Thoughts and experiences of life and mental health

History of Mental Health

In the past uncommon behavior or behavior that is different from the socio cultures and expectations of a specific culture has been used to silence or control certain individuals or groups.

For most of history, the mentally ill have been treated very poorly, it was believed that mental illness was caused by demonic possession, witchcraft, or angry gods.

There were severe forms of treatment to release the spirits, the most common method has been Exorcism.

Another form of treatment for extreme cases of mental illness was "trephining". A small hole was made in the afflicted individual's skull to release the spirit from the body, most people treated in this manner died.

Other practices included executions or imprisonment for psychological disorders.

Throughout classical antiquity, we see a return of supernatural theories, demonic possession, and godly displeasure to account for abnormal behavior. Hebrews saw madness as punishment from God, treatment consisted of confessing sins and repentance.

Throughout history, there have been three general theories of the etiology of mental illness.

1. Somatogenic

2. Psychogenic

3. Supernatural

Supernatural theories attribute mental illness to possession by evil or demonic spirits, the displeasure of gods, eclipses, planetary gravitation, curses, and sin.

Somatogenic theories identify disturbances in physical functioning resulting from either illness, genetic inheritance, brain damage, or imbalance.

Psychogenic theories focus on traumatic or stressful experiences, maladaptive learned associations, cognitions, or distorted perceptions.

Ancient times

In the Persian Empire from 550-to 330 BC, all physical and mental disorders were considered the work of the devil.

Trephining was used as a surgical invention in which a hole is drilled or scraped into the human skull.

In ancient Mesopotamia, diseases and mental illnesses were believed to be caused by specific deities.

Egypt has limited notes in an ancient Egyptian document known as the Ebers papyrus, it appears to describe the affected states of concentration, attention, and emotional distress in the heart and mind. Some of these were interpreted later and renamed hysteria and melancholy.

Somatic treatments included applying bodily fluids while reciting spells.

Mesopotamian and Egyptian papyri from 1900BC describe women suffering from mental illness resulting from wandering uterus,(later named Hysteria by the Greeks). The uterus could become dislodged and attach to parts of the body parts, the liver or chest cavity. As a result the Egyptians and later the Greeks also employed a somatogenic treatment of strong-smelling substances to guide the uterus back.

India, ancient Hindu scriptures, Ramayana, and Mahabharata contain fictional descriptions of depression and anxiety, mental disorders that were generally thought to reflect abstract metaphysical entities, supernatural agents, sorcery, and witchcraft.

The Charaka Samhita from Circa 600BC, which is part of the Hindu Ayurveda saw ill-health as resulting from an imbalance among the three fluids or forces called Tri-Dosha.