After a summer at home, many children find it difficult to go back to school. Perhaps they prefer the safety of their own home, or find it difficult to mix with other children, fear the pressure of work and exams or can’t adapt to a new routine. Homeopathy offers a natural and gentle solution to help children in easing back at school. Perhaps you might like to consider it over the next few weeks? Here are some examples of remedies that can help our children with emotional issues they may feel when going back to school:

If your child is dreading going back to school

• Lots of fears and anxieties: Argentum Nitricum

If your child is fearful or anxious and is restless with the anxiety, then Argentum Nitricum may be a good remedy to try to soothe them. They tend to talk fast or need to walk or do something to manage their fear. An person needing Arg Nit often craves sweets and has diarrhoea with the anxiety.

Give your child a dose of Arg Nit 30C or 200C when they start showing signs of fear or anxiety. Repeat after 30 min to an hour if necessary, or as and when needed.

• Separation anxiety: Pulsatilla

Some children may find it difficult to stay away from you after so long at home. If they become anxious and tearful at the thought of leaving you, then Pulsatilla may be tried.  Other instances when Pulsatilla would be useful are:

• when the child is happy to go to school until a sibling is born and he/she becomes jealous and wants to stay home too.
• or perhaps their best friend had to change school and they feel abandoned.

Pulsatilla is a great remedy for separation anxiety or this feeling of being forsaken. It works as a “link breaker” and often a daily dose for a few days is enough for the child to go to school happily again.

• Aversion to change: Calcarea Carbonica

The Calc Carb child has many anxieties and is averse to change. The disruption in routine will affect those children dramatically. If it is their first time at school, if they have a different teacher or are moving to a different class or school, and they are affected more than they should be then this remedy may help them.

This aversion to change is mainly brought on by a lack of self-confidence: they are timid and unsure, and prefer to be in the familiar environment of home. Calc Carb children are often slow at school despite working hard, and are slow at games thus worsening their lack of confidence. They don’t like being observed by others so would particularly dislike taking part in plays or shows. Finally, children who do well with this remedy often have many fears (of the dark, being alone, heights, ghosts, etc) and are prone to nightmares.

 If you child has difficulty in mixing with other children

• Lacking self-confidence: Baryta Carbonica

If your child has a low self confidence and finds it difficult to mix with other children, then Baryta Carbonica may help them overcome their difficulties. The children needing this remedy are usually slow in development, whether physically, emotionally or mentally. They fear what others will think of them and fear ridicule. They are very shy and do not like new situations and for those reasons they are unable to interact with others and tend to stay in their own world. This may have emerged after many illnesses and for this, Baryta Carb is also a good remedy for a weak immune system.

• Disinterested in play: Sepia

Some children do not mix with other children because they are not interested in their games or conversations. These may benefit from the remedy Sepia. The Sepia child is disinterested in everything and gives the impression of being tired all the time. They are negative and appear depressed; they do not like to engage in work or play. Those children prefer to be alone and do not confide in their parents. In addition they find it difficult to concentrate at school and remember facts. The only thing that makes them better is dancing or more generally sports.

• Violence/aggressiveness with other children: Lycopodium

Children who tend to be violent or aggressive towards other children may benefit from Lycopodium. This remedy is particularly appropriate if they love to be in command, are authoritarian and like to be obeyed. When not obeyed, these children will shout and become irritable. They can kick or bite other children too. Yet this love of power comes from deeper insecurity and fears which they try to hide. This may be fear of being ridiculed, fear of failing in public, fear of the unknown.  Their authority is often addressed towards younger children.

If your child has difficulties with school work or exams

• Difficulty concentrating and exhaustion from mental work: Calcarea Phosphorica

Calc Phos is a remedy that is good for teenagers but can be equally good for younger children. Those children are easily distracted and looking out the window or chatting. Or perhaps they will easily become exhausted from the mental work, which may lead to a headache or even inability to talk. In those circumstances, the remedy Calcarea Phosphorica may be helping them. In addition, this remedy can be useful for children who have difficulties making friends and often feel left out.

This remedy is also useful for growing pains and broken bones, so definitely worth having in a first aid kit!

• Exam anxiety

If your child is particularly anxious at the thought of exams, please see this article.

I hope that this article has given you a flavour how homeopathic remedies can ease a range of issues experienced by our school children. There are many more remedies that can help similar or different issues, please contact me if you would like to find out more.

For more information, please contact me at priscille@priscillehomeopathy.co.uk or on 07387 422 848, or via my contact page.

With best wishes for a stress-reduced life,

Priscille Francetti LCCH MARH

Homeopath

I discovered Australian Bush flowers at the end of last year. I was invited to attend a workshop on Australian Bush Flowers essence combinations, and I just happened to be free that day. That was just as well because they really inspired me! So much so that I decided to start using them, for myself, my family, and in my practice. I am now a Level 2 Practitioner.

In this article, I will explain a bit about them and why they are so appealing.

Flowers generally have been used for centuries for their healing properties across most continents. In Europe, Hildegard von Bingen (whom some of you may know of) used flower essences in the 12^th century. More recently, Dr Edward Bach’s work shows that flowers’ essences can address emotional unbalances.

What are Australian Bush flowers?

For a long time, the Aborigines understood the medicinal properties of Australian Bush flowers. They ate the whole flower for its properties and at the same time, ingested dew residing on the flower (which is the base of today’s essences) providing further healing.

These essences were created by Ian White who grew up in Australia and was taught how Australian flowers can heal. He developed the 70 essences that are currently in use, and many combinations of essences.

To make the essences, the dew of the flowers is collected and their vibrational healing signature is imprinted onto a carrier solution (a mix of purified water and alcohol for preservation).

What are their benefits?

Australian Bush flower essences bring about balance in the body and mind, and therefore a sense of well-being. They are mostly used for their emotional healing: grief, depression, anxiety and resentment are examples of emotions that they can address.

They can also help to balance hormones: they are useful at every stage of womanhood and can help anyone with other hormonal imbalances (for example resulting from a hyper-active thyroid).

Physical issues, such as recovering from an illness or digestive issues, can be healed by Australian Bush Flowers too. Furthermore, the essences support us when travelling to recover from jetlag and can protect us against wave-form energy.

How to use Australian Bush Flowers

The essences are safe to take for all ages, as well as during pregnancy and breastfeeding. They are usually taken orally as drops, twice a day over several weeks. But there are plenty of other options.

As they contain a bit of alcohol to preserve them, some may prefer to rub them onto the skin: onto babies’ fontanelles, on pulse points such as the wrists or behind the ears.

You can add them to a bath, or a cream or a massage oil. You can even add them to homeopathic remedies taken in water.

Unlike other products, you can safely take Australian Bush Flower essences alongside conventional medicines. They are complementary to homeopathic remedies.

Examples of essences

The above photo is of the flower Bottlebrush. The essence from this beautiful flower has a sweeping action, it brushes aside what is not needed. It can help those going through major life changes, such as becoming a parent, starting school, or becoming old. It can also facilitate bonding between a mother and her new-born. This essence is included in several ready-made combinations such as “Transition”, “Adol”, “Woman” and “Calm and clear”.

Another example is the essence made from the flower Crowea. It is very good for people constantly worrying. It has a calming effect and brings a sense of well-being. It also helps to balance the stomach. Crowea essence is frequently prescribed and is used in many combinations.

If you would like to find out more about these essences or a homeopathic treatment, please contact me using those details.

With best wishes for a healthy life,

Priscille Francetti LCCH MARH

Homeopath

References:

About Bach Flower Remedies article

Australian Bush Flower Essences book by Ian White.

Getting to know the Australian Bush Flower Essence Combinations workshop by Caroline Gaskin.

Homeopathy for exam anxiety

Are you taking an exam this year? Are you feeling anxious? Do you struggle with your revisions?
Keep on reading, this article will give you some practical advice and suggest a few homeopathic remedies which can be taken either during revisions or on the day of the exam to help with anxieties.

Simple tips to prepare for an exam

Here are some simple rules to follow to prepare for exams in the best conditions:

•  Plan your work schedule, don’t leave it all to the last minute
• Make sure you get some rest and breaks between revisions. Your brain will function better.
• Keep exercising at least once a day. But do choose something that you enjoy doing! Just going out for a walk in the fresh air is good.
• Keep a good sleep routine as it is when you sleep that your brain will retain the information processed during the day.
• Drink plenty of water to help maintain your concentration levels.
• Listen to classical music or some soothing music that help you relax.
• On the day of the exam, eat a good breakfast to keep you going (eg: boiled eggs and avocado on toast).

A few homeopathic remedies to help you

Sometimes, regardless of the amount of energy that has been spent on revisions, anxiety cannot be avoided before or during an exam. This is absolutely normal and a bit of adrenaline will actually help. However too much adrenaline can be detrimental. So here are a few homeopathic remedies to help you manage your anxiety:

Argentum Nitricum

This is a great remedy for people who always feel hurried. There is a lot of nervousness and the anxiety is usually felt in the stomach. There may also be explosive diarrhoea with the anxiety. Another key note of Argentum Nitricum is a craving for sweets.

It is one of the major remedies for panic attacks and it is also good for stage fright as well as exam anxiety. So whether your examination is written or verbal, if your symptoms match the remedy, this may be the one you need.

Gelsemium

This remedy is particularly indicated for performance anxiety: stage fright, exam anxiety or anxiety before an interview – this is due to low self-confidence.

Gelsemium helps when the mind goes blank either during revisions or during an exam.
There is muscle weakness, maybe even paralysis. But there can also be a lot of trembling from nervousness.

 Lycopodium

This remedy acts well in students who lack in self-confidence. They may also have fear of failure.
However they will try to cover it up and may even appear over-confident. The symptoms are usually worse between 4 and 8pm and worse for missing a meal.

Aethusa Cynapium

The person needing Aethusa is afraid to forget what they know. Their mind goes blank during the exam, despite revising hard for it, and they have the incapacity to think. They may also feel restless.
This remedy particularly suits those who love animals.

Australian Bush Flower essences

Several essences can further support you during your revisions. Isopogon or Bush Fuschia will help your memory and ability to learn. The Focus essence comprises those 2 essences as well as a few more and helps concentration and studying. This is a good one to take during the revisions and on the morning of the exam. 

Good luck to you all and if you need further help, do contact me, I will be happy to help!

Priscille Francetti LCCH MARH

Homeopath

Today I am sharing my story: how stress at work changed my life. I am glad now to say that it was for the better: this is how I became a homeopath.

My life before homeopathy

Before being a homeopath, I used to work in a finance department as a management accountant. At the time, I was sort of enjoying it. Although I used to get bored relatively quickly and would change job every 2 to 3 years. I like number crunching and this suited me; I was paid reasonably well and could manage my work-life balance. Until my son arrived.

Stress and exhaustion took over

I had originally left my job to look after our little one, but due to financial uncertainties, I went back to work when he was two years-old. This was a full-time job in a large multi-national company and was rather demanding. The first few months went by somehow, but I then moved to a new department to cover for a maternity leave. As well as learning the job, I had to learn my assistant’s job, recruit for the position and train the new employee. Soon, it was year-end, and in addition I was in charge of a major internal restructuring within our accounting software.

I like a job well done, being on the perfectionist side, and so was giving all I could. I was working long hours and it soon became exhausting to look after my family too. Stress took the better of me and sent me many signals: I was suffering from insomnia, my periods were unbearably painful, I had numerous headaches and then was diagnosed with gastritis. Worst of all, my relationship with my 3 year-old son deteriorated and he lost his self-confidence.

Time for change

Unfortunately, I did not come to the realisation that something needed to change until I had to take time off work for ill-health. I was close to a burn-out. At the time, I was seeing an acupuncturist, and she probably saved me from sinking any further. I eventually recognised that I could no longer carry on, and, as my request to go part-time was declined, I left my job. Thankfully our uncertainties were over by then and I did not have to worry about money. I slowly started to recover and the most beautiful thing was that within 3 weeks, my son was back his normal self and our relationship was improving – what a relief!

How I came to become a homeopath

Now, what was I going to do with myself going forward?

The first few months were dedicated to recovering and supporting my son who started primary school later that year. But then, it came apparent that I could not stay at home with nothing to do. Even if my energy levels were still low, I was getting bored. I started looking at job offers but could not face going back to a finance department. So I looked at what other qualities I had or wished to have and what activities brought me joy.

I have always had an interest in people, and particularly in helping them. So I needed to find how I could help people.

I had started to use homeopathy at home again, mainly to treat various acute ailments that my son had. And little by little, an idea (which had been planted by my acupuncturist) grew and germinated in the desire to become a homeopath. I looked at various places where I could train and found the Contemporary College of Homeopathy in Bristol. I decided to enrol and have not looked back!

There is always light at the end of the tunnel, always something to take or learn from a period of difficulty or stress. I am glad to say that this period helped me find my “Why”. I enjoy my job so much, it is fulfilling and extremely rewarding to help people heal naturally. I love helping people and also have a great concern for the environment. Homeopathy really ticks all the boxes.

For more information, please contact me at priscille@priscillehomeopathy.co.uk or on 07387 422 848, or via my contact page.

With best wishes for a stress-reduced life,

Priscille Francetti LCCH MARH

Homeopath

As we start this new year in the same way as last year ended, we may find it a bit challenging… This has been difficult for many of us, not only because we miss seeing our friends and family, but also because the wintery weather doesn’t allow us to get outside as much as we would like.

Looking after yourself is becoming if prime importance if we all want to keep our spirits up. If we look after ourselves, then we are happier and have more energy and patience to look after others and accomplish our daily tasks.

Here are a few ways you can look after yourself in those difficult times:

Do something relaxing each day

This may be having a nice bath with essential oils (such as lavender) before going to bed. Or perhaps you would enjoy reading a good book or doing some puzzles with your partner? Choose whatever activity suits and you enjoy.

Switch off from work

Working from home has brought some new challenges into our lives. Switching off from work can be difficult, especially if you don’t have a separate room for your work. So it is important to establish some boundaries and ensuring you switch off your work laptop and phone at a said time and don’t go back until the next morning. It is also important to keep your week-ends free of work if possible. This will help you stay sane and be more productive when you get back to work.

Meditate

Meditation or mindfulness are good ways to clear your mind from the day’s worries. You do not need to spend long doing it, perhaps 5 or 10 minutes each day, but it is quite powerful! If you are not sure where to start, there are various apps or websites that can help you with it (such as Headspace Meditation and Sleep Made Simple – Headspace)

Exercise

Doing regular exercise not only helps staying fit but it also helps your wellbeing. You will find much better each day if you are able to spend 15 minutes doing some physical exercises. It does not have to be strenuous, the rule is to choose something you like. And if you can exercise outdoors, that is even better!

Write a daily journal

Writing a journal can help to free your mind from what is going on. It may help releasing some of the stress and tension you are experiencing too. Take a few minutes each day to write down anything that comes through your mind. It does not have to be structured or look pretty. And you needn’t go back to it ever again. Write, free up your mind and file.

Get into a good sleep routine

Getting good sleep is important to get enough energy to get through the day. It also helps support our immune system. Going to bed at a regular time every day helps our body clock. Before going to bed, make sure you have switched off your phone (or left it in a different room if you need to have it on all night) and avoid screen time about an hour before you go to bed. Blue light has an effect on our brain, which may then make it difficult to go to sleep.

Choose one, two or more of these activities each day. You may also wish to do them all either in the same day or across the week. Alternating activities is also good for your mind and body.

It may not be easy to find the time to fit those steps into your daily routine. If you have children and also work, you might think that you do not have enough hours in the day. One way round it is to build a daily timetable to incorporate some downtime into your day. For some, it may mean getting up a little earlier than usual. This may seem daunting at first but it is worth it!

Feel free to contact me for further advice.

With best wishes for a healthy life,

Priscille Francetti LCCH MARH

Homeopath

This article was published in the November 2019 edition of the Better Bristol magazine.

As I write this article, it is “mental health day”, which reminds us of the importance of taking care of our stresses and anxieties. With our increasingly demanding lifestyles, levels of stress have increased dramatically. Feeling stressed or anxious is something that all of us experience, with varying degrees of intensity. Thankfully there are steps we can take towards improving our wellbeing.

In this article, I will give some general tips to help manage stress and anxiety and I will discuss some homeopathic remedies that can help either acutely or constitutionally. Homeopathy is a natural form of medicine based on the principle of “like cures like” and is used by millions of people worldwide. I have benefited from this medicine for many years now and it has greatly helped me manage and recover from periods of extreme stress.

 

Self-care tips

• Stay hydrated. Water is important to help our cells function; it also helps our concentration levels and so it helps keeping focus whist at work. Try and drink water regularly throughout the day. If you tend to forget, keep a bottle of water by your side and set reminders in your phone.
• Take regular breaks, do not eat in front of your screen and go for walk at lunch time. This will help your concentration levels as well as your emotional wellbeing.
• Breathe, be mindful and meditate. Breathing exercises include taking long deep breath, hold, expire and hold. Do this several times in a row, several times a day. It really helps managing negative emotions.

 

Homeopathic remedies

Homeopathic remedies can help manage our stress and anxiety levels. There are many remedies which may be self-prescribed in acute circumstances. If stress and anxiety is something you suffer on a regular basis, then you would benefit from consulting a homeopath for a constitutional treatment.

Self-help remedies include

• Aconitum: this remedy is well indicated for symptoms that arise suddenly. It may be a panic attack or symptoms arising from anxiety before an upcoming engagement. The usual symptoms when this remedy is helpful are: palpitations, breathlessness, anxiety felt in the region of the heart and may be accompanied by fear.
• Argentum Nitricum: this remedy is another remedy useful for panic attacks. It is indicated for ailments from anticipation, stage fright, anxiety about the future. If you suffer from nervous anxiety and are compelled to do something or feel hurried, the anxiety is felt in the stomach and you may have diarrhoea from anxiety, then Argentum Nitricum may well be the remedy you need.
• Nux Vomica: this is the main remedy for workaholics, ambitious and competitive people. There is anxiety about the business and ailments from being overworked. The symptoms include a great sensitivity to noise, odours, light or being disturbed whilst working; irritability when over-stressed and there may be nausea.
• Lycopodium: this remedy is great for people who suffer from anxiety ahead of speaking in public and have a fear of failure. The person needing this remedy may lack self-confidence or have poor self-esteem. If you have to deliver a speech or go to a job interview and have the above symptoms, then take a dose of Lycopodium ahead of the event.
• Gelsemium: as well as being a great remedy for flu, Gelsemium can also help in cases of performance anxiety (stage fright, exam anxiety, anxiety before an interview). The main symptoms are the mind going blank, muscles becoming weak and maybe even paralysed with the anxiety and possibly the desire to hide away.

Constitutional remedies

There are many constitutional remedies available to help manage stress and anxiety. Here are two major ones:

• Carcinosin: a remedy for many anxieties: anticipation, worry about business, anxiety about diseases, anxiety about the future. People needing this remedy usually lack of self-confidence. It is good for people who have lived under severe fear for long periods of time and also good for people who cannot say no, who have no boundaries. There are often ailments from anxiety, which include sleeplessness.
• Calcarea Carbonica: this remedy is for people who are generally apprehensive and worry about their responsibilities and duties. They are likely to have ailments from being overworked. The pathology comes on under the demands of stress and a prolonged effort to overcome it.

For more information, please contact me at priscille@priscillehomeopathy.co.uk or on 07387 422 848, or via my contact page.

With best wishes for a stress-reduced life,

Priscille Francetti LCCH

Homeopath