USING HOMEOPATHY FOR YOUR CHILD'S EMOTIONAL HEALTH

We would never think of giving a child Valium or Prozac. We know their systems are too delicate, but their emotional life is also very delicate. They are subject to much of the same stresses as adults and need love, support and attention.

Homeopathy is the fastest growing over the counter therapy in the United States and its remedies provide a therapy that can spare them needless emotional suffering in an effective and harmless form.

Anger

* Chamomile is for finicky anger. The child is fine one moment and angry the next.

* Lachesis is for the anger of jealousy. This child is critical, suspicious, contradictory and oversensitive.

* Natrum mur is for the child who is very sensitive and gets angry and bursts into tears at any imagined slight.

* Nux vomica is used for great irritability which leads to headaches and stomach upsets with great sensitivity to noises, bright lights and smells.

* Staphasagria is for suppressed anger and humiliation causing headaches.

Anxiety

Children express a particular type of anxiety that can be called acute anticipation.

* Aconite is for chronic fright and fearfulness.

* Calc carb is for children who overwork and overload themselves with tasks and anticipate problems.

* Gelsemium is for acute anticipation or for a child who has never felt well since a particular frightful event.

* Lycopodium is for children who will do anything to avoid humiliation and embarrassment or who have not been well since such an event.

* Silicea is for children who fear that they will not have enough energy and constantly moan and whine that they are unable to get things done.

Hyperactivity

This condition is often misdiagnosed in a child who is just too bright and active for the adult caregivers in charge. It may be due to food allergies, too much sugar in the diet or lack of attention and discipline.

* Argentum nitricum is used for the hyperactive child with a sweet tooth. The child seems to have a high metabolic rate and is thin, pale, and anxious and can't sit still.

* Calcphos is suited to the child who likes to play pranks but is still shy and afraid. Physically there are swollen tonsils and abdominal gas.

* Chamomilla is used to calm the excessively agitated child who cannot sit still for one minute and literally wears himself out to the point of tears.

* Kali bromatum is for the case of the child who is constantly using his hands in some form and cannot keep them still.

* Lycopodium is used for the child who is exhausted but still can't sit still. There is irritability and restlessness, mostly around dinnertime, and lots of gastric distress.

* Stramonium is used for a severe case of hyperactivity with violence. There is a characteristic loud and frenetic speech pattern.

Lack of confidence

These are constitutional remedies that are given to restore lost confidence in a child. As the parent or caregiver you may work with a homeopathic doctor on the treatment of these difficult issues.

*Anacardium is for lack of confidence due to abuse or physical humiliation. The child becomes hard and cold, has no feeling and may become emotionally cold and violent.

*Gelsemium is for poor confidence due to anticipatory anxiety, weakness, illness or fright.

* Lycopodium is for poor confidence due to fear of being in public, having been embarrassed in the past.

* Natrum mur is for fear of being rejected.

* Staphasagria is for poor confidence due to being humiliated. There is deep anger but the child will do anything to please.

Sadness

Children get sad for many of the same reasons that adults do. The following remedies can treat the effects of a loss in the family due to death of a family member including the family pet, for separation due to illness or divorce or for disappointment.

* Aurum is for the loss of a very close relative to whom the child was extremely attached. When this relationship is lost, the child feels there is nothing to live for.

* Ignatia is for acute, sudden, overwhelming, shocking grief; the child can't understand and can't believe what has happened.

* Natrum mur is for a child who is emotionally open and whose heart is broken. At that point he or she gets stuck there and shuts down emotionally and becomes both guilty and resentful.

* Phosphoric acid is for treating a big grief. The child has emotional and physical symptoms of loss of energy, debility and apathy.