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tx
digestive system
diverticulitis
psychospiritual approaches

metaphors and correlations

• Fear of letting go of the old and that which is no longer needed. (Hay, 1984, p. 156)
• Inflammation: fear; inflamed thinking; seeing red; anger and frustration about conditions in one's life. (Hay, 1984, p. 170-1)

Chinese psychophysiology:
Liver ~ Gan is the residence of the Hun (Ethereal Soul); it relates to decisiveness, control, and the principle of emergence; 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 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)

Spleen ~ Pi governs digestion and manifests in the muscle tissues; transforms food into Qi and Xue (Blood); governs the Xue (Blood) and holds it in the vessels; resolves Dampness; maintains upbearing; and relates to the ability to assimilate, stabilize, and feel centered and balanced.
» 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; pale lips; chronic diarrhea; muscular weakness; and, indirectly, obesity. When deficient the Spleen is more susceptible to Dampness and to "Invasion" by the Liver.
» The excessive use of the mind in thinking, studying, concentrating, and memorizing over a long period of time tends to weaken the Spleen and may lead to Xue Yu (Blood Stasis). This also includes excessive pensiveness and constant brooding. (Maciocia, p. 241) Likewise, inadequate physical exercise and excess consumption of sweet and/or Cold foods will also deplete the Spleen. Environmentally, the Spleen is highly susceptible to attack from external Dampness and Cold.

Large Intestine ~ Da Chang absorbs water; governs transformation and conveyance of waste from food to form stool; relates to strength and sustainability as the Yang aspect of Metal.
»
Weakness, dysfunction, and illness are associated with sadness, grief, and worry. Worry depletes the Lung Qi which fails to descend and assist the Large Intestine in its functions.
»
Healthy expressions are righteousness and courage.
» Large Intestine Shi (Excess)
signs include dry mouth; parched lips; hot body (Seem, p. 29); warmth and swelling along the course of the channel; distended abdomen; dizziness; constipation; and yellow-orange urine.
» Stagnation of Qi in the Large Intestine produces spastic abdominal pain and constipation, with small stools alternating with diarrhea.


therapies

imagery:
• Begin with literal images of little pouches full of hard packed material. Imagine the material softening, any plugs loosening and coming out, and the material flowing harmlessly out of the pouches. See any inflammation returning to a pinkish grey. (Fanning, p. 228)
• Follow with metaphorical image of digestive tract as a long, winding dirt road. Off the road are short cul-de-sacs choked with tangled brush. Wade into the brush with a machete and clear it all out. (Fanning, p. 228)

affirmation:
• I love and approve of myself. I create my own joy. I choose to be a winner in life. (Hay, 1984, p. 160)
• I freely and easily release the old and joyously welcome the new. Letting go is easy. (Hay, 1984, p. 156)
• (Inflammation) My thinking is peaceful, calm, and centered. I am willing to change all patterns of criticism. I love and approve of myself. (Hay, 1984, p. 170-1)

psychotherapy:
• In cases of stomach disorders and digestive complaints, ask some related questions:
» What is it that I am unable or unwilling to swallow? Assimilate? Let go of?
» Is something eating me up inside? What am I feeling so sour about?
» How am I handling my feelings? How am I coping with my aggression?
» To what extent am I avoiding conflicts? Am I longing for the conflict-free time of childhood when I was secure, loved, and cared for? (Dethlefsen, p. 134)
• Those who are prone to inflammations are attempting to avoid conflicts. The following questions may be useful:
» What conflict am I failing to see? hear? feel? move?
» What conflict am I dodging? What is my relationship to it?
» What conflict am I failing to admit to? (Dethlefsen, p. 108)

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

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


footnotes

Reprinted from The Foundations of Chinese Medicine, Maciocia, Giovanni, 1989, by permission of the publisher Churchill Livingstone, a division of Elsevier Limited.