How to treat depression
How To Treat Depression
Depression:
Depression is a common illness all over the world. Most people often pay less attention and seek medical advice for this illness. Depression is described as a brain disorder, which affects a person’s mood, and thus interferes with the person’s daily life, thus making such person have awkward feelings like being sad, blue, unhappy, miserable, or down. In general, having an awkward feeling.
Causes:
The major causes of depression are genetics, biological, environmental, and psychological factors.
Other factors that add to the causes include;
Alcohol or drug abuse,
Sleeping disorders,
Stressful events
Ayurvedic Treatment for Depression:
In Ayurveda, depression is called Vishada or avasada, and it is caused due to aggravated physiological imbalances. It is an illness that infiltrates the body system, and when such happens, it affects the way a person feels about things and situations. It also affects how such human thinks and how the brain responds. It’s a mental disease coupled with body processes. In Ayurveda, it is believed that depression results from vitiated doshas in the brain, as – the prana vayu, sadhaka pitta, and trapaka kapha, which suppresses Ojus leading to loss of desire to participate in ones life’s activities.
The three types of doshas which can give rise to depression are;
Symptoms of Vata-type depression
- Anxiety
- Irritational fears
- Phobias
- Insomnia
- Paranoid
- Incoherent speech
- Forgetful
Symptoms of pitta -type depression
- Anger
- Irritability
- Suicidal ideation
- Violent mindset
- Self-destructive behavior
- Abuse of alcohol and drugs
Symptoms of kapha-type depression
- Lethargy
- Apathy
- Dullness
- Excessive sleep
Treatment:
Ayurvedic Treatment :
Line of treatment:
- Ayurveda believes removing or staying away from the cause is half the treatments, so analyzing and rooting out the cause for depression is the main line of treatments, in association with change in thought process, counseling.
- Correcting the imbalanced Doshas.
- Strengthening the Ojus.
Treatments – The treatment modalities includes panchakarma, external therapies, internal medications, Activities, Advice of food and life style changes.
Panchakarma – Vamana, Virechana, Basti, Nasya
Externally – Shirodhara, Shiro Basthi, Shiro pichu, Abhyanga
Internally – Medhya rasayana – as Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera), Brahmi (Bacopa monneri), Vacha(Acorus calamus), Shankhapushpi, Jatamamsi (Nardostachys Jatamansi)
Activities:
Specific Asanas, Pranayamas, meditation.
Counseling, Introspection,
Deep Relaxation techniques
Yoga Nidra
Food and lifestyle changes: specific to the individual’s constitution, nature of ailment, social environment, nature of work and geographical conditions.
