 It doesn’t matter what you call it: Studying. Revising. Cramming. “It” is overloading your brain with information. One may be forgiven for thinking school is out for summer, but that is not the case for everyone. One person reached out the other day, saying they and their friends are sharing some problems:
Let’s look at these problematic symptoms. What is causing the inability to focus? Is it distraction? Is it burnout? (These people did just finish law school. I should think the desire to keep at the books right as summer hits could be pretty difficult!) What is getting in the way of feeling well-rested? Is there insomnia? Is all the legalese swirling through your mind when you’re trying to sleep? Is the candle being burned at both ends? Are nutrition needs being met? What is the stress that is being managed? I’ll go in reverse order this time — are nutrition needs being met? This is so hugely important! Is the stress a direct result of not getting sufficient sleep? Is there a hyper-focus on learning the law, thereby causing a lapse in attention to the rest of the details of your life resulting in new levels of stress? I’m going to go out on a limb and say it’s a little bit of everything. Let’s think about this in terms of the repertory. Another way of saying needing to stay focused is being distracted. Dr. Murphy ranks Phosphorus at the top of this list (in terms of remedies which are readily available). I really hate to do this to you when you are already wiped out from studying, but you’ll have to read through these short descriptions to find the best-suited remedy to your specific symptoms! Phosphorus Carroll Dunham’s Lectures on Materia Medica (1878): Phosphorus - Sensorium - Weakness of memory, indisposition (moderate) to exertion; difficulty in collecting and concentrating thoughts; weak feeling in the head, aggravated by thinking and by loud noise, music or hard stepping; these things produce throbbing in the head, a feeling of confusion, dullness and distraction, but especially of weakness in the head. Frans Vermeulen (2015) says it a little more simply: Phosphorus is “easily distracted.” Clarke (1902): “Headache as if too full of blood from intense study.” Douglass (1903): Cannot study nor keep his mind on any particular subject long at a time. Disinclination to study or converse. Gibson (1987): “Is full of fears… of study (owing to mental exhaustion)…” RELEVANT RUBRICS:
Phosphoric acid Douglas Borland says in Digestive Drugs (1940): The mental picture is that of those who are just dead tired. They feel generally indefinite, do not want to talk, cannot concentrate, their thoughts wander away from the subject. Any mental effort is liable to produce an acute headache with a sensation of extreme pressure on the top of the head. On any effort at all these patients are liable to feel giddy. Gibson (1987) adds: The mind is confused, and any effort to concentrate brings on a dizzy feeling. There is great sensitivity, notably to music and also to odours. The subject is easily startled. May complain of various odd sensations such as widespread formication*; may be afflicted with homesickness. Leeser (1935) goes a little further: Poor comprehension and concentration, poor memory, indifference, dullness, inability to perform mental work, lack of ideas, moreover, depression, apathy, dissatisfaction with one’s self, aversion to speaking, in particular homesickness, indicate the psychic state in phosphoric acid. But nervous excitation with sleeplessness and sensitivity to all noises is also observed… a brief sleep may often remove the fatigue and be sufficient to refresh…
Picric acid Blackwood (1906) says: This remedy is indicated in restoring the wasted and worn-out systems of those who are suffering from the effects of close application to study or business and become anaemic and neurasthenic** and asthenic**. Clarke (1902): a patient of mine, previously a good sleeper, to lie awake a long time at nights, exhaustion after the day's studies, fatigue even from a short walk, twitchings of muscles when asleep or awake; hysterical state, loss of will power; constant headache, irregular menses. Any attempt to study = burning along spine; with great weakness of back and legs; soreness of muscles and joints. agg. By study or slightest mental exertion. Inability to keep eyes open when studying. Gibson (1987): The chief characteristic is extreme muscular weakness, accompanied by a compelling desire to lie down and a complete absence of anxiety. Is utterly exhausted; can neither think nor study. Darting pains may be felt in various sites, possibly involving bones.
Then, of course, we have our good old Nux vomica, and, I think this would be my first stop. We know Nux is helpful when things are too much: too much studying; too much not enough sleep; too much snacking while studying. Farrington (1955): "Lesson twenty-five - Nux vomica - General characteristics - Ailments from ANGER; grief; EXCESSIVE MENTAL LABOR; SEDENTARY HABITS; LOSS OF SLEEP; DEBAUCHERY; SEXUAL EXCESSES; ALCOHOL; COFFEE; NARCOTICS; TOBACCO; GETTING CHILLED; suppression of sweat or HAEMORRHOIDS. HYPERSENSITIVENESS; IRRITABILITY; …IMPATIENCE; MALICIOUSNESS; IMPETUOUSNESS; hurry; sadness; …weeping; timidity; dullness; CONFUSION; DIFFICULT CONCENTRATION; weakness of memory; INDOLENCE; IMBECILITY; delirium; INSANITY; MANIA; HYSTERIA; INCREASED SEXUAL DESIRE; debility; trembling." Those are some strong words in there. Suffice it to say, that would be an extreme picture of a Nux vomica state. Gunavante (1998) always sums things up succinctly: “Concentration difficult while studying.” Now, let’s look at a few applicable rubrics for Nux vomica:
SUMMING UP THE REMEDIES (I know your attention span is already shot, so I’ll keep this brief): Phosphorus may be a good place to start if:
Phosphoric acid may be a good place to start if:
Picric acid may be a good place to start if:
Nux vomica may be a good place to start if:
Are these the only remedies? Nope. Far from it. But, I know you’re tired, so I tried to keep it simple. Good luck on your exams! Julia Coyte, CHom Classically Practical homeopath #wellnessawaits * Formication: the feeling that bugs are crawling on your skin **Neurasthenia: an ill-defined medical condition characterized by lassitude, fatigue, headache, and irritability, associated chiefly with emotional disturbance (Oxford University Press 2021). **Ashtenia: abnormal physical weakness or lack of energy (Oxford University Press 2021). Reference list
Blackwood, A. L., 1906. A Manual of Materia Medica, Therapeutics and Pharmacology. accessed through Radar Opus software. Boericke & Tafel. Borland, D., 1940. Digestive Drugs. accessed through Radar Opus software. Choudhuri, N. M., 1916. A study on materia medica and repertory. accessed through Radar Opus software. New Delhi: B. Jain. Clarke, J. H., 1902. A Dictionary of Practical Materia Medica. accessed through Radar Opus software. Douglass, M. E., 1903. Pearls of Homoeopathy. accessed through Radar Opus software. Farrington, H., 1955. Homeopathy and homeopathic prescribing : a study course for graduate physician. accessed through Radar Opus software. New Delhi: B. Jain. Gibson, D. M., 1987. Studies of homoeopathic remedies. accessed through Radar Opus software. Kandern, Germany: Narayana Publishers. Gunavante, S. M., 1998. The ‘genius’ of Homoeopathic Remedies. accessed through Radar Opus software. Leeser, O., 1935. Textbook of homeopathic materia medica : inorganic medicinal substances. accessed through Radar Opus software. New Delhi: Jain. Oxford University Press, 2021. Oxford Dictionary of English. 14.1.1.47 ed. Oxford University Press accessed through mobisystems.com app. Vermeulen, F., 2015. Concordant reference : complete classic materia medica : 1284 remedies. accessed through Radar Opus software. Glasgow: Saltire Books.
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 “All is Calm?” Really? At this time of year? Holidays and stress seem to go hand in hand. Was this always the plan? I’m thinking not. Can we decouple Christmas from stress? Jo Robinson and Bill McKibben seem to think it is possible. Full disclosure, I haven’t read their books (Unplug the Christmas Machine: A Complete Guide to Putting Love and Joy Back into the Season & Hundred Dollar Holiday: The Case For a More Joyful Christmas), but I certainly like the premise. For the first time ever I am currently on a pre-holiday vacation with my family and as lovely as it is I find myself stressing out when I walk into the beautifully decorated restaurant. You see, I left our house naked — undecorated — prior to shlepping off to the early morning flight. The day before we left, I did haul out a couple boxes of jolly things, so, at least I would not have to do that part the day after stepping back off a plane, but… really? Do I really need to stress myself out to get the “right vibe” going in the few short days before Christmas proper? I suppose it all comes down to choice. I am choosing to work a few hectic hours to make a festive and fun environment for our Christmas. You know what? That helped. That little mind set switch relieved a lot of the stress I was putting on myself. What else can help with holiday stress? Well, on a practical note, a few years ago I invested in fabric bags*. No more buying wrapping paper and tape and ribbons and spending hours making things look just right under the tree with miles of wrapping paper, tape and ribbon … and, no more big garbage bags filled with that identical pretty wrapping paper and tape and ribbons that no longer serve any purpose. This has been an enormous time saver/stress reducer, I can tell you that. What really helps, though, is homeopathy, of course! Really, any homeopathic remedy that matches the symptoms of what a person is experiencing may be the best stress-reliever for that person, but generically speaking, there are a few homeopathic remedies that I have readily used in the past. Ignatia and Nux vomica are two that come quickly to mind. In fact, check out Overwhelmed for an overview of how those two remedies differ and might help. Boiron’s Stress Calm** has been known to live in my purse during stressful times. Like all homeopathic remedies, Stress Calm is sedative free and not habit forming. And, like all homeopathic combinations, you may prefer to choose one remedy out of the lineup that suits your situation best, but this is a very helpful little grouping of 6c remedies. From the Stress Calm package: Aconite for restlessness and agitation Belladonna for hypersensitivity to stress Calendula for nervous fatigue and hypersensitivity to noise Chelidonium for digestive symptoms caused by stress Jequirity to relieve uneasiness (This remedy is also known as Abrus precatorius and is known to be helpful for headaches and malaise.) Viburnum relieves nervousness and restless sleep. The directions say to dissolve 2 tablets under the tongue three times a day until symptoms are relieved. We have a few more days of family vacation, then we climb back on the plane for the dreaded flight home… Do some laundry, refill the fridge, send some Charlie Brown Christmas through the speakers, trim the tree and a little corner of the house, too… plop the already wrapped prezzies under the tree and enjoy the decorated days with my boys.
Share some of your holiday stress busters in the comments! Julia Coyte, CHom Classically Practical homeopath #wellnessawaits * Fabric wrap: you can purchase premade bags online, though they can be pretty expensive. I found a bunch of fun fabric and then I found a person handier than I with a sewing machine who made them into bags of various sizes, attached with bright ribbons. After a few years of happily using these bags, I now look forward to them just as much as pulling out my favorite ornaments for the tree. (I liked these bags so much I did the same thing for birthdays! I highly recommend it!)  I have also found some great old silk scarves on eBay. They may have a hole or 2 and they may no longer be fashionable around your neck but they’re great for a little fancier version of fabric wrapping!
** I have no financial affiliation with this 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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