THE WILLIS PROTOCOLS: EXCESS vs. DEFICIENT CONSTITUTIONS
by Carol Willis, MA
(C) Copyright by Carol Willis, 2004-2005. All rights Reserved.
[Permission is granted to forward this article only in its entirety to individual friends. Please request permission of a list owner before posting it to an e-list. Please write for author's permission before publishing it to a website or hardcopy periodical. cbwillis@lightlink.com ]
["The Willis Protocols" are a series of thematic articles on natural healing and wellness, documenting what has worked for me over the years, together with my notes on underlying fundamentals and rationale. Disclaimer: I am NOT a doctor. The following should be taken as the speculative writing of a layman and personal history only. - CBW]
A FUNDAMENTAL DISTINCTION
In traditional chinese medicine (TCM), there is a basic differentiation between "excess" vs. "deficient" constitutions. Excess vs. deficiency is a question of degree as well as a difference of kind. Based on this very fundamental distinction, much follows regarding a person's tendencies and what's needed to best care for them. Conversely, ignorance of this fundamental distinction can easily be a setup for ineffective care or even outright harm. Therefore, excess vs. deficient is good to know about and keep in view as a basic consideration.
We can model, plot, or depict excess vs. deficiency, as well as the degree of excess or deficiency, on a scale as follows:
-10 .......-5 ...... |
-1.. 0 ..+1 |
....... +5 .......+10 |
|
Balanced |
|
We could graph a person on the above scale in two ways:
1) on an absolute basis or
2) in comparison to others his same age.
We're dealing to some degree with observable characteristics, and to some degree with one's intuitive sense of of their own energy level and strength, compared to some ideal (or an ideal for one's age), and intuitively compared to others one's own age. Despite some vagueness and confusion here, a rough sense of where one falls on the scale of excess to deficient can be useful to keep in view - useful for both the person himself and his health professionals. The person's own awareness of his tendencies and present state empowers him. Seeing where he is now is a prerequisite for moving to more ideal or balanced states of health, and later for appreciation of positive shifts. Such appreciation reinforces positive changes made, by comparison of the person's former state and consequences of being in that state, with his present state and its likely consequences.
CHARACTERISTICS OF EXCESS
Clues to the excess constitution may include any of the following more or less lifelong tendencies:
- high energy.
- physically active on his own initiative.
- naturally muscular, strong.
- athletic.
- extroverted.
- loud, big voice.
- needs less than average amount of sleep.
- depression involving stuckness.
- high cortisol.
- high testosterone.
- high DHEA.
- migraine headaches.
- high iron levels.
- high blood pressure.
- aggressive personality.
- hyperactive, restless, lots of energy needing outlets.
I would give most emphasis to the first characteristics listed for a quick assessment that is correct almost always. An excess constitution can ride on its strength early in life, push the limits, disregard normal guidelines, be less sensitive to pain, and appear to be deceptively well and strong until more serious degenerative changes catch up with the person in midlife to later life; when this happens, the excess constitution may begin acting more like a deficient constitution in some respects. At that point, a mixed approach will need to be taken, respecting the person's basic excess, but allowing for greater sensitivity and new limits.
CHARACTERISTICS OF DEFICIENCY
- low energy.
- low adrenal reserve, low cortisol.
- introverted.
- flabby, weak, difficulty developing muscle.
- poor endurance.
- not athletic.
- shy, anxious, worrier.
- softer, smaller voice.
- needs average or more than average amount of sleep.
- wakes up tired, unrefreshed by sleep.
- hypothyroid.
- anemia.
- tends toward fatigue, hard to keep up, compete.
- low blood pressure.
- avoids physical activity, sedentary.
- works or plays quietly.
- low reserves of energy in emergency.
- depression from low energy.
The deficient constitution struggles to keep up with everyone else his entire life. Lower physical energy allows him to compete in life just so far before he must defer to those with stronger constitutions. He always has to take his actual and likely energy levels into account in his planning and commitments. If and when the deficient type learns how to best care for himself, and if he actually applies what he knows, and these are very big "if's," he may get a second wind somewhere in midlife and move toward older age with fewer dramatic crises than the excess constitution.
CARE FOR THE DIFFERENT CONSTITUTIONS
Deficient constitutions tend to be sensitive to supplements/herbs/medications/homeopathics/etc. They can perceive effects early on, and may need low or extremely low doses. Normal or high doses are often harmful to them, except for antibiotics if these are ever truly needed, and then the early, more traditional antibiotics seem better tolerated. They are sensitive to anesthetic and may take twice as long to come around after surgery. Pain medications may make them weak or sleepy, unable to sit, walk or drive, and should be minimized after surgery. Deficient constitutions can be harmed by high dose homeopathic remedies. They are likely to find the side effects of many medications to be untenable. Too much western or Chinese liver cleansing or dredging, while occasionally needed, will flatten them in short order. Tonification herbs can be very helpful. Persons of deficient constitution benefit from gentle, natural methods where possible, learning how to build up strength in the system, and at the same time learning to not inadvertently erode or dissipate strength in the system, as this would be a case of one hand giving and the other hand taking away. The deficient constitution needs more time for sleep and general recovery from life stresses.
Excess constitutions can handle higher amounts of everything, and will have fewer immediate side effects, and sometimes no apparent side effects of medications. However there may be harm that is just not noticed due to high energy level and barreling ahead in life. In using herbs with excess constitutions, more can usually be used and need to be used in order to have any perceptible effect, though starting low and working up is the safest route. High doses of homeopathic remedies can sometimes be used with excess constitution owing to the higher vital force, but 30C potency can still be effective and a good place to begin. The excess constitution needs less sleep and is faster to come out of anesthetic and generally rebound from life stresses. If they get stuck emotionally, releasing excess charge from the liver meridian with TCM herbs may help to rebalance. Generally the approach will be to drain excess, calm, and balance.
Awareness of the excess vs. deficient constitutions will be useful in some of the other topics in this series.
Carol Willis
cbwillis@lightlink.com
January 28, 2004
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