- Anger and resentment — Liver
- Sadness and grief — Lung
- Fear and anxiety — Kidneys, Large Intestine
- Worry and overthinking — Spleen
- Pensiveness, rage, and fury — Stomach
- Excessive joy — Heart
- Fright/Shock — Primarily affects the Heart; if prolonged, it also affects the Kidneys
Note: Excessive joy affects the Heart. For example, people who laugh and cry at the same time, laugh at a funeral, or live without responsibilities, constantly celebrating and partying. Shock and fright also affect both the Heart and the Kidneys.
Note: Qi (Chi) refers to vital energy and represents the dynamic balance between Yin and Yang.
Anger and Resentment — Liver
Anger can lead to hypertension. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, anger includes a wide range of emotions such as resentment, irritability, and frustration.
Anger affects the Liver and may result in Liver Qi stagnation or Liver Fire. Fire is an ascending energy, as flames rise upward. This excess Yang energy can rise to the head, causing headaches, migraines, dizziness, and other symptoms.
Over time, it may lead to high blood pressure and digestive issues involving the Stomach and Spleen. It is common to observe that people with a reddish or flushed face are more prone to sudden outbursts of anger at minimal provocation.
Sadness and Grief — Lung
Sadness and grief affect the Lungs, leading to fatigue, shortness of breath, crying, or depression. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, treatment involves acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine to tonify Lung Qi or nourish Lung Yin.
Sadness can block Qi or deplete Lung Yin, resulting in shallow and rapid breathing. When combined with anxiety, these emotions can further obstruct the flow of Qi.
Anxiety also affects the Lungs, which govern Qi through respiration. Common symptoms of Lung Yin deficiency or extreme anxiety include shallow breathing, irregular breathing patterns, dyspnea (a sensation of not being able to breathe deeply), and air retention.
Anxiety also affects the Large Intestine, which is paired with the Lungs in the Metal element. For example, highly anxious individuals may be more prone to intestinal disorders such as ulcerative colitis.
Fear and Anxiety — Kidneys
Fear and anxiety affect the Kidneys. This connection is evident in situations of extreme fear, where a person may lose bladder control. In children, this may manifest as bedwetting, often associated with insecurity or anxiety.
Chronic anxiety related to fear of the future can deplete Kidney Yin, Yang, and Qi, leading to chronic fatigue and weakness. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, the Kidneys are responsible for vital force — the energy that drives life, work, and personal direction.
When Kidney Yang becomes depleted, individuals lose the ability to carry out their plans and live according to their true intentions.
The Kidneys also play a major role in fluid metabolism and detoxification. Symptoms of Kidney imbalance include lower back pain, infertility, impotence or excessive sexual desire, urinary problems, fragile bones and teeth, tinnitus or hearing loss, edema, and asthma.
Worry and Overthinking — Spleen
Worry and excessive thinking are very common in modern, high-stress societies and weaken the Spleen.
This leads to digestive disorders and may result in chronic fatigue. One of the main functions of the Spleen is to transform nutrients into Qi and Blood. When weakened, it cannot perform this function effectively.
As a result, the body produces insufficient and poor-quality Blood, leading to fatigue and reduced mental clarity. The person may wake up tired and feel unable to solve problems. Instead of addressing life situations, the person becomes overwhelmed and dominated by them.
Excessive Joy — Heart
In Traditional Chinese Medicine, joy refers to a state of excessive stimulation or overexcitement.
“When someone is overjoyed, the spirit disperses and can no longer be contained in the Heart.”
Excessive stimulation may lead to restlessness, insomnia, palpitations, arrhythmias, nervous tics, or hysteria.
As mentioned earlier, excessive joy can be observed in people who laugh and cry simultaneously or behave inappropriately in emotionally sensitive situations, such as laughing at a funeral. Shock and fright also affect both the Heart and the Kidneys.
Fury and rage — Stomach
In my perspective, fury should be considered a distinct emotion because it primarily affects the Stomach. I do not agree with grouping it together with Liver-related emotions such as anger.
Fury is closely associated with digestive disturbances such as acid reflux and burning sensations in the stomach. Over time, it may lead to ulcers or other serious gastrointestinal disorders.
Shock and Fright — Kidneys
Shock and fright are particularly damaging to both the Heart and the Kidneys.
The “fight or flight” response causes excessive adrenaline release from the adrenal glands, which are located near the Kidneys. This results in symptoms such as palpitations, anxiety, and insomnia.
Chronic stress caused by shock can severely affect the entire system. Severe shock can also disturb the Shen (spirit), which includes consciousness, memory, and mental clarity, and is housed in the Heart. This is evident in cases of post-traumatic stress disorder.
Treatment may include psychotherapy, herbs that calm the spirit and nourish the Heart and Kidneys, and regular acupuncture.
Symptoms Associated with the Seven Negative Emotions
Anger
Leads to frustration and affects the Liver. Causes Qi to rise and may result in headaches, dizziness, blurred vision, high blood pressure, stroke, internal wind (seizures), painful menstruation, and shortness of breath.
Grief and Sadness
Affect the Lungs and weaken Qi. May lead to asthma, chronic cough, shortness of breath, and frequent infections.
Worry and Overthinking
Affect the Spleen and Stomach. Lead to digestive disorders, Qi stagnation, and Blood deficiency, resulting in bloating, gas, and fatigue.
Excessive Joy
Affects the Heart, slows Qi, and may cause palpitations, insomnia, poor concentration, memory issues, and mania.
Sorrow
Also affects the Lungs and may result in chronic respiratory issues.
Fear
Affects the Kidneys and causes Qi to descend, leading to urinary issues, lower back pain, menstrual disorders, and sexual dysfunction.
Fright/Shock
Primarily affects the Heart and, if prolonged, the Kidneys. Causes palpitations, confusion, poor memory, sudden waking, and indecisiveness.
Traditional Chinese Medicine considers that emotional disturbances lead to abnormal Qi movement, resulting in patterns such as Qi deficiency, Qi stagnation, rebellious Qi, Qi and Blood disharmony, and Blood stasis.