Adolescent age is the emotionally unstable age where majority of the drastic changes happens in life such as onset of puberty, choosing career, failures, developing a sense of identity etc. Such stressful events contribute to the development of anxiety. Anxiety disorders are the most common psychiatric disorders of childhood occurring in 5 – 18 % of children and adolescents. The prevalence of generalized anxiety disorder ranges from 2.5 – 6% of children.2 The research studies has shown that there is a significant burden of anxiety disorders among adolescents in India. As this burden of anxiety disorder can cause significant morbidity and depression in future in the population, effective intervention should be planned to address this. Simultaneously, the burden of other mental disorders should also be estimated in adolescents in India. With respect to major depression, a worldwide survey reported that 45.7% of individuals with lifetime major depressive disorder had a history of one or more anxiety disorder3 and among them 43% were with generalized anxiety disorder.4 In modern medicine anxiolytics such as, benzodiazepines, 5HT reuptake inhibitors antidepressants, beta-adrenergic blockers are used to manage anxiety disorder but it has severe adverse effects such as cerebral ataxia, drug dependence, withdrawal symptoms, arrhythmia, hypotension, sexual dysfunction, drug toxicity in body etc.5 In many ayurvedic samhitas it has stated that Nasya and shirodhara are the two major panchakarma process in all types of urdhwajatrugata vikara. Nasya is found to be more effective than shirodhara in the management of generalized anxiety6 It is coated that “Nasa hi sirso dwaram” and pratimarshya nasya is ajanma satmya to everyone.7 Unmada is a group of different psychological disorders including including anxiety8,9. Symptoms of generalized anxiety can be correlated with vataja unmada. In many ayurvedic samhitas Hingwadi ghrita has been mentioned uder the unmada chikitsa adhyaya 10,11,12,13, it is dipana, pachana, medhya, indriyaprasadak, vatahara gunas with stimulant properties and it helps to balance vitiated doshas. The drug as whole is medhya, ojasya, rasayana. Contents of hingwadi ghrita is effective against various CNS disorders.14 Ghrita is one of the nitya rasayanas,15 along with it is smritivardhaka,medhya,deepaa,ojasya, and unmadahara. After the moorchana samskara over ghrita its efficacy gets increased by thousand times and called as moorchita ghrita.16 Hence, if we prevent generalized anxiety disorder by ayurvedic management by pratimarshya nasya in adolescents, then we will be able to deliver the healthy society in future. |