ngmatthews: October 4, 2021, 5:15pm
In the spectrum of emotional states that we associate with the 6 conformations in Saam, where do we see
pessimism and worry and lack of initiative showing up? Seems like Spleen-ish stuff, but not absolutely sure. This
is in a skinny dry man with leg numbness up to the knees. He also has symptoms of dampness affecting his ear in
the sense that he has a clogged feeling there with loss of hearing. He wakes with a logy feeling in his head in the
morning. It is confusing to me to see someone who appears to be a LI type who has so much internal dampness.
Shanlarson: July 8, 2019, 7:40pm
Just throwing out a thought. I wonder if he is St XS. Maybe the numbness and foggy head are more dampness on
the exterior with him being really dry inside. I just remember either reading in this forum or from the St Louis class
it said that the dx damp/dry exterior/interior can be a little more gray and what exactly constitutes exterior can vary.
ngmatthews: October 4, 2021, 5:15pm
This is very helpful. I do remember Toby saying something like that in STL.
When people are in their 70s they get dry and wrinkled, I think regardless of whatever their skin used to be like. He
said to treat in terms of how they look today. This man did not tell me anything about this ear and heaviness in the
head till today, his last treatment. I ve known him for years and his whining doubts and pessimism are the same as
ever. But he certainly has dried out on the exterior. Ears and sinuses seem outside, but they can be inside I know
that Toby said whole leg numbness is damp inside, but in a skinny, dry skinned doubtful worrying guy, it is
confusing. He has no change from any of the treatments I ve done with him so far, which began with Earth/Metal
dynamics, included SI, and Ki tonification. He has had this numbness beginning 20 years ago and it climbs higher.
He is concerned about how he ll walk in his 80s. His feet are icy cold all the time, which I why I used Kidney last
visit. I had also used SI to see if moving things made any difference.
So it seems that we are saying that he has a lot of internal dampness and external dryness, even though he is skinny
as heck. That is what is confusing here. So I d supplement Stomach. Which is what I did today.
ngmatthews: October 4, 2021, 5:15pm
Sorry, @Shanlarson I guess we disagree, but I appreciated you thinking it through with me 26/01/2024, 12:02Pessimism and Worry – Sa’am Clinical Questions – Qiological Community
https://forum.qiological.com/t/pessimism-and-worry/356/print2/3
Shanlarson: July 8, 2019, 9:22pm
All good. Just throwing ideas out there : ) but I was more thinking tonifying the LU. The idea is that is is dry inside
and wet on outside (a ST XS)
Shanlarson: July 8, 2019, 9:30pm
Just to elaborate on my thinking. He is skinny as heck is the dry inside and numbness/ foggy head being the
external damp presentation and if he had money issues that down on your luck, never works out for him being
the pessimism.
KristinWisgirda: July 8, 2019, 11:12pm
It is common to have puddles of damp in very double dry patients. There is barely any water in the river, so it is
just going to stagnate in some places.
If the symptoms of damp are more moderate or mild, you can supplement the Spleen. That sometimes can be
enough to get the river flowing again to move out the stagnant fluids. If the damp ness is creating an emergency,
you can consider supplementing St or LI. I ve seen Toby supplement LI in an extremely dry skinned very thin
woman with an abscessed tooth and necrotic bone. He decided that one treatment of strong damp drying was worth
it to try to save the tooth and bone. He recommended following that up with a Spleen+ treatment.
For the pessimism and lack of initiative, besides addressing the fluid dynamics, is there a need for SJ brightness or
an infusion of qi via a Lung+ treatment?
ngmatthews: October 4, 2021, 5:15pm
I understand. However, he has enough money to have purchased a retirement condo in Arizona with cash, drives a
Volvo, and has very nice clothes. Even during casual days he is nicely dressed. I think he has been very
parsimonious. He did not earn a great deal of money, but did pretty well, working at ACT in a management
position for many years. He is not a fat cat by any means. So, I think the difference in our opinions about him is
exactly why I have presented this case. I have been confused about whether to see the stuffy ear damp and whole
leg numbness as interior OR exterior dampness. Confusing, nes pas?
KristinWisgirda: July 8, 2019, 11:28pm
26/01/2024, 12:02Pessimism and Worry – Sa’am Clinical Questions – Qiological Community
https://forum.qiological.com/t/pessimism-and-worry/356/print3/3
ngmatthews:
think he has been very parsimonious.
I ask well-to-patients of a certain body type if they have any anxiety about money or resources. Sometimes the
answer is a clear yes. I preface it with it doesn t matter how much money you make .
amyjenner: July 11, 2019, 12:42am
if the feet are cold, is there any heat sign above? another indication for SJ
ngmatthews: October 4, 2021, 5:15pm
Not really any heat signs. Sometimes face is a bit flushed after acupuncture but he does not report headaches or any
other heat signs.
ngmatthews: October 4, 2021, 5:15pm
I like the idea of SJ for pessimism. I recently had a severely depressed man who came to try out acupuncture for
his depression. He had one session. When he was leaving after a SJ + he looked radiant and said he had not felt that
good in 30 years. Unfortunately he did not rebook. So I have seen SJ really help a severe LV excess