Summer. The kids might go off to an overnight camp. Perhaps, they’ll head away to Grandma’s house for an extended visit. Or maybe the plan is only a day trip with a friend to the beach or a baseball game.
Whatever the plan, this is the season for homesickness. Yet, you can wipe the tears and send them on their way. Rest assured: Homeopathy can soothe homesick hearts.
Indeed, there are several homeopathic medicines that might be considered in cases of homesickness. However, today, I would like to teach the main two that my practice has shown are important to own — and know how to use.
Cocculus indicus for homesickness
The first medicine, Cocculus indicus, is the same remedy we think of when we have ailments from night-watching a sick loved one. You may recall that I wrote about it previously in Care for the Caregiver. Remember that association. Homesickness is related to the same kind of sensitivity involved in caring for someone we love. It’s often triggered by the sufferer’s anxiety about their family.
“What if something happens to my baby sister while I’m gone?” “What if Daddy doesn't feel well?” “What if Mommy isn’t there when I get back?” “What if my dog dies?” That kind of irrational sadness and worry.
Add a component of “out of sight, out of mind,” and being away from home can initiate a complicated type of grief — not traditional grief, but a concern about potentially losing anything and everything left behind.
Coincidentally, this remedy also happens to be great for jet lag. So, if a child (or someone else in the family) has traveled a long distance, and they’re experiencing homesickness, this medicine can be a tight fit.
I spoke about Cocculus in one of my Monday Night Live events called, “Really! One Remedy for Both Motion Sickness AND Jet Lag.”
For homesickness, I would generally consider utilizing Cocculus in the 30th potency, twice daily, until very much better.
When do I begin employing the medicine?
Say your child is going to a sleepaway camp on Monday. Would we start the use of Cocculus earlier … just to be on the safe side?
No. Homeopathy is medicine, not a supplement. We don’t use it willy-nilly or “just because.” Just as with conventional medication, we only employ homeopathy when there is a definite need — a condition that is presenting. You want to see the symptoms first.
Homeopathic treatment might commence when the child starts to cling abnormally as their departure date approaches. “Oh, I don't want to go!” Or “I don’t think this is going to be good for me.” Or “I don’t feel well enough to go. Maybe I’m getting sick.”
As a parent, you know the signs that your child is backpedaling, avoiding or getting unnecessarily worked up. This is the beauty of reaffirming your family’s health care autonomy. You know your child better than anyone, so just keep your antennae up and observe … yet, don’t anticipate or project your own feelings onto the situation. That’s just borrowing trouble. Wait for definitive symptoms before administering a homeopathic medicine.
Capsicum annuum for nostalgia and longing
What if your child is not necessarily anxious before they travel, but instead, nostalgia hits them while they’re away?
That’s when we think more of Capsicum annuum 30C (twice daily, until very much better). The child is not quite as emotional, in general, as their Cocculus counterparts. However, there's a feeling of great nostalgia and longing.
“Oh, this reminds me of home.” “Oh my gosh, that smells like home.” “This room looks like home.” “Where's my home?” It’s that deep nostalgia, and you could even call it a form of depression.
This can sometimes be hard to take note of in a child, because children often mask their feelings. But there's a certain dullness in them, as though their glow has been dimmed. They no longer display that unique childhood optimism.
Consider Capsicum 30.
Now, a fleeting thought, a moment of nostalgia, is different from when they've lost their shine. To warrant Capsicum, they would appear dull and depressed in general, not just when they are shown a picture of their puppy from home.
Obviously, those symptoms might only develop after the child is already away from home. You’re not there, so what do you do?
Even if your child seems fine as they’re leaving, we might consider including some Capsicum in their little emergency homeopathy kit that you pack in their suitcase.
Indeed, we should be sending all the most commonly needed homeopathic medicines along with them on their journey. (You know the usual suspects: Arnica, Arsenicum, Ledum, Apis. I’ll be talking more about this in an upcoming podcast.)
No matter where they are, one would assume that the adults around them might pick up on the loss of joy — that your little one is just not themselves. Or you may have a phone call or text with your child, and you hear it in their voice. Perhaps you could ask the adults responsible for their care to locate their homeopathic travel kit and provide a short schedule of Cocculus to the child.
Be the confident, competent healer in your family.
Depending on the presenting symptoms, both of these homeopathic medicines can be invaluable for your little one’s homesickness. In all honesty, this feeling of melancholy is not exclusive to children. Adults can feel it, too. Homeopathy can help alleviate homesickness in anyone who misses home.
Regardless of the sufferer's age, we can determine the most suitable remedy by consulting our materia medica and reading up on both Cocculus and Capsicum to choose the one that best suits.
My friend, you can be the healer in your family without being dependent on an outsider’s less-informed opinion. Your entire family can experience health freedom through Practical Homeopathy®.
However, education is key. I can only teach so much in these short venues. If you want to become proficient in managing your family’s conditions with homeopathy, you’ll need to take a deeper dive.
There’s the Mighty Members’ private enclave, where I go a little bit deeper with more candid conversation. There are Gateway to Practical Homeopathy® study groups forming all the time so that you can learn my study guide curriculum with others. And of course, there are my condition-specific protocol courses found in my Learning Center.
But to truly immerse yourself in learning homeopathy — so that you know it like the back of your hand — consider my Academy of Practical Homeopathy®. It’s a year-long educational curriculum in which I not only teach my students protocols for myriad health conditions but also how to determine the correct medicine when there is no protocol.
General enrollment is currently underway for the next graduating class, who will begin their studies in July of this year. If you’ve ever considered that my Academy might be right for you, watch this recently recorded Q&A for more information and all the links you’ll need to take the next steps on this well-worn educational and inspirational pathway. We are changing lives and perhaps even changing how society views health care — together.
There has never been a better time to join me as I pass on the good news of Practical Homeopathy®!
Warmly,
What remedies do you suggest for mom when her child goes away to camp for first time? Helppppp!
Whether for the 1st or the 4th time, the medicines are the same.