Page 572 - Total War on PTSD

neck and a feeling of fullness in his chest, as though he cannot breathe. It helps him to take in large gulps of air, and to arch his back, stretch, and release the feeling of tightness around his chest. When he experiences the heart palpitations, the constriction in his voice and in his chest, as well as the pain in his neck, all intensify. Sometimes the worsening mental anxiety and the painful bodily sensations hurl him into a full-blown panic attack. The “time” when rLung symptoms are usually at their worst is at dawn and dusk, when Lobsang feels the most anxiety. He also complains of epigastric pain, gurgling in his stomach, and acid indigestion. This happens when he forgets to eat.
During his evaluation by Dr. Jamling, I watch as she takes his pulse on his wrist and confirms that it is empty, which means it disappears with pressure. She explains that an empty pulse feels like a small bubble floating on the water.
She points out that his tongue is reddish pink and peeled, with no coating on it. There is very little to almost no moisture on his tongue. His urine reveals rLung issues as well; it is clear, watery, and tinged with a bit of a blue. His skin and hair are rough to the touch, dry, brittle, and in desperate need of some moisturizer. In Tibetan Medicine, the lungs and the skin are believed to be one single organ that suffers when there is a lack of proper circulation of rLung in the chest. When rLung is out of balance, it can cause dryness in the body.
• Dr. Jamling announces her diagnosis of rLung disturbance. She says the rLung is like the wind and can get stirred up. Lobsang’s rLung has moved
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