Category: Insomnia

Ayurvedic Management for PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder)

Abstract

Post traumatic stress disorder is a psychiatric disorder that may occur in people who have experienced a traumatic event. Examples include intimate partner violence, historical trauma, rape/sexual assault, war, terrorist acts, serious accidents, and natural disasters etc. This may affect mental as well as physical health. Women are more affected by this disease. People who are suffering with post traumatic stress disorder have disturbing thoughts, sadness, anger and they may feel detached from other people. In this article we will discuss post traumatic stress disorder in detail and its ayurvedic management.

Introduction

Post traumatic stress disorder was formerly known as shell shock during world war 1 and combat fatigue after world war 2. It is a very serious condition which develops after someone has experienced a stressful or terrifying event. The main Symptoms shown by PTSD are anxiety, avoidance, feeling outside from his body and panic disorders etc. Stress, prolonged traumatic experience, physical abuse and sexual violence are the major causes of this disease and its diagnoses mainly on the basis of symptoms. But this disease can be manageable by ayurvedic herbs and therapies easily. Let’s discuss Post traumatic stress disorder in detail.

Post Traumatic stress disorder

Types

Post traumatic stress disorder is mainly of four types

1. Acute stress disorder (ASD)

In this anxiety and avoidance develops within a month after a traumatic event. The people who are suffering from acute stress disorder go on to develop post traumatic stress disorder.

2. Dissociative post traumatic stress disorder

It develops when a patient detaches himself from the trauma. Patient feel separated from the event or feel outside from his body

3. Uncomplicated post traumatic stress disorder

In this symptoms of post traumatic stress disorder appear in the patient but the patient dont have any other mental health issues. People suffering from this type often respond well to treatment.

4. Comorbid PTSD

This type involves symptoms of post traumatic stress disorder along with other mental health disorders such as depression and panic disorders.

Causes

  1. Stress
  2. Prolonged traumatic experience
  3. Physical abuse
  4. Sexual violence
  5. Family history

Symptoms

Symptoms shown by post traumatic stress disorder are divided into four categories.

1. Intrusion

  • It includes intrusive thoughts such as flashbacks of the traumatic event, distressing dreams, involuntary dreams etc.

2. Avoidance

  • People will try to avoid  people, places, activities, objects and situations that may trigger distressing memories. People may try to avoid remembering about the past event.

3. Alterations in cognition and mood

  • People have  inability to remember important aspects of the traumatic event, negative thoughts, distorted thoughts about cause, feeling detached from others, inability to experience positive emotions

4. Alterations in arousal and reactivity

  • It includes having problem with sleeping, having problem with concentrating, being easily startled, behaving in a self destructive way, having angry outbursts and being irritable.

Post traumatic stress disorder risk factors

The traumatic events which are more likely to trigger post traumatic stress disorder are:-

  1. Disasters
  2. Childhood abuse
  3. Accident
  4. Assault
  5. Sexual violence
  6. Military combat

Other factors that may also increase risk of post traumatic stress disorder include:-

  1. Genetic history
  2. Lack of support
  3. Substance misuse
  4. Depression

Diagnosis

Post traumatic stress disorder can be diagnosed only on the basis of symptoms. There is no lab test to diagnose PTSD but physicians may use various tests to rule out post traumatic stress disorder. Some test are as follows:-

  1. Physical examination
  2. Psychological examination
  3. Use the criteria in the diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorder.

Treatment

It includes a number of different treatments such as talk therapy, medication, and personal lifestyle changes. Some therapies treating post traumatic stress disorder are:-

  1. Cognitive behavioural therapy
  2. Exposure therapy
  3. Eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing therapy
  4. Medicine
  5. Lifestyle changes
  6. Emergency treatment

Ayurvedic overview

Ayurveda simply means knowledge of life which includes many therapies such as herbal medicines, oils, enemas, laxatives, massage, yoga and special diet etc. According to ayurveda our body is composed of three components such as dhatu, mal and doshas. Doshas is of two types sharirk doshas and mansik doshas. According to ayurveda mind disorders occur due to imbalance of mansik doshas i.e. raja and tama. The person who shows high emotions such as anger, horror, fear, and negative thoughts are due to imbalance of rajas dosha. Imbalance of vata and pitta may also cause symptoms at the physical level. These doshas contaminate the mind and mind carrying channels that lead to post traumatic stress disorder. Some people show low end emotions such a void of happiness, loss of interest, shame, worry, guilt, depression and are detached from everything and everyone. These symptoms are due to imbalance of tama dosha.

Imbalance of dhee, dhruti, and smriti

In this condition three important faculties of mind i.e. memory, courage and intellect are all disturbed.

Dhee- Negative thoughts, alterations in arousal, avoidance,and  negative thoughts shows the disturbance of dhee.

Smriti- flashbacks of traumatic events, distressing dreams, repeated involuntary memories, reliving the bad experiences and recollecting them shows the imbalance the smriti

Dhruti- void of satisfaction, feeling detached, loss of interest in activities, horror and guilt explain the imbalance of dhriti

Post traumatic stress disorder can be manageable by some ayurvedic therapies such as shirodhara, meditation etc. and also manageable by some ayurvedic herbs such as ashwagandha, brahmi, tagar, daru haridra, dalchini and arjuna. These herbs mainly work on the brain to reduce the symptoms of post traumatic stress disorder.

Herbal remedies by planet ayurveda for post traumatic stress disorder

Planet ayurveda is a worldwide company which treats humans as well as animals. This is a GMP certified company. All the medicines made by this company are natural and free from side effects. This company makes medicines under the observation of MD ayurveda doctors. Planet Ayurveda makes medicine in the form of tablets, syrup and churna. All the products are gluten free. In case of post traumatic stress disorder following products are offered by Planet ayurveda:-

Product list

  1. Neurogenie capsules
  2. Stress support
  3. Mahakalyanaka ghrit
  4. Arjun tea

Herbal Supplements for Post Traumatic stress disorder

Herbal Supplements for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

Product Description

1.Neurogenie capsules

This capsule is formulated using extract of two medicinal herbs i.e.  brahmi (Bacopa monnieri) and ashwagandha (Withania somnifera). Both of the ingredients in this capsule are natural and help in management of mental illness, anxiety and maintain healthy functions of the brain. Ashwagandha and brahmi both are very helpful in the health of the brain. Thus these capsules are very helpful in the management of brain disorders.

Dosage:- 2 capsules twice daily with plain water after meals.

2. Stress support

These are the herbal capsules that consist mainly of three wonderful herbs such as tagar (Valeriana wallichii), ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) and brahmi (Bacopa monnieri). Stress is the main symptom of post traumatic stress disorder so as the name suggests help in treating the stress. Ashwagandha present in this capsule maintains brain health. Brahmi has anxiolytic properties that help in reducing the symptoms of anxiety and mental fatigue while increasing memory span. It also reduces the inflammation of nervous tissue which is responsible for anxiety.

Dose:- 1 capsule twice daily after meals

3. Mahakalyanaka ghrita

Maha kalyanaka ghrita is an ayurvedic medicine in which ghee is used as a base. There are a number of medicinal herbs present in this ghrit.  Some of them are daru haridra (Berberis aristata), prishniparni (Urara picta), shweta sariva (Hemidesmus indicus) and krishna sariva (Ichnocarpus frutescens). This ghrit calms the mind and also helps in treating other mental disorders such as schizophrenia, epilepsy etc. it also helps in treating inflammation in the body.

Dose:- 1 teaspoon twice daily with warm water.

4. Arjun  Tea

This herbal tea is the combination of purely herbal ingredients described in ancient ayurvedic texts. The herbs used in this tea are pipal tavak (Ficus religiosa), chhoti elaichi (Elettaria cardamomum), punarnava (Boerhavia diffusa), dalchini (Cinnamomum zeylanicum) and arjuna (Terminalia arjuna). These herbs mainly work on the heart and control blood pressure. It is the safest choice for problems like hypertension and high cholesterol etc. This tea provides nutrition to the heart and maintains cholesterol and blood pressure. It is totally free from nicotine and caffeine. This tea also relaxes the mind and keeps our mind stress free.

Dosage:-  take one cup of tea daily

Conclusion

A person who is suffering from post traumatic stress disorder needs professional help because post traumatic stress disorder is a serious condition which  may affect mental as well as physical health. It develops after someone has experienced a stressful or terrifying event. People who are suffering from this disease have disturbing thoughts, sadness, anger and they may feel detached from other people. Here in this article we have learnt post traumatic stress disorder in detail and its ayurvedic management.

Natural Treatment for Physical and Mental Fatigue

Abstract

Fatigue is not just tiredness. Fatigue can make it tough to get out of bed in the morning and avert a person from completing their daily activities. We know sportsmen are exhausted in many ways, but it’s not just physical tiredness that’s affecting their performance. As we study Fatigue Science, we discuss reduced alertness, effectiveness and reaction time – all of which evident in the form of sub-optimal athletic performance.

This mental fatigue results from improper sleep or when our daily routine activities fall outside of our biological need like sleep at night and be active in the day time – it is not considered under physical fatigue. Physical and mental fatigue are different but they can occur together, like repeated physical exertion can result in mental fatigue with time. Eating a healthy diet and getting regular physical exercise can help many people to reduce fatigue. Try to know about underlying causative factors  and treating them helps to cure fatigue. In this article we will look at the types of fatigue, causes, treatment and know about the Ayurvedic aspect of fatigue.

Introduction

Fatigue is a symptom not a particular health disease. Fatigue is associated with many health conditions and lifestyle factors. The majority of us have the same feeling after a prolonged physical or mental activity that completely resolves after rest. But if the feeling of tiredness is prolonged, progressive, severe and occurs without much exertion then it is a case of concern.

Fatigue is of two main types Physical and Mental fatigue. People with physical fatigue find it hard to do physical activity as they normally used to do due to muscle weakness. Mental fatigue makes you feel overwhelmed and drains you emotionally and it seems like your problems and responsibilities are impossible to overcome.

physical and mental fatigue

Classification of Fatigue

There are two main types of Fatigue

  1. Physical Fatigue
  2.  Mental Fatigue

1. Physical Fatigue

The overall feeling of lack of energy and tiredness is termed as physical fatigue. When a person finds it hard to do the things they usually do in their daily activities like climbing stairs or walking. Then this is not just a feeling of tiredness or sleepiness but along with that one may feel lack of motivation or loss of energy. Various disease conditions ranging from mild to severe can cause the symptom of fatigue, while some of our lifestyle choices like improper diet or excessive exercise also naturally result in physical fatigue.

If the fatigue doesn’t reformed after a proper nutrition and diet. then you must notice any underlying medical condition, immediately  and get yourself properly evaluated by a doctor. A doctor helps you in diagnosing the cause of the unexplained fatigue.

Mental Fatigue

Do you constantly feel emotionally and mentally drained and deluged most of the time? If yes, then you are said to be suffering from mental fatigue. Mental fatigue is mostly triggered by extended cognitive activity that leaves you exhausted, hampers your productivity and overall rational function. It most commonly presents itself as a mental block, irritability, and a lot of stress, loss of appetite and insomnia. Mental exertion has both short-term and long-term effects. If left untreated, it is responsible for a humongous variety of health issues that also includes anxiety and leaves you tired out. Various research have suggested that constant mental exertion poses a huge impact on your physical tolerance.

Causes

Fatigue is concerned with many health conditions and lifestyle factors. It can be a symptom of many underlying conditions, Some of them are

  • Fatigue is a common symptom of lack of good quality sleep. There are many conditions which result in disturbing sleep such as restless leg syndrome, any consistent body pain, myalgic encephalomyelitis, any autoimmune disorder or sleep apnea.
  • Fatigue can be a symptom of clinical depression, stress, anxiety, emotional exertion.
  • Sudden change in daily lifestyle activities.
  • Sudden withdrawal of any ongoing medication.
  • Increased Intake of caffeine or alcoholic beverages.
  • Shocking life changing incidents like marriage, divorce, sudden death of loved ones.
  • Ongoing medications of antidepressants, antihypertensives, antihistamines, or steroids may affect the normal sleep

Symptoms

The main complaint of the patient is overexertion with physical and mental activities. And even after taking a full sleep of 8 hours, the patient doesn’t feel active or refreshed and is not able to carry out his daily routine activities

Some other symptoms are

  1. Body pains
  2. Feeling of Drowsiness
  3. Irritated behaviour
  4. Improper sleep
  5. Headache
  6. Lack of concentration
  7. Physical weakness
  8. Anxiety issues
  9. More prone for Seasonal diseases, digestive disorders
  10. Lack of interest in eating food leads to weakness.

Diagnosis

Due to the non-specific and variety of symptoms and causes, it is very difficult to diagnose the condition. Some question may ask your physician to identify the condition

  1. Fatigue pattern – which time of the day do you feel more or less tired?
  2. Sleep grading – do you have a good quality of sleep? How many hours do you sleep? How often do you wake up during sleep?
  3. Emotional and family status
  4. Job status
  5. Any other stress increasing factors.
  6. Any undergoing medication
  7. Lifestyle and eating habits including (alcoholic beverages and use of drugs)
  8. Mental health issues

Treatment

To get efficient treatment of fatigue your physician must find any underlying cause. Proper management of the underlying cause can help to eliminate fatigue.

  1. Sleep – It is a very important factor to manage fatigue in an efficient manner. Go to bed at a particular time and wake up after 7-8 hours by getting quality sleep. Avoid using mobiles or tv an hour before sleep.
  2. Change in lifestyle- do yoga or mild to moderate exercises to start and finish your day. Breathing regularities and meditation also shows positive results in condition.
  3. Balanced diet – eat small and frequent diets, low sugar consumption, avoidance of junk food, caffeine, alcoholic beverages. Have a proper and balanced diet to improve the condition very well.

Herbal Remedies For Fatigue by Planet Ayurveda

From the last 20 years Planet Ayurveda has developed an identity of giving the best results to suffering humanity in the best possible way. Planet Ayurveda is known for its quality products as all the herbal medicines are made from 100% natural herbs that are free from any preservatives and chemicals and that the method of preparation of medicines are based on pure Ayurvedic principles. These are pure vegetarian formulations and are free from chemicals, extra colours, additives, fillers and yeast, etc. It supports a healthy nervous system

ANTI-FATIGUE PACK

  1. ASHWAGANDHA CAPSULES
  2. BRAHMI CAPSULES
  3. VIKRAMPRASH
  4. YOGRAJ GUGGUL
  5. ENERGO PLAN SYRUP

Herbal Remedies For Anti-Fatigue

Herbs for Physical and Mental Fatigue

PRODUCT DESCRIPTION

1. ASHWAGANDHA CAPSULES

This is a single herbal formulation produced by using extract of ashwagandha (Withania somnifera). Ashwagandha helps to calm the brain, reduces the blood pressure and enhances the immune system and in ayurveda classical texts ashwagandha is balya and brihaneeya in nature. Ashwagandha is specially used for aggravated vata and kapha dosha, and brings them in a balanced state.

Dosage – 1 Capsule twice daily after meals with Plain Water.

2. BRAHMI CAPSULES

This is a single herbal formulation prepared by using extract of Brahmi (Bacopa monnieri). This is described as a Medhya Rasayana by our Acharyas, and is antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and also helpful in preventing stress and anxiety related disorders. Brahmi is balya in nature by its properties and so it helps in preventing fatigue.

Dosage – 1 Capsule twice daily after meals with Plain Water.

3. VIKRAMPRASH

This is a polyherbal formulation consisting of Amalaki (Emblica officinalis), Haritaki (Terminalia chebula), Brahmi (Bacopa monnieri)etc. This is prepared by using various formulations that are antioxidants, anti- inflammatory, and immune-boosters in nature. They are highly efficacious in relieving fatigue-like symptoms and give energetic feeling to do daily activities.

Dosage – 1 Teaspoonful twice daily after meals.

4. YOGRAJ GUGGUL

This is a classical ayurvedic formulation consisting of many herbs like Guggul (Commiphora mukul) etc. This is basically described for vata anulomana by ancient Acharyas. It pacifies body aches, GI disorders, infections and inflammations and nourishes and replenishes the body systems.

Dosage –  2 Tablets twice daily after meals with Plain Water.

5. ENERGO PLAN SYRUP

It is a polyherbal formulation prepared by Planet Ayurveda, 100% natural product consisting of many herbs like Jeevanti (Leptadenia reticulata), Shatavari (Asparagus racemosus), etc. as the name indicates of formulation it provides energy to do daily activities in life. The ingredients of this articulation have rasayana properties too.

Dosage – 1 teaspoons twice daily after meals with Plain Water.

Conclusion

A variety of health problems such as diabetes mellitus, hypertension, insomnia, depression, stress and many other issues can result in fatigue. To get rid of these complaints and adapt day to day life activities in routine, medical intervention is needed. With the help of ayurveda medicines patients get relief from all their symptoms and don’t get any side effects and enhance their immunity by taking Rasayana formulations.