Ayurvedic Treatment for 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 can cause depression 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. Depression 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:

·         Vata- type;

·         Pitta-type;

·         Kapha-type depressions.

Symptoms of vata-type depression:

·         Anxeity, 

·         Irritational fears,

·         Phobias,

·         Insomnia,

·         Paranoid,

·         Incoherent speech,

·         Forgetful

Symptoms of pitta -type depressions

·         Anger,

·         Irritability,

·         Suicidal ideation,

·         Violent mindset,

·         Self-destructive behaviour,

·         Abuse of alcohol and drugs

Symptoms of kapha-type depressions:

·         Lethagy,

·         Apathy,

·         Dullness,

·         Excessive sleep,

·         Heaviness.

                                                                         Ayurvedic Treatment for Depression: 

·     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, Panayamas, meditation.

Counseling, Introspection,

Deep Relaxation techniques

Yoga Nidra 

Food and lifestyle changes:  specific to the individual’s constitution, nature of depression, social environment, nature of work and geographical conditions.