Stress is also known as DEPRESSION and its main symptom is a persistent unhappy mood. Clinical treatment should be sought if the patient has more than five of the following symptoms and the conditions seriously interfere with work or family life:

• poor appetite,
• sleep difficulty,
• loss of energy,
• slowness of thought,
• poor concentration,
• feeling of guilt,
• loss of interest in usual activities,
• recurrent thoughts of death or suicide.

Stress is created when a person responds to the demands and pressures that come from work, family and other external sources, as well as those that are internally generated from self imposed demands and obligations. Stress can add up over time until a state of crisis is reached. If untreated, these conditions may lead to physical illness, such as migraine, menstrual problems, psoriasis, backache, neck pain and sometimes death.

Stress is linked with the functions of the liver and heart, according to the understanding in Traditional Chinese Medicine. One of the main purposes of the liver and heart is to regulate the mood. When they are functioning normally, the human body is able to co-ordinate mental activities effectively, which is indicated by feelings of happiness and sensitivity, being at ease and able to reason.

Under the effects of stress, the liver and heart are unable to perform properly. However, stress may not be very harmful in the short term. If it extends for a long period of time, stress may lead to short tempered, restlessness and other symptoms. This chronic stress is particularly harmful because it is the direct or indirect cause of many illnesses.

The aim of treatment by traditional Chinese medicine is to restore and maintain the harmony between various organs within the human body and the harmony between body and surrounding nature. Acupuncture is a method which can unblock the energy channel of the body, regulate the functions of liver and heart and help the body to relax. Chinese herbal medicine can also be tailored to suit individual conditions and help people calm down.

Help Your Self: Relaxation Techniques
Take a few minutes to do some exercises that will leave your body relaxed and energetic. The following are some simple techniques that are proved to be useful in helping people to relax.

• Wrinkle up and relax your forehead.
• Clench and relax your jaw.
• Shrug and release your shoulders.
• Fill lungs with air, then let it out slowly.
• Pull in and release your stomach.
• Tense and slowly relax your fists and forearms.
• While sitting on a chair, raise your heels to tense and relax your calves.