Inside our body, there is an important organ related to courage and decisiveness. That is the gallbladder. While modern medicine simply calls it the gallbladder, the Donguibogam describes this gallbladder as the official of neutrality, explaining that it takes on the crucial role of judging and deciding all matters. Just like the head of a household or the CEO of a company, it clearly makes decisions large and small, and maintains emotional balance. A healthy gallbladder provides the center that remains unshaken in any situation, giving us the strength to make bold decisions.
However, what happens when this gallbladder qi weakens? You become anxious even over small things, your heart grows nervous, and making any decision becomes exceedingly difficult. Like a ship that has lost its balance, you sway this way and that, becoming trapped in thoughts of just in case and repeating the same actions. Constantly doubting whether you locked the door, checked the gas valve, or turned off the lights, and checking them yet again out of anxiety may be symptoms that arise because the gallbladder has weakened. The gallbladder is like a solid pillar of our mind, so when this pillar shakes, our entire mind can fall into a swamp of anxiety. The Donguibogam expresses this weakened state of gallbladder function as gallbladder qi deficiency with timidity, which means a state where the gallbladder qi is weak and fearful. It was viewed that in such a state, an overall psychological instability can appear, such as being unable to sleep well at night, being startled by small sounds, and having dreams filled with anxious and uneasy content. Therefore, it was understood as playing a core role in controlling our mental and emotional state, going beyond simply being a physical organ issue. In this way, managing gallbladder qi can be the first step in breaking free from obsessive thoughts and repetitive behaviors.
