Today is officially Blue Monday, which is supposed to be the most depressing day of the year. I sincerely hope that’s not your experience. However, a big drop in temperature in the midst of an energy and cost of living crisis is not the happiest synergy.
There are many homeopathic remedies that can address anxiety and depression in a very real and lasting way. And there are some remedies that are particularly indicated where money worries threaten to overwhelm you.
Bryonia is a remedy for people who are hard working, efficient and driven people whose financial concerns lead them to become very worried about the future. They also become very irritable, humourless and insist on being alone and very still.
Arsenicum also fears financial loss but for Arsenicum, the fear makes them restless and fastidious. They’ll need company and reassurance that things will be ok. They may also become worried about their health.
If these remedy pictures seem familiar or if you’d like to find out more, please get in touch.
Staying well this winter with homeopathy #2 getting caught out in the cold
Here in the UK right now, the weather is very unpredictable. If, like me, you’re frequently out and about on school runs, walking the dog or going back out to the shop to buy what you forgot to get earlier, you’re likely to be caught in whatever elements are making themselves felt.
If you’re caught in cold weather for longer than you planned and then next thing you know you find yourself sneezing and your nose running, reach as quickly as you can for Aconite. A few doses of this wonder remedy before bed can be enough to nip things in the bud. Aconite grows in high mountains where it’s stormy and windy, and it’s a great remedy for experiencing these conditions and remaining intact.
Aconite suits a sudden onset of symptoms and for a child this is them waking in a fright at midnight running a fever. But adults too might feel anxious and restless. Either way, try to stop the illness in its tracks with Aconite. Please feel free to get in touch for further information.
Staying well this winter with Homeopathy #1
Overdoing it at the Christmas Party!
Here are some essential remedies for the day after festive overindulgence.
Hangovers: Nux-Vomica
This fabulous remedy sounds like it feels! It’s the number one hangover remedy, especially for those who are both hungover and a bear with a sore head.
Food-poisoning: Arsenicum
This remedy will help calm a system put into overdrive by a dose of food poisoning. Whether you’re vomiting, have diarrhoea or have the best of both, Arsenicum is the first remedy to reach for.
Rich food: Pulsatilla and Carbo Vegetabilis
Some people can’t tolerate the rich food that surrounds us at Christmas. Pulsatilla is for an upset stomach that feels as heavy as a stone, with a need to vomit and get cool, fresh air. Carbo Veg is another great remedy after rich food when there’s a lot of burping and farting with pains that force the person to bend double. Having a good fart eases things a great deal.
I hope this helps - please feel free to get in touch for further information. Have fun at the party!
Homeopathy for Hand, Foot and Mouth
Hand, Foot and Mouth will usually clear up on its own within 7-10 days. However, if you want to make your child’s life easier during this period and to speed their recovery, look at the remedies below and give your child 4 doses of the remedy in a 30c per day. If the remedy you chose hasn’t helped after that fourth dose, rethink your choice.
Rhus Tox (pictured here) is one go to for this illness. The key indication is extreme restlessness, especially at night caused by the itching of the skin.
Borax is the remedy to consider when your child becomes clingy and won’t be put down. The sores will be in the mouth and will be red or bleeding.
Mercury is the best remedy when sores and blisters affect the whole mouth, perhaps with a sore throat. There may be increased saliva and a puffy tongue with bad breath.
Belladonna is very useful at the onset of the illness when the child is feverish with reddened skin and dilated pupils. The throat may be sore, red and inflamed.
I hope this is useful. There are other very helpful remedies for Hand, Foot and Mouth, so get in touch if your child’s symptoms don’t match with any mentioned above.
Homeopathy for morning sickness #3
When prescribing homeopathy, it’s essential to find the remedy that most closely matches the symptoms you’re experiencing. It’s not a one-size-fits all form of medicine.
I’ve described 2 other remedies in previous posts, so take a look at them and the two remedies enclosed to see if they fit with your situation. There are many other remedies that might be of use, so please get in touch if none included here match your situation.
Nux Vomica
In good health, these people are very dynamic and fast-paced. When ill, the slower pace of life demanded by the illness makes them irritable and impatient.
Their morning sickness might feel like a hangover, which may not be a feeling they are unfamiliar with! The sickness might be there on waking and is worse for eating and smells such as tabacco. If they’re actually sick, that will help them feel better. They might also become constipated and chilly.
Pulsatilla
The person needing this remedy (pictured here) will go to great lengths to avoid eating fatty or rich food. They’ll also avoid being in warm, stuffy environments, preferring instead to be in the fresh air. They won’t be very thirsty.
Pulsatilla people are often tearful and quite needy, wanting cuddles, sympathy and reassurance to raise their mood.
Please get in touch if your morning sickness feels very different to the pictures painted here.
Homeopathy for morning sickness #2
The pregnant mother with morning sickness who would benefit from the homeopathic remedy Arsenicum will really suffer. They’ll feel weak and really can’t soldier on. They cannot eat or drink as it all comes back up again and leaves a sour taste in their mouth. They’re very thirsty for small sips of water. They might feel as if they’ve been poisoned.
Emotionally, the sickness will bring out their insecurities and their desire for company and reassurance. It might also bring out their need for control, making them tidy their environment and want to create order. This remedy suits the person who, when the going gets tough, won’t get going but will alphabetize their vinyl or colour code their larder – hence the picture!
If this remedy picture resembles your own situation, take Arsenicum in a 30c every 4 hours till you see improvement then 1 dose daily thereafter. If your symptoms do not improve after 6 doses, rethink your remedy choice from the other blog entries. Please get in touch for further information.
Homeopathy for morning sickness #1
Hi all. If the joy of becoming a mother is being sapped by morning sickness, consider using homeopathy as it is safe for use in pregnancy. This week we look at the remedy Sepia.
Follow the general tips and then select the remedy from those described which matches your individual symptoms most closely. Take it in a 30c every 4 hours till you see improvement then 1 dose daily thereafter. If your symptoms do not improve after 6 doses, rethink your remedy choice.
General tips:
Try to eat little and often
Try ginger or ginger in food
Remember that the mornings will be worse because your blood sugar is low
Sepia
This fantastic female remedy suits morning sickness that is temporarily better for eating, despite the fact that there's nausea just from the smell of food. Sometimes even the smell of their partner can make the Sepia woman feel sick! The Sepia woman is often resentful of and irritated by her partner who she may well expect to read her mind as she doesn’t want to ask for help! She feels better for being alone or exercising. It may suit a woman who is already a mother and who is already tired from parenting.
Sepia is an indispensable remedy in my homeopathic practice. It is of great therapeutic benefit for a wide range of physical and emotional symptoms from migraines to post-natal depression. There is often a hormonal connection and it is often prescribed at puberty, around pregnancy and at menopause. However, it is indicated at any time of life when a person - most frequently a woman for this remedy - is stretched in multiple directions and the result is exhaustion, depression and irritation.
World Menopause Day 2022
The menopause and the peri-menopause create a very significant transition in a woman’s life, and like any transition it can present some challenges, challenges which can be felt not only physically but also mentally and emotionally.
The word “menopause” is no longer taboo, thank goodness, and there is no reason why it needs to be handled alone. There are numerous homeopathic and natural ways of helping the body and the mind through this change. There is a place for HRT and I know that it suits a lot of women, but if you want to avoid HRT’s side effects and the animal cruelty involved in its production, you have nothing to lose by first exploring the natural approach.
A great place to begin is to improve your liver health. The liver is responsible for getting rid of the excess oestrogen that the body is trying to remove in mid-life. If the liver is under functioning and cannot detox the body fully, the result can be weight-gain, bloating and headaches as well as insomnia and flushes. Therefore, just by cleaning up your diet, drinking plenty of water and trying to reduce stress, all of which are a huge blessing to your liver, you’ll feel better.
In addition to this, the homeopathic remedies Sepia, Lachesis and Aristolochia Clematis, to name but a few are extremely helpful in addressing the wide array of menopausal symptoms you might be facing, from flushes to depression, from hair loss to anxiety, from burning tongue to simple exhaustion. With homeopathy, your individual and unique set of symptoms will indicate what remedies will suit you best.
Putting it all together, the menopause is a natural process that can be experienced naturally. Feel free to get in touch for more information.
Homeopathy: An Individualised Approach
I wanted to share a testimonial with you.
Nicky is an extremely warm and intuitive homeopath who is patient and kind in her approach and has a wealth of knowledge to pinpoint what treatments will be best and when. You can assure that after a session you will be feeling listened to and more positive and know you are in safe hands on your healing journey. Thanks for the great work Nicky.
The homeopathic process is totally individualised; each prescription I give is bespoke. The client’s story needs to be told, really heard and truly understood for the best-suited remedies to be prescribed. Whether your issue is migraines or eczema, anxiety or depression, your homeopath will hear your story, join the dots, put together the jigsaw pieces and prescribe. The healing process begins with this conversation and continues with the remedies chosen specifically for you. Please get in touch for more information.
Homeopathy: natural medicine, recognising natural differences
As I was sitting on Southsea beach yesterday, the uniqueness of each pebble on that long beach reminded me again of the individualised approach of homeopathy. There is no one remedy for headaches, neither is there only one remedy for anxiety.
And that is why the homeopathic consultation is so crucial. In that space, your story can be told, heard and not judged. Your personal, individual set of symptoms or feelings can be explained fully. This in itself is the beginning of the healing process, but in addition it gives the homeopath the information required to prescribe the remedies best suited to person in front of them. These remedies harness the power of nature to return you to health.
Prepare for next year’s pollen now
Homeopathy is a form of medicine that addresses the root causes of ill-health. The Hay Fever programme is a combination of remedies taken over the Autumn and Winter when the body isn’t having to deal with so many allergens and therefore the underlying susceptibility can be addressed. The length of time this takes will depend on how long you’ve had your allergy and how intense your symptoms are, but year on year you can reduce your need for medication and switch to natural alternatives. The photos show the kind of remedies we use.
Homeopathy for school fears
While long-standing feelings of anxiety regarding school are better dealt with by a professional homeopath, less severe apprehension about school is something that can be tackled by the home prescriber. Have a look at the main homeopathic remedies below.
Pulsatilla
This is the number one remedy for separation anxiety. This is the remedy for the child who won’t let go and will cry and cling for what’ll seem like forever. They’re the child who, when finally extricated from their carer, will cling instead to the teacher. They’ll feel very sorry for themselves and want attention and affection.
Gelsemium
This remedy is your classic stage fright remedy and is more suitable for a general feeling of apprehension regarding school. The child might be jittery, confused or complain of stomach aches.
Take the best suited remedy above in a 30c 4 times daily for 2 days either side of starting school. Please get in touch if these remedy profiles don’t sound like your child as these are just two of many possible remedies and homeopathy is a totally individualised form of medicine.
Rescue remedy
This is a wonderful combination to have to hand for parent and child alike to use as and when anxiety might be building and getting the better of you.
I hope this is helpful and best of luck with the return to school.
Homeopathy for sunburn and sunstroke
Give the most suitable of the following remedies up to hourly if the situation demands it. If the symptoms have not improved after 4 doses, switch remedy.
Sol
This remedy is potentised sunlight and is invaluable for all manner of ill effects of the sun from sunburn to sunstroke and from prickly heat to sun headaches.
Belladonna
Give Belladonna for sunstroke or sunburn when there’s fever too. The skin will of course be very hot and red. It’s likely that the person will also have a pounding headache.
Apis
This remedy is made from the honey bee and not surprisingly when you think of a bee sting, it will suit skin that has become swollen and puffy and stings or burns like crazy.
Prevention is better than cure
If you’re off somewhere even sunnier than the UK and you or your family member is very fair skinned, consider taking Sol three daily for the first few days of the holiday to help your skin adjust.
Feel free to get in touch with any queries and thanks for reading.
Homeopathy Awareness Week 2022
Hello all. This week, it’s Homeopathy Awareness Week, and 4Homeopathy have created a short film to give you an idea of what homeopathy can do for you. If you’d like to find out more, my Discovery Calls are a free, open, obligation-free way to see how homeopathy can benefit you and your family.
Homeopathy and emotional wellbeing # 1 Grief and Disappointment in love
In homeopathy and other forms of medicine, the letters NBWS are often written next to certain symptoms. NBWS stands for Never Been Well Since, and you might very well have Never Been Well Since a car accident that gave you whiplash, but equally you may have Never Been Well Since a bereavement or the end of a relationship. These losses may result in emotional symptoms like grief, depression or anxiety, but they also may manifest in physical symptoms such as the cough that hasn't shifted since a beloved parent passed away.
Homeopathic remedies such as Ignatia and Natrum Muriaticum (pictured here) help to shift emotions that might become stuck and therefore lead to mental or physical health issues. And it doesn't matter how long ago the grief occurred as with homeopathy, we always seek to find the root causes of suffering and address those root causes with the best suited remedies. Feel free to get in touch with any queries and thanks for reading.
It’s the time for Colds and Flu #3 Eupertorium Perfoliatum
Have you ever had the flu and experienced the deep ache that goes right into your bones? If so, Eupertorium is the homeopathic remedy for that exact feeling.
The common name of the homeopathic remedy Eupertorium Perfoliatum is Boneset, and this gives an idea as to this remedy’s use; it’s for the ache deep in the bones that is sometimes the most uncomfortable aspect of the flu. It’s a great remedy to have to hand this time of year.
It’s the time for Colds and Flu #2 Bryonia
This homeopathic remedy made from Wild Hops appears in all the homeopathic first aid and home kits and it’s a brilliant one to have to hand – especially at this time of year.
Bryonia is wonderful for dry coughs which are hacking and painful, making you hold your chest to minimise the discomfort – just like the woman in the photo. You’ll want to sit up to reduce the stitching pains in your chest and breath shallowly as breathing deeply might make you cough. Walking from cold into warm will bring on the cough. The whole system feels dry and consequently, if you need Bryonia, you’ll be very thirsty. Any phlegm you can feel will be very tough to bring up. Everything is worse for the least movement, so you’ll want to stay as still as you can.
Bryonia patients are not easy to be around as they are likely to be very irritable, but fortunately they tend to want to be on their own.
While Bryonia is a hugely useful remedy for problems with the respiratory tract, it is also a big first aid remedy for Musculo-skeletal problems. You might have strained your back or one of your joints, which might be hot, red and swollen, and the resulting feeling is that you don’t want to move a muscle, for the moment you do, there comes the pain. Bryonia, where the symptoms fit, can really ease the pain and bring down the inflammation. It really is a must for your home pharmacy. Please feel free to get in touch for more information.
It’s the time for Colds and Flu #1 Aconite
This is a big remedy for symptoms that develop suddenly, especially after being caught out in the cold air for too long. You might suddenly get sneezy or develop a dry – or in kids a croupy – cough. Kids are likely to wake up around midnight feverish and anxious. You might also get clear snot all of a sudden. Aconite, given when these symptoms appear, can really help nip things in the bud, but it is only useful at the onset of symptoms; other remedies will be needed if the symptoms change or persist. Please get in touch for more information.
Staying strong
My kids keep asking me if I’m excited about Christmas yet. I keep answering: “No,” apologetically. It’s hard to feel the Christmas spirit when a lockdown feels like it’s looming large. I would like to wish you a Merry Christmas, however you get to spend it, and pass on some simple but really effective tips for boosting your immunity at this very tricky time:
Vitamin C - this wonder vitamin cannot be overrated – find yourself a good supplement and remember to take it every day!
Diet - eat the mince pies in addition to and not instead of really good, really colourful veg – the wider the range the better.
Elderberry Tincture or Syrup – this berry does wonders for the respiratory tract and therefore is definitely one to think of for the cold and flu season. Amazingly for something that’s good for you, it actually tastes fine – even for kids!
Please get in touch for more information and the very best to you all for 2022. X
Little flowers with a lot of homeopathic power #4 Gelsemium
The flower Gelsemium, Yellow Jasmine, is a fantastic remedy to have to in the house for flu and flu-like symptoms. The symptoms of flu that Gelsemium will help alleviate are the aching, fatigue and muscular weakness so much so that there’s trembling of the limbs. There are chills which go up and down the spine, the eyelids are heavy and drooping and the head aches.
Gelsemium also has a therapeutic effect on the emotions too: it is a major remedy to take for powerful feelings of apprehension before exams or some kind of performance. It’s a must for your homeopathic home pharmacy. Please get in touch for more information.