HOW OCD IMPACTS A PATIENT’S LIFE
- January 9, 2023
- Posted by Dr. Vaidya Karanvir Singh
- 0 Comment(s)
Explaining OCD:
OCD defines as Obsessive compulsive disorder refers to a mental health condition that leads to obsessive thoughts and compulsive behavior of a person. To get rid of those thoughts person feel driven to do something. If the behavior and thought is not completed, it may cause distress, fear, anxiety. OCD can affect men, women children of any age. It is a distressing disorder and can interfere in the daily life activities. People with OCD have repetitive unwanted thoughts or obsession over things that individual have extreme urge to repeat a specific pattern of behavior. For example many people double check to make sure that if they have locked the door or turn off the lights. All these activities might help the person to feel more secure.
KEYNOTES:
Obsession: It defines as recurrent, persistent impulse, thought or images that leads to distressing emotions like fear, disgust, fear or anxiety. This distress caused by intrusive thoughts cannot be resolved by logic or reasoning. Some examples like fear of losing or discarding something important or like extreme worry that something is not complete etc.
Symptoms:
- Fear of self-harming or harming others
- Fear of saying something offensive
- Worries about dirt, germ or illness
- Questioning your sexual desire
- Intrusive images, words or thoughts
- Worry about safety of oneself or your loved ones
- Violent thoughts
- Need to align things in orderly manner
Compulsions: It is defined as repetitive behavior or mental actions that a person feels driven with the thoughts perform in response to that compulsive behavior to reduce the distress. Some examples like repeated cleaning or households or repeated checking locks, lights, switches or constantly seeking approval or reassurance etc.
Symptoms:
- Washing hands, objects, body repeatedly
- Counting or repeating specific phrases
- Seeking reassurance of others
- Collecting certain objects
- Buying several things or shopping
- Organizing or aligning objects in specific manners
Risk Factors for OCD:
- Stress or trauma
- Difficulty in handling uncertainty, responsibility or perfectionism
- Childhood abuse
- Childhood acute neuropsychiatric symptoms (OCD begins suddenly after an infection
- Traumatic brain injury
- Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
- Social anxiety disorder
- Major depressive disorders
Prevention:
- Practice mindfulness to manage stress
- Exercising regularly
- Complete 6-8 hours of sleeping
- Avoiding alcohol or smoking
- Reach out to family and friends
- Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) or couselling
- Lifestyle modification
Ayurvedic view point over OCD:
Ayurveda believes that any kind of mental or physical disorders are due the imbalance of doshas (body elments) – vata, pitta and kapha. Any mind disorder is known as Manshik roga and predominantly caused by vitiation vata dosha since it is related to nervous system in our body. There are variety of factors responsible for aggravation of doshas such as false food habits, indigestion and stress leads to accumulation of toxins (ama), physically inactive etc. Vitiation of doshas leads to symptoms like:
- Vata: can contribute to anxiety, fear or insomnia
- Pitta: causes anger, compulsion and irritability
- Kapha: can leads to lethargy and depression
Other term given to OCD in Ayurveda is “Atatva abhinivesh”. “Atatva” word describe “not- existing” and “abhinivesh” stands for “strict adherence or stubborn nature”. So collectively Attatva- Abhinivesh means a person believes in all factors which really does not exist or the facts which are not correct. And accepting the reality is difficult for them.
How Ayurveda helps in managing OCD:
Ayurveda treat OCD by rebalancing the doshas and correcting the condition of ama (toxins) that usually blocks the channels and there by restoring healthy physiological and mental functions. Ayurveda has immense herbs and procedures in panchkarma that would surely benefits the person suffering from OCD. Some therapies like :
- Abhyanga: Herbal oil massage that helps eliminating the waste and strengthening the body cells that promotes internal healing.
- Shirodhara: pouring oil enriched with herbs over forehead to calm mind and spirit. This helps in strengthening brain muscles and tissues
- Udvartana : Exfoliation treatment with the paste of herbs that revitalize the skin tissues
- Panchakarma therapies: It constitutes of 5 karmas or therapies such as Vamana (medicated emesis), Virechana (medicated purgation), Nasya (herbal nasal therapy), Basti (medicated enema), Raktamokshana (bloodletting). Panchkarama helps in removing toxins from the body and rejuvenates each and every cell in the body just like the new born.
Some ancient Ayurvedic formulations for OCD:
- Brahmi vati
- Brahmi ghrita
- Saraswataaristha
- Panchgavya ghrit
- Vacha churna
- Brahma rasayana
Managing OCD with Chandigarh Ayurved centre:
- Calm Sleep Tablet:
calm sleep tablet is an amazing combination of natural herbs like bhang, Brahmi, Tagar, jatamansi. It helps to relieve stressful conditions. They help to pacify the nervous system and also helps to calm minds and make your body relax and light. In Ayurveda when there is an imbalance of three energies i.e. vata, pitta and Kapha, it leads to disease. Vata has a sub dosha named prana doshas which regulates the sensory perception, brain, and mind. calm sleep tablets is effective in depression, anxiety, insomnia, amnesia, Alzheimer’s disease, obesity, and hypertension.
Recommended Dosage – Take 2 tablets twice a day with normal water.
- Nerve Up Tablet:
Nerve up tablet is a herbo-mineral tablet and is purely ayurvedic formulation. CAC Nerve up tablets help in balancing the vata doshas. It reduces kapha dosha, and acts as nervine stimulant. It shows effective results in improving the central nervous system. It contains natural ingredients like shudha kuchala, shudha shilajeet, abhrak bhasma, praval pishti, shankh bhasma etc. These contains natural vatahar properties and helps in curing vata diseases.
Recommended Dosage – Take 2 tablets twice a day with normal water.
- Brodley Syrup
The syrup contains – Shankh pushpi (Convolvulus pluricalis), Brahmi (Bacopa monnieri), Yashti madhu (Glycyrihiza glabra), Dhania (Coriandrum sativum), Saunf (Foeniculum vulgare) etc…It mainly act as an Anti – Depressant and reduces the stress level. Syrup has best results in mental fatigue, aggressive behavior, learning disorder, mental retardation etc…
Recommended Dosage – Take 2 teaspoonful twice a day with normal water.
- Brain Relaxant Churna
Brain relaxant churna is a herbal and purely ayurvedic formulation. It is 100% natural and pure. It is prepared from herbs that show calming effect on brain and gives you relaxation. It contains various herbs like Amla, Sonth, Pippali, Marich, Haldi, Bala, Suddha Gandhak, Lauh bhasma etc. that are Stress buster and provide you relief from anxiety. Herbs present in CAC Brain relaxant churna shows antioxidant, Neuroprotective, carminative and anti inflammatory properties.
Recommended Dosage – Take 1 teaspoonful twice a day with normal water.
- Mann Mitra tablet:
Mann Mitra tablet is herbal and purely ayurvedic medicine. It is used in Ayurvedic treatment for psychiatric conditions and help to balance all the three doshas of body i.e vata, pitta, kapha. CAC Mann Mitra tablet improves intelligence and speech problems. It is helpful for making the nervous system strong and nerves as well. It contains various herbs like Bala, Vacha, Shankhpushpi, Nagkeshar etc that help you fight insomnia, anxiety, and stress. It works as a antioxidant, anti depressant, immuno booster, anti epileptic and as neuro protective drug.
Recommended Dosage – Take 2 tablets twice a day with normal water.
- Stress Care Tablet:
Stress care tablet is an amazing combination of natural herbs like Sarpgandha, Brahmi, Tagar, jatamansi. It helps to relieve stress conditions. They help to pacify the nervous system and also helps to increase the mental and physical performance. It is very helpful in anxiety, depression, loneliness, insomnia and Provide strength to the nervous system.
Recommended Dosage – Take 2 tablets twice a day with normal water.
Dr. Vaidya Karanvir Singh is the younger Vaidya in Chandigarh Ayurved & Panchakarma Centre. He is the fourth generation in his family who is practicing as a general consultant in Ayurved & Panchakarma treatment at Chandigarh. In his practice, he had treated more than 1 Lakh Plus patients worldwide.