I’m going to ask you a list of questions and all you need to do is answer yes or no for each question.
- Do you find yourself feeling irritable when little things go wrong?
- Do you sometimes over-react or feel overly sensitive to others’ remarks?
- Do you like your routine and having everything in its place?
- Do you fret about being late and feel annoyed when others keep you waiting?
- Does travelling on planes make you anxious?
- Do you hate separations, such as having a loved one leave town for a few days?
- Do you find yourself feeling jealous, and causing conflict in your relationship?
If these patterns sound familiar to you and you answered “yes” to the majority of these questions, you might be a “gall bladder” person. Specific personality traits are associated with imbalances in particular organs. In Chinese medicine, practitioners consider emotions and traits along with physical symptoms, when assessing patients.
Pierre Barral is an osteopathic physician who developed a manual method of treating organs. He wrote the book “Understanding the Messages of Your Body,” which outlines physical and emotional patterns associated with each organ. Here we are focusing on the gall bladder.
The Gall Bladder and You
Okay so what’s the gall bladder (Gb)? The Gb sits under the liver on the right side of your upper abdomen. In Chinese medicine, the Gb is like the liver in that both organs are associated with anger when imbalanced. When the Gb is healthy, a person will feel a passion for life and is able to be assertive and feel inspired. Stress on Gb may show up as resentment and irritability, as well as physical symptoms (see below). For more information from a Chinese medicine perspective, check out the website: https://www.chinesemedicineliving.com/medicine/
And what’s a “gall bladder person?” Gb persons tend to worry about mundane everyday matters, such as obsessing over whether they remembered to lock the door. They also have a strong preference for routine and predictability, having everything in its place. This person tends to be annoyed easily. Test taking is stressful for this personality.
Persons with gall bladder (Gb) issues are punctual and become irritable when others keep them waiting. Jealousy can show up in relationships, and separations from loved ones are especially hard on these individuals. In addition, they will tend to get their feelings hurt and be overly sensitive to criticism or perceived slights.
Physical signs of gall bladder stress include:
- Nausea – sometimes vomiting & trouble digesting fatty foods.
- Stomach aches 30-60 minutes after a meal.
- Feeling repelled by smells of fatty dishes or strong cooking odors.
- Hypersensitivity to sunlight.
- Pain in the neck or right shoulder.
- Discomfort under the front, right side of your ribs.
- Unusual smell of apple or acetone on your breath.
- Yellowing of skin or eyes (jaundice).
If you’re struggling with any of the traits or physical signs of stress listed above, here are some ways you can bring more balance to your GB.
- Breathing exercises.
- Meditation.
- Exercise, especially the sides of the body (e.g., side stretches) to stimulate Gb meridians (acupuncture pathways).
- Gentle circular massage at upper right abdomen, under lower ribs. If you are doing it correctly, you might notice your mouth watering.
- Avoid foods such as: chocolate, cooked creams, and sulfite preservatives (e.g. wine).
- Counseling can help you to find healthy ways to express feelings, especially related to anger or resentment, and to set healthy boundaries.
Somatic therapy is especially useful in helping our bodies and mind release old compensation patterns and let go of stored tensions or old beliefs. If you resonated with any of the information above and you’re curious about how somatic therapy can help you to feel healthier and more at ease, reach out to us at Somatic Therapy Partners for a free phone consult!