Sleep & Moodjiāolǜ

Anxiety & Nervousness

Also called:AnxietyFeeling anxiousExcessive worryNervousness

From the TCM perspective: TCM 'yu zheng' / 'jing ji'; located in heart and liver, involving spleen and kidney.

Overview

Anxiety is persistent tension, worry or fear with palpitations, restlessness and related symptoms. In TCM it falls under 'constraint syndrome', 'fright palpitations' and 'insomnia', related to impaired liver coursing and disturbance of the heart spirit, with patterns of liver qi constraint, constraint transforming to fire, dual heart-spleen deficiency and phlegm clouding the orifices.

☯Common patterns (syndrome differentiation)

Liver qi constraint

Key distinguishing signs: Uneasy over-worrying mood, chest/rib fullness, frequent sighing, abdominal bloating, premenstrual worsening in women, thin coat, wiry pulse.
Treatment principle: Soothe liver constraint and regulate qi

Constraint transforming to fire

Key distinguishing signs: Anxious irritability, bitter taste, headache, red face, palpitations, insomnia with dreams, constipation, dark urine, red tongue with yellow coat, wiry rapid pulse.
Treatment principle: Clear liver fire and relieve vexation

Dual heart-spleen deficiency

Key distinguishing signs: Anxious overthinking with palpitations, insomnia, fatigue, poor appetite, pale lusterless face, scant pale menses in women, pale tongue, fine weak pulse.
Treatment principle: Strengthen spleen, nourish heart, tonify qi and blood

Phlegm clouding the orifices

Key distinguishing signs: Anxious fear with chest constriction, a plum-pit sensation in the throat, dizziness, often overweight with white greasy coat, slippery pulse.
Treatment principle: Regulate qi, resolve phlegm, open orifices and calm the spirit

Daily self-care

Keep regular sleep, do aerobic exercise and breathing/mindfulness practice; reduce caffeine, nicotine and alcohol.
Limit information overload, protect sleep, write worries down and separate actionable items from the uncontrollable.
When anxiety severely impairs function, includes panic attacks or self-harm thoughts, seek psychological/psychiatric help.

When to seek medical help

The following warning signs require prompt medical evaluation — do not rely on self-treatment:

Self-harm or suicidal thoughts/plans: contact emergency/crisis services immediately and stay with the person.
Chest pain, marked palpitations, breathlessness or fainting: first rule out a medical emergency.
Anxiety with severe insomnia, inability to eat, hallucinations or loss of reality testing: urgent care.

Medical disclaimer: Educational content about traditional Chinese medicine for information only; it is not a diagnosis or treatment and does not replace a qualified clinician. If symptoms worsen or warning signs appear, seek medical care.

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