Posted by Hombre on September 28, 2010, at 20:55:12
In reply to Re: Lithium Orotate for depression? Anyone using this » bulldog2, posted by BetweenDreams81 on September 28, 2010, at 16:16:37
Yin/Yang theory is no more mysterious than positive/negative, day/night, sympathetic/parasympathetic. Almost all of the body's processes are regulated by pairs of hormones, neurotransmitters, ions and other factors e.g. insulin and glucagon. This is how the body tries to bring itself into balance. When some of these balances are off, you will feel ill.
Are we clear on that, now? I don't know what you think yin/yang represent, but has nothing to do with soothing a person or making him feel good for believing in it, unless he's the type of person that feels good believing in physics.
Also, macrobiotics =/= Chinese medicine. You see, not everything that is "Oriental" is the same. Macrobiotics represents a rather unbalanced way of eating. Chinese medicine is not vegetarianism nor does it recommend any particular diet. Since each person has a different constitution, state of digestive health, and needs, her diet needs to fit those needs. I would imagine that people eating macrobiotically without thinking about their needs might get ill. And frankly, anyone that latches onto some extreme form of diet or health practice has some other issues to address.
I like bulldog's dietary advice, but there are plenty of people that eat well but for various reasons are not absorbing and assimilating nutrients into their body. Maybe their gall bladders are not working well. Maybe their pancreas is not working well. Ever heard of diabetes? That has to do with blood sugar not being regulated well and that can cause problems even if you eat well. Chinese medicine looks at digestive function as a whole and how it involves every organ. If you can improve the functioning of the digestive organs, you will have more energy and will have healthy, lean tissue.
Chinese medicine is not working on a different body, but it works on patterns and connections that are only starting to be discovered by Western medicine. When you only study things in isolation, you tend to miss the big picture.
They use Western medicine in China because obviously it works for some things. Trauma and situations requiring surgery come to mind. But chronic diseases? What kills more people? Diseases of lifestyle. Heart disease, CV disease, diabetes...and so on. And the reason that Chinese medicine is even not well understood in Chinese has a lot to do with China's political history, including the Cultural Revolution. A lot of skilled doctors fled or were not allowed to teach. Those allowed to teach were often chosen by The Party. Their disciples were also chose by The Party and may not have even really studied under real teachers before receiving their certification. The history is pretty interesting, but unfortunately it has added to the confusion and has weakened Chinese medicine overall. But the information is still valid, having been tested over many centuries, and there are still some people that know how to use it.
There are plenty of quack MDs, psychiatrists, and other Western specialists. How many psychiatrists has the average p-babbler seen? How many mediations have been tried? Is the process of choosing medications any more certain than crafting an herbal formula? Or is it even more of a game of roulette?
Also, no one is telling anyone to deny themselves any sort of treatment. Maybe in your mind you feel you have to choose "sides", but the progressive thing to do would be to not get caught up in one's own prejudices and cultural intolerance and to take an honest look at what's out there and what can actually help. To judge things without really knowing what they are about, well that'd be denying yourself of options. Apparently it is the norm to do this, which is why there is little information on the concurrent use of psyche meds and Chinese herbs. So let's start solving that problem by carefully exploring and sharing our thoughts.
poster:Hombre
thread:962840
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/alter/20100812/msgs/964158.html