A mental disorder also called mental illness or psychiatric disorder, is a behavioral or mental pattern that causes significant distress or impairment of personal functioning.
It refers to a wide range of mental health conditions or disorders that affect your mood, thinking and eventually your behavior.
There can be various disturbed mental states, such as :
– Sadness or depression/dysthymia
– Excessive thoughts (obsessions) that lead to repetitive behaviors ( obsessive-compulsive disorder-OCD)
– Development disability that causes social, communication and behavioral challenges ( autism spectrum disability-ASD)
– Strong feelings of worry, fear or anxiety that causes interference in life activities (anxiety neurosis)
– In some cases people fail to recover after experiencing or witnessing terrifying events/emotional or physical trauma(post-traumatic stress disorder -PTSD)
– Differences in brain development and brain activity that affect attention, the ability to sit still, and self-control (ADHD- attention deficit hyperactivity disorder)
– Unhealthy eating habits with an obsession with food, body weight, or body shape (Eating disorders – include the severe restriction of food, food binges, or purging behaviors like vomiting or over-exercising)
– Persistent and excessive fear of an object or situation (Phobias)
– Mental disorders in which you have a rigid and unhealthy pattern of thinking, functioning and behaving (personality disorders), decrease in the ability to think and remember that is severe enough to affect daily functioning (dementia), etc.
Types of Mental Health Disorder:
Dysthymia
ADHD
Child Psychology
Autism
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
Anxiety neurosis
Phobias (fear)
Eating disorders
Personality disorders
Dementia
What can Homeopathy do?
The Homeopathic Approach to mental suffering is different. Homeopathic medicines don’t suppress the symptoms. Homeopathic medicines stimulate the immune system and initiate processes of the release of good hormones (like serotonin) which has been altered or reduced leading to disturbed mental health.
According to Homeopathy, a complete case-taking is done, noting down all the presenting symptoms of the patient, his history is taken ( his words are noted and his family is being asked). Further, his desires, aversions, his appetite and thirst, his hobbies, his inclination towards hot or cold temperature, his basic nature ( extrovert/shy, fearful/bold, reaction to sadness and anger, weeping response, consolation factors, modalities, etc are noted); and most importantly the triggering factors, after which he suffered from mood disorder or mental illness are noted down.
And the cause/triggering factor can be grief due to loss of loved ones(death of dear ones), separation from the spouse ( divorce/death), children bearing the loss of parents ( orphans or children staying with only one parent), sudden financial losses, loss of power or position, loveless childhood (very strict parents), breakup( in long committed relationship), sexual abuse ( in children and females), fear after violent attacks, a humiliation in public or being deceived/ cheated in a relationship or by fraud. It can also happen when the expectations get broken down by the ones on whom they had strong emotional faith ( trust broken), physical or emotional trauma affecting the mental state, memory loss affecting daily activities, etc.
Now totality of symptoms is made and the peculiar, uncommon symptoms are taken into the account. Finally, by such individualization of the patient, Homeopathic similimum is found out. This is constitutional medicine which will help the patient to cope up and bring him into a state of realization to come into terms with his condition and help him to recover early.
In some cases along with the constitutional remedy, therapeutic medicine can be given to ameliorate ( not suppress) the severe symptoms. In cases of developmental delays with behavior changes and memory disturbances, Homeopathy helps to a great extent without any side effects.
If the person is coping then there is little or no need to intervene, counseling and certain activities can be helpful. But if they aren’t getting better, then individualistic Homeopathic constitutional medicine can be helpful.
If you wish to know more about the mental health disorder and its underlying cause, symptoms, diagnosis, health advice and treatment, you can refer to blogs here.