Ashes to Ashes. Homeopathy for stress.

Whilst the eruption of Eyjafjallajokull volcano has expanded our knowledge on such geological matters, for Icelandic residents, there are potential health effects. These include eye and skin irritation, as well as increased respiratory problems for conditions like asthma or other lung conditions.

Volcanoes emit water (H2O), and a variety of gases including carbon dioxide (CO2), sulfur dioxide (SO2), hydrogen chloride (HCl), ammonia (NH3), hydrogen sulfide (H2S) and hafnium (HF). These gases interact rapidly with the ash particles of a volcanic plume and especially atmospheric water to form acidic aerosols.

Volcanic ash may contain potentially harmful substances in the form of water-soluble materials, mostly acids and salts, which cling to the particles of glass and crystals. The most common are sulphate, chloride, sodium, calcium, potassium, magnesium and fluoride.

Since the UK is located over 900 miles from the volcano, it is unlikely that these health issues will affect us. However the stress, frustration and anxiety of being stranded abroad because your flight has been cancelled, can give rise to a whole range of emotions. If you find yourself in this or a similar situation, you may find the following remedies helpful:

Rescue Remedy

Restores balance and calm during a stressful situation

Ignatia 30C

Really worried, feels like bursting into tears, sighing a lot, mood swings, over-sensitive and on-edge, may become hysterical

Staphysagria 30C

Irritable and very sensitive, takes offence easily, feels extremely frustrated, may try to suppress feelings but then explodes and can become very angry

Nux Vomica 30C

Gets angry very easily, rather impatient, over reacts to situations, needs a stiff drink or a strong coffee to calm down

Please note the above remedies and their symptoms are a guideline only. For an individualised therapy, consult your homeopath or find a practitioner at: 

http://www.a-r-h.org/FindMembers/find.php

This article was first published in an ARH Newsletter, dated May 2010. The ARH would like to thank Myriam Shivadikar for her contribution towards this article.

Starting College? Off to pastures new?

The summer draws to its close and the deck chairs are finally put away for another year. The month of September heralds the start of something new for many people, since it is attributed to the beginning of the academic year, with nearly everyone in the educational system readjusting to a new situation when they arrive back for the Autumn term. This often involves getting used to a new teacher, finding friends at a new school, deciding on course subjects for future qualifications, or even leaving home for the first time and embarking on University life.

The stress and anxiety is not confined to children and young adults. Many mothers have described themselves as nervous when sending their youngster to nursery school for the first time, with some feeling a constant worry whilst their off-spring are out of sight. We can’t advise you on how best to comfort a crying teenager, phoning you from the other side of the country, or how to just relax and accept that your toddler is really quite happy playing in the sandpit with their newly found friends. We can, however, suggest a few homeopathic remedies which may help to give you some peace of mind, so that everyone can enjoy the pastures new!

ü  Ignatia 30C– homesickness, grief, loss 

ü  Lycopodium 30C– lacking in self-confidence, better when organised by others, but not so good if expected to be independent 

ü  Pulsatilla 30C– clingy, dependent, finds it difficult to go alone, strong fear of abandonment, needs a lot of reassurance and support from family and friends 

ü  Silica 30C– shy and reserved, no self confidence, lacks 'grit'

These remedies are only intended as a guideline, so please consult with your own homeopath for individualised treatment. 

To find a practitioner near you, please visit our website www.a-r-h.org/FindMembers/find.php

This article was first published by the ARH in the Septemeber 2010 issue of 'Homeopathy Healthy Medicine'. The ARH regularly publish these newsletters to provide information about homeopathy to the public that is not usually available through our mainstream media. ARH makes them available to everyone as free downloads (go towww.a-r-h.org), and they can be used for information, marketing and publicity purposes.