FEARS AND PHOBIAS – Ayurvedic Treatment, Diet, Exercises, Yoga & Pranayama

    Fears and phobias are a type of anxiety disorders.  A phobia is an irrational fear of something unlikely to cause harm.

• EXAMPLES OF FEARS AND PHOBIAS
• SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF FEARS AND PHOBIAS
• CAUSES OF FEARS AND PHOBIAS
• PATHOPHYSIOLOGY OF FEARS AND PHOBIAS
• DIAGNOSIS OF FEARS AND PHOBIAS
• TREATMENTS FOR FEARS AND PHOBIAS
• PROGNOSIS OF FEARS AND PHOBIAS
• COMPLICATIONS OF FEARS AND PHOBIAS
• FEARS AND PHOBIASAND AYURVEDA
• NIDANA- AYURVEDIC CAUSES OF FEARS AND PHOBIAS
• PURVAROOPAM- AYURVEDIC PREMONITORY SYMPTOMS OF FEARS AND PHOBIAS
• SAMPRAPTI – AYURVEDIC PATHOGENESIS OF FEARS AND PHOBIAS
• LAKSHANA- AYURVEDIC SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF FEARS AND PHOBIAS
• AYURVEDIC PROGNOSIS OF FEARS AND PHOBIAS
• CHIKITSA- AYURVEDIC TREATMENT FOR FEARS AND PHOBIAS
• AYURVEDIC SAMANA TREATMENT FOR FEARS AND PHOBIAS
• AYURVEDIC LOCAL TREATMENT FOR FEARS AND PHOBIAS
• COMMONLY USED AYURVEDIC MEDICINES FOR FEARS AND PHOBIAS
• HOME REMEDIES FOR FEARS AND PHOBIAS
• DIET AND BEHAVIOUR FOR FEARS AND PHOBIAS
• YOGA FOR FEARS AND PHOBIAS

EXAMPLES OF FEARS AND PHOBIAS

• Claustrophobia – fear of confined or crowded spaces
• Homophobia – fear of blood
• Agoraphobia – fear of crowds
• Acrophobia – fear of heights
• Aerophobia – fear of flying
• Autophobia – fear of being alone
• Hydrophobia – fear of water
• Zoophobia – fear of animals
• Arachnophobia – fear of spiders
• Tonitrophobia – Fear of thunder
• Pyrophobia – Fear of fire

SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF FEARS AND PHOBIAS

• Anxiety
• Palpitations
• Shortness of breath
• Sweating
• Fainting
• Panic attacks
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Diarrhoea

CAUSES OF FEARS AND PHOBIAS

• Deformities in Amygdala – the area of the brain which controls fear
• Environmental factors
• Previous history of such events

PATHOPHYSIOLOGY OF FEARS AND PHOBIAS

The pathophysiology of fears and phobias is not much clear. There is a chance of dysfunction of the amygdala (part of the brain that controls fear). Fears and phobias are triggered by environmental factors.

DIAGNOSIS OF FEARS AND PHOBIAS

• Proper History taking
• The diagnostic criteria of the American Psychiatric Association for specific phobias are:
• Excessive or irrational fear of a specific object or situation
• The object or situation is tolerated with distress or avoided
• Exposure to the feared object or situation leads to immediate anxiety or panic attack
• The individual is aware of the fear is excessive and irrational
• Avoidance or distress related to the feared object interferes with the person’s daily life.

TREATMENTS FOR FEARS AND PHOBIAS

• Self-exposure therapy
• Medications – anti-anxiety drugs

PROGNOSIS OF FEARS AND PHOBIAS

• Fears and phobias gradually disappear without medications. 
• It is also manageable with proper therapies.

COMPLICATIONS OF FEARS AND PHOBIAS      

• Severe anxiety
• Panic attacks
• Affects the person’s daily life

FEARS AND PHOBIAS AND AYURVEDA

• As per Ayurveda phobias are manifested due to the imbalance in vata dosha.

NIDANA- AYURVEDIC CAUSES OF FEARS AND PHOBIAS

• Excess vitiation of doshas particularly vata
• Increase of mano doshas like rajas and tamas

PURVAROOPAM- AYURVEDIC PREMONITORY SYMPTOMS OF FEARS AND PHOBIAS

• Fears and phobias started during childhood

SAMPRAPTI – AYURVEDIC PATHOGENESIS OF FEARS AND PHOBIAS

Excessive vitiation of doshas in the body due to improper food and behaviors along with derangement in manodoshas leads to anxiety and phobias.

LAKSHANA- AYURVEDIC SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF FEARS AND PHOBIAS

• Bhaya – fears and phobias
• Arati – restlessness
• Anxiety

 AYURVEDIC PROGNOSIS OF FEARS AND PHOBIAS

• Symptoms are manageable with appropriate treatments

CHIKITSA- AYURVEDIC TREATMENT FOR FEARS AND PHOBIAS

AYURVEDIC SAMANA TREATMENT FOR FEARS AND PHOBIAS

• Brahmighrita
• Brahmi swarasa – juice of Bacopa monnieri
• Saraswataghrita
• Manasamitra vatakam
• Kalyanakaghrita
• Dasamolaghrita
• Aswagandharista
• Shankpushpi churna

AYURVEDIC LOCAL TREATMENT FOR FEARS AND PHOBIAS

• Murdha taila – oil application on the head
• Abhyanga – oil massage on the body
• Shirodhara

COMMONLY USED AYURVEDIC MEDICINES FOR FEARS AND PHOBIAS

Internal administration

• Brahmighrita
• Manasamitra vatakam
• Saraswataghrita
• Kalyanakaghrita
• Dasamolaghrita
• Aswagandharista
• Shankpushpi churna

HOME REMEDIES FOR FEARS AND PHOBIAS

• Avoid such situations
• Meditations and exercises

DIET AND BEHAVIOUR FOR FEARS AND PHOBIAS

• Avoid food items which produce dosha imbalance like cold and dry food, hard to digest. Because dosha imbalance aggravates the symptoms.
• Oil massage on the head is advised.
• Advice regular exercise

YOGA FOR FEARS AND PHOBIAS

• Nadi Shuddi Pranayam    – Calms the mind

The patient needs to be seated in a meditative posture with the head and spine erect, with the body relaxed. The patient has to close his one nostril (e.g. left nostril if using the right hand and vice versa) with the thumb and exhale completely through the other nostril. Again, he will have to breathe in deeply through the other nostril while the opposite nostril is still closed with the thumb.                             

• Shavasana – relaxes the body and mind
• Bhastrika pranayama