alcohol and TCM

Dear Tutor:

How does TCM view the effects of alcohol abuse? I have a relative who, I am told, has an accelerated pulse rate. Her western doctors are concerned but have no explanation for it. I don't have a relationship with this person that would allow me to ask many personal questions about her health, but I do know she drinks excessively and I wonder how TCM would see the situation. I am sure alcohol abuse is a common health problem all around the world.

Thank you

Ed Austin

Dear Ed,
Yes, of course the alcohol abuse is considered bad and harmful to the health!
The rapid pulse may be related with her alcohol addiction, maybe it is because of her bad heart.

Bye!
Tutor

Is there any pattern of symptoms accociated with alcohol abuse, or is it more of an individual, case-by-case situation?

What do you think about it in terms of traditional Chinese medicine Ed?

Well, I am not any kind of physician and all I can do is try to apply what I have been learning about TCM theories to what I have observed in people around me.

In the short term, when people use alcohol they become uninhibited. What I would consider the Yin part of their personality that prevents them from acting on their impulses is less strong and they behave sometimes in ways they would not if they were sober, as if their Yang personality becomes hyperactive. Also the face may be flushed, the voice gets louder, they may become aggressive, all seeming like Yang excess. So maybe the Yin is weakened or the Yang is inflamed, or it almost seems to me that the yin and yang of their personality becomes separated and they lose self-control.

In the long term though, they get less energetic and lose the ability to take action until they do nothing but sit around and drink. The hands of long-term alcoholics get bloated, their faces becomes pale and sallow. They become listless and uncaring about their life. These are more like yin excess than Yang excess, so maybe the Yang gets exhausted from being unrestrained.

The thing I wondered about is another typical thing about alcoholics; they are secretive and don't want to admit or tell anyone they drink excessively. I doubt that my relative told her doctors that she drinks too much, so how would they know? It made me curious about whether there would be indications or patterns that would "give away their secret".

Maybe I am getting ahead of myself, but I was curious.

Thank you

Ed Austin

Deaar Ed,
In fact, your understanding is great!
At the beginning, we cannot say their Yin is insufficient, but if we are going to deal with it, we should think of nourishing the Yin to put off the excessive fire.
At length, when they have the undermined body condition as you said such as listlessness, it's the deficiency of both Qi and Yin.

Of course they would have some manifestations which could disclose their secrets.

To treat them, we must treat in a case-by-case way, that's always the best in traditional Chinese medicine, or should I say the essential way.

Tutor

Thank you very much.

Ed Austin