Words: Dr Christine LASCHKOLNIG
The body reflects our temperament; choleric personalities, who explode like volcanoes, develop illnesses that have a sudden and acute onset. Individuals who tend to withdraw from the world and suppress their emotions develop insidious and chronic diseases, as their body is too weak to fight disease-causing circumstances, for example, with an acute fever.
The following will shed some light on frequent emotional issues.
The case studies illustrate the inner development after the administration of a homeopathic remedy. There are, of course, many homeopathic remedies to address the emotional issues of individual persons. Here I have chosen remedies that characterise the core of the treated problem.
Suppression
During the first consultation many problems come to the surface having been carried along like heavy burdens for many years. I often hear, “I have never spoken to anybody about this.”
In the Western world, the direct expression of feelings is mostly a privilege reserved for little children. Soon, starting partly in kindergarten, and certainly at school, the environment sets clear limits as to the direct expression of emotions — and, it is often seen as a sign of weakness. Our educational system encourages the intellectual development in children disproportionate to their emotional competence; they barely learn how important it is to be mindful of their own feelings and those of others.
Persons who learned to suppress their emotions early in life have great problems developing respect for their inner life. They allow others to intrude on their personal boundaries and do not defend themselves because they fear being rejected. When emotions are constantly bottled-up without being expressed, the body responds to the repressed internal pressure. Constantly swallowed anger can trigger — according to our individual imprints — stomach ulcers, digestion problems, gallstones, high blood pressure, and the like.
Remedy Example
Staphisagria macrosperma — Stavesacre — is an effective homeopathic remedy for bottled-up emotions and anger. Staphisagria ‘personalities’ are overly sensitive to their environment and easily offended. They are quickly disappointed, often feel rejected, and tend to ‘swallow’ their anger and resentment. They react with withdrawal, and don’t show their feelings.
Long suppressed emotions weaken the vital energy, and, thus also, the body. Accordingly, the mood is rather sad and depressed. Occasionally, the bottled-up anger bursts into violent tantrums about seemingly harmless issues.
A classical Staphisagria situation is a partnership which caters only to the needs of one partner — usually the man. Many women tell me about the difficulty to participate actively in their relationship. Quite often, they do not know their own needs. They are used to repress their own feelings, and instead care for those of their partner.
On the physical plane, Staphisagria is often used for the treatment of sharp cuts, making it a good post-operative remedy for surgical wounds. An incision ‘wounds’ the physical integrity without any possibility of defence. It intrudes into an intact body system by disrespecting natural boundaries. There is no visible struggle against this trespassing. The pain remains in the body — it is repressed and claims much energy.
Picture this: women especially were, and still are, emotionally and physically ‘circumcised.’ A case in point: the ritual genital mutilation of women in Africa.
In modern Western medicine, episiotomy is often deemed an imperative ‘safety measure’ in childbirth. Meanwhile medical experience shows that artificially inflicted incisions tend to heal more slowly and cause long-term conditions.
Embodied grief about emotional and physical injuries affects various organs. The skin — the mirror of the soul — responds with exacerbations of acne; the teeth are prone to early decay, they lose their substance, and hurt while eating; they can’t bite properly anymore, offering no more resistance. The bladder feels like it’s never empty — the physical expression of the bottled-up grief is sometimes accompanied by painful urination — the problem of ‘letting go.’
Healing Process
Case-1
Before. Physical constraint due to haematomas in both hip joints. Allopathic medication: regular injections of depot cortisone, “In the morning when I get up, I have to think twice about which foot to put down first in order to avoid insupportable pain. My mobility is limited; doing sports is impossible.”
After. “I had the feeling that the blinders, that I had not been aware of wearing, were suddenly removed. Also, the violent pains in my hips due to haematomas, which made me think twice before taking a step, disappeared. I was able to go skiing for a whole week — that had not been possible for the last six years.”
Case-2
Before. “I can’t quarrel, can’t shout at anybody. I would like to scream, but it does not work. I carry the problem within myself for weeks. For me, harmony with my environment is the most important thing. I avoid arguments, as soon as they don’t stick to facts. I don’t push my way through, but artificially try to stay flawless.”
Physical symptoms: back pain, stiffness.
After. “I felt like on a ship — no land in sight. And, then suddenly —land. Some gates opened inside me. I often said things that I would not have dared say before. I told a colleague that he had a ‘screw loose.’ He was finished. He was not used to such a reaction. I feel that my aggression now comes to the surface. I can’t hold back my opinion, and show others when I am not comfortable with something. Before I used to play the nice guy — now I can’t disguise myself anymore. Soon after the intake of the homeopathic remedy I felt safe and stable. The recognition of my hidden aggression took several weeks.”
Physical symptoms: back is stronger, less stiff; posture more upright.
Emotional effects: more balanced, harmonised and stable.
