.
» Healthy expressions are gentleness, groundedness, and endurance.
» Kidney Xu (Deficiency) signs include indecisiveness; confused speech; dreams of trees submerged under water; cold feet and legs; abundant sweating (Seem, p. 28); hearing loss; fearfulness; apathy; chronic fatigue; discouragement; scatteredness; lack of will; negativity; impatience; difficult inhalation; low sex drive; lumbago; sciatica; and musculoskeletal irritation and inflammation, especially when worse from touch.
» Intense or prolonged fear depletes the Kidney. Often chronic anxiety may induce Xu (Deficiency) and then Fire within the Kidney. (Maciocia, p. 250) Overwork, parenting, simple aging, and a sedentary or excessively indulgent lifestyle all contribute significantly to Kidney Xu (Deficiency).
» Mental signs of Kidney channel disorders include anxiety; fear in the pit of the stomach; sadness; mental and physical fatigue; antisocial tendencies; and laziness. (Seem, p. 28)

Mental signs of Bladder channel disorders include changeable moods; over-enthusiasm; suspicion; jealousy; lack of confidence; and mental lassitude. (Seem, p. 28)


therapies

cognitive behavior therapy: A study in Oxford, England found that 73% of recipients of cognitive behavior therapy achieved a satisfactory outcome as compared with 27% of patients who were given only medical care. Similar differences were observed in subsidiary outcome measures. The improvement in disability among patients given cognitive behavior therapy continued after completion of therapy. Illness beliefs and coping behavior previously associated with a poor outcome changed more with cognitive behavior therapy than with medical care alone.
(Sharpe M,, et al. BMJ 1996 Jan 6;312(7022):22-26)

imagery:
related materia medica listings: imagery for immune enhancement
• beaver dammed (Chavez): liver
• fire and ice (Chavez): thyroid

affirmation:
• I am enthusiastic about life and filled with energy and enthusiasm. (Hay, 1984, p. 164)

theotherapy:
Apollo, Artemis (Lemesurier, p. 101)

psychotherapy:
• Those who are prone to inflammations are attempting to avoid conflicts. In the case of an infectious illness, the following questions may be useful:
» What conflict in my life am I failing to see? hear? feel?
» What conflict am I dodging? (or lodging?)
» What conflict am I failing to admit to? (Dethlefsen, p. 108)

process paradigm:
• What is the symptom preventing me from doing? What is the symptom making me do? (see process interview: immune system)

related materia medica listings:
the shadow and physical symptoms
converting a symptom to a signal
imagery for immune enhancement
imagery: precautions
imagery: techniques
affirmations: guidelines and precautions
theotherapy
hypnotherapy
process paradigm


footnotes

Bell IR, Markley EJ, King DS, Asher S, Marby D, Kayne H, Greenwald M, Ogar DA, Margen S. Polysymptomatic syndromes and autonomic reactivity to nonfood stressors in individuals with self-reported adverse food reactions. J Am Coll Nutr. 1993 Jun;12(3):227-38.
Abstract: This study compared symptom reports and cardiovascular reactivity of a group of 24 individuals recruited from the community who reported a cognitive or emotional symptom caused by at least one food (food-sensitivity reporters, FSR) vs those of 15 controls (C) without a history of food, chemical, drug, or inhalant sensitivities. The main findings were: 1) FSR indicated sensitivities not only to foods, but also to environmental chemicals, drugs, and natural inhalants, as well as significantly more symptoms than C in multiple systems; 2) more FSR than C noted recent state depression and anxiety, as well as higher trait anxiety on the Bendig form of the Taylor Manifest Anxiety Scale; 3) however, on multiple regression analysis, not only depression, but also the number of sensitivities (foods, chemicals, drugs, inhalants), accounted for part of the variance in total number of symptoms (38 and 17%, respectively), whereas none of the affective measures accounted for any of the variance in total number of sensitivities over all subjects; 4) after controlling for depression and anxiety, FSR still showed a trend toward poorer performance on a timed mental arithmetic task (p = 0.16); and 5) FSR and C showed opposite patterns of heart rate change to two different stressful tasks (mental arithmetic and isometric exercise) (group by task interaction, p < 0.05). The data are discussed in terms of a time-dependent sensitization (TDS) process that predicts a cross-sensitizing and cross-reactive role for xenobiotic agents (e.g., foods, chemicals, drugs, and inhalants) and for salient psychological stress in the expression of psychophysiological dysfunctions of FSR. As in other chronically ill populations, negative affect in food-sensitive individuals may explain greater symptom reporting, but not necessarily account for the illness itself. For either a food or a psychological stimulus to begin to elicit sensitized responses, e.g., marked physiological differences from C, FSR may require multiple, intermittent exposures spaced over 5-28 days rather than on only 1 day.

Sharpe, M, Hawton, K, Simkin, S, Surawy, C, Hackmann, A, Klimes, I, Peto, T, Warrell, D, Seagroatt, V. Cognitive behaviour therapy for the chronic fatigue syndrome: a randomized controlled trial. BMJ 1996 Jan 6;312(7022):22-26.
Abstract: This randomized controlled trial was conducted in Oxford, England with 60 consecutively referred patients meeting consensus criteria for the chronic fatigue syndrome Its intention was to evaluate the of adding cognitive behavior therapy to the medical care of patients presenting with the chronic fatigue syndrome. DESIGN with final assessment at 12 months. This study compared the acceptability and efficacy of medical care alone, being comprised of assessment, advice, and follow up in general practice with similar medical care combined with cognitive behavior therapy including 16 individual weekly sessions. Outcomes were evaluated according to the proportions of patients (a) who achieved normal daily functioning (Karnofsky score 80 or more) and (b) who achieved a clinically significant improvement in functioning (change in Karnofsky score 10 points or more) by 12 months after randomization. All randomized patients completed treatment. An intention to treat analysis showed that 73% (22/30) of recipients of cognitive behavior therapy achieved a satisfactory outcome as compared with 27% (8/30) of patients who were given only medical care (difference 47 percentage points; 95% confidence interval 24 to 69). Similar differences were observed in subsidiary outcome measures. The improvement in disability among patients given cognitive behavior therapy continued after completion of therapy. Illness beliefs and coping behavior previously associated with a poor outcome changed more with cognitive behavior therapy than with medical care alone. Thus, the authors concluded that adding cognitive behavior therapy to the medical care of patients with the chronic fatigue syndrome is acceptable to patients and leads to a sustained reduction in functional impairment.