A blog on homeopathy -- Ruminating on Remedies

Happy Pills

9/3/2023

“Do you have anything to help with my love life?” “What do you have in the way of ‘happy pills?’” “Do you have something for…” Fill in the blank. Not uncommon questions to a homeopath as people are looking for a quick fix for what ails them.

The short answer is “sort of.” If someone is looking for a quick fix there are some possible quick answers that don’t involve working with a homeopath (though I highly recommend doing just that). I’ll get to those in a minute.

The longer, more complete answer is homeopathy addresses the whole person and therefore it can help with these bigger issues which are asked about in a throw away question… like happiness.

Happiness. Joy. Joie de vivre. Such a hugely important thing.

Interestingly, some people looking for a quick fix for happiness may not have even considered that they are actually sad. To them, they are just "not happy." But, that's how homeopathy would look at it. A lack of happiness/sadness can stem from a vast variety of reasons… Illness. Anxiety. Chronic pain. Fear. Problems at home. Problems at work. Stress. Poor sleep. Broken heart. The list is practically endless.

One of my favorite aspects of homeopathic remedies is when a remedy hits home, the emotions, the mood, is one of the first things to be affected. This is particularly apparent in an acute situation.

What do I mean by that?
So many times have I heard from clients that when they have given the appropriate acute homeopathic remedy to their unwell loved one that shortly thereafter the loved one still has the symptoms of illness, but they are now cheerier. When you see this change occurring, know that the physical symptoms will most likely follow behind pretty quickly.

What does this look like?
Children are still coughing and sneezing, but they are off the couch and now playing. The adult is still complaining of a stomach ache but they are now able to read a book or watch TV and engage with the world again.

Where would I begin to help someone on a generic level who has lost their joy? With this question, I am attempting to answer generically, meaning, without hearing the details of their symptoms. A practical homeopathic solution to sadness, if you will.

I would begin with some well chosen Bach Flowers. A few Bachs to consider:

Mustard can help with gloom. (I have previously written about Mustard’s marvelous effects HERE.

Honeysuckle can help the person see the happiness in today, rather than thinking the good old days held the secret to their happiness.

Conversely, if the person is dreaming of the happiness that might one day be, Clematis may be a better fit.

Wild Rose can help to reignite a passion for life for those who have become apathetic and resigned.

There are other Bach Flowers which may be more suited to your situation. If you are interested in a Bach-only consultation, click HERE.

Are there homeopathic remedies that are able to address a lack of joy?

There are indeed!

Robin Murphy lists 457 remedies in his rubric for sadness*!

In his rubric for acute sadness, he lists only 3 remedies… One of which makes complete sense to me.

Natrum muriaticum. (For previous articles on Nat Mur: The Big Goodbye; Springing Forward; Dehydration; Balance; Salty Lips.)

Homeopathic Nat mur is made from salt. What else is made of salt? Tears are made of salt, making this an easy remedy to remember to address sadness.

There are many different kinds of sadness — something I never really thought about until I started studying homeopathy. To me, back then, someone was either happy or sad. (That’s such an unbelievably strange way of thinking to me now!)

What kinds of sadness are addressed by Nat mur?

Sadness when they are alone, or, the opposite may hold true as well, they are sad and they desire solitude.
Unconsolable sadness.
Feeling sad, but are unable to cry.
Sadness following a grief.
Sadness from disappointed love.
Sadness before menses.
Music brings on sadness.
Thinking of past events brings sadness.
People who are sad but when they receive sympathy it actually doesn’t do them any good.
People who don’t feel like talking when they are sad.

Of course with all things homeopathy, the best way to choose a remedy is based on the compilation of a person’s symptoms. Though Nat mur may be a good place to start, a better fitting remedy may be found in one of those other 457 remedies.

This life we have been given is short. If you are having a hard time finding joy, give homeopathy a try.

Julia Coyte, CHom
Classically Practical homeopath

#wellnessawaits

* Murphy, R., n.d. Repertory, version 3. Accessed through Radar Opus software.

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Out of the Blue Blues

4/22/2023

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Do you ever get sad but aren’t sure why? It’s a miserable and perplexing thing. You’re fine, and, then … you’re not.

The blues when there is no rhyme or reason for feeling the way you do. Nothing bad has happened. You’re caught up on your work. The kids are doing fine and dandy. But you have a cloud over your head making you feel miserable … the blues when they come out of the blue.

The person who may benefit from Bach Mustard Flower Essence is very unhappy but they cannot find a reason. A Mustard depression never has a cause. It shows up one day and hangs around for days, weeks or even months when it suddenly goes away as quickly as it arrived.

Mustard belongs to Bach’s “lack of interest in present circumstances” group of remedies. Cornelia Richardson-Boedler (2015) describes Mustard thusly:

The mind is overshadowed by darkness and gloom.
There may be a sensation of a weight or a downward pull that depresses the person as a whole.
The mind actually appears to receive less light, and the person cheers up in the warm, bright rays of the sun. People who crave light and sunshine are often in need of this remedy.

She goes on to say that “the depressive character of this state makes the person turn inward, as if locked within, and the connection to the outside world is weakened.”

A field of Mustard plants is a rather joyful thing to see. The mustard stands taller than other grasses, appearing lighter and brighter than its neighbors. Mustard seeds can lie dormant for many years and spring forth when conditions are ripe — kind of like how the blues can pop up — when conditions are ripe, even if those conditions are long forgotten and presently unknown to you.

"In all things cheerfulness should be encouraged, and we should refuse to be oppressed by doubt and depression, but remember that such are not of ourselves, for our souls know only joy and happiness." -- Julian Barnard

The best way to take Bach Flower Essences is to put them in your water bottle and sip throughout the day — like a little tap on the shoulder, reminding you everything is OK.

If you or a loved one is suffering from depression, working with a professional homeopath, alongside your therapist, can often turn things around.

The Bach Flower Essence Mustard is a little ray of sunshine in an otherwise dark existence.

Julia Coyte, CHom
Classically Practical homeopath

#wellnessawaits

Reference list
Barnard, J., 2010. Bach flower remedies : the essence within : an illustrated guide to the bach flower remedies. West Wickham, Kent England: Winter Press.

Richardson-Boedler, C., 2015. Applying Bach flower therapy to the healing profession of homoeopathy : psychology, psychiatry, psychosomatic medicine. New Delhi: B. Jain.

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Happy Pills

Out of the Blue Blues

Julia Coyte, CHom

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