Highlighting important Homoeopathic medicines and rubrics of bipolar disorder in Kent’s Repertory

Dr  Priyanka Rathore

Abstract: Bipolar disorder, formerly called manic depression, is a mental health condition that causes extreme mood swings that include emotional highs (mania or hypomania) and lows (depression). Its causes unusual shifts in a person’s mood, energy, activity levels, behaviour.

Nowadays, Lifestyle changes with time, humans want to success in very short time, families are nuclear. That’s why Depression, Anxiety like disorders are increases day by day. Teenagers also suffers powerful emotional load it comes from territory, academics, peer pressure, social media and family.

Homeopathy has a effective cure for bipolar disorder and these medicines, made from natural substances with zero side effects, are of great help in the treatment of this psychiatric mood disorder.

Keywords: Bipolar disorder, Depression, Cyclothymic disorder, Mania, Hypomania.

Abbreviation: BD for Bipolar disorder, BPAD for Bipolar affective disorder, NHMS for National Mental Health Survey.

Introduction:
Bipolar disorder (formerly called manic-depressive illness or manic depression) is a mental illness that causes unusual shifts in a person’s mood, energy, activity levels, and concentration. These shifts can make it difficult to carry out day-to-day tasks.

Bipolar disorder can occur at any age, typically it’s diagnosed in the teenage years or early 20s.

Bipolar Disorder is most common in the age group of 15-25years and it runs in families.

According to a study which is done in 44 countries (years 1980-2012) they found 67,373 people suffers with bipolar disorder. Lifetime prevalence for BD spectrum was 1.02% (95% CI, 0.81%-1.29%). Prevalence was moderated.

According to study of NMHS2016 (conducted across 12 Indian states) BPAD had an overall weighted prevalence of 0.3% (95% CI: 0.29–0.31) for current (cross-sectional) time period and 0.5% (95% CI: 0.49–0.51) across the lifetime. A total of 96 adults (male = 52, female = 44) and 168 adults (male = 99, female = 69) had a current and lifetime experience of BPAD, respectively.

Types of BD(Bipolar Disorder):

Mainly divided into three categories based on changes in mood, energy, and activity levels-

Bipolar I disorder	Bipolar II disorder	Bipolar III disorder
Manic episode is predominant. It lasts for at least 7 days. Depressive episode lasts for 2 weeks. Mixed episodes (manic &Depressive) are found.	Depressive episodes and Hypomanic episodes are common.	BD III also K/a cyclothymic disorder. Recurring hypomanic and depressive symptoms. Symptoms last for few days.
Symptoms are much severe.	Hypomanic episodes are less severe than bipolar I disorder.	Symptoms are not intense

Sometimes a person might experience symptoms of bipolar disorder that do not match the three categories listed above, and this is referred to as “other specified and unspecified bipolar and related disorders.”

Common signs & symptoms of mania:

Both a manic and a hypomanic episode include three or more of these symptoms:

• Abnormally upbeat, jumpy or wired
• Increased activity, energy or agitation
• Exaggerated sense of well-being and self-confidence (euphoria)
• Decreased need for sleep
• Unusual talkativeness
• Racing thoughts
• Distractibility
• Poor decision-making — for example, going on buying sprees, taking sexual risks or making foolish investments
• Showing intense happiness or silliness
• Having a very short temper or seeming extremely irritable
• Talking very fast or having racing thoughts
• Having an inflated sense of ability, knowledge, and power
• Doing reckless things that show poor judgment

Common signs & symptoms of depression:

• Feeling very sad or hopeless
• Feeling lonely or isolating from others
• Eating too much or too little
• Having little energy and no interest in usual activities
• Either insomnia or sleeping too much
• Either restlessness or slowed behaviour.

Diagnosis of BD:

Bipolar Disorder mainly based on a person’s symptoms, lifetime history, experiences, family history.

Homeopathy and Bipolar Disorder:

Homeopathic remedies for bipolar disorder are very beneficial and helpful in treating the condition. They not only control the acute phase but also eliminate the disorder from its root. First of all, the detailed history of the patient is required to find out the cause and the symptoms. Which medicine to take is then recommended on the basis of this information. These are very beneficial remedies when bipolar disorder is the result of suppressed emotions, disappointments in life and long-held grief.

Homeopathic Remedies for Bipolar Disorder in Different Phases

1. For Increased Energy Levels

• Anacardium: It is a homeopathic medicine used in curing mood disorders where the patient talks foolish and imagines foolish, baseless things. Fixed idea: Think he/she is double, mind and body separated.  About redemption of soul and the devil: stranger is at his right and one to his left.  A demon sits on his neck telling offensive things. In one ear a devil, in the other an angel prompts act of benevolence. Contraction between reason and will. Stupidity and childishness are indicated. The patient laughs on serious matters and feels like having a dual personality.
• Lilium Tigrinum is of great help in treating increased energy levels in bipolar disorder where the main symptom is extreme restlessness and difficulty in sitting still at one place. Crazy feeling in head: as if she would go crazy. Hurry: aimless hurriedness. Wants to walk. Must keep busy to repress sexual excitement. The patient requiring this medicine usually has a heart or uterine disease associated with the mental symptoms.
• Cannabis Indica is another helpful remedy for treating increased energy levels in bipolar disorder. One noticeable symptom for which this medicine is of great help is when the patient has bouts of uncontrollable laughter on listening to every little word spoken, which may not even be funny, and excessive loquacity. Constantly theorizing. Horrors of darkness, of approaching death. Full of thoughts crowding the brain at one time, making the patient forgetful of words while talking.
• Crocus sativa is another remedy wonderful remedy in case of bipolar disorder where patient have laughing, dancing, jumping, whistling: very affectionate of excessive happiness and rage. Hysteria, all change in mood. Sings involuntarily. Laugh at herself.

2. For Violent and Aggressive Behaviour

• Belladonna works very well for those patients of bipolar disorder who show marked violent behaviour and violence occurs in fits that come and go suddenly and the patient even bites and strikes the person near him or her. Another symptom of violence where Belladonna is beneficial as a cure is when the patient spits on people and the face turns red. Belladonna: Belladonna is used to treat mood disorders, which fall under the category of mania. The patient becomes wild and offends others without any reason. “Mental symptoms active, never passive”.
• Veratrum Album is the medicine that equals Belladonna in treating violent behaviour of persons suffering from bipolar disorder. The symptoms calling for its use are excessive shrieking, screaming and destructive behaviour — mainly presenting themselves in the form of destroying, cutting and tearing apart everything, most likely clothes.In those cases of violent mania that start in a woman after childbirth, Veratrum Album yields good results.
• Hyoscyamus Niger: This is another homeopathic medicine, which treats mood disorders. The main symptoms is desire to run away from home, picking at bedclothes, shamelessness where the patient tends to remove his or her clothes and sings obscene songs. Hyoscyamus is used when a patient becomes idiotic and silly. The patient becomes lewd and lascivious. Lews gestures are likely among patients with this disorder. The patient becomes a nymphomaniac. This mood disorder arises from jealousy, fights and failed love relationships.
• Stramonium: This medicine is used in mood disorders where a patient is young, hysterical, praying and singing. Patients develops weird ideas, talks with imaginary friends, becomes unclean and unhygienic and experiences fear. Screams day and night. Sees animal, ghosts, angels, devils. He looks frightened and in horror. The patient desires company.
• Elaps Corallinus: This is another remedy where patients have irresistible desire to scream at the top of her voice. Desire to be alone and dread of being alone. Excessive horror of rain.

3. For Depressive Phase with Sadness as the Main Symptom

• Ignatia Amara is one of the best remedies for treating sadness experienced by a patient in the depressive phase of bipolar disorder. The patients requiring this medicine usually have a history of long-held grief like the death of a family member or close friend or in cases where the disease has originated after disappointed love affections or from suppressed emotions. Ignatia Amara is a very helpful remedy for patients who sit silently and weep or brood over the past. Ignatia is the remedy of contradiction. The remedy of mood, of changeable moods.
• Sepia Officinalis is also beneficial for treating sadness during the depression stage of bipolar disorder. The main symptoms for using this medicine are constant weeping, indifferent behaviour towards people and even family members who were once much respected and loved, and lack of interest in doing any mental or physical work. Sad about health and domestic affairs. Constant weeping. Propensity to suicide from despair about miserable existence.
• Natrum muraticum: This remedy used in depression phase where patients have silent grief. Grives for no cause or misplaced affections. Consolation aggravation.
• Psorinum: patients very sad, hopeless, no joy at all. Despair of recovery.
• Arsenic album: Arsenic album is used for the cure of mood disorders where a patient develops a tendency of self mutilation. He feels worthless and is in despair. The memory gets weak, and any slight dispute makes the patient furious; he feels a rush of blood to the head. He fears death and fears of getting deserted by others. Acute melancholia is indicated.

    4. During Phases of Depression with Suicidal Thoughts

• Aurum Metallicum is an excellent remedy for suicidal tendency and remedy of deepest depression. The patient imagines he is unfit for world. Patient feels hopeless and worthless and has persistent suicidal thoughts. Feels hateful and melancholic.
• Natrum Sulphuricum is another remedy of great help for a patient in whom suicidal thoughts are marked and he or she has to apply much self-control to stop themselves from actually committing suicide. Great depression, tearful and irritable. When the patient of Bipolar Disorder feels sad even when listening to lively music. Aversion to talk. Satiety of life: must have self -control to prevent shooting himself.

N.B. – ‘Aurum wants to kill himself: natrum sulph. wants not to.’

RUBRICS:

REPERTORY OF THE HOMOEOPATHIC MATERIA MEDICA BY DR. J.T. KENT

• MIND. ABANDONED. (See Forsaken.)
• MIND.ABSORBED.
• MIND.ABSTRECTION of mind:
• MIND.ABUSIVE:
• MIND.AGITATION. (See Excitement.)
• MIND.AMOROUS:(See Lewdness and Lascivious, also genitalia)
• MIND.AMUSEMENT, averse to:
• MIND.AMUSEMENT, desire for:
• MIND.ANGER, irascibility (See Irritability and Quarrelsome):
• MIND.ANGER, alternate with cheerfulness:
• MIND.ANSWER, hastily:
• MIND.ANTICS, plays:
• MIND.ANXIETY:
• MIND.APATHY. (See Indifference)
• MIND.AUTOMATIC. (See Unconscious.)
• MIND.BREAK things, desire to:
• MIND.BUFFONERY. (See Foolish behavior).
• MIND.CAPRICIOUSNESS:
• MIND.CHEERFUL, gay, happy (See Mirth):
• MIND.CHEERFUL, alternating with aversion to work:
• MIND.CHEERFUL. sadness with:
• MIND.CLOUDINESS, confusion. (See confusion, stupefaction.)
• MIND.COMPANY, aversion to.
• MIND.CONFUSION.
• MIND.COURAGEOUS:
• MIND.CRAZY. (See Insanity, Delusion.)
• MIND.DELUSION, absurd, ludicrous:
• MIND.DELUSION, active
• MIND. DELUSION. greatness of, as to:
• MIND. DELUSION, changing suddenly:
• MIND. DELUSION. divine, think he is
• MIND.DESPONDENSY. (See Sadness.)
• MIND.DESTRUCTIVENESS:
• MIND.DISCOURAGED:
• MIND.ECCENTRICITY:
• MIND.ECSTASY. (See Exhilaration):
• MIND.ENNUI. (See Loathing of Life)
• MIND.ESCAPE, spring up suddenly from bed:
• MIND. ESCAPE, to run away:
• MIND.EXALTATION. (See Exhilaration.)
• MIND.EXCITEMENT, excitable:
• MIND. EXCITEMENT, alternate with sadness
• MIND.EXHILARATION: alternate with sadness
• MIND.FANCIES, exaltation of:
• MIND.FICKLE. (See Inconstant, Irresolute, Capricious, etc.)
• MIND.FOOLISH behavior (See Childish):
• MIND.GESTURES, furious:
• MIND. GESTURES, wild:
• MIND. GESTURES, ridiculous or foolish:
• MIND. HOPEFUL:
• MIND.HOPELESS. (See Sadness, Despair)
• MIND.HURRY.
• MIND.IDEAS abundant, clearness of mind:
• MIND.IDEAS, ridiculous:
• MIND.IMPULSE to destroy himself. (See suicide)
• MIND. IMPULSE to jump
• MIND. IMPULSE to kill
• MIND. IMPULSE to run
• MIND. IMPULSIVE:
• MIND.INDIFFRENCE, apathy. etc
• MIND.INDIFFRENCE, alternating with anxiety and restlessness:
• MIND. INDIFFRENCE, alternating with cheerfulness:
• MIND. INDOLENCE: aversion to work:
• MIND. INSANITY, madness:
• MIND. IRRESOLUTION:
• MIND. JOYOUS. (See Indifference.)
• MIND. JOYLESS. (See Cheerfulness.)
• MIND. LAUGHING:
• MIND. LEWDNESS (See Shameless):
• MIND. LOATHING, life.
• MIND. LONELINESS (See Forsaken.)
• MIND. LOQUACITY (See Speech)
• MIND. LOW-SPIRITS. (See Sadness.)
• MIND. MANIA, madness (See Delirium, Insanity, Rage, etc.)
• MIND. MALANCHOLY. (See Despair, Grief and sadness.)
• MIND. MEMORY, weakness of (See Mistake):
• MIND. MOOD, alternateing.
• MIND. RAGE, fury (See Insanity, Mania, Delirium):
• MIND. RUN about (See escape)
• MIND. SADNESS, mental depression:
• MIND. SCREAM.
• MIND. SENTIMENTAL:
• MIND.SERIOUS (See Sad):
• MIND.SHRIEKING:
• MIND.SILLY. (See Foolish.)
• MIND.SOLITUDE. (See company)
• MIND.SUSPICIOUS.
• MIND.TALKATIVE. (See loquacity)
• MIND.TEAR. things:
• MIND.THOUGHTS. suicidal:
• MIND.THROWS things away:
• MIND.WEARY of Life (See ennui, Loathing, etc.)
• MIND.WEEPING tearful mood, etc.:
• MIND.WEEPING. alternating with cheerfulness:
• MIND.WILDNESS.
• MIND.WILL, contradiction of.
• MIND. WILL, two feels as if he had two wills:

REFERENCES:

1. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/bipolar-disorder/symptoms-causes/syc-20355955
2. Bipolar Disorder – National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) (nih.gov)
3. Review of Studies of Adult Bipolar Disorder | Psychiatrist.com
4. Bipolar affective disorder in India: A multi-site population-based cross-sectional study – PMC (nih.gov)
5. https://www.drhomeo.com/bipolar/homeopathic-remedies-for-bipolar-disorder-treatment/
6. Margaret Lucy Tyler. Pointers to the Common Remedies. 1999.
7. D, Salini JP. Reverse Repertory of the Mind. 2021.

Dr. Priyanka Rathore
MD Scholar, Department of Repertory and case taking
Govt. Homoeopathic medical college & Hospital, Bhopal (M.P.)

Co-author:
Dr.S.K.Mishra
Principal & C.E.O.
Govt. Homoeopathic medical college & Hospital, Bhopal (M.P.)