I'd like to share with you some children's homeopathic profiles. Children's remedies are often easier to spot because they are not so used to hiding their issues, they are more open about who they really are.
Busy Bee: My Little Girl of Three
I don't think she'll be three-years old forever, but that's her age now and that's how old she was when I discovered her remedy. Thanks to the book Healing Complex Children with Homeopathy (which I got for free in exchange of an article :), I found out that you can have a small remedy effective for more than just an acute. Let me explain. In the case of my daughter, I had to find a remedy for anxiety, see my post on Selective Mutism, from which she suffered for a few months, until I realized it was a problem.
I tried Phosphorus and it helped a little, at least to get the case started. But I knew I needed something else, because she wasn't a Phosphorus deep down so-to-speak, meaning her constitutional remedy was something else. It had to come from the animal kingdom because she's always comparing herself to others, even in the street. She has to have what the other has, a lot of jealousy. But also a fear or a keen interest for insects and something I didn't find in my homeopathy books: a fear of feathers or feather-like things. Yet, she loves anything that's very soft and would sort of suck on it, as if she was foraging it almost. Always busy, she needs to move from one activity to the next without a break. And that's how I came to the bee remedy, APIS. It also helped me to find rosy patches on her palms, which is a symptom of Apis. Finally, she has this attraction to patterns, which makes sense given that is what insects are constantly doing - recognizing flowers, patters and colors.
Here's Angelica Lemke's description of Apis:
People who need it are busy, restless, and almost. "buzzing" around; they like organization, and to do a job well. They may also be competitive, easily reactive and quick to anger with knee-jerk reactions.
Sometimes they have. unexpected all-out rage with a red screaming face. It is a useful remedy for environmentally-sensitive kids who have allergies and are prone to eczema and asthma. All complaints are worse from heat, sensitive to touch and better from cold.
Which means that I wouldn't have chosen Apis if my girl was better with heat - she always liked cold better so that was a final clue.
Now I give her the remedy once every couple of days. I know I have to give her when she starts a big tantrum and I just don't know what to do to calm her. I give her a sip and then she's back to herself again (and I'm relieved she's not screaming her lungs out anymore.)
Now let me mentioned as an aside, of course Hashem is the One who Helps, but He sends messengers to do the "dirty job" and Apis is one of them. When patients tell me "I'm not sure if it was the remedy or something else but I feel much better" well, let me tell you: IT WAS THE REMEDY. That's why it's called a remedy... and the tantrum I had this morning would NOT have stopped until much later (if at all) if she didn't take her homeopathically chosen Apis remedy. That's a fact.
Mr. Tough Guy
This one was a tough one to break, as it turns out. My son was born when I was under a lot of stress. His birth itself was stressful, albeit not traumatic. His younger years were very difficult, not a calm baby. I used Nux vomica on him a few times: he was bossy, impatient, rude. Then I learned about Sankaran's sensation method in homeopathy, where one has to determine first to which kingdom the patient belongs to (animal, mineral or plant). I realized that this son was from the plant family (so is Nux vomica actually) and he's very concerned about being hurt. In fact, he's probably the child that's gotten more bumps and bruises than any other in the family. He would wear many pairs of socks once and when I asked him about
it, he said: "so it won't hurt should I bump my foot in the wall".
But the real clue to his remedy, Arnica, I got from when his athlete foot was particularly painful. "Describe the pain to me" I said. "It's as if people where throwing things at me, metal bars, wood, buses..." A lot of violence, intense, pain. I realized that's how he felt inside for a very long time, and that's why he was acting so tough all the time. If we look at our homeopathy books, Arnica is one of the remedies that stands out in such a case. Even if, like Apis we mentioned before, Arnica is usually an "acute" remedy, for bruises or something specific like that, in his case, it worked wonders as his constitutional remedy. He became more calm, more centered and also more focused during his afternoon classes. I give him again from time to time his Arnice dose to put him back in balance when I see he goes overboard. I once asked him "how do you feel if someone is walking in front of you towards you?" He said he thought he could hurt him. That's an answer straight from the Arnica profile.
In homeopathy, we should always believe that the remedies discussed in the books (which are taken from nature's treasure chest) can be live, real breathing people. It's amazing to see a remedy become "alive" in front of our eyes.
Pepper Boy
This one was also a hard one to crack. This son was so out-going, social, pleasant, I always thought of him as a bubbly Phosphorus. Again, I had to reconsider all my cases, including my family, when I learned the Sensation Method, and this son was also from the plant kingdom, which rules out Phosphorus (a mineral).
When life gets too boring, add some spice!
And this is the story of the Piperaceae plant family, where the black pepper comes from. There’s another plant family called Papaveraceae where there’s endurance of intense pain. Here with the Piperaceae, the person is bored out of his mind. Literally - he needs stimulant from everything he can put his eyes or hands on: whatever it takes to be entertained, amused, move away from a state of blandness- the natural him. He’s the kind of child or adult (applies in both cases) that says: “life is boring, let’s spice everything up and just do something!” Or as they say here in Israel “Action!”
It could remind us of the sensitivity of an unborn child who needs immediate gratification. He’s bored (how would you feel if you were stuck in the womb for months?) and wants to experience with his five senses. The gestures used by the patient is like the one of a baby (undirected) when expressing himself, especially his joy. When you talk to them, they look very young and innocent, without a fully developed ego. They want to try everything and are very open to new experiences. They’re not the wisest people on earth but they’re genuinely interested in what you have to say: sort of like a new soul. How does it help to know that a person is from the “pepper” family? Well, if it’s his remedy, then you’ll know how to strengthen his system, balance his person so he’ll be more grounded.
The Scared Artist
Will I Manage? Is Everyone Looking?
This little boy was always good for show - very photogenic but also very scared of trying anything new. He had tonsillitis and a very bad case of allergic bronchitis/asthma which landed him to the hospital. That's before I knew enough about homeopathy to try a remedy for him. Unfortunately. But Hashem gives second chances in his Generosity, and he was able to heal eventually with the Baryta carb remedy which reduced greatly his attacks and avoided him a surgical operation. Once this "layer" was taken care of, I was able to see the child beneath: a great sense of humor (4 year-old!), love of beauty and harmony, yet still very scared to do things alone.
He used to not want to leave the home at all, unless mom would go with. He would mop around all day, lying on the floor. He was in bad shape. After Baryta carb. like I explained, he felt much more energy, he was ready to go explore the world (i.e. the street we live on) and go see his friends. It's like he was infused with life again. But it wasn't enough for me: I knew his level of happiness could improve even more, so I tried to find his constitutional remedy, the one resonating the most with his inner self.
I found Argentum nitricum (Silver nitrate) perfect for those who like routine yet have an artistic streak. They can achieve great things but we have to show them a few times before they'll try on their own. Since then, he's found a beautiful balance between being himself and trying to make others laugh. He's also healthier in every sense of the word.
He still has his beautiful sense of humor and now enjoys singing and drawing. If he's playing in the park and wants to do something a bit daring, he'll cry and then manage to get out of the situation on his own, once everyone is looking at him in suspense "will he manage?" Then, when he does, tears and screams leave to show a nice, satisfied smile. He's done it - and everyone was there to see. How happy is he!
I've Got To Be on Top: The Arsenicum Child.
Here's the story of a young boy, not yet bar-mitzva, but taking his Torah studies very seriously. He doesn't want to waste one minute - especially not for something as gashmi as eating. So the mother got herself with a case of "Limud-induced anorexia", with a boy who likes to learn, but a little bit too much: losing sleep, losing weight, losing his own happiness along the way. Is that the Will of Hashem?
So she came to me with her "problem", hoping a remedy will rebalance his sense of self. And it did.
Indeed, Arsenicum - and the child version is no exception- is a perfectionist: he needs to perform above and beyond, to re-assure himself of his worth, because deep down, despite his look of confidence, he's a very anxious person (will I be successful? Will I make it?). By over-achieving, he calms his anxiety about the world out there who seems very scary to him. And so he sometimes goes to the extreme - like with our young masmid- because really there's a lack in peace of mind that ends up translating itself in a disease: Anorexia, with its cousin Depression.
Are the parents to blame? As it turns out, I know them very well and they only have the best in mind for their child, so they're absolutely not at fault here. Their only "mistake" was to encourage their child when he started becoming obsessed with learning. How were they to know it would soon be at the expense of his health and happiness?
But no worries. Homeopathy is always there to help and save the day - as I said before, it's an amazing gift from Hashem.
After a few doses of Arsenicum (which comes from the poison Arsenic, by the way), he started singing again at the Shabbos table, he was arguing less with his mother over the food served, and became more calm, spending some nice time at home with the family. Because deep down, Arsenic is a family person, serious about his commitments, ready to help out. Why deprive him of this balance, this happiness, when homeopathy can provide it for him?
The Sad Clown: a Natrum Muriaticum case
With the help of Homeopathic Psychology by Philip Bailey
I recently had a young boy come to me for treatment for hyperactivity. He was joking around with his mother during most of the meeting, but I could sense a sadness behind.
A Keynote for Natrum Muriaticum is "suppression of emotional pain".
Natrum Muriaticum is the predominant type in modern times, a reflection of the suppressed emotional pain that is engendered by the average upbringing in today's society. Most Natrums are so good at disguising their inner pain and vulnerability that one could think the patient is open and well-balanced when in fact he's hiding from his emotional pain.
The emotional pain that is at the centre of Natrum's pathology originates in early childhood, when the unconditional love that the child needs is not received. The parents usually mean well, and are loving in their own way, but their love is not unconditional and freely given, since they are hiding from their own emotional pain.
The Natrum individual is forever sitting on a time-bomb of sadness, anger and fear, which tends to either explode sooner or later creating a "breakdown" or trickle out as frequent or continual moodiness.
Natrum children often refuse hugs and kisses, partly because they do not feel the implied affection, and partly because they are afraid of opening up the safely closed heart, which does not hurt quite so much so long as it is covered.
In this particular case, the mother was complaining that he was acting like a clown most of the time.
The Clown
Everybody knows that the clown has a broken heart. What they don't know is that a dose of Natrum Muriaticum could help to mend it. The clown's act has a dual purpose:
1) It helps Natrum forget that his heart is aching;
2) and in the process it attracts approval from others, which Natrum uses as a substitute for love.
Children who compulsively play the fool at school are usually Natrums are are usually very unhappy inside. Natrum cannot bear to be laughed at. It hurts him far more than he lets on, as does any form of rejection. He'll use his quick wits to make puns and smart remarks in reply to anything anybody says to him. Many have a dry, wry wit that is symptomatic of their cynical outlook on life. Sarcasm may be the lower form of wit but it is often Natrum's only means of expressing anger. Many Natrums have to laugh, or make others laugh, or they would cry.
Positive Qualities of Natrum Muriaticum:
- High morals
- Nurturing
- Love of children and animals
- Sympathetic
- Sensitivity
- Integrity
- Organised and Efficient
- Charitable
- Cooperative
- Sense of Humor
- Diplomatic
Other Characteristics
- Inability to let go of emotions, to let go of loved ones
- Fear of expressing emotions, of losing loved ones, of rejection, of appearing foolish, of losing control
- Tendency to grief and depression
- Difficulty in crying
- Controlled speech and actions
- Need to please people
- Guilt
- Avoidance of feelings by joking and clowning or by keeping busy
- Difficulty in receiving
- Cynicism
- Low self-esteem with sense of worthlessness
- Intellectual pride
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