As the world observed the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking and joined hands to combat the menace on Sunday (June 26), it is to be noted that Ayurvedic experts too make efforts to get rid of the problem. The need for rehabilitation and detoxification of addicts has always existed and even so nowadays as the world moves faster. The solution lies in the traditional medical science Ayurveda. Many addicts visit leading Ayurvedic hospitals for detoxification and release from the clutches of narcotics and drugs. This stream of Ayurvedic treatment is known as kayachikitsa. The treatment involves not only medical ways but also eradication through moral education, like the one imparted in Vedas.
Rehabilitation is a process of restoring the patient to a normal life. This depends on the willingness and the psyche of a person. If the treatment is carried regularly, it would take a month or two for a person to completely wipe out the menace. In a week, five to six such people visit for detoxification and rehabilitation. A comprehensive programme involving natural medication, ‘panchakarma’ (detoxification process), yoga sessions and individual counselling are carried out till the problem is solved. The process of detoxification is known as Panchakarma,
a bio-purification method for detoxification of bodies through five phases.
These five phases are vamana, virechana, basti, nasya and raktamokshana. Vamana is the process of inducing controlled vomiting in order to flush out harmful toxins from the body. Virechana or therapeutic purgation involves cleansing of gastrointestinal tract, especially liver.
Basti is the process of introducing medicated oils and herbal decotion into the body through rectum. Nasya is nasal Instillation, which includes drops of swaras (juices from herbal plants) and oil or ghee to eradicate toxins from head and neck region. Lastly, raktamoksha is the therapy to extract and purify the blood. All these methods are cost effective and have no side effects, as is normally with Ayurvedic treatment.
