Integrative Approaches to Mental health

28-30th May, 2015 First Latvia-India
International Scientific Network
INTEGRATIVE APPROACHES TO
MENTAL HEALTH IN AYURVEDA
Dr. J.S.R. Anjaneya Prasad,
Associate Professor & Head,
Department of Sanskrit Studies
University of Hyderabad

Objectives

Health

Mental Health

Disease

Mental Disorders

Prevention

Integrative approach to Mental disorders

Discussion

1. AYURVEDA

What is Ayurveda?

The science which tells us about 'Ayus' is called
'Ayurveda.'

What is Ayus?
a) Continuous flow of vital energy in the body
b) The conjunction of the 'body,' 'senses,' 'mind,'
and 'soul' is called 'life' whereas their disjunction
is known as 'death.'

Causal relation is observed between the
cognitive process and sense perception

Why Ayurveda?

Goal of Ayurveda?
“The first and foremost goal of this science is to help
maintain the health of a healthy individual and bring the
state of equilibrium of the diseased.”

Ayurveda is a 'patient centric' medical science than a
'disease centric' science. Subsequently this gives rise to
the concept of 'holism.'

The fundamental doctrine is called 'tridosha'

Eight limbs of Ayurveda
1.Internal Medicine
2. Surgery
3. ENT
4. Gynaecology&Paediatrics
5. Toxicology
6. Psychiatry
7. Rejuvenation
8. Aphrodisiacs

2. DEFINTION OF HEALTH

Definition of Health
One who is observed to be maintaining the
equilibrium of all doshas, metabolic fire, seven
tissues, three wastes, plesant state of the soul,
senses and mind is called a 'healthy person.'
Hence, 'man' is not merely a material body, but a
complex combination of the mind, soul,
senses and body.

Australian Aboriginal people generally define
health thus “…Health does not just mean the
physical well-being of the individual but refers to
the social, emotional, spiritual and cultural well-
being of the whole community. This is a whole
of life view and includes the cyclical concept of
life-death-life.”
http://www.who.int/bulletin/bulletin_board/83/ustun110

Tripod of Life
Mind, soul and body these three are considered
like a tripod. Entire world is sustained by their
combination. They constitute the substratum of
everything.

Interrelation of Mental & Physical
Health
SukhAyus – Happy Life
DuhkhAyus – Unhappy
Life
HitAyus – Useful Life
AhitAyus – Harmful
Life

SukhAyus (Happy Life)

SukhAyu (happy man) is the one who is not afflicted
with two types of diseases
SukhAyu Is the one endowed with the following:

Youth, enthusiasm, strength, virility, reputation,
manliness, boldness, knowledge of arts and
sciences, ability of the sense organs, riches, various
luxurious articles for enjoyment, progressive in all
aspects

He, who is endowed with such qualities, leads a
perfect 'happy' life.

DuhkhAyus (Unhappy Life)
'Quite contrary to the traits described before!'

HitAyus (Useful Life)
Who is called a HitAyu?

Well-wishers of all creatures, who do not aspire for the
wealth of others, truthful, peace loving, who examine
things before acting upon them, vigilant, who enjoy the
three important desires of life, who respect superiors,
who are endowed with the knowledge of arts, sciences
and tranquility, who serve the elders, who have full
control over – passion, anger, envy, pride and prestige,
who are constantly given to charity, meditation,
acquisition of knowledge and quite life, who have full
knowledge of the spiritual power and are devoted to it,
who makes efforts both for existing as well as the next
life, endowed with memory and intelligence.


AhitAyus (Harmful Life)
'Quite contrary to the traits described before!'

Ethical behavior has been linked with promotion of
good health. Unethical behavioral tendencies have
been described as that which creates imbalances in
the body. Indeed, seen from a modern perspective
undesirable behavior has been seen to produce a
whole lot of disturbed endocrinological, nervine
and enzymatic imbalances in the body.

3. DISEASE IN AYURVEDA

Disease
Diseases mainly occur because of imbalance in the
three doshas.
Three primordial factors of disease are described in
Caraka Samhita.
Volitional Transgression Contact with incompatible
sense objects
Spatio-temporal changes,
Aging etc.

'Volitional transgression' held the root cause of any
disease at material and spiritual levels
Irregular lifestyle is the prime culprit in affliction of
diseases.
However, 'Duhkha' is the direct cause of diseases
having considered the volitional transgression.

VOLITIONAL
TRANSGRESSION
CONTACT WITH
INCOMPATIBLE SENSE
OBJECTS
SPATIO-
TEMPORAL
CHANGES
AGING etc.
DISEASE

Disease Cycle
Volitional
Transgression
Irregular
Lifestyle
'Duhkha'
Disease

An Analogy in Kathopanishad
'Know the Self to be sitting in the chariot, the body
to be the chariot, the intellect (buddhi) the
charioteer, and the mind the reins (F. Max
Muller 1879).

Disease Types
CARAKA

Natural

Accidental
SUSRTA

Diseases due to injuries

Diseases due to vitiation
in three humors

Diseases due to three
primary factors of
psyche

Diseases due to aging
etc.

4. MENTAL DISORDERS

Mental Disorders
1. Anxiety
2. Binge eating disorder
3. Depression
4. OCD
5. PTSD
6. Schizophrenia
7. Stress

Disease vs Natural Urges
Food, sleep and celibacy are the three sub-pillars
of life
Suppressible and non-suppressible urges
(Dharaniya – Adharaniya Vegas)
Ayurveda strongly recommends non-suppression
of natural urges

Urine
Faeces
Discharge of semen
Passing flatus
Vomit
Sneeze
Belching
Yawning
Hunger
Thirst
Sleep
Tears
Urge of deep breath on
exertion
Non-suppressible Urges

Fear
Greed
Pride
Grief
Anger
Envy
Over attachment
Negative think about
Suppressible Urges

4. INTEGRATIVE APPROACH TO
MENTAL HEALTH –
PREVENTIVE ASPECTS

“The doctor of the future will give no medicine, but
will instruct his patient in the care of the human
frame, in diet and in the cause and prevention of
disease”- Thomas Alva Edison (1847-1931)

Pointers for Integration

Ahara -Diet

Sadvritta – Ethical living

Achararasayana – Rejuvenation through
behavioral modifications

Daivavyapashraya cikitsa -Faith healing

Vihara – Lifestyle

Yoga philosophy

Importance of Food
Medicines are unnecessary for the patient who
takes care of food habbits - Medicines are
unnecessary for the patient who do not care his
food habbits.
Consumption of incompatible foods is the prime
cause in context of mental disorders.

Three types of food has been described in Bhagavad
Gita:
1. Sattvika 2. Rajasika and 3. Tamasika
The Sattvika foods basically are light in nature, easy to
digest and nourishing. The Rajasika foods are
stimulating. The Tamasika foods are heavy and
difficult to digest.

The Sattvika food nourishes the mind towards
Joy
Contentment and
Enlightenment
For instance - Milk, fresh fruits, ghee, whole grains
etc.

The Rajasika foods feed the instincts of
Desire
Aggression and
Jealousy
onion garlic, chillies, eggs and fish etc. increase
rajasika trait.

The Tamasika foods generate:
Grief
Depression
Fear
Withdrawn behavior and
Lethargy
Fermented foods, stale foods, leftovers increase the
above traits. Consuming stale food and decayed food
has been stated as a cause for Maniac disorders and
epilepsy. Dyspepsia and indigestion are mentioned
as some of the Purvarupas of psychosis (Unmada).

Prescribed Foods:
Shashtika rice
Shali rice
Mudga (Mung bean)
Saindhava (Rock Salt)
Amalaka (Indian gooseberry)
Barley flour
Antariksha Jala (Rain water)
ksheera (Milk)
Jangala mamsa (flesh of animals found in dry
areas)
Madhu (Honey)


Old Ghee (older than 10 years) is recommended for
psychosis.

Old ghee and meat are recommended to improve
intelligence and memory.

Different medicinal compositions for psychosis
make use of food items like garlic, Hing
(Asafoetida), dry ginger, pepper, turmeric, yellow
mustard, etc.

Prevention and cure of mental disorders is not
accomplished without positive behavioral
modifications and including of ethics and courteous
life. The negative tendencies (Rajasika and
Tamasika) gradually diminish when the positive
tendencies (Sattvika) are consciously practiced.
Suppressive urges are the general negative mental
urges which need to be controlled to prevent mental
disorders
ETHICAL LIVING

Extremely harsh speech, spreading rumors, lying and
untimely talk are the negative urges related to speech
and these need to be controlled for mental well
being.
Also, torturing others, stealing and violence are deeds
that need to be avoided to keep mental health.

Behavioral Modifications (Acara
Rasayana)
Achara means behavior and Rasayana the branch of
Ayurveda that discusses rejuvenation and longevity.
Achara rasayana therefore denotes code of
behavior/behavioural modification to achieve
rejuvenation and longevity. It is Charaka Samhita
that documents Achara Rasayana.
A set of ideal behavior described in the text consists of
speaking the truth, not loosing ones temper,
abstinence from liquor and sex, being non violent,
not being over worked, keeping calm, pleasant
speech,engaging in pious activities, being

respecting gurus and elders, refraining from cruelty,
being compassionate, waking up and going to bed at
right time having milk and ghee in food, being aware
of time place and measure and logic, not being
arrogant, keeping sublime thoughts, refraining from
narrow thinking and conquering one’s senses. Such
persons are said to be endowed with rejuvenation
capacity even if they would not take medicinal
rejuvenators, they would yet be blessed with all the
medical benefits that the medical rejuvenators and
longevity promoters would promote.

Mental health is nurtured by following the rules of
life style modifications – known as swastha
vrtta.

Waking up

Sleep

Oil massage

Yoga Philosophy
All sorts of pain find their destruction in yoga and
Moksa. Moksa can put an end to extreme pain. Yoga
leads to Moksa. Definition of Yoga has been
specified in the following manner by Caraka.
‘The interaction between Atma (soul), Manas (mind),
Indriya (senses) and Artha (objects or environment)
leads to perception of Sukha (joy/Health) and
Duhkha (sorrow/diseases). When the mind is fixed in
the soul then there ceases to be Sukha if a desired
thing is obtained, and Duhkha if work is not being
so. Then the body is under the control of the self.

6. DISCUSSION

“Three types of Treatment in Ayurveda”

SUMMARY

So far, we've discussed about the definition of
Health in general and mental health in
particular.

Disease and mental disorders have been
discussed as per Caraka Samhita

Discussed about the preventive means to
integrate approaches to mental health

Finally, controlling mind is the key to mental
health

Of late, 'Ayurgenomics' is gaining momentum.
What if we think to giving a try to prevent such

Thank you!!

Integrative Approaches to Mental health

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