 A Comedo Quickie…
A few years ago I went to the dermatologist because I had a “thing” on my chest that wouldn’t go away. The dermatologist told me it was a comedo. Comedones are also known as “blackheads” (blocked pores that have remained open) or “whiteheads” (blocked pores that have closed over) They can be found generally on the face, neck, back and chest and commonly trouble teenagers, but I can attest they can occur at any age. The internet tells us this is the easiest type of acne to treat. The catch there is, of course, this would be using some chemicals, which I generally wish to avoid: see Benzoyl Peroxide and Salicylic acid. Dr. Ramji Gupta, a dermatologist in New Delhi, India, says that “due to fluid leaking in the surrounding tissue or due to the presence of sebum plug, the skin becomes inflamed, red, with painful elevation of the red or black-headed pustule containing white sebum plug inside such elevation, which is called acne.” That pretty much sounds like what I had going on — it was very irritating and I would find myself sort of picking at it all the time. So, what did I do? Well, once I learned it wasn’t a life-threatening something-or-other (which is where my poor brain goes whenever something pops up on me), I turned to homeopathic Silicea. I have written before about Silicea’s ability to push things out and so that’s what I took. After having this thing on my chest for many months, it was just a few days before it was all cleared up. Don’t waste your time picking at these things. Try a few doses of Silicea and see what it can do for your icky little blemishes. *Be sure to get any new skin things checked by a physician! Julia Coyte, CHom Classically Practical homeopath #wellnessawaits
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 There is no shortage of books and movies about betrayal. These are the plots that make us gasp out loud at the audacity of the baddies or weep for the wrong that has been done to someone. The Fugitive, Oppenheimer, The Beach (the book was much better), Au Revoir les Enfants, The Kite Runner, Julius Caesar (and many other Shakespeare plays)… spy movies and gangster movies all seem to have some level of betrayal in them. Heck, probably most popular fiction and movies portray disloyalty, backstabbing, treachery, treason and unfaithfulness.
There is a reason why betrayals make for great novels and movie plots and that’s because we have all experienced it at some point in time and we can all empathize with what we’re seeing/reading. In a movie or book, sometimes we can see it coming. In real life… Boom! We never see it coming; even if we saw it coming in hindsight, we never see it before it’s there. Betrayals are sometimes big and clear cut, like an extramarital affair and sometimes they are little, like promises broken to a child. Even if it seems like “nothing” from the outside, it can sit heavily on the one who feels they were betrayed. It's not unusual to carry that heavy weight along with them for years. How can homeopathy help? Well, let’s look at the results for someone who feels betrayed. Children may display their effects through anxiety, depression, anger, nightmares or even physical pain like stomach aches. Betrayed adults may suffer from intrusive thoughts or anger or sadness, even deep depression, and, adults, too, may find their feelings translated into physical symptoms like stomach pain or insomnia. The long and the short of it is, however, these effects can stick around for a long time and homeopathy can help clear out this unpleasantness. (Since the reaction to a betrayal is so individual, I highly suggest working with a professional homeopath so your specific symptoms can be addressed properly.) Nat mur comes to mind because ultimately what is often experienced after such an experience is sadness. I’ve written a few times about Nat mur and sadness: Happy Pills, Musical Resonance, The Big Goodbye. Pulsatilla is another remedy that sounds about right. Pulsatilla is known for feeling forsaken and being betrayed certainly falls under the definition of forsaken: to be or feel abandoned. Calvin Knerr’s Repertory of Hering’s Guiding Symptoms lists: "as if slapped in the face." That sounds about right, too. Pulsatilla is the only remedy listed in that rubric. Ailments from being alone. Exaggerated anxiety with palpitations or anxiety felt in the stomach. Depression and apathy. Beside oneself. Desires to be carried or caressed. Clinging behavior. A strong need for company and if that company offers consolation, they find that very helpful. (This desire for consolation and company is the opposite to Nat mur, fyi.) Crying makes them feel better and they may feel like crying all the time. Loneliness. Feelings of mourning. Ailments from being deceived and feeling dejected. Ailments from disappointments. Ailments from grief. Elisabeth Kübler-Ross talks about the five stages of grief, DABDA: Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression, Acceptance. Pulsatilla is a bold-type remedy for bargaining. The betrayal doesn’t have to be fresh. Homeopathic remedies can help clear out old icky feelings, too. Life is too short to stay focused on the bad. Try homeopathy and see if it can help you re-focus on the good. Julia Coyte, CHom Classically Practical homeopath #wellnessawaits  I’m sure you have noticed that there are some winter illnesses going around. One of them tried sneaking into our house just as we were packing up Christmas. So far, we have been able to foil its plans.
When the first signs struck the other day, I used my go-to remedies to pretty good effect. (See previous articles: Flu Remedies; Ho Ho Ho; Ammonium carb; Calming the Cold; The Crud.) Unusually for me, I had a nasty sinus headache that my normal remedies managed to quiet but not quite subdue. Then, I saw sitting next to my desk, a little bottle of something I bought on a whim and forgot all about. A cute, little bottle called, “Achoo!*” Achoo! is a gemmotherapy combination (see here for more information on Gemmos) of Common Alder, Black Currant and Dog Rose. Lauren Hubele’s website* (which is the only place I have been able to find which sells it) says it is a remedy "to support upper respiratory health". Let’s take a quick look at the ingredients. Common Alder or Alnus glutinosa is a fluid harmonizer and is useful in case of colds, flu, viruses, headaches and localized inflammation, especially those originating from a mucosa. It is known to support natural defenses and is said to act best if used at the beginning of symptoms of upper respiratory conditions. Black Currant or Ribes nigrum is also useful for immune system support. It has a high content of vitamin C and can be very useful in any inflamed condition, in particular in the respiratory tract (in my case, sinusitis). Dog Rose or Rosa canina is another immune support and is particularly useful when the head is involved: adenoids and sinuses. Today is Saturday and I first felt these symptoms on Wednesday evening. Thursday was a little tough, but thanks to my remedies, it didn't stop me from living my life. Yesterday was mostly fine and today I am completely back to normal with good energy and no sinus pain, whatsoever. If you are quick on the draw when you first feel symptoms, homeopathy and gemmotherapy can get you right back on track with minimal disruption to your life. It’s the early days of these winter illnesses. If you haven’t done so yet, pick up a few of the remedies listed in my earlier blogs and a little bottle of Achoo!, too. Julia Coyte, CHom Classically Practical homeopath #wellnessawaits * I have no affiliation with this or any other company, I just like their products. |
Julia Coyte, CHomI am passionate about homeopathy and I love sharing this passion. Having a working knowledge of homeopathy shouldn't be kept a secret. If people have the ability to help themselves, their children and their friends when they have minor ailments, life just gets better for everyone. That is the purpose behind Ruminating on Remedies. Archives
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