It’s that time of year again where the final exams are taking place and test preparations are the norm.

Perhaps you know of a child taking their end of year exams, or a college student undergoing their own final exams before summer break.  The end of the school year is so near, but there are these final hurdles to get over.

For some, this can be an excruciating difficult time.  Many symptoms related to ‘Test Anxiety’ can come up.  These symptoms can run a wide spectrum from fatigue, stomach aches, headaches, anxiety, and overwhelm, just to name a few.

There are a few homeopathic remedies Austin Clinic of Homeopathy recommends for people in these situations.  Like all homeopathic treatment, it is based less on the causative factor, and more on the resulting symptoms that are present.  

Nonetheless, here are a couple of homeopathic remedies to consider for yourself or your child experiencing this time of anxiety with test taking:

• Gelsemium: This remedy is probably the most useful remedy for test anxiety because it will help with symptoms most commonly experienced during this time.  Namely, trembling, weakness, diarrhea, and urgent urination all will be helped with Gelsemium.  There is also the propensity, on the mental level, for weakness, forgetfulness, and dullness of thought.  They may feel so weak that even trying to think is difficult.

• Silica: This remedy will help the person who prepares to such a great extent; they are concerned with every fine detail and want to have everything perfect.  This striving comes from their uncertainty of their abilities and doubts about how well they will perform.  Such anxiety can leave them paralyzed with indecision and insecurity that they may wish to forgo the test altogether.  Typically, they will suffer from low stamina and exhaustion.

• Argentum Nitricum: This remedy will help when there is great anxiety while anticipating the test.  They have an impulsive irritability and fear of being late.  They may have impulsive weeping and superstitious, compulsive thoughts or behaviors leading up to the exam.  They’ll try to avoid taking the exam and be quite hurried with their thoughts and actions.  Anticipatory diarrhea is common and eructations (belching) may be heard from afar.

As there are many subtleties involved with selecting the  homeopathic remedy that will help the most, it’s always best to consult with a qualified practitioner.  Should you have any questions about these remedies for people experiencing test anxiety, please contact me at Austin Clinic of Homeopathy. 

Disclaimer: This information is intended strictly for educational purposes and is not intended to treat, diagnose, cure, or prevent certain diseases.  If you have questions about your health, please contact a licensed physician.

James was a good kid who excelled in school.  He was a dedicated and meticulous young man who demanded the best from himself.  Well liked in his high school; he had many friends and spent many hours in groups, clubs, and sporting events with his peers.  He even led some of them as president and even captain of his sports team.

James frequently pressured himself to be the best.  He had an internal desire to be seen as ‘having it together’ so he could be liked amongst his friends.  He tried very hard at this, but was terribly disturbed by the facial acne he had developed recently.  How would he be liked now?  Who would still see he was a good person inside with all these blemishes on his face?

The questions in his mind and the resulting stress were enough to make him feel very down and blue.  Despite his natural attractiveness through his character and personality, he wasn’t convinced he was good enough.  He became easily irritable with the slightest things and pushed himself even further to make sure he was perceived as a smart, athletic, and a ‘put together’ young man.

Such a discrepancy between his inner feelings about himself and the outer image he was trying portray created a terribly distressing state.  He was easily irritated, highly perfectionistic, obstinate with his parents, and suffered from acne.  What was he to do?

The above scenario is a common circumstance many of our young people suffer in today’s culture.  In fact, it’s a story straight from my own practice.  (Of course, all names and specifics are held in strictly confidential manner).  Many clients in my practice who seek treatment for acne are adolescent teenagers who may tell stories similar to James’.  

The totality of James’ symptoms are what led me to select the homeopathic remedy Silica to help him.  This selection wasn’t based on the fact that his chief complaint was acne, but was based on the entirety of his overall character and demeanor, in addition to having acne.  

In homeopathy, acne is considered just one aspect of the whole individual.  We are whole people, not just the sum of our parts.  ‘You’ are not your arm anymore more than your leg.  And even without your arm or leg, ‘you’ are still you.  This is in direct contrast with conventional western medicine thinking which views disease as isolated symptoms from specific parts of the body.

Even so, what is acne?  Acne is defined as an inflammatory disease of the sebaceous glands and hair follicles.  Acne is marked mostly by:

• Papules (circumscribed, solid elevation of skin with no visible fluid)
• Pustules (small collection of pus in the skin frequently in sweat glands or hair follicles) 
• Comedones (small, flesh-colored, white, or dark bumps that give skin a rough texture - otherwise known as a ‘blackhead’

It occurs on the:

• Face (most often)
• Neck
• Shoulders
• Chest
• Back

Acne can affect people of any age, but most frequently occurs adolescents ages 14-20.  

Western medicine sites the cause of acne to be unknown.  Research links it to hormonal changes that affect the sebaceous glands.  Additionally, food allergies, endocrine disorders, psychological factors, fatigue, and the use of steroid drugs may also be precipitating factors for acne.

Despite the ultimate cause to be unknown, when it comes to acne, homeopathy is crucial choice.  This is because homeopathy is effective, gentle on the body, and affordable.

There are hundreds of homeopathic remedies that can help people with acne.  What a trained homeopath will do is understand the specific physical symptoms of the acne, then view that in light of the whole person; their emotional character, their mental disposition.  Such subtleties will influence which homeopathic remedy is selected.

As in the case with James, I took into consideration his ease at becoming irritable, his obstinacy with his parents, internal drive to be perceived in a certain way, feelings of depression, and of course the acne.

The following is a list of homeopathic remedies to consider for homeopathy and acne.  Please keep in mind that we are unique individuals who experience our unique expression of symptoms, just like James did above.  Therefore the homeopathic remedy that will help you the most may not be listed.  It’s always best to consult with a qualified homeopathic practitioner for your needs.

• Hepar Sulph: The acne is very sensitive and quite painful and usually appear as ‘blackheads’ on the forehead or lips.  The person is generally hypersensitive, emotionally, to all external impressions and are very intense people.  In general, they feel very cold and are sensitive to cold temperatures.

• Lachesis: The acne appears purplish and can leave purple colored scars behind them.  It is generally found more on the left side of the face.  The acne can become worse before menses or during times of hormonal changes, such as in menopause.

• Thuja: The skin can feel very oily and the acne appears as pustules with sunken centers.  The person is very shameful about their acne and it may be very difficult for them to express much about these feelings.  

By the way, after his first session of homeopathy, the acne on James’ face began dissipating, his demeanor completely shifted, he felt more relaxed and amiable to his parents, and he felt an internal calmness that manifested in a reduction of irritability and depression.  Overall he felt a lessened need to prove himself to others.  After just a few short months and only three homeopathic consultations, he had finished his treatment and was ready for the next phase of his life!

For more information or to schedule your own homeopathic consultation, contact me today!

Sincerely,
Noel Peterson

Disclaimer: Information in this blog is intended for educational purposes only.  It is not meant to treat, prevent, cure, or diagnose certain diseases.  For any questions about your health, please consult with a medical doctor.