Your Homeopathic Survival Guide for the Holidays
Cara Lan, N.D.
While the holiday season often brings much joy and celebration, it can also carry undercurrents of stress, overwhelm, grief, exhaustion, overindulgence, isolation and sadness.
If you’ve been with me for a while, you know how invaluable homeopathic medicine can be in relieving common emotional and physical ailments. For most people, homeopathic medicine provides a safe and effective alternative to conventional medications.
Homeopathic medicine is non-habit forming and does not cause side effects in most cases. And because homeopathic medicine is incredibly diluted, it is safe for most people from elderly folks to pregnant women to young children.
Here are a few common homeopathic remedies that you can use this holiday season to improve your energy, decrease overwhelm, soothe grief and sadness, relieve symptoms of overindulgence and alleviate common aches and pains.
Stress and Anxiety:
Gelsemium sempervirens: Helpful for anticipatory anxiety that is accompanied by diarrhea or loose bowel movements.
Phosphorus: Helpful for worry that something bad will happen; for those who are sensitive and easily pick up on the emotions of others; for fear of the dark and of being alone; anxiety and fears accompanied by flushes of heat up the back or chest and face; wants to be in very close proximity to their people; often helpful for general overwhelm and worry about the future.
Arsenicum album: Helpful for germaphobes who worry excessively about contagious diseases and germs and who prefer to have company nearby; for those who worry excessively about their health; also helpful for anxiety related to perfectionism.
Aconitum napellus: Helpful for acute panic attacks and an extreme fear of death (without reason).
Ignatia amara: Helpful in stressful situations where you find yourself sighing or taking deep breaths often.
Pulsatilla: Helpful for overwhelm accompanied by frequent weeping and sobbing meltdowns; those needing Pulsatilla are often clingy and need lots of encouragement, consolation and reassurance.
Irritability and Anger:
Nux vomica: Helpful for excessive irritability, impatience and acute sensitivity to noise. Often those who need Nux vomica are sensitive to the sound of their loved ones chewing food at a meal or other small sounds that feel exceedingly annoying.
Sepia: Helpful for irritability and anger that are accompanied by lots of weeping; Irritability often feels hormonal, coincides with (or happens just before) the menstrual cycle; there is a strong need to be away from those they love as they feel annoyed by them and an increased desire to be alone.
Staphysagria: Helpful for anger that is chronically pushed down, bottled and suppressed to the point of violent explosion; a deep feeling of depression usually accompanies the post-explosion period.
Natrum muriaticum: Helpful for chronic, constant dwelling on past negative events; usually accompanied by resentment and even hatred; also very helpful for feelings of deep disappointment and grief in important relationships.
Holiday Blues, Sadness and Grief:
Ignatia amara: Helpful for grief accompanied by repetitive heavy sighing; helpful in acute grief accompanied by a lump in the throat with sobbing; also helpful for states of shock where numbness covers feelings of grief and sadness; also helpful for feelings of grief that seem to come out of nowhere.
Sepia: Helpful for depression accompanied by irritability and easy weeping; does not want company, wants to sit alone in the sadness.
Pulsatilla: Helpful for sadness accompanied by weeping easily, especially when telling of physical or emotional symptoms; deeply wants company and consolation; is timid, sensitive and clingy and needs lots of reassurance.
Natrum muriaticum: Helpful for sadness and grief from disappointments in love, usually accompanied by deep resentment and possibly even hatred; dwells on past negative experiences.
Aurum metallicum: Helpful for a sense of the deepest depression and despair such that suicidal thoughts bring relief and there is an overarching sense of letting others down accompanied by feelings of total worthlessness.
**If you are experiencing suicidal thoughts or thoughts of self harm, please don’t hesitate to use one or both of the crisis lines below to get the support you need.**
Crisis Text Line: Text “start” to 741-741
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255
Exhaustion:
Phosphorus: Helpful for a general feeling of lethargy accompanied by heaviness in the chest and limbs; usually wants company, has flushes of heat and often (but not always) desires ice and ice cold drinks even in the winter.
Nux vomica: Helpful for lethargy and fatigue accompanied by overwhelm, irritability, sensitivity to stimulation (sounds, light, odors), is easily annoyed by others and impatient; constipation is often (but not always) present.
Gelsemium sempervirens: Helpful for “sleepy sickness”, a feeling of being so tired you can’t keep your eyes open, eyelids and head feel heavy with constant drowsiness, staying awake is a chore; the whole body can feel very heavy.
Overindulgence and Digestive Issues:
Nux vomica: Helpful for overindulgence in food, alcohol, coffee and other stimulants that cause digestive upset, nausea and vomiting; often feels very cold or experiences chills and seeks to be bundled up warmly; helpful for hangovers.
Carbo vegetabilis: Helpful when feeling easily full after only a few bites, with much gas in the upper abdomen, accompanied by belching and often shortness of breath; offensive gas is often present; often (but not always) wants to be fanned to be able to relieve shortness of breath.
Lycopodium: Helpful for painful gas and bloating in the whole abdomen accompanied by frequent belching and excessive gas; heartburn is often present.
Arsenicum album: Helpful in cases of gastroenteritis (from food poisoning or a stomach bug) accompanied by nausea, vomiting and diarrhea; often seeks to be bundled up warmly; often accompanied by burning pains that are better with heat.
Sulfur: Helpful for chronic heartburn, abdominal bloating and gas; often accompanied by flushes of heat in the chest and face with perspiration; feels hot and seeks cool rooms/air.
Insomnia:
Coffea cruda: Helpful in cases of insomnia where the mind goes round and round and won’t seem to turn off; also helpful for insomnia caused by excitement.
Ignatia: Helpful for insomnia accompanied (or caused) by grief.
Gelsemium sempervirens: Helpful for insomnia caused by anticipatory anxiety.
Phosphorus: Helpful for insomnia caused by fear of what may happen, worry about a loved one, worry about one’s own health, fear of the dark and of being alone.
Aches, Pains and Strains:
Arnica montana: Helpful for bumps, contusions and injuries that cause aching and bruising.
Ruta graveolens: Helpful for strains of muscles, tendons and ligaments.
Rhus toxicodendron: helpful for joint pain that is improved with motion; also beneficial for restless legs as well as aching legs; heat usually improves symptoms.
By incorporating homeopathy into your holiday wellness routine, you can enhance your body's natural ability to heal and stay balanced.
Keep in mind that individual responses to homeopathic remedies may vary, so it's advisable to consult with a qualified homeopathic practitioner for personalized guidance.
This holiday season, embrace the power of homeopathy to create a healthier and more joyful celebration for you and your loved ones.
For individualized homeopathic guidance, you can schedule a free consultation by clicking here.
Happy Holidays!