Depression is not a "common cold of the mind" but a "flu of the mind"

Hello.
​
I am Choi Jang-hyuk, director of Dongjjedang Korean Medicine Clinic.
​
Many people think of depressed mood as a "common cold of the mind" and try to dismiss it lightly.
​
However, depression as I have experienced it through patients I have met in clinical practice is different.
​
It is not a "common cold of the mind" but rather a "flu of the mind" that makes the entire body listless.
​
The more lightly you dismiss it, the more deeply you can become ill.
​
Depression is not simply a mood problem.
​
It is a serious illness accompanied by abnormal brain and overall bodily functions.
​
There is something I have learned through my patients.
​
Depression is not a common cold that gets better in a week if treated or 7 days if not treated.
​
Like a persistent flu, it requires active treatment with the help of medical professionals.
​
Rather than trying to overcome it on your own, support and treatment from those around you are absolutely necessary.

📊 Case

This is a case of a woman in her 40s whom I treated.
She had been taking antidepressants for several years.
However, she came to me with persistent feelings of helplessness, chronic fatigue, severe indigestion, and constipation.
She especially said it was difficult to fall asleep at night even while taking medication. She complained that her body felt extremely heavy in the morning.

Years of taking antidepressants in the morning, sleeping pills in the evening, and anti-anxiety medications when anxious—
Both the patient and I, as a Korean medicine doctor, are aware of this.
We know that with this level of long-term use far exceeding the scope of textbooks,
reducing or increasing the dosage is very difficult.
​
As a Korean medicine doctor, I focused on what I could do.
While solving one by one each of the body's uncomfortable symptoms,
I said, "I apologize, but your mind is not something I can resolve. As a Korean medicine doctor, I don't fully understand my own mind either.
However, since your mind is so uncomfortable, I will at least make your body comfortable so you have a body strong enough to endure your troubled mind."
​
Perhaps my sincerity got through, and this patient has been maintaining a much more stable condition over a long period while undergoing both Western medicine and Korean medicine treatment.


✅ Action

1️⃣ Consult with a professional Korean medicine doctor
​
As a Korean medicine doctor, I do not believe depression is simply a mental illness.
It often stems from bodily imbalance.
If you only think of it as a mental illness or a problem with neurotransmitters in the brain, you will miss much.
Treating the body first rather than the mind, tailored to individual constitution and symptoms, is the starting point of Korean medicine treatment.
​
2️⃣ Establish a regular daily rhythm
​
Wake up and go to bed at the same time every day, and eat meals regularly.
It is important to maintain consistent meal times and sleep times.
When the body becomes consistent, the mind also becomes consistent.
This is essential for stabilizing brain function and reducing mental fatigue.
​
3️⃣ Experience small accomplishments
​
Rather than grandiose plans, try starting with a light walk or short reading.
Whether it rains or snows, very small activities that you can do consistently every day
and that allow you to feel a sense of accomplishment are actually far more important than you might think.
These are small but important first steps that induce positive changes in the brain.

🚨 Warning | Signals You Must Check

​The common cold of the mind has progressed beyond the flu of the mind to the pneumonia stage of the mind.

You must visit a Korean medicine clinic or hospital without delay.
✔ It is difficult to maintain daily life
Your functioning at work, school, or home life is significantly impaired, and feelings of helplessness persist.
This includes cases where it has been difficult to prepare for work for over a month or you can barely do household chores.
​
✔ You have extreme thoughts
You think "it would be better if I just disappeared."
Or you repeatedly think "I want to end everything."
​
✔ Symptoms have relapsed after stopping medication
This is when depressive mood and feelings of helplessness worsen again after stopping antidepressants.
In this case, a more fundamental treatment approach from a different perspective is needed.
​
✔ Physical symptoms are worsening
Mental problems manifest in the body, causing inability to sleep or eat properly.
If this situation persists for more than 2 weeks, it is a warning sign.
​

🧠 The Why

There is a reason why I describe depression as a "flu of the mind."
It is not simply a disease caused by weakness of mind.
​
Depression occurs due to an imbalance of neurotransmitters in the brain.
Additionally, confusion of the autonomic nervous system and the body's excessive reaction to stress also work in a complex manner.
​
Just as the flu affects the entire body, depression also affects your entire mind and body.
In particular, the limitations and side effects of drug treatment must also be considered.
​
Medication certainly helps alleviate symptoms.
However, sometimes dependence problems can arise from antidepressants, sleeping pills, or anti-anxiety medications.
Also, the possibility of relapse can increase when medication is discontinued.
​
As a Korean medicine doctor, I naturally focus on correcting bodily imbalance from a Korean medicine perspective.
By correcting the body, we correct the mind. Ultimately, the goal is to restore brain and bodily function.
​
🔚 Closing

Depression is a "flu of the mind" that can visit anyone.
However, it is by no means a disease you must bear alone.
​
I will do my best to help your mind and body regain balance and live a healthy life.
Please gather courage and extend your hand.
​
✍️ Written and reviewed by Choi Jang-hyuk, Director of Dongjjedang Korean Medicine Clinic