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Namah Vol. 24, Issue 3, 15th October 2016
are effective in depression due to their The mental plane of consciousness
action through neuro-transmitters. But
it is a fact that any psychiatric clinic has, The mind manifests in the evolutionary
besides the somatisation disorders (which schemata when the life-energy has animated
thrive without organic basis), its organic the physical plane to an optimal point. It is
quota of low-back pain, radiculopathies, natural therefore that our cognitive styles
neuropathies, migraine, facial pain, pelvic can get associated with emotional responses
pain, atypical genital pain and arthritis that to produce different behavioural patterns.
all get varied amounts of relief from anti- In the case of chronic pain, a negative
depressants even without satisfying the cognitive connotation may get associated
diagnostic criteria of depression. In the with a maladaptive emotion to produce what is
Eyurvedic tradition however, all diseases known as an exaggerated and negative mental-
are psychosomatic in nature with every set. This negative cognitive-affective response
individual being assessed simultaneously to pain is known as ‘Pain-Catastrophising’ in
along psychological dimensions (the gunnas) contemporary parlance. Pain-Catastrophising
and the somatic dimension (the dossas). magnifies both real and anticipated pain,
Various combinations of gunnas and dossas causes anxiety, depression, pessimism,
are considered to underlie various diseases. helplessness, rumination and is associated
Perhaps such a diagnostic model would with decreased response to pharmaco-
better explain why anti-depressants can be therapeutic intervention and worsens
beneficial in chronic pain with no visible post-operative pain. There are disorders
clinical depression. like temporomandibular muscle and joint
disorders (TMJD) where both depression and
The consciousness perspective of psychology Pain-Catastrophising act together to increase
works in a novel way. Instead of analysing the degree of disability. Pain-Catastrophising
isolated emotions and relating them with is less in the presence of positive emotions
pain, it recommends a rejuvenation, widening like hope and optimism. Even children are not
and upliftment of the vital energy, life-force immune in whom depression with negativity
or élan-vital that is the repository of our and hopelessness get correlated frequently
emotions, many of which are conflicting with abdominal pain. Pain-Catastrophising
and contradictory to each other. There leads to a fear-avoidance model which can
are several techniques that align the become more vicious than the catastrophising
individual energy (Pranic SSakti) with the itself. Chronic pain can lead to fear of
universal life-energy and then link the movement or kinesio-phobia that can become
collated individual-universal energy with quite incapacitating. Finally, unremitting
the transcendental or spiritual fountain- pain may push a subject to opt for voluntary
head of energy (4). This combination helps euthanasia wherever that option is available.
the subject to open oneself to universal
healing energies. Such an endeavour would Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) used
augment healing benefits derived at the in chronic pain syndromes is effective but
physical plane whether by medicinal or has its limitations. This is because while
naturopathic interventions. the subject focuses on negative attributes,
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