Integrated approach in Psychological disorders

Dr. Smita N Nambison
Dr.K.M.Nisanth (Co-Author)  

Psychological and behavioral factors play an important role in ones life. The disharmony in equilibrium of normal psychological behaviors is a result of many factors. This is results in further mismanagement of relations, routine work, which manifests in the form of psychosomatic diseases. The aim of this paper is to present a different approach towards psychological disorders in conjugation with homeopathic treatment.

Integrated approach
This approach is amenable and encourages clinicians to implement seemingly disparate and competing treatment together. The approach is integrated in the sense that it blends together many approaches like homeopathy, positive counseling, Diet management, life style management.

Psychological disorders
Psychological disorders or mental disorders are abnormalities of the mind that result in persistent behavior patterns that seriously affect day-to-day life. Different psychological disorders can be classified as:

  • Eating disorders, such as anorexia nervosa;
  • Mood disorders, such as depression;
  • Personality disorders, such as antisocial personality disorder;
  • Psychotic disorders, such as schizophrenia;
  • Sexual disorders, such as sexual dysfunction; and others

These disorders affect personal relationships, career and distorts the normal Personality in any age group

Development of psychology
The roots of human behavior, researchers now know, begin to develop early – just weeks after conception. Developmental psychologist William Filer, Ph.D., who with his Columbia University has found that fetal heart rate slows when the mother is speaking, suggesting that the fetus not only hears and recognizes the sound, but is calmed by it.

A recent study by biostatistician Bernie Devlin, Ph.D., of the University of Pittsburgh, suggests that genes may have less impact on IQ than previously thought and that the environment of the womb may account for much more.

As Harvard’s Als observes, “The fetus gets an enormous amount of ‘hormonal bathing’ through the mother, so its chronobiological rhythms are influenced by the mother’s sleep/wake cycles, her eating patterns, her movements, stress, toxins taken by her”

This contributes in development of psychological behavior of child in post natal life.

Organon of medicine by Dr Hahnemann
Explains about mental and emotional diseases in §210-§230

According to Organon aphorism §216

The cases are not rare in which a so-called corporeal disease that threatens to be fatal—a suppuration of the lungs, or the deterioration of some other important viscus, or some other disease of acute character, E. G., in childbed, etc.—becomes transformed into insanity, into a kind of melancholia or into mania by a rapid increase of the psychical symptoms that were previously present, whereupon the corporeal symptoms lose all their danger;

So the patient seeking treatment for a corporeal disease or a mental disease should be analyzed by thorough case taking with perseverance.

Case taking (questionnaire)
Objective of Case-Taking: Collection of all the facts pertaining to the patient, which help in reaching to the totality of the patient and thereby help in finding the correct similimum. As it is also said that a case well taken is a case half cured, a detailed case taking is done under following heads

According to Dr. Stuart Close: “The purpose of homeopathic examination is to bring out the symptoms of the patient in such a way as to permit their comparison with the symptoms of the materia medica for the purpose of selecting the similar or Homeopathic remedy

§96: Besides this, the patients themselves differ so much in their dispositions, the some, especially the so-called hypochondriacs and other persons of great sensitiveness and impatient of suffering, portray, their symptoms in too vivid colors and, in order to induce the physician to give them relief, describe their ailments in exaggerated expressions.

§97: Other individuals of an opposite character, however, partly from false modesty, partly from a kind of mildness of disposition or weakness of mind, refrain from mentioning a number of their symptoms, describing them in vague terms, or allege some of them to be of no consequence.

As mentioned in $96 and $97, a single case taking may not retrieve the true mental symptoms to complete the full patient picture, a repeated case taking after making the patient comfortable is important

Digital Health Analysis by

  • Positive Health Calculator
  • Miasmatic Analysis
  • Thermal Analysis
  • Nutritional and Lifestyle analysis is done for complete Health Analysis of patient.

Positive Counseling Exercises
After case taking, repertorization, medicine selection, diet advice, lifestyle changes some positive counseling exercises are advised to the patient to be performed daily till next visit. These exercises are decided after case taking. These exercises mainly include nurturing the childhood hobbies which infuses a state of happiness and positive attitude during stressful conditions. Patients are asked to give a list things they like since childhood. In case patients are unable to mention anything, they are given a coloring book and set of colors and are asked to color whenever they feel stressed.

Diet Advice:
Serotonin is a neurotransmitter (brain chemical) that is involved in many vital body functions and is very important in the regulation of mood and sleep. Serotonin has come under a lot of attention recently because research has shown that low levels of this neurotransmitter can lead to increased incidences of aggressive behavior and increased symptoms of anxiety and depression. Some foods which increase the serotonin level are

Flaxseed/ Flaxseed oil , Whey protein ,  Bananas, High quality Eggs,  Sour Cherries, Dark Chocolate, asparagus, avocado, pecans, pineapple, eggplant, spinach, walnuts, oats, and coffee (if  used  sensibly).

Life style management
Activities which help to raise serotonin levels are:

  • Prayer, meditation or positive visualization,
  • Pursuing Hobbies or crafts either from childhood or adulthood, are relaxing
  • Listening to relaxing music, playing instruments etc
  • Photography
  • Playing any sport
  • This could include a relaxed swim or morning/evening walk, dancing,Singing, drawing, sewing, cooking etc
  • Thirty minutes of sunshine (early morning) per day can also elevate serotonin levels

Including any activity that results in a feeling of well-being and peace, can raise serotonin levels.

Case 1
A middle aged couple sought help to treat the wife suffering with Depression as diagnosed by a Psychiatrist. She was on all sorts of sedatives, antidepressant drugs since 6 months .Since 1,1/2 month she started observing weakness of memory, laziness, irritability, irregular menstrual cycle and constipation in addition to depression. Case taking revealed death of their 10 years old son due to cancer which happened 8 months back. Since then mother was unable to sleep and hears voice of his son especially at night. The lady belonged to a very rich family but the appearance was contradicting the status. She had dry, uncombed hair her clothes were mismatched and clumsy. She was not willing to answer the questions but wanted to get rid of the sick feeling which occupied her mind. She did not like people sympathizing with her She said she could see her son’s face everywhere and nothing else. She stopped all modern medicine since 1 month.

Treatment:

The lady was prescribed Natrum Mur 1M with Placebo daily bed time which produced dramatic improvement which was observed after 15 days of her visit.

The rubrics selected were

  • Mind; indifference, apathy; constipation, with
  • Mind; sadness; consolation agg.
  • Sleep; sleeplessness; grief, after
  • Generalities; food and drinks; fat and rich food; desires; salt, and

Diet advice: She was asked to take 1 spoon full Flax seeds, 1 banana, 1 walnut,small piece of chocolate when she felt sad daily.

She was asked about her hobbies for which she said she hardly remembers anything which liked before. A coloring book was given from our clinic. She was asked to color 1 page every time she felt sad. When she came back she has colored 12 pages. She was beautifully dressed and had dyed her hair. She started going to gym and rejoined the family business of restaurants which she stopped 1 year back after her son was diagnosed cancer.

Discussion:
Natrum Mur was administered after repertorization. The patient mentioned no complaints other than constipation, grief, sleeplessness and aggravation on consolation. The action of Natrum Mur on mind is of paramount importance. After her visit of 15 days she mentioned an increase in blood flow and relief in headache during menses. She specially mentioned about her feeling of happiness when she colored the book and took advised food items when she felt sad.

Case 2
A lady aged 41 yrs came with brown pigmentation on her face, her other complaints included obesity, constipation, gastritis, disturbed sleep with depression. Case taking revealed she wanted to keep herself busy, felt most active during evening and could work best late night. She felt hard to wake up early in the morning. She was very sad 2 years back after her daughter lost eye sight, since then her menses stopped suddenly and never appeared. “Those 6 months were very difficult years of my life, my daughter has to stop her studies and drop out from school. She constantly wept all day, until she could get her vision back.” Later after eye operation of her daughter cured the lost vision and life became normal but her pigmentation on the face kept increasing which covered her ¾ area of her face. Patient was thermally hot.

She said she felt lonely as her husband had a touring job

Treatment:
After repertorisation, Lachesis 200 single dose with placebo once daily were prescribed. On 2nd visit after 1 week, Aralia Racemosa 30 was given for a week.

  • Mind; grief; silent
  • Mind; work; easy at night
  • Face; freckles
  • Abdomen; pain; clothing; agg.
  • Female; menses; suppressed; suddenly
  • Female; waking; agg.

Skin care was advised as Cleaning, toning, sun screening daily. Almond oil application at night daily. Patient freckles started improving within 15 days. Treatment continued till 6 months with Lachasis 200 single dose after 2 months. Aralia Racemosa 30 once daily till the day when menses reappeared removing all pigmentation on face. Ferrum phos 6x daily for 1 month.

Discussion
Repertorization indicated Lachasis as the choice of remedy. Her feeling of discomfort on waking, loquacity confirmed the selection. Aralia Racemosa was prescribed on “Female; menses; suppressed; suddenly” .

– Local Application available in market are :

  • Alpha Hydroxy acids (Antioxidants)
  • Vitamin C (Citric Acid)
  • Retinoids (Vitamin A)
  • Almond oil application was used because Almonds are a rich source of vitamin E, containing 26 mg per 100 g. because of its antioxidant activity, vitamin E is vital in protecting skin cells from ultra violet light, pollution, drugs. Protects the fibroblast in the skin – these are the cells that make collagen, glycosaminoglycans, as well as the elastic fibers and glycoproteins found in the extracellular matrix of the skin.For Vitamin C and A, fruits like oranges, green peppers, watermelon, papaya, grapefruit, strawberries,, mango, tomatoes, cauliflower, cabbage, and citrus juices were advised.

Conclusion:
Dietary and lifestyle changes supports early recovery from disease. It creates feeling of well being and encourages patient focus on positive aspect of life. These inclusion in conjugation with homeopathic  may lead to greater acceptance of the therapeutic value of dietary intervention among health practitioners and health care providers addressing depression and other psychological disorders and other diseases as well.

DR. SMITA N NAMBISON DHMS, BHMS (Grd) (Gold Medalist)
President & Research Head, Society of Advanced Homeopathic Sciences (NGO), Bhopal

DR.K.M.NISANTH (Co-Author)
DHMS, BHMS (Grd), M.D (Hom) (Gold Medalist)
Asst. Professor, Head of Surgery Department,GHMC Bhopal

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