Psychiatry in AYURVEDA

Dr Abhinandan Patil. (M.D.)

Islampur , sangli Dist
Maharashtra India
drabhinandanpatil@gmail.com

• Quick tour of Ayurvedic Medicine and its contribution to clinical psychiatric

care.
• Outline a conceptual framework relevant to Ayurveda.
• Review specific Ayurvedic treatments which show promise in alleviating p
sychological distress

Ayurveda
• Ayurveda is the traditional health and healing system of India
• --- more than 5000 years old.
• --- In Sanskrit, Ayurveda means “knowledge or science of living.”
• ---primary focus on preventing illness & maximizing health, vitality ,
longevity
Basic principles of Ayurveda
• all things in the universe--including human beings--are made of 5 great BHUTAS:
space, air, fire, water & earth.
• to form 3 Great Doshas or Life-Forces: Vata, Pitta, and Kapha
• each Dosha manifests simultaneously as body, mind and spirit.
• So each Dosha has specific expressions on the somatic level , mental level, and
on even more subtle energetic levels.

1) VATA DOSHA manifests as all that moves,

2) PITTA DOSHA manifests as all that heats or transforms,
3) KAPHA DOSHA manifests as all that binds

Dosha imbalance leads to disease

• e.g. in depression
• One whose constitution is predominantly Vata manifests his distress In sx c
haracteristic of Vata excess; anxiety, insomnia, wt loss & psychomotor agit
ation.
• The other is a Kapha type by constitution,and manifests symptoms indicative of
a kapha imbalance: Anhedonia, apathy, hyperphagia and psychomotor slowing.
• In western medicine, both symptom meet criteria for Major Depressive Disorder,
and both might be started on the antidepressant medication.
• In Ayurveda, the remedy for each person would be quite different, targeting an
entirely different Dosha.

• So for the person with Kapha excess in the previous slide, he would be encourag
ed to undertake a range of remedies designed to lower the Kapha dosha. These m
ight include:
• switching to a light spicy, vegetarian diet with lots of greens
• specific yoga postures & breathing techniques
• massage with Kapha-reducing oils
• The idea of treatment is to create the right context to regain Doshic equilib
rium
Bhutavidya- Ayurvedic Psychiatry
• This branch of Ashtang Ayurveda namely BHUT-VIDYA, (psychology and psychiatry) d
eals mainly with imbalance of the mind, diseases resulting from that and treatme
nt for the same.
• References scattered
Mana – Psyche
Karma (Functions)

Manovikara or Mental disorders can be defined as abnormal mental conditions

Impairment of Manas Karma,
Impairment in different aspects of
Manas,
Mano Gunas
• Three axiomatic attributes that are inherent to mano gunas (subtle)
Sattva – pure, clear, harmony
Rajas – dynamic movement, agitation
Tamas – dullness
Manasa Roga Causes
Manasika Bhavas (Emotional causes)
Other Causes
• Predominance of Rajas & Tamas
• Heena Satva ( mental strength- capability of bearing difficulties with ease resi
stance to disease)
• Intake of unwholesome & Unclean diet
• Neglecting prescribed dietetic rules
• Stress
• Emaciation due to other diseases

Mental-disorders in Ayurveda
• Unmada
• Apasmara
• Vishada
• Chittodvega
• Madatyaya
• Atattavabhinivesha
Lakshanas (? M.S.E.)
Vibhramsha ( unsettled condition)of 8 faculties like
• ManoVibhrama- thinking, perception
• Buddhhi Vibhrama – judgement, intelligence
• Samjna Jnana – consciousness
• Smrti – memory

• Bhaktirichha
• Sheela - Akrodhino Krodhino Bhavathi
• Cheshta- psychomotor activity, speech
• Achara- General behavior and conduct
• Almost all psychiatric disorders are discussed under UNMADA
• Types of Unmada
Vatonmada
• Sense of emptiness in head
• Noises in the ears
• Irrelevant talk, Continuous and inappropriate smiling singing, dancing, laughing
, playing on instruments with loud imitation of sounds of flute, cymbal with the
help of his hands
• Attempts to ride on animals not used for the purpose
• Less self care
• Mannerism
• Preoccupied, apprehensive, anxious
Pittonmada
• He is fond of panegyrics, songs and music
• Has passion for others wives
• Excitement at wrong place associated with irritability and anger
• Impatient and attempts at violence
• Shows strength, power and energy
• Appears to be considerably increased speech, grasp, memory, understanding, knowl
edge etc.,
Kaphonmada
• Heaviness in body
• Loss of interest
• loves solitude
• mute
• Anorexia and no desire for food
• Hates cleanliness
• Decreased psychomotor activity
Treatment
• Daivavyapasraya (Divine therapy or Treatment by faith)
• Yukthivyapasraya (scientific therapy or treatment upon reasoning)
• Sattvavajaya (Psycho therapy).
Daivavyapasraya
• used in the sense of karmas, which are related to our previous life.
• Daivavyapasraya method creates confidence and removes the fearing and pessimisti
c tendencies.
• “Mantra (e.g. Gayatri Mantra), Aushadha, Mani, Mangala, Bali, Upahara, Homa, Niyam
a, Prayaschitha, Upavasa, Swasthyayana Pranipata and Yathragamana
Yukthivyapasraya
• Shodhana chikitsa- purificatory process – Panchkarma
• Shamana Chikitsa- palliative therapy - various Herbal and herbomineral drugs.
(mainly ghee preparations)
Procedures like Shirodhara, Shirobasti, Abhyanga, Anjana, Dhoopana – are useful.
Satvaavajaya Chikitsa
• 5 components
• Dnyaana (Self analysis)
• Vidnyaana (specific information)
• Dhairya (reassurance)
• Smriti (Remember the happy moments )
• Samadhi (Meditation -yoga)
Panchkarma
• Snehana with medicated Ghee (5-7 days)
• Swedana (body massage + steam therapy for 1-3 days)

• Vamana – best for kapha disorder

• Virechana – best for pitta disorders
• Basti – best for Vata disorders
• Nasya
• Rakta mokshana

• Ghrita:
• Kushmanda Ghrit
• Panchagavya Ghrita
• Vachadi Ghrita
• Kalyanaka Ghrita
• lashunadi ghrita
• Mahacaitasa Ghrita etc.
• Asava n Arishta
• Ashwagandharishta
• Draksharishta

Why Ghee preparations?

• Lipid media -
• Home made ghee should be used
• Adequate PUFA
• Mandukparni (Centella asiatica)
• Shankapushpi (Convolvulus pluricaulis )
• Yastimadhu (Glycyrrhiza glabra.linn)
• Sarpagandha (Rauwolfia serpentina)
• Jyotishmati (Celastrus panniculatus)
• Guduchi (Tinospora cardifolia)
• Vacha (Acorus calamus)
• Amalaki (Emblica officinalis )
• Jatamansi (Nordostachys jatamamsi)
• Kushta (Saussurea lappa )
• Lashuna (Allium sativum)
• Nirgundi, Devadaru, Sarshapam, Hingu
Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera)
• anxiety neurosis
• reduction of plasma cortisol
• antidepressant and psychotropic activity of W. somnifera is reported
• ethanol withdrawal anxiety
• could be effective in preventing neuroleptic-induced extrapyramidal side effect
• In classical Ayurveda texts, two groups of herbs--the Medhya and Vajikarana herb
s--comprise the most common botanical remedies for neuropsychiatric ailments.
• According to tradition, medhya herbs provide special nourishment to neuronal tis
sue and are thus used to enhance memory, cognition, and coping with psychologica
l disturbance.
• Medhya herbs include brahmi , mandukaparni , shankapushpi , ashwagandha , sarpag
andha , jatamansi and vacha.
• The vajikarana herbs are said to enhance libido, vigor and zest for life; tradit
ionally, these herbs are used as both aphrodisiacs and antidepressants.
NIMHANS’ Centre for Ayurveda
• CCRAS started Advanced Centre for Ayurveda in Mental Health and Neuro Sciences.
• The Ayurvedic services are offered on both out-patient and in-patient basis.
• The treatment consists of administration of Ayurvedic medications along with pan
chakarma therapies like massage, patrapotalasveda and sirodhara, etc.

• The activities over the years have shown that Ayurveda can certainly contribute
to the effective management of various psychiatric disorders.
REFERENCES
Caraka Samhitha
Sushrutha Samhitha
Astanga Hrudaya
Astanga Sangraha
Maadhava Nidana
Ayurvedeeya Padaartha Darshana
Psychopathology in Indian Medicine –Satyapal Gupta
Ayurvedic Management of Unmada – CCRAS