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Ayurveda > Ayurveda and Psychiatry
By Dr. Satish Kulkarni
Ayurved has differentiated our organs into dnyanendriye
(organs of perception) and karmendriye
(organs of action.) It has given
the special status of ubhayendriya
(organ of both, perception as well as
action) to man or manas
(mind.) Ayurved also says that
in our body-mind apparatus, our mind
controls our body and is more
important than the body. The mind is
responsible for perception, thinking,
understanding, taking the right
decisions at the right time, etc.
If the mind is sick,
then the body-mind apparatus is in
danger. When the mind is in a status
of health, it contains positive
feelings like those of love,
affection, sharing, caring, etc. Due
to improper diet and actions, the
natural state of the mind is
disturbed and these positive feelings
are driven out. They then give place
to negative feelings like those of
anger, jealousy, cruelty, laziness,
etc., which further lead to mental
disorders.
Ayurved also says
that these negative feelings are
emotional toxins. If they are not
driven out of body in a stipulated
time, they give rise to chronic
mental disorders like anxiety
neurosis, depression, etc. If this is
further ignored, it turns into
permanent mental disorders like unmad
(unreasonable and irrational
state of mind, for example,
hysteria.) Ayurved has also
included apasmara (epilepsy)
in the category of mental disorders.
As for the causes, ayurved
mentions improper diet, actions
committed in this birth, bad deeds
done in the last birth, physical
illnesses and overindulgence in sex.
It also includes severe mental or
physical stress and unfavourable
personal, familial and social
environment in the causes of mental
disorders. All these hamper the
natural vitality of a person and lead
to disturbed health.
A person suffering from
mental disorders becomes incapable of
conducting himself/herself according
to situational demands and social
norms. He/she has visual or aural
hallucinations instead of coherent
thoughts. Social withdrawal,
antisocial behaviour or extreme
violence on the personal, family or
social level is seen. A few physical
symptoms like tremors, irregular
eyeball movements, oblivion of one’s
own body, excessive perspiration and
salivation may accompany these
behavioural aberrations. Seeking
attention and avoiding attention are
two extremes of the mental pendulum.
All the in-between stages like
diverting attention, distracting
attention, etc. are seen in various
mental or psychosomatic disorders.
Purposeless movements or compulsive,
obsessive movements can also be
observed at times.
For the treatment of
these disorders, ayurved has
prescribed a list of herbs and
shrubs. Cooling medicines prepared
from rose, khus, brahmi,
kevada (pandanus
odoratissimus) etc., as well as
mixtures such as gulkand (rose
petals treated with crystal sugar and
sunlight), chyavan prash or
morawala (a mixture made from amla
i.e. emblica officinalis, sugar,
etc.) are recommended to keep the
mind balanced, fresh and active.
Almonds are also
beneficial. Badampak (a
mixture made from almonds, butter/ghee,
sugar, etc.) is a very good mental
tonic and should be given as per the ayurvedic
physician’s advice.
Ayurved also
strongly recommends avoiding alcohol,
tobacco, marijuana and other
intoxicating substances. This is a
very important part of the treatment.
Very hot, spicy food and too much of
non-vegetarian items should also be
avoided. Cow milk, homemade ghee
(preferably made from cow milk),
apples, pineapples, grapes, etc. are
recommended because they enhance
mental strength and vitality.
General hygiene
maintained by taking a daily bath and
changing one’s clothes regularly
is also recommended. Social
interaction is advisable and the
patient is encouraged to keep
himself/herself busy in some
productive activity. Negative
feelings should be kept away by
involving the patient in religious or
social thoughts and activities.
Positive thinking, support from
family members and a moderate
response to the patient’s mental
tempers and tantrums helps the
patient and gives him/her space for
recovering from the illness. To
regain one’s social position and
lead a normal life again is a
difficult task but not impossible. It
can be achieved with the help of
family members.
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