Silence, Please!

I'm a mom of 3 (now grown) boys. Generally speaking, I’m pretty good with noise.

A couple of days ago, I suddenly couldn’t tolerate noise any longer. 

My change of heart on noise may be me entering a new phase of life, or, more likely, it’s a temporary condition resulting from what I imagine it must feel like living inside a dentist’s drill. You see, we have had all new windows put in our house. I must admit I had not given any thought to how noisy a process this would be.

My nerves were frayed. My tolerance was shot. I startled very easily.

What did I do?

Nothing, homeopathically speaking, that is.

At first, I thought my headphones were enough of a buffer. (In hindsight, playing music to cover up the noise may have made the whole thing a little worse.) I really just needed a break from the noise. I drove to the grocery store (and back!) in silence. Unheard of for me. I basked in my newfound appreciation of silence, whenever I could find it, which was just about impossible. 

Homeopathically speaking, what could I have done about it?

Coffea cruda would be my first stop.

Coffea is an excellent remedy for oversensitiveness. When noises evoke emotions such as anger and annoyance and irritability.

When noise worsens existing pain… Coffea.

When noise even causes pain… Coffea.

From Dr. Robin Murphy: “Coffee increases the sensibility of nerves, making them over excitable and over sensitive, special senses become over acute, emotions especially joy and pleasurable surprise, produces dangerous symptoms.”

Sidebar: Who knew joy could be a problem? That was certainly news to me when I first learned that little tidbit when first learning homeopathy. Ailments from excessive joy — Coffea cruda is bold, capital letters and underlined!

Back to Dr. Murphy: “Extreme sensitiveness characterizes this remedy. Hyperactivity of mind and body. Neuralgia in various parts, always with great nervous excitability and intolerance of pain, driving to despair.”

I have to say, this last bit pretty much sums up how I felt. I was jumpy, annoyed and restless. I was also pretty excited about our new windows which had been a long time in the coming. However, I don’t think joy played much of a part in how I was feeling for the last couple of weeks.

What would be my second homeopathic stop for intolerance to noise? Nux vomica.

Nux vomica is the other all caps, bold and underlined remedy for being oversensitive to noises. It, too, would be indicated for irritability from noises.

Let’s go back to Dr. Murphy again for a minute, this time about Nux vomica…

Nux vomica has an “overactive mind. Nervous and excitable. Very irritable, sensitive to all impressions. Cannot bear noises, odors, light. Angry and impatient, cannot stand pain, so mad, he cries.”

There’s a lot of similarity and overlap between these two remedies and how they react to noises.

How to choose? Quite honestly, it’s a bit of a coin flip between Coffea and Nux vomica when it comes to noise issues.

If this noise sensitivity is particularly acute during menses? Nux vomica.

If it’s voices which are irking you… Nux may be more indicated than Coffea.

If hearing noises in your ears is part of the problem… Nux may be a better choice.

For a little more information on Coffea, check out “Stolen Sleep.” For a little more information on Nux vomica, check out “Too Much.” 

The windows are pretty much complete now. How is my newfound need for silence? Earlier today, I was really enjoying listening to the birds. This evening, the lone cricket is fine (so far). But in the very near future, demolition begins on our bathroom renovation. Rest assured I will have Coffea close at hand this time around (and I know exactly where to find my tube of Nux, if need be).

Julia Coyte, CHom

Classically Practical homeopath

#wellnessawaits