The Concept of Mental Health in TCM —— TCM Psychology

1946 the third international conference on mental health defined mental health as: "the so-called mental health refers to the development of an individual's mental state to the best state within the range of no contradiction between physical, intellectual and emotional health of others." Chinese medicine's understanding of mental health can be roughly reflected in the following aspects.

1. Lotte knows life and enjoys it. Numerous practices have proved that only talented people in Lotte know life pursue the value of life, create life and contribute to society in their limited lives. Only by enjoying the meaning of life can you live a long and healthy life.

2. Self-improvement, virtue in the world. A man of noble character must have a good psychological quality.

3. indifferent to fame and fortune, contentment is always happy. This teaches people to control their desires within a moderate range, establish correct values, and treat fame and fortune calmly and objectively.

4. Be considerate and tolerant. The need for an open mind and a kind and loving heart is also a sign of a healthy personality.

5. Be kind to others and help others. Good interpersonal relationship is not only a sign of mental health, but also a necessary condition to maintain mental health. 6. Harmony between man and nature, body and mind. "Correspondence between man and nature" and "unity of form and spirit" are the basic academic thoughts of TCM. To maintain mental health, we should not only emphasize that the body is not suffering, but also pay attention to the harmony between body and mind (that is, form and spirit), so as to achieve "the unity of form and spirit, for life."

So, what is TCM's understanding of mental health? Through the study, thinking and observation of clinical practice, it is considered that the ideal mental health state can be roughly reflected in the following aspects.

Lotte knows life and enjoys it.

"Zhouyi? Cohesion: "I am happy in know life, so I don't worry. "It means that you are willing to follow the arrangement of heaven and know the limit of your life, so you can not worry. [3] A person's life is hard-won, owing to his parents and being humiliated by heaven and earth. A mentally healthy person should know and enjoy life happily. American scholar A.M.Combs believes that a mentally healthy person should have a "positive self-concept", [1] be able to accept himself, experience the value of his existence, have self-knowledge and determine his realistic life goals.

Everyone in the world wants to live a long and healthy life, but people who deliberately pursue longevity may not really get what they want. Throughout the dynasties, emperors pursued immortality in order to enjoy the prosperity of the world, so they searched everywhere for elixirs. Then how many people "outlived Nanshan"? Countless practices have proved that only people in Lotte know life can pursue the value of life, create life, contribute to society and enjoy the meaning of life in a limited life, so as to live a long and healthy life. Many great men and scientists have devoted their whole lives to their favorite cause, living for it and dying for it, which not only embodies the value of life, but also often logs into the field of life. There are countless examples of this.

Self-discipline and social commitment

"Zhouyi? Dry ":"Tian Xingjian, the gentleman is constantly striving for self-improvement. " Mentally healthy people love life and get the pleasure of life in their work and life. Modern psychology believes that the regulation and control of psychological activities are related to self-control. A person with self-control is always full of confidence in the future, constantly striving for self-improvement, good at exerting subjective initiative, striving for the established goals and plans, and persevering even when encountering setbacks or repeated defeats.

"Zhouyi? Kun: "Kun carries the heavy burden. "The so-called virtue, refers to the moral mellow, enough to carry. China's traditional health care emphasizes cultivating temperament and sentiment with moral cultivation. For example, Confucius advocated virtue, "those who want to cultivate their bodies should first correct their hearts", and "the wise enjoy it, and the benevolent will live long". Neijing has a clear commandment that "integrity is not dangerous". A man of noble character must have a good psychological quality.

1948 the world health association proposed that the concept of health should also include good moral quality. "Health should be a good state of body, psychology, social adaptation and morality." [2] Modern psychology holds that "a person's moral pleasure transcends the physical pain or psychological pain caused by altruistic activities and is a manifestation of mental health."

Indifferent to fame and fortune, contentment is always happy.

It is difficult for people's desires to be fully satisfied, which is the same psychological characteristic of people. Trying to fill the blank is often one of the sources of distress. [1] Secular desires are human nature. Abstinence is the common sense of ancient health-preserving people in China. Laozi advocated "quietness" and "less selfish desires" in Tao Te Ching, and demanded to achieve "virtual quietness". Zhuangzi inherited Laozi's theory, emphasizing "being empty and quiet, holding the spirit to be quiet." Influenced by Taoist thoughts, Neijing put forward the ideas of "indifferent to nothingness and obeying the true qi" and "lust can't satisfy the eyes and lust can't confuse the heart". Zhuge Liang's motto is "not cold, not awake, not quiet, not far away". These records reflect the wisdom and experience of ancient health care doctors. Explained in modern language, it is a mentally healthy person who is good at controlling his own desires, indifferent to fame and fortune, content with contentment, and maintaining inner peace and tranquility. This is not to advocate passive seclusion, inaction, and carpe diem, but to teach people to control their desires within a moderate range, establish correct values, treat fame and fortune calmly and objectively, resist all kinds of temptations, face life positively, and effectively adjust their psychological activities.

Take it easy and be tolerant.

The cognition, emotion and will of mentally healthy people are a complete and harmonious unity. This kind of harmony is the psychological basis for individuals to have good social functions and carry out various activities effectively. [2] In daily life, this kind of harmony is manifested in being happy and tolerant.

The so-called calm, Kong Shu: "All people say that it is natural." People living in the world always have to deal with all kinds of events. People with mental health can handle things calmly, which is the concentrated expression of emotions and will behavior under the control of psychological self-regulation ability. For example, in the face of reputation, status and interests, you can "retreat and not advance, so that three points are calm"; In the face of disasters, failures, accidents, can be calm and handle it freely; In the face of troubles and pains, like the ancients, "how many things are ancient and modern, pay more jokes", and so on. It shows that it has strong rehabilitation ability to cope with all kinds of psychological trauma and is an important indicator of mental health.

Tolerance is a lubricant to improve interpersonal relationships. This requires an open mind and a kind heart, which is also a sign of a healthy personality. Tolerance of others can not only resolve various contradictions and interpersonal conflicts in life, work and family, but also establish a harmonious working and living atmosphere, which is conducive to improving life interest and work and study efficiency and achieving good social functions.

Be kind to others and take pleasure in helping others.

Good interpersonal relationship is not only a sign of mental health, but also a necessary condition to maintain mental health.

The ancient sage said: "Those who respect others will always respect others;" People who love others will always love others. "A mentally healthy person should have a kind heart, properly identify with others, acknowledge the existence and importance of others, be kind to others, help others, share love and hate, happiness and troubles with others. Seeing the success of others, with the same joy, congratulations; Seeing other people's misfortunes, with compassion, extend a warm hand and help others. Get along with others with a positive attitude, respect others, trust others, live in harmony, regardless of personal grievances, be sincere and enthusiastic, be rational and generous, and gain the understanding and respect of others.

Harmony between man and nature, body and mind.

"Unity of Heaven and Man" and "Unity of Form and Spirit" are the basic academic thoughts of TCM. Maintaining the harmony between man and nature and the coordination of body and mind (body and mind) is the key to ensure health, and mental health is also inseparable from the above principles.

Chinese medicine believes that people are not only biological people, but also natural people and social people. Man's survival can not be separated from the natural and social environment, and the changes of the natural and social environment will inevitably affect man's physiological and psychological changes. "Neijing" says: "Heaven and earth have great discipline, and people should be magical." In order to maintain mental health, people must deal with the relationship between man and nature and social environment and maintain harmony. Modern psychology regards "the identity of psychology and environment" as the primary index to evaluate mental health, which is similar to the view of traditional Chinese medicine.

There is a monograph on "Four Qi Regulating the Spirit" in Neijing, which emphasizes the principle of timely regulating the spirit and keeping in good health. For example, in spring, people's emotions must adapt to the vibrant weather of everything, "to make it alive"; In summer, people's emotions should be adapted to exuberance, "making ambition angry"; In autumn, people's emotions should adapt to the climate where everything is fixed, and "make the mind calm"; In winter, people's emotions should adapt to the weather where everything is hidden, "to hide their will." Only when people's emotional (psychological) activities are adapted to storage in spring, summer, autumn and winter can they maintain mental health.

As for the relationship between body and mind, it originated from the philosophical thought of "the unity of form and spirit" in the pre-Qin period. Zhang Jiebin famously said, "Form is God's body, and form is used by God", "Without God, form can't live, and without form, God can't live". The essence of the relationship between body and mind is the unity of form and spirit, and the relationship between body and mind is the relationship between psychology and physiology. Therefore, mental health must be based on physical health, and psychological problems will also affect physical health. Therefore, to maintain mental health, it is necessary to emphasize that the body is not suffering, and to pay attention to the harmony between body and mind (that is, form and spirit), so that "form and spirit exist together for the rest of their lives."

In a word, the mental health view of TCM contains the essence and thoughts of China traditional culture, ancient philosophy and basic academic thoughts of TCM, and has distinctive national characteristics.

To sum up, it has the following characteristics:

(1) emphasizes the identity and coordination between man and natural social environment;

(2) emphasizing the harmony between psychology and physiology;

③ Pay attention to the state and level of moral cultivation;

④ The concept of mental health is closely related to China's traditional culture, ancient philosophy and moral style.

Its connotation is rich and profound, which deserves our in-depth study.