-IBIS-1.5.0-
tx
endocrine system
nausea of pregnancy
psychospiritual approaches

metaphors and correlations

• Female problems represent a rejection of the feminine principle; denial of the self; rejecting femininity. (Hay, 1984, p. 165)
• Problems during pregnancy can reveal on some level, a degree of rejection of the child by the mother. (Such an assertion will inevitably be repudiated most vehemently by those to whom it most closely applies). The general frequency of unwellness and nausea in pregnancy indicates how commonly the expectation of a child leads not only to joy, but also to rejection. This is quite understandable in light of the major upheaval in one's normal life, and adoption of responsibilities which may well fill one with fear initially. (Dethlefsen, p. 187-8)

Chinese psychophysiology:
Spleen ~ Pi governs digestion; transforms food into Qi and Xue (Blood); governs the Xue (Blood); resolves Dampness and Phlegm; 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; loose stools; and muscular weakness. Unresolved Spleen Xu (Deficiency) predisposes to Spleen Shi (Excess), particularly accumulation of Dampness and Phlegm, as the Spleen's functioning declines.
» Spleen Shi (Excess) signs include heaviness (excess "form"); large abdomen; great sighing; sadness; obsessions and nightmares (Seem, p. 28); abdominal pain; irregular appetite; stickiness in the mouth and on lips; red lips; chest congestion; fatigue; and constipation. Dampness and Phlegm Shi (Excess) usually derive from Spleen Yang and/or Qi Xu (Deficiency).
» 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 and excess consumption of sweet and Cold foods will also deplete the Spleen. Environmentally, the Spleen is highly susceptible to attack from external Dampness and Cold.

Stomach ~ Wei is the Sea of Nourishment and origin of all fluids; transforms and digests food so that the Spleen can separate the distilled food essences; with the Spleen, is the root of post-natal Qi; and as Earth, relates to the ability to assimilate, stabilize, and feel centered and balanced.
»
Healthy expressions are fairness, openness, and nurturance.
» Weakness, dysfunction, and illness associated with worry, anxiety, and overthinking. Worry will cause Stagnation of Qi in the Stomach and will manifest as a niggling, burning pain, belching, and nausea. Excessive mental work over a period of years leads to Deficiency of Stomach Qi.
» Stomach Xu (Deficiency) signs include slow digestion; vomiting after meals; painful eyebrows; emotionality; teariness; sadness; cold feet (Seem, p. 28); cold and shivering in the abdominal area; abdomen swollen and full; gastritis; loss of appetite; diarrhea; nausea; and leg weakness.


therapies

affirmation:
• I accept my full power as a woman and accept all my bodily processes as normal and natural. (Hay, 1984, p. 174)

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

related materia medica listings:
the shadow and physical symptoms
converting a symptom to a signal
affirmations: guidelines and precautions
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.