Unmada-Insanity Ayurvedic Understanding and Management
Unmada-Insanity Ayurvedic Understanding and Management
Unmada-Insanity Ayurvedic Understanding and Management
And Management
Buddhivikara refers to impairment in will and thinking pattern. Cognition of thinking and
paranoid reactions are commonly found in this category of illness.
Mano vikara refers to the impairment of mind. Due to this, inaction and passivity is found.
Atmavikara causes impairment of feelings. Due to this, depressive psychosis is found.
Insanity (unmada) is a condition where according to the Dosha dominance, all the above features
are found in gradable variation.
Reasons:
Viruddhahara (incompatible foods)
Dushta ahara (infected/contaminated food)
Ashuchi ahara (polluted food)
Deva-guru-dwija pragharshana (insult towards teachers and elders)
Mano abhighata (mental shock)
Bhaya (fear)
Harsha (unusual/ unnatural pleasure due to accidental happening) etc.
Types:
Vataja, Pittaja, Kaphaja, Tridoshaja, Shokaja (Caused due to grief) and Vishaja (originated due to
toxicity).
Prodromal symptoms:
Moha (delusion)
Udvega (anxiety)
Karna swana (auditory hallucination)
Gatrapakarshana (general debility)
Atyutsaha (occasional unnatural enthusiasm)
Aruchi (tastelessness)
Swapne kalushabhojana (dream of having contaminated food)
Vayunonmathana (sensation of being taken by the wind) etc.
Specific features:
Vataja Unmada
Undue laughing, dancing, singing, irrelevant talk, waving the body parts, crying, roughness,
emaciation, reddish discolouration of the face, elevated mood, impaired thought etc.
Pittaja Unmad :
Impatience, agitation, naked emotions, excessive actions, hot temperament, desire to have rest
under shade, like towards the cold food and drink, yellow lustre etc.
Kaphaja Unmada:
Reduced speech and actions, tastelessness, inclination for women, sleepiness, vomiting, excess
of salivation, pallor of the nails etc.
Shokaja insanity :
This is usually associated with the history of scaring by the thieves, officials, enemies, animals
etc. Or else loss of money or relatives, mental shock due to accidental happenings etc.
Vishaja insanity :
Usually possesses a history of poisoning. It is presented with redness of the eyes, debility,
debilitated sense organs, helplessness, smoky appearance of the face etc.
Management of unmada :
1. Snehapana (internal oleation with medicated ghee)
2. Mridu shodhana (mild body purification by emesis or purgation)
3. Niruha basti (decoction enema)
4. Shirovirechana (medicated errhines) and
5. Sanjna prabodhana (oral medication to stabilize the mind)
Last drop:
Modern science explains psychiatric diseases under two headings like major psychological
disorders and minor psychoneurosis conditions. Even though, Ayuvedic explanation related to
insanity (unmada) presents with all the features of minor psycho-neurosis few of the symptoms
of functional psychosis are also found here. So, Ayurvedic way of treatment covers varied kinds
of therapeutic procedures which help to normalise the condition both in psychological and
neurological levels.
Even though few of the measures referred in Ayurvedic classics like oblation, worship, sacred
bathing, sacred offerings to the personal deities are still today in practice in various parts of the
world, their scientific validity is not get proved which needs to be explored much with various
possible dimensions.