GRIEF AND LOSS:

REMEDIES

• Ignatia
• ‘Papa’

Ignatia part:

CASE: “My wife just died (3 months ago). Aches in back of neck and shoulder. The grief is way worse than anything. There’s anger, confusion, loss, despair – all at once… the first week, all I did was cry. We made it through everything. That’s what we wanted. To live old and die old together. I’m not accepting of it yet. Denial. Blame myself. anger.”

IGNATIA:

Mental conditions change rapidly, in an incredibly short time, change from joy to sorrow, from laughing to weeping, moody. Persons mentally and physically exhausted by long , concentrated grief.

A year and two months later:

“My wife died last Feb. I did drugs for five months, then came here… I think about her all the time, miss holding her hand. Smells remind me of her. I’ve been everywhere in the city with her. Coffee shops. etc… all I see is my death. I am very violent when I’m on drugs. I rob people, hurt people. I have a head injury from a big chunk of glass. It opened my skull. April 2, 2010 (two months prior). I think it did brain damage. I hurt myself sometimes, subconsciously. Gets me out of myself, stop thinking of her…. I don’t care how I come out of it. I’m very strong – I just use my knuckles. I got attacked by a gang of 20 people. They had bats and bars. I walked away… I welcomed death at that time”

Remember the description of opium earlier? Strength in the face of danger…

PAPA (OPIUM) (NUMBED)

• Withdrawal, especially after emotional or physical shocks [fright, shame, sight of an accident, reproaches, head injury, surgery].
• Unaffected by external impressions; or boldness and fearlessness..
• Worse Heat; better cold.
• All secretions suppressed [ie. constipation], except perspiration.
• No pain.
• Needs stimulants (coffee, alcohol, heroin)

OR!

AGITATED!

Heroic measures. Bold actions in the face of danger (adrenaline – pumped physical feats).

INSOMNIA (AGITATED)

REMEDIES

• Avena
• Opium/Papa (as above)
• Coffea (as above)

AVENA:

Improves the nutrition of brain and nervous system. It is useful therefore in nervous exhaustion; debility after exhausting diseases. Nervous tremors of the aged, Inability to keep the mind fixed on any one subject. Bad effects of Morphine habit.

Insomnia.

For our client (C.F.) for her insomnia… she gets up 3-4 times a night. It’s from the pain. It’s been like this for years. Will have a cigarette each time she gets up.

OBSERVATIONS: She is very sleepy and lethargic. She is talking a lot but not really saying much. Fibromyalgia, swelling. Hot showers help for about half an hour afterwards. We gave her Avena and Apis and then Kali carb. She reported that the Avena is helping for the sleep. First time she’s slept only getting up once a night instead of 3 or 4 times a night. Sleeping longer (four hours).