Dating for the mentaly ill

Physical causes of mental disorders have been sought in history.Hippocrates was important in this tradition as he identified syphilis as a disease and was therefore an early proponent of the idea that psychological disorders are biologically caused.Religious temples may have been used as therapeutic retreats, possibly for the induction of receptive states to facilitate sleep and the interpretation of dreams.Mental disorders were generally thought to reflect abstract metaphysical entities, supernatural agents, sorcery and witchcraft.They were also some of the first to advocate for humane and responsible care for individuals with psychological disturbances.Some of these were interpreted later, and renamed as hysteria and melancholy.

He described common practices of dietetics, bloodletting, drugs, talking therapy, incubation in temples, exorcism, incantations and amulets, as well as restraints and "tortures" to restore rationality, including starvation, being terrified suddenly, agitation of the spirit, and stoning and beating.Mental illness, according to the Chinese perspective is thus considered as an imbalance of the yin and yang because optimum health arises from balance with nature.China was one of the earliest developed civilizations in which medicine and attention to mental disorders were introduced (Soong, 2006).This explains why the ancient Chinese believed that a mental illness was in reality a demonic possession.According to Chinese thought, five stages or elements comprised the conditions of imbalance between Yin and yang.