Every Doctor Must Know These 3 Types of Patients

Added: 2026-05-13

[00:00:00]Welcome to Logical Ayurveda.

[00:00:03]Today, we are going to discuss how to handle patients based on dosha.

[00:00:09]That is practical Ayurvedic psychology of how to treat patients based on their mind.

[00:00:14]Instead of going with the classic sattva, rajas, and tamas, I find it easier to explain to Ayurveda doctors, especially my students, with the idea of doshas and how to approach patients in the doshic way when it comes to their psychology also.

[00:00:29]In Ayurveda, we classify patients based on prakriti, vata, pitta, and kapha.

[00:00:35]Now, I am warning you before going into this video. This video is not a classical text explanation. This is not so told somewhere in the samhita or this is not research-backed, etc. This is my own personal observation. So, when it comes to your clinical practice, uh take this with a pinch of salt and >> [clears throat] >> but when perceived, this may change how you practice Ayurveda and how you view patients when it comes to their consistency in taking medicine.

[00:01:03]So, the core idea, it's not not just treating disease, but understanding the patient psychology based on dosha.

[00:01:12]Just like how different medicines, same medicines will not work on two different persons, same kind of approach, uh same kind of psychological approach will not work on different patients.

[00:01:23]There are basically three predominant prakritis of the patient when it comes to the patient table.

[00:01:28]The kapha prakriti, pitta prakriti, and vata prakriti. Now, kapha prakriti, kapha, the guna of kapha is guru, heavy, manda, slow, and uh heavy, etc. So, definitely, the patients are by nature slow, calm, stable.

[00:01:49]They have very low motivation, but they do have very high consistency.

[00:01:53]Kapha is like an elephant.

[00:01:55]It moves slowly, but it moves long distances.

[00:01:59]So, the problem with Kapha Prakriti patients is that you they skip medicines often, and they lack intensity. They'll take medicine for a month in especially when it comes to Kapha because most of the Kapha Prakritis have chronic diseases like rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, etc. where they have diabetes where they have to take the medicine for most of their life, and that kind of Kapha Prakritis they'll get anyone. Basic human nature is that we get tired out of taking too much medicines. So, they lack intensity.

[00:02:33]But, the strength of a Kapha Prakriti patient is that they are very very loyal. They do long-term follow-ups.

[00:02:39]They are the ones who is going to come to your clinic very often, and it is very very important for an Ayurveda doctor to know how to treat Kapha Prakriti patients.

[00:02:49]So, how to treat Kapha Prakriti patient?

[00:02:51]You need to give strong initial motivation. You need to explain the disease clearly. For example, if the patient is of psoriasis of a Kapha Prakriti nature psychology is coming to you.

[00:03:02]You need to explain what is psoriasis and how it is right now it is very less, and how your treatment in 3 months is going to change the course of the patient, and it is going to transform and cure completely. How when not treated properly it will result in grave consequences like psoriatic arthritis.

[00:03:22]And you to be very specific to the patient, but you do not you do not make them fear a lot, but you just state the facts, and you motivate them to take medicines and and you kind of give that initial modification motivation, and the patient will definitely they'll what what they'll they have consistency.

[00:03:39]They'll take regular follow they'll do regular follow-up of medicines, but they lack motivation. It is your duty to give that motivation. It is your duty to tell the reason for that motivation. Once that patient knows once the patient of psoriasis knows how important it is to take Ayurvedic medicines, they are preventing psoriatic arthritis, they are preventing the spread of the disease, they are going to cure the disease permanently, then they are going to follow with very high consistency. It is duty of the doctor to do so. Duty of the doctor is not to do ha, what is the disease? Yeah, you have exhalation that this you prescribe four medicines, go clinic, take it. No, your duty of the doctor is to explain them, understand the patient their own psychology, and treat them accordingly. So, in Kapha, you need give a little motivation. And when they follow properly, you need to give them encouragement.

[00:04:23]It is very good of you. I gave medicines for 1 month and you are now you are back. You followed the diet properly. I am proud that you are doing this thing.

[00:04:31]Keep on doing this and you will get this disease cured. You need to give them encouragement. Uh sometimes at the end of the day, as we are all humans, we need to be appreciated, and that must be done. You need to appreciate the compliance. It's very important with the patient uh it how Like most of the doctors scold the patients who do not come regularly, but we forget to appreciate the patient who comply with us. So, you need to always appreciate compliance, build an emotional bond with them, build consistency, and act as a motivator.

[00:05:00]So, I always tell you can treat Kapha Prakriti like your son.

[00:05:05]You can beat the son as a son or daughter, etc. You can beat them, you can curse them, you can love them in between, and they'll understand. You can even scold a Kapha Prakriti psychology patient, they'll understand that you are doing it for their own good.

[00:05:21]I mean, >> [clears throat] >> you just need to give them that give them the idea that you are doing it for own their their own good. So, you need you can treat Kapha like your own son.

[00:05:31]You can do whatever you want. At the end of the day, the son knows that father loves her.

[00:05:36]But, when it comes to treating a Pitta Prakriti, you should treat it like your son-in-law. Anything that you say can be used against you for next 10 years for a decade.

[00:05:49]That you have said so. You need to be very careful in choosing your words because it is going to piss away Pitta Prakriti.

[00:05:56]So, in when the nature how to handle Pitta Prakriti patients, the nature of Pitta Prakriti patient is that they are very intense. Pittam Sa Sneha Tikshna Ushnam.

[00:06:08]Sa Sneha is there.

[00:06:10]They have that beautiful friendliness in them. It is your duty to tap that potential out of it. And they are also Tikshna and Ushna. They are can go against you very rigidly once you once you your choice of words is not good and you behave rude to the patient, you are going to lose that patient forever. You are friendly with them, you explain good, you behave in a good manner with them because see, Pitta is someone with very high ego and very high self-esteem and with very high success determination, etc. People in you know, in Pitta Prakriti people are mostly army colonels, teachers, government officials, high-ranking peoples, all those stuff.

[00:06:50]They are Pitta Prakriti patients.

[00:06:52]The mere the in mere enrollment requires discipline and consistency and focus, etc. So, they are the the very motivated. You just don't need to give them motivation. You just have to be friendly, state the disease, do this, do that. You just have to be friendly to the patient friendly with the patient and they'll be okay with that.

[00:07:11]So, problem is that they'll be easily offended and reactive.

[00:07:15]Strength is that once they are highly compliant once convinced, they're handling them is very easy.

[00:07:20]I always tell Kapha Prakriti Kapha Prakriti is like a rocket which needs an escape velocity. When a rocket flies away from the earth against gravitation, it needs a strong pull. It needs fuel that jet fuel to have escape velocity. After it crosses a certain particular kilometers, that strong thrust is no more needed. That is why Kapha needs an initial motivation. You need to push that rocket out of the S initial escape velocity. But Pitta do not need velocity at all.

[00:07:51]Uh and you tell the patient this is going to be done, it is going to be done. So, while handling the Pitta Prakriti patient, you should always show respect. You should stay calm. Should use words carefully. You should provide a clear plan. You need to be a diplomat.

[00:08:04]You need to be a diplomat like external affairs minister. How how they choose diplomacy how they choose words very carefully that do not hurt the other person but at the same time you want to express what you want to express. You need to be a diplomat while treating the Pitta Prakriti because I'll have an example of army colonel who came He is a 55-year-old very fit person and he's doing jogging um 6 km a day. He has knee pain.

[00:08:29]So, I see a muscular weakness Mamsa Dhatu Kshaya in him and I tell him I just told him a casual sentence that this pain may be due to your age it is degeneration of the bone. Suddenly he became very angry and he said, "People who are much higher than me in the army which are who are much older than me in the army like 65 years, 70 years, they are running fine. But how can you tell like that to me?" I said, "Sir, yes, sir. I just understand and I'm going to put you on the best treatment possible.

[00:08:57]You are going to be running in no time."

[00:08:59]And I gave them Ksheerabala, Kaishora Guggulu and all the stuff Pinda Tailam etc. and he recovered very well and he was able to run very good than before. I told him to take much more protein etc. So, that he recovered very well and he referred a lot of army officers to me for which why I'm very grateful. So, Pitta is once once they are very friendly with you they are going to get lifetime supply of patients from them.

[00:09:22]You need to be a diplomat and guide while treating the Pitta Prakriti patient. And Vata Prakriti patient, I told you treat Kapha like a son.

[00:09:29]Treat Pitta like a son-in-law.

[00:09:31]Treat Vata like your notorious friend or a colleague in a work who is going to listen everything from you, but do not do anything. They have their own path. They are going to keep doing whatever they are doing irrespective of what you tell them.

[00:09:44]But it's your duty as a friend to tell them, but it is not duty to expect them that they will do it. You need to be very patient with well treating with whatever it is because Vata as a definition, it is Ruksha. It does not Sneha. It does not bring people together. They're very Chalakuna.

[00:09:59]They'll tell one thing in the morning, they'll won't tell another thing in the evening. They'll see an Ayurvedic doctor in the morning, allopathic doctor in the evening, and a homeopathic doctor next morning.

[00:10:07]So, Vata Prakriti patients do window shopping all the time.

[00:10:10]Vata Prakriti patients are such kind of patients who are never satisfied with one dress. They'll keep on shopping for another 3 hours, and they're going to come out not taking any dress. So, such is a kind of Vata Prakriti patient. But, Vata Prakriti patients' nature is that it is restless, unstable, and overthinking, etc. Problems with Vata Prakriti patients is that they have poor compliance. Yeah. They lack motivation and consistency, and they go for doctor shopping.

[00:10:36]But the strength of Vata Prakriti patients, once the chronicity of disease occurs, Vata Prakriti patients get really mature. Once the age happens, once they get post 30, 35, the maturity really sets in, which controls the Vata Prakriti, Vata nature in them. Patients who are aged generally can control Vata. Patients who are very mature generally can control Vata. It is not shameful to be Vata Prakriti. This is just a state of mind. Most of Ayurveda doctors that I see, including myself, have certain Vata Prakriti in them. Uh so, it is okay. But doctors have very poor patience when they sit on the other end of the table. When they are sick, they do not follow medicine for more than 2 days, and then they do worst kind of Nidana. They They They do all the worst kind of things in the world that can they get disease. So, Vata Prakriti is not bad. They get Once they have chronic disease, they mature.

[00:11:23]They understand that we have to take medicines for such a long time. Once they get mature with age, etc. But, how to [clears throat] treat Vata Prakriti? Follow Bhagavad Gita. Karmany ev Adhikaraste Ma Phaleshu Kadachana. Ma Karma Phala Heturbhu.

[00:11:36]Just read the patient, tell them the instructions. Do not think ever that they are going to follow up. If they follow up, it is anugraha of God. If they do not follow up, it is again anugraha of God because I have given 2 hours long consultations to other property people with irritable bowel syndrome. That this and they are not going to turn up. They are going to turn up after 1 year. They'll take medicines for 15 days and they'll complain come and complain after 6 months how Oh, bad medicine was that those 15 days and you'll get really pissed off. You should not get pissed off. You should do the duty as a doctor.

[00:12:07]It is your duty to not deny anybody who comes into your clinic unless they disrespect your profession or disrespect your dignity.

[00:12:15]Then you can deny them.

[00:12:17]You cannot deny them just because they piss you off. And it is part of the As a doctors also, we should mature with the time. We should not be having water property. We should be really patient with the patients.

[00:12:28]So, basically analogy is like Kapha you treat like a child, do anything you want. They're going to complain. Just explain to them. Just show your love.

[00:12:37]Pitta is like your son-in-law. Be very careful. Choose your words carefully. Be a diplomat. Vata is like your colleague.

[00:12:43]That's not matter what you do.

[00:12:45]Vata. So, understanding disease is basic Ayurveda. Understanding patient psychology based on dosha is real Ayurveda. If you treat dosha in the body, you make cure disease. But if you treat dosha in the mind, you build life-long practice.

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