Mental Disease & Mental Symptoms in Homoeopathy

Dr S G Biju
Mental Diseases and Mental Symptoms are usually misinterpreted by Homoeopaths. Those symptoms of Mental Disease are not Mental Symptoms. They are the symptoms of a disease. Those symptoms in the mental level that have no connection with the physical disorders are mental symptoms. Mental symptoms and mental characteristics are also different. So we can have the following 3 categories of mental strategies.

1. Mental Symptoms of Mental Disease
2. Mental Symptoms that have no relationship with corporeal Disease.
3. Mental Characteristics (that individualize the patient).

Out of the aforesaid 3 categories Mental Characteristics are having a higher rank of Importance. Mental Characteristics will guide a Homoeopath to the exact similimum or constitutional remedy in Mental Disease, Corporeal Disease and even in psycho-somatic disorders.

Mental Symptoms of Mental Diseases
It is of least value in the selection of a remedy because it is a disease symptom only. It is just like the step ladder fever of typhoid or flapping of ala nasa of pneumonia.

Eg: Delusions, Hallucinations, Suspiciousness etc. are the symptoms of schizophrenia. So they have little or no importance in selecting the remedy in cases of schizophrenia.

HYOSCYAMUS, LACH, STRAM etc will be the similimum if we worked out the cases with the said symptoms. Dr.Samuel Hahnemann Discussed abut treatment of Mental Diseases in Aphorism – 210 to 230
He classified Mental Diseases in to two
Mental Disease of Corporeal origin.
Mental Disease of non-corporeal origin.

In the present era mental diseases of corporeal origin are very rare. Non corporeal mental diseases are common and corporeal disease of mental origin is the commonest form of clinical presentation.

According to psychiatric terminology Non corporeal Mental diseases can be classified under the following headings.
1. Neurosis
2. Psychosis
3. Behavioral Abnormalities
4. Alcoholism & Drug dependency.

Hahnemann said that mental diseases are psoric in origin chronic in nature, shall be treated with antipsoric remedies. As we know there is no existence of a single miasm in any human being. Each Person has a miasmatic combination with a particular ratio. Each disease shall be interpreted in terms of miasmatic combination with a particular ratio. One thing is crystal clear. One miasm will be prominent in each and every one and in each and every disease. This miasmatic ratio of person shall be changed according to the following factors.
1. Age – As age advances virulent miasms achieve an upper hand (If not treated prominently)
2. Family History of Disease – Change of ratio is depending up on the miasmatic ratio of paternal and maternal tree.
3. External influences – Environment and life style shall contribute an advancement of miasmatic growth.
4. Treatment taken: Homoeopathic, Ayurvedic, allopathic or any other system of medicine shall make changes in miasmatic ratio either in favor or against virulent Miasms

The prominent miasm under each type of mental disease shall be interpreted as follows.

1. Neurosis – Psoric Prominent (Except OCN)
2. Psychosis – Sycosis
3. Behavioral Abnormalities – Tubercular
4. Alcoholism & Drug Dependency – Syphilitic

Among these cases most difficult to treat and cure is Psycosis – (Sycosis). Following disorders come under Psycosis and Sycosis Prominent Miasmatic ratio.

1. Maniac Depressive Psycosis (unipolar & Bipolar)
2. Schizophrenia
3. Paranoia
4. OCN (Obsessive Compulsive Neurosis)

Pathological Rubrics for the aforesaid types of mental diseases are as follows.
MIND – MANIA Alternating with depression (Bipolar)
MIND – EUPHORIA – Alternating with Sadness (Bipolar)
MIND – SADNESS
MIND – Schizophrenia
MIND – Thoughts Persistent

Usual Symptamatology of the said diseases are as follows.
1. Suspiciousness
2. Auditory hallucinations
3. Visual hallucinations
4. Delusions
5. Fear of being attacked
6. Suicidal Disposition

Those practitioners who are not well versed with mental symptoms/mental disease may get exhilarated by hearing mental symptoms of mental diseases. Mental symptoms may come like a land slide.. Those who know the symptamatology of mental diseases will recognize the mental symptoms of the mental disease as disease symptoms and they will withstand their temptation to jump in to a remedy and will restrain themselves from considering such a symptom for selection of a remedy. In cases of Psychosis (sycosis) the physician should consider symptoms he collected from the following sectors.

1. Perspiration
2. Menstruation
3. Sleep pattern
4. Family History of Corporeal Diseases
5. Food & Drinks, Desire/Aversion, Aggravation/Amelioration.
6. Qualified mental Generals (Mental Symptoms associated with a physical General eg: Irritability Before menstruation: FOLLICULINUM, Aur Sulp, Sepia )
7. Mental Ailments from (Where family history of Mental Disease is absent)

Cases with family history of Psychiatric Disorders should be treated with Nosodes preferably MEDORRHINUM. DNA in high potency is also found effective.

If at all a case of Psychosis is declared cured it is better to follow up the case with a nosode to prevent the recurrence.

Neurosis should be treated and cured with antipsoric remedies. As an intercurrent remedy SULPHUR should be given to all neurosis cases except OCN.

Behavioral Abnormalities: It is treatable and curable with Homoeopathic potencies. The multitude of symptamatology of Behavioral abnormalities should not be listed under disease symptoms as it individualizes the patient. Behavior and character define a person. So the sympamatology of Behavioral abnormalities are Individualizing characteristic symptoms of the patient. All cured cases of behavioral abnormalities should be followed by a dose of TUBERCULINUM in high potencies to prevent the advancement of virulent Miasms.

Alcoholism & Drug Dependency: Treatment of after effects of alcoholism and drug dependency is an easy job as it is usually based on pathological symptoms of advanced pathology. Alcoholism & Drug dependency it self is an advanced syphilitic miasm. So such cases should be treated with antisyphilitic remedies in low potencies. To save the alcoholics from his habit physician should create an interest for withdrawal from alcohol and drug before starting treatment. To prevent the temptation to be addicted to drug such cases should be followed with a dose of SYPHILINUM in very high potencies.

Mental Symptoms
Mental Symptoms and mental disease are entirely different entities. Mental Symptoms should define the constitution of the patient. It should be a patient symptom or a person symptom. For clinical purpose mental symptoms may be divided in to 3.

1. Person Mental Symptoms
2. Patient Mental Symptoms
3. Qualified Mental Symptoms.

Qualified Mental Generals are discussed already. While selecting a qualified mental General for repertorisation it should be considered with high intensity. If a mental symptom is qualified with a physical general that can be considered with 3 mark intensity. Never give less than 2 intensity for a qualified mental General.
Eg: Perspiration during anxiety – ACID PHOS, ACID FLOUR, SEP.

Person Mental Symptoms & Patient Mental symptoms are confusing statements for one who heard these terms first time in his life. If we are practicing it regularly it is quiet interesting.
Mental Symptoms that are considered along with the physical symptoms for fulfilling the concept of totality but is to be removed by the treatment are Patient Mental Symptoms. Those Mental Symptoms individualize the patient but not to be removed by treatment are Person Mental Symptoms.

Are You Confused Again?
Let us see the said Mental Symptoms through certain examples.
If patient is doubtful about recovery while curing his disease the doubtfulness about recovery should also be removed by selecting a remedy from the following list that can cover his physical particulars too.
ARS, Ign, Stann Met, Lycopodium, Leptandra

But if patient is hopeful about recovery if at all we are selecting SANGUNARIA on the basis of that symptom, his hopefulness will persist.
If patient is in despair about recovery selecting, CALC, COLOCYNT, CAMPHOR or SYPHILINUM will bring hope in to the mind of patient along with curing the physical disease.

Person Mental Symptoms are a group of Never Changing Symptoms that can individualize the case.
Patient symptoms are the symptoms that can be and should be changed with a properly selected Remedy.
Desire for creative activity is a person symptom, by selecting COFFEA or PHOS one can cure the disease of such a person but can’t remove the creativity.

Benevolence is a quality of a person that guides the physician for selection of a curative remedy for him like CARCINOCIN or NAT CARB. But CARC or NAT- C can only cure his disease not able to remove the benevolence in him.

HG (Hand Gestures) is one of the major person symptoms to be observed by the physician. Positive mannerisms, gestures and personal qualities in the mental level will lead the physician to an all time effective curative remedy and that should be the area to be concentrated by those who are playing with mental symptoms.

Dr.S.G.Biju
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Email : drbijugnair@sify.com