According to the theory of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) , human beings have five basic emotions: joy, anger, sorrow, thinking, and fear. These five emotions are believed to correspond to the five elements, and their interactions can be explained by the principles of mutual generation and mutual restriction. Based on this framework, the theory of "Certain emotion generates certain emotion" and "certain emotion controls certain emotion" has been developed. For instance, fear generates anger, anger generates joy, joy generates thought, and thought generates sorrow; similarly, joy can overcome worry, anger can overcome overthinking, sorrow can overcome anger, fear can overcome joy, and thought can overcome fear.In light of these principles, this paper explores therapeutic applications for depression. Since patients with depression often suffer from excessive rumination and sadness, the controlled release of anger may serve as a potential intervention. Proper emotional catharsis can stimulate the courage and determination required to face difficulties, while also preventing avoidance and fear caused by prolonged suppression of anger. By combining classical Chinese medical theories with modern psychology, this paper proposes a novel paradigm for emotion regulation. We hope that TCM psychology will receive greater attention and form a complementary relationship with Western psychology, thereby contributing to the promotion of mental health and human well-being worldwide.
WEI Xiaoman
,
YUAN Mengqi
,
WAN Bei
,
GU Simeng
,
WANG Fushun
. The Application of Traditional Emotion Theory of Using Certain Emotion Controls Other Emotion in Anger Against Depression[J]. Psychological Communications, 2025
, 8(4)
: 315
-321
.
DOI: 10.12100/j.issn.2096-5494.225043
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