The Big Goodbye
Fastest summer ever! We went on vacation for what seemed like just a minute and fall is already upon us!
If you have kids heading off to college, I bet it went by even faster for you!
Your college bound cherubs will be fending for themselves, often for the first time. With that in mind, I highly suggest sending along a few homeopathic remedies for them. I’m going to keep this short and sweet because they are going to be busy and they probably are not too (outwardly, anyway) interested in more nagging from mom and dad.
Please note there is a lot more to each of these remedies — I’m just thinking in terms of how to leave quick instructions for them as they are navigating the world for the first time on their own.*
Aconite 200c/Bryonia 30c is the Banerji protocol to take at the first sign of feeling unwell. (This would actually be 2 remedies, but I’m going to cheat and count it as 1 since they can be used as a combination remedy to ward off sickness.)
Aconite is for 4F: Fast onset; Fever; Fright and Fear.
Bryonia is for pains that are worse for the slightest motion -- when it even hurts to move your eyes. Good for illness or for injuries.
Arnica 200c for all those bumps and bruises and aches and pains from tag football on the quad. (Does this even happen any more? I suppose Arnica would help with a sore thumb from a mega-session of gaming. 🤣)
Arsenicum album 30c to help with diarrhea, vomiting, nausea; colds and flu and even panic attacks.
Hepar Sulphur 30c for little wounds and infections; sore throats, swollen glands and coughs and even hoarse voices from all those pep rallies! (Yeah, I'm thinking those don't exist any longer, either. Alas.)
Nux vomica 30c is probably going to come in very handy for a new college student. It’s excellent for over-indulgence: too much pizza, not enough sleep. It’s also really helpful to help keep the bowels moving when it’s bunged up from too much pizza.
Back to the big good bye…
Nerves have to play a part in the days leading up to departure, for them and for you (as well as little siblings and pets left behind). For previous posts on back to school, see here and here.
For the pre-leaving jitters, think of Gelsemium. “Nervous dread,” anticipatory anxiety which may result in headaches or nervous tummy — this remedy can be for the student, the parents or the little one who is going to be left behind.
For mom and dad, waving goodbye, oof, that can be a highly emotional few minutes (or hours). Ignatia is a good one to have in your pocket while you’re helping them set up their dorm room as well as that one last goodbye hug.
Ignatia is the go-to for everybody involved in this experience (even Rover) and can help to take the edge off and allow a return to a new normal. If Ignatia is not doing the trick, think of the following remedies:
For the younger sibling who is having a hard time adjusting to the missing brother or sister and Ignatia is not quite enough help, try a dose of Nat mur for feelings of abandonment and loneliness.
If your son or daughter who has just left home has a history of having a tough time adjusting to being away, Capsaicin is a good remedy to tuck into their things for them. There may be a tendency to moodiness and sleeplessness with the homesickness.
Bach Flowers really do a marvelous job in these situations. Here are a few to consider:
Walnut may help everybody adjust to new situations.
Red Chestnut may help the worried parents.
Chicory may help mom and dad let go a bit.
Larch for the new undergrad who may be feeling a little lacking in the self-confidence department.
Rescue Remedy may help someone who is really struggling with this change.
Sending your child (your baby!) off into the big wide world can be a daunting experience. If you are having a hard time adjusting to this change, book a focused consultation and we’ll see if we can get you back to a new (and maybe even better!) normal.
Julia Coyte, CHom
Classically Practical homeopath
#wellnessawaits
*If you are interested in more detailed information on putting together kits for loved ones, let me know and if there is enough interest, I’ll see what I can pull together.