Breaking the Stigma: Understanding and Managing Mental Illness with Homoeopathic Therapeutics

Abstract

According to WHO, " health is a state of complete physical, mental and social wellbeing and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity". So the three components of health are 'Physical', 'Mental', and 'Social' Well-being. It means that mental health is one of the important components of  human life. A mentally healthy person realizes his or her abilities and can work with an outcome of fruitfulness and productivity, coping with the stress of life and contributing his or her efforts in favor of a society in all aspects. In simple words, we can say that mental health is a state of  balance between the individual and the surrounding world.

    A person is suspected to be suffering from mental illness, if he/she behaves abnormally or in a strange manner, maybe he/she is very quiet and does not talk or mix with people. In mental illness, a person does not know his/her needs or problems, or goals. If a person is abnormally suspicious, unusually cheerful, crying without any reason, or harms him/her or others, then it is a red sign of mental illness. On the other hand, a mentally stable person is free from internal conflict, has a sense of self-respect, is well-adjusted, can solve problems, and at the same time has the power of dealing with stress and anxiety.

     In Aphorism 210-230, in Organon of Medicine, Dr. Hahnemann, Father of Homoeopathy, discussed mental disease. Dr. Hahnemann stated that the mind and body are under the control of the same vital force, so cannot be separated, so derangement of vital force which is observed more in the mental plane is a mental disease. There is a visible alteration in the mind, disposition, temperament, intellect, etc. Mental diseases are one-sided diseases that manifest most of their symptoms through the mind.

Even in every proven drug in Homoeopathic Materia Medica, mental symptoms of thought,  feeling, affection, intellect, and memory are found which reflects the whole mental picture of the drug. So the derangement of vital force is observed in the mental plane of a person followed by the derangement of vital force in the physical plane. Even in Homoeopathic prescription, the selection of the remedy, 'Similimum' depends upon mental symptoms including mind, disposition,  temperament,  intellect, memory, will, thoughts, etc. Dr. Stuart Close says "Statements or observations that reflect a man's state of mind, his moods, his passions, his fears, his desires, and aversion are all generals because they express the man himself and not merely some part or organ". The mind is the man, a true drug picture, so acquired a first-grade symptom in case taking.