Overwhelmed

A friend texted the other day asking for a remedy suggestion “for work stress and ready to cry — not sad crying, but overwhelmed.”

My general go-to for stress and feelings of overwhelm is Ignatia, but that remedy wasn’t quite right here. I suggested Nux vomica to her.

Surprisingly, these two homeopathic remedies have a lot in common in the mental and emotional realm. It’s not really this simple (because there is a lot of nuance to homeopathic remedies), but to me, the difference comes down to this: Ignatia is a bit sadder and Nux vomica is a bit angrier.

In the homeopathic repertory (the big, marvelous book of symptoms), the remedies are listed on a scale of 1-4, with 4 being the strongest association of the remedy to the symptom. Here is how Ignatia and Nux vomica stack up in a few mental/emotional symptoms:

• Nervous excitement: Ignatia 3 & Nux 2
• Grief & sorrow: Ignatia 4 & Nux 2
• Inconsolable: Ignatia 4 & Nux 3
• Sulky behavior: Ignatia 4 & Nux 2
• Sadness: Ignatia 3 & Nux 2
• Feeling dispirited: Ignatia 3 & Nux 2
• Brooding behaviour: Ignatia 4 & Nux 1

Where is Nux vomica more highly indicated? Funny you should ask… I have that info right here:

• Feelings of hatred: Nux 4 & Ignatia 1
• Apathy & indifference: Nux 3 & Ignatia 2
• Easily irritated: Nux 3 & Ignatia 2
• Easily offended: Nux 4 & Ignatia 3
• Disposition to quarrel: Nux 4 & Ignatia 1
• Tendency to scold others: Nux 3 & Ignatia 1
• Oversensitive… to noise: Nux 4 & Ignatia 3; to voices: Nux 3, Ignatia 1

See what I mean? These two remedies are very similar but just ever so slightly different (in the mental & emotional arena, anyway).

Homeopathic Nux vomica has a reputation of being a good remedy for “the businessman.” Picture the old stereotype of the stressed out, overworked, chain smoking, hard drinking, stressed out, short-tempered business man … the characters from Man in the Grey Flannel Suit*  or Mad Men, or, heck, even Darren Stevens from Bewitched!

We’re now in a world where the smoking and heavy daytime drinking may have been dropped away from being societally acceptable, but the stress and the resulting grumpiness remains for all the desk jockies (not just the men in the grey flannel suits).

Homeopathic Nux vomica also addresses issues that stem from work, otherwise known in the repertory as the rubric, “ailments from being overworked".

• Indigestion from the stress of being overworked.
• Angst and problems stemming from business failures
• Worries about business matters
• Business matters infiltrating your dreams while you sleep
• Headaches with irritability
• Just plain worn out from work

All of this stress and worry can then lead to sleep problems which can be addressed nicely by Nux vomica: 
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• Disturbed sleep 
• Stupefaction, after sleep or just generally feeling worse when you wake up
• Falling asleep while sitting
• Insomnia, especially if as a result of business worries

Just because the homeopathic literature speaks of the benefits of Nux vomica to businessmen does not mean it only benefits men or only benefits ailments from work related issues… but, it’s a helpful way to remember the remedy.** 

Keep calm and carry a tube of Nux vomica…

Julia Coyte, CHom
Classically Practical homeopath

#wellnessawaits



*Aucoin (2015) has a nice overview of The Man in the Grey Flannel Suit.

**For more information on Nux vomica, see these previous articles: Calming the Cold, My Little Bag of Wellness, The Eagle has Landed!, Too Much!