Anger in TCM Makes Qi Ascend. It is considered to represent resentment, frustration, and irritability. An excess of rich blood is believed to make one irritable, this can affect the liver, causing this organ’s energy to rise to the head and bring about headaches or dizziness, tinnitus, neck stiffness, red blotches on the front part of the neck, a red face. Related emotions to anger are: resentment, repressed anger, irritability, frustration, rage, hatred.
If these emotions persist for a long time, they can affect the Liver causing stagnation of Liver-Qi or rising of Liver-Yang.
Emotion that controls anger: Grief (Metal controls Wood)
Symptoms of anger affecting the liver are:
- Headache- migraine
- Dizziness
- Blurry Vision
- High Blood Pressure
- Stroke
- In case of Internal Wind the symptoms are: trembling from anger or seizure
- Pain in the region of the liver
When liver fire attacks Spleen and Stomach the symptoms are:
- Spleen Qi Xu
- Rebellious Stomach Qi
- Bleeding
- Nosebleeds are common
- Blood vessels rupture easily
When Liver fire counterattacks Lung the symptoms are:
- Asthma
When Liver harms Gall Bladder It manifests as Inability to make decisions
Anger, makes Qi rise and the symptoms will manifest in the head and neck. When anger is suppressed the problem it creates maybe more severe. People who tend to keep anger bottled up inside may show signs of depression outwards. In case this happens the person may look very passive and pale, will have signs associated with a depletion of Qi and Blood simulating the symptoms of sadness or grief. When the cause of the disease is suppressed anger the pulse will be Wiry – Full and the tongue will be Red with a yellow dry coating.
The suppressed anger causes Liver-Qi stagnation, if, on the other hand, it is expressed it will cause Liver-Yang rising or Liver-Fire blazing
It is believed that severe anger splits the body and Qi.
Stagnant Liver-Qi, due to anger, can affect the stomach; this is easily observed when someone gets angry during meal time. If the anger is expressed a couple of hours after a meal it will affect the Intestine instead of the Stomach manifesting as abdominal pain, alternation of constipation with diarrhea e.t.c. A stressful work after lunch is usually a cause of this.
Like all other emotions, anger can and will eventually affect the heart and mind, if left untreated.
