How Homeopathy Can Help With Stress

By far the most common complaint I receive from my clients is stress. It is a condition arising from daily life especially here in America where the pace of life is so very fast. It can also come from more unusual circumstances but is the result of the person being challenged in ways that they find harder to cope with. But homeopathy can help.

Most stress arises from issues of work, family, health, and money. These for the underlying conditions that cannot be corrected easily or quickly thus leading to stress. Most often the condition is outside of any direct control the person has in relation to the problem. Yet these conditions can cause great suffering when our relation to the problem does not bring the solution. Then the problem does not go away and seems to weigh the person down. This is our stress response. If their relationship to the problem could change, the problem would then change as well. It all has to do with our ability to manage our emotional response, anxiety, and fear.

Stress can show up in many physical ways also. It can lead to high blood pressure, headaches, general body aches and pains as a result of tension. One of the best treatments for the physical effects of stress is exercise. Exercisereleases endorphins and can change our mood quickly. Little things can then be less bothersome. Our body also will respond by being in better physical shape.

Stress is not the same for everyone. For some, it may be having a schedule to keep. For another, it could be anxiety for a family member or the fear of losing their job. There obviously is no single remedy for stress because it is more about how the person responds than the stress itself. We must investigate what the triggers and issues are that are bringing the suffering to the person.

Asking the right questions during the case interview can be helpful. Most often, they complain first that stress is the problem. Ask them then, "What is stressful?" After they have explained the situation, you still may not know why it is stressful. You must ask again, "What about this situation brings stress for you?" It is necessary to dig deeper to discover the real feelings and fears associated with the situation. Only then can we get closer to the real symptoms of their stress. Pay close attention to the words they use to describe their feelings. They will speak in terms of the energy of the remedy and most often tell you in short order the kingdom from which the remedy is from. Secondly, only after hearing of their symptoms could we begin to repertize the case.

Before repertizing though, it is necessary to really understand what is asking to be healed. When you can see the pattern of their stresses and how it has influenced their lives, you can prescribe to a much bigger whole of the case. See how they have habitually responded to stressful situations in their life and how it has made them feel. Then you can select rubrics that best reflect the person and not just the current situation.

Here are some rubrics from the Complete 2009 Repertory that I find useful. They seem to come up more often than other mental rubrics. But be careful. If you use them, they must fit the case you are working on.

• Mind; ANXIETY; Trifles, about (39) : 4ALOE, 3Anac., 3Ars., aur., bar-acet., bar-c., bor., 2bung-f., calc., calc-i., catha-e., caust., 3Chin., cocc., 3Con., corv-c., dys-co., 3Ferr., graph., hura, hydrog., 3Ign., kali-chl., kali-sil., lact., lap-c-b., lat-h., laur., mang., 3Nat-m., 3Nux-v., phos., plut-n., sep., 3Sil., staph., sulph., thuj., 3Verat.

• Mind; ANXIETY; Others, for (77) : acet-ac., 3Acon., aeth., androc., 3Arg-n., 3Ars., aur., 3Aur-m-n., 3Aur-s., bar-c., borag., calc-ar., calc-m., 3Calc-p., calc-s., calc-sil., carb-an., carb-v., 2carc., catha-e., 3Caust., chel., cocc., corv-c., culx-p., cupr., cyg-c., 3Dulc., falco-p., 3Ferr., ferr-p., fl-ac., germ., helod-c., hep., herin., ign., lac-del., lac-eq., lac-h., lach., lamp-c., 2lap-be-e., latex, leon., lsd, 3Manc., mand., merc., methylp-h., musca-d., naja, nat-c., nelu., nitro., 3Nux-v., onc-t., perh., perla, petr., ph-ac., 3Phos., phys., polyst., puls., 4RHUS-T., ros-ca-a., sac-alb., scorp., sep., 3Spig., 3Staph., 3Sulph., taosc., 2tax-br., uran-n., zinc.

• Mind; ANTICIPATION (152) : 4ACON., 3Aeth., agar., 3Aloe, alum., 3Am-c., ambr., 3Anac., androc., ant-c., ant-t., 4ARG-N., arge-p., arist-cl., arn., 4ARS., aur., aur-m-n., 3Bar-c., bar-s., bell., blatta, bor., bros-g., 4BRY., cadm., calad., 4CALC., calc-p., camph., canth., 3Carb-v., 4CARC., carn-g., 4CAUST., chin., chir-f., choc., 3Cic., cina, 3Clem., 3Cocc., coco-n., 3Coff., colch., 3Con., crot-c., crot-h., culx-p., cupr., cyg-c., cyni-c-g., 3Cypr., cypra-e., cyrt-p., 4DIG., dros., dulc., dys-co., 3Ferr., 4GELS., geoc-c., 4GRAPH., hell., hep., hura, hydrog., hyos., 4IGN., iod., ip., 3Kali-br., 3Kali-c., kali-p., 3Lac-c., 3Lac-eq., lac-f., lac-lup., 4LACH., lamp-c., lap-be-e., lap-gr-m., lap-mar-c., lat-h., 3Laur., leon., levo., loxo-r., lsd, 4LYC., 3Lyss., m-aust., mag-c., 3Maia-l., mang., 4MED., 3Meny., 4MERC., meteo., mosch., 3Mur-ac., nabal., nat-c., 4NAT-M., nat-p., nat-s., nelu., 2nicc., 3Nit-ac., nitro., nux-m., nux-v., ox-ac., perla, petr., 3Ph-ac., 4PHOS., 3Pic-ac., 4PLB., plut-n., posit., propol., 4PSOR., 4PULS., rheum, rhus-t., ros-g., 3Ruta, sabin., salx-f., samb., sel., 3Sep., 4SIL., spig., spong., 3Staph., still., stront-c., 3Stroph., sul-ac., 3Sulph., syph., tax., telo-s., 3Thuj., 3Tub., ulm-c., uran., vanil., 3Verat., 3Zinc.

• Mind; FEAR; Poverty, of (48) : adam., agath-a., aids, alli-m., ambr., anac., ant-c., ars., 4BRY., 3Calc., 3Calc-f., calc-s., calc-sil., cand-a., catha-e., caust., chir-f., chlor., 2clad-r., falco-p., fl-ac., gink., graph., hura, hydrog., kali-c., lach., lamp-c., med., meli., 2mus-m., nat-c., nat-m., 3Nux-v., ph-ac., phasc-c., phos., posit., 3Psor., puls., 4SEC., 3Sep., sil., stann., staph., sulph., telo-s., uran.

• Mind; CARES, worries, full of (127) : acet-ac., aego-p., 2agath-a., agki-p., 3Alum., am-c., am-m., 3Ambr., anac., ant-c., ant-t., 2arg., arn., 4ARS., aur., 3Aur-m-n., 3Aur-s., bamb-a., bani-c., 4BAR-C., brucel., but-ac., 3Calc., calc-acet., calc-f., calc-p., calc-sil., cand-a., cann-i., carb-ac., 2carc., carn-g., caul., 3Caust., chel., 3Chin., chir-f., chrysan., cic., 4CIMIC., 2cinis-p., clem., 3Cocc., 3Coff., coff-t., colch., con., conv., 2corv-c., culx-p., curc., cyg-c., cypr., 3Dig., dros., dulc., dys-co., euph., fago., fic., geoc-c., graph., hed., hep., hyos., hyper., 3Ign., ilx-p., 4IOD., ip., 3Jug-r., 3Kali-br., kali-c., kali-n., 3Kali-p., kola., kreos., lac-leo., 2lach., lact., lap-c-b., loxo-r., 3Lyc., 2m-arct., mag-c., mang., med., merc-i-f., meteo., mur-ac., 3Nat-c., 4NAT-M., nux-v., 2op., ozone, perh., petr., 3Ph-ac., 3Phos., phyt., pic-ac., por-m., 3Psor., 3Puls., ran-b., rhus-t., ros-ca-a., ros-g., sac-l., sal-ac., 3Sep., sil., soph-m., 3Spig., stann., 4STAPH., succ., sul-ac., 3Sulph., telo-s., thuj., torul., ulm-c., uran., v-a-b., vac., zinc.Mind; FEAR; Happen; something will (191) : acet-ac., 2acon., act-sp., adam., aesc., agar., alli-m., alum., alum-p., am-c., 2amet., 2aml-n., 2anac., androc., anth., apis, aquilr-a., arge-p., 2arist-cl., 3Arn., 3Ars., asar., aur., aur-m-n., aza., bac., bani-c., 4BAR-C., bar-s., brass., bufo, c-di-o., cact., cadm., 4CALC., calc-s., 3Calen., cand-a., canth., caras., carb-an., 3Carb-v., 2carc., caruk-b., 2cassi-s., cast., 4CAUST., chel., chin-s., choc., chrysan., cic., 4CIMIC., cinis-p., 3Clem., cocc., coff., colch., coloc., corn-a., crot-h., 3Croto-t., culx., culx-p., cupr., curc., cyg-c., cypra-e., 4DIG., dros., dulc., elaps, elat., euph., falco-p., fl-ac., garden., gels., gins., glon., 4GRAPH., hell., hep., herin., hist., hydr-ac., hydrog., 3Ign., 3Iod., ip., 3Kali-ar., 3Kali-br., kali-c., kali-i., kali-p., kalm., kola., 3Lac-c., lac-eq., lach., lamp-c., lap-c-b., lap-gr-m., lap-mar-c., lappa, latex, laur., 3Lil-t., lsd, lyc., 3Lyss., m-arct., 3Mag-c., mag-s., 3Manc., mand., mang., mant-r., 4MED., mel-alt., meny., 4MERC., merc-aur., mez., morg., mosch., mur-ac., musa, nabal., nat-ar., nat-c., 3Nat-m., 3Nat-p., nat-s., nicc., 4NIT-AC., nitro., 4NUX-V., 2oci-s., oena., 3Onos., 3Pall., parat., 3Ph-ac., phel., 4PHOS., pic-ac., pitu-a., 4PLAT., plb., plut-n., propol., prot., psil-s., psor., pter-a., puls., pyrus, 3Rat., rhus-t., ruta, sabal., sabin., sang., sanic., 3Scut., 2sep., spect., spig., spong., 4STILL., stront-c., stry., sul-ac., sul-i., 3Sulph., syph., tab., 3Tarent., tax., thea., thlaspi, thuj., 4TUB., uran-n., uro-h., verat., wye., xan., zinc., 3Zing.

These rubrics are just a sample of how a person could possibly be relating to stress. You must receive the case and choose really good rubrics. Give the remedy for the whole person. When the simillimum remedy is given, the person usually reports that they are doing much better and the things that used to bother them have become more of a non-issue than before. It’s like the dis-ease suffering just melts away.

I find that daily doses of a lower potency work best in "stress" cases. The person is living in an environment that they are having a hard time with and daily support is usually necessary. If there is a lot of physical pain or suffering, I will start with the 6 or 12c potency. If there is not a lot of physical suffering, then starting with a 9c is more appropriate.

The next time you have a case of stress, it may be easier than you think to find your way. Remember to ask the questions that get them to share their feelings so you can discover what is really behind that general term of stress.