European Journal of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences

AYURVEDIC APPROACH TO PSYCHIATRY W.S.R TO GENERALIZED ANXIETY DISORDER (GAD)

Priyadarshini*, Abdul Khader and Amrita E. Pady

ABSTRACT

Anxiety disorders, the most prevalent psychiatric illness in the general community, are present in 15-20% of medical clinic patients. Anxiety disorder can be viewed as a family of related but distinct mental disorders, which includes panic disorders, agoraphobia, specific phobia, social anxiety disorder or phobia and generalized anxiety disorder. In Ayurveda classics no special description of anxiety disorder is given but all type of mental disorders are classified in “Unmada”. As Ayurvedic point of view Raja & Tama vitiates leads to Manasika Vikaras like Unmada, apasmara, chittodvega, anavasthita chitta, Vishada etc. Generalized anxiety disorder is a type of anxiety disorder. It is defined as “excessive anxiety and worry about several events or activities for most days during at least a 6 months period”. The worry is difficult to control and is associated with somatic symptoms such as muscle tension, irritability, difficulty in sleeping and restlessness. The American Psychiatric Association introduced GAD as a diagnosis in the DSM-III in 1980, when anxiety neurosis was split into GAD and panic disorder. The Generalized anxiety disorder state here cannot be compare particularly with one condition because there are scattered terms used in Ayurveda similar to this condition is taken into account like Chittodvega, Anavastitachitta, Vishada and Gadodvega. The separate description of these condition is not mentioned in Ayurvedic classics so etiological factors mentioned in Unmada can be consider because purvaroopa avastha of Unmada is considered as the condition of Generalized anxiety disorder. The treatment for generalized anxiety disorder in Ayurveda is explained as Daivavyapashraya, Yukti vyapashraya and Satwavajaya chikitsa. The present article deals with an overview of Generalized anxiety disorder in Ayurveda and its Management.

Keywords: Generalized anxiety disorder, Understanding GAD in Ayurveda, Nidana and Samprati, Chikitsa.