Abstract

AN AYURVEDIC MANAGEMENT OF MANOAVASADA (DEPRESSION) – A REVIEW ARTICLE

Dr. Suman Bishnoi*, Dr. Preeti Prajapat, Dr. Pramod Kumar Mishra and Dr. Indumati Mishra

Abstract

Depression is a serious mental health concern that may touch most people‟s life directly or indirectly, affecting 350 million people worldwide. It can affect an individual's ability to figure, variety of relationships, and destroy their quality of life. At its most, severe depression can cause suicide. It persists as a social stigma with regard to prevalence and suffering, dysfunction, morbidity and economic burden. 80% of depressed people aren't currently having any treatment. Depression is mentioned in Ayurvedic classics in various scattered references. It's both a state of emotion (Manasika Bhava) in addition as a disease (Manasika Vyadhi). Previous scholars have tried to correlate the clinical condition with Vishada, Avasada, Manodhukhaja Unmada and Kaphaja Unmada. In Ayurveda, Vishada and Avasada are two conditions which have close resemblance to depression. Although this particular problem isn't narrated under one chapter or heading. In classical literature, we come upon scattered references in various texts. Acharya Charaka has described the term Vishada in several contexts like reason for a disease, Symptoms of a disease, as a Disease itself. Vishada is defined as a condition of persistent sad mood, feeling of incompetence because of apprehension of failure resulting into incapability of mind and body to function properly. Charaka quotes "Vishado Rogavardhananam" i.e. it's the foremost factor to worsen the condition of any disease. This implies that there could also be a relationship between Immunity and Vishada. Vishada is one amongst the eighty Vataja Nanatmaja Vikaras which indicates that it cannot occur without the involvement of Vata Dosha.

Keywords: Vishada, Avasada, Kaphaja Unmada, Depression, Psychological Disorder.