Homoeopathic remedies for school problems
Lachesis (Bushmaster)
Depressive through conventions and patronization
For both sexes this is one of the most important causes for depressions during puberty.
The Lachesis child is inclined to be depressed. Even when he is a very lively child being interested in many things, one notices that somewhere deep inside there is melancholia. This is the condition which blackens the gall bladder and clouds the soul. This hint of melancholia around Lachesis can always be noticed even in the liveliest children.
The Lachesis child is mostly independent and doesn’t look for help from others but he likes to support the needy. His questions concerning the support of others are always rhetoric for he knows in advance which help is needed. In order to give this help he has to be well structured. When helping others the Lachesis person is very lively. However, the flexibility is missing in order to adapt the help for each new person correspondingly. Then he becomes dominating and creates rejection in its surroundings. Though he wants to see and understand the manifold connections of life, he often expresses in praxis a one-sided point of view.
During puberty this is very important because the Lachesis child has a deep knowledge inside on how his life should develop in a natural way and correspondingly he wants to be kept busy with many things. The concepts and restrictions of teachers and parents often hinder this development. If the restrictions become larger the Lachesis youth becomes depressive, loses his manifoldness and vitality. He feels constrictions in the throat. He cannot stand any pressure. Also clothing would disturb him. All his efforts to develop his inner plan are destroyed and his supports are not appreciated. He will withdraw, does not talk anymore and prefers to be on his own. Correspondingly, one notices that the performance declines.
Up to the age of 13 or 14, the Lachesis child was manifold and enjoyed life. Now he is not interested in anything anymore. He does not look for help, neither from his parents nor from a friend. “One has to find the answers by oneself”, he thinks. The teachers and parents notice the lack of achievement but see the causes in puberty. They say: “It is good for him since he was too lively.”
In actuality the Lachesis-youth has become depressed. The underlying bad feeling that something is not okay with him is not noticed sufficiently and he goes deeper into isolation. He always had good notes and thus the parents ask: “What is the matter with you? What is too much? You have to learn more. You have to try more and spend more time on your homework.” The Lachesis pupil is willing and learns for hours but the performance does not improve. It could happen that he totally withdraws now and will show up for meals only. Otherwise, he reads in his room.
If for some unexplainable reasons the performance declines though the pupil tries hard and everything is at its best at home Lachesis would be the remedy to be chosen. It is the most indicated remedy during puberty.
Summary:
- During puberty the decline in performance happens for unexplainable reasons. This is caused by being world-weary and having a deep pessimism.
- The pupil jumps from one subject to the next. He talks a lot and then out of the sudden he is very sad and introverted.
- He is always in a hurry, especially in the evening.
- He wants to be on his own and does not want to go to school.
- He works best mentally at night but because of this there is the danger to be overstressed.
- He has a weak memory.
- He makes mistakes when writing and speaking.
- He is full of ideas, is mentally very active, especially in the evenings.
- His power of perception is very fast.
His motto is:
“My life is my life!”
Ignatia (St. Ignaz-Bean)
The example was a deception
First Ignatia is the remedy to be given when during puberty the child has to separate from the loved ones, meaning from the parents or especially from one parent. Then Sodium muriaticum should be given. From the beginning, the Ignatia child is not a friend of school. His relationship to parents and school has always been ambivalent and has been influenced by the idea which the child got from his parents. Thus, for the Ignatia-girl the father is the significantly stronger pronounced example and for the Ignatia-boy it is the mother. According to this his entire picture of the world is formed and he is constantly comparing and searching in order to feel secure. In case the teachers are nice like Mama or Papa according to the Ignatia child’s opinion then he also loves school. If the teachers are stubborn according to his opinion and do not correspond to his own example of one beloved parent then the Ignatia child is even more stubborn according to the motto: “Hey, get angry!”
The Ignatia child thus can annoy his teacher skilfully and subtly especially when the real conflict at home with the beloved parent becomes more and more unbearable. He does not even notice what happens. This aggressive, underlying challenge can be projected into other areas of life and be increased so much that very bad and dramatic “calamities” happen: first the favourite cat dies, then he loses the favourite girlfriend. That is the tragedy of an Ignatia child and indicates the remedy Ignatia. Naturally there is an unpredictable fate but one can also avoid some “fates”.
The Ignatia child has the underlying irritation that one parent – mostly the one of the other sex – has not been the proper example though he has loved him/her so fervently. This situation may have developed because the parent either was not present or available for the child due to personal conflicts. And therefore the Ignatia child needs and looks for other living beings in his surroundings as substitute for the absolutely necessary example.
How does this nearly theatrical drama develop? What is the trauma? The deeply loved and yearned example that the Ignatia child has chosen should have been deeply disappointed him – over and over again throughout the years. And thus the wheel begins to turn. The substitute model chosen by the child (first the cat, then a friend or girlfriend, later the teacher) has to disappoint the child as well and the pattern is constantly repeated accordingly. The only possibility to protect himself from the almost unbearable pain of disappointment is the self-chosen separation of which dying is one of the most extreme possibilities. The cat is dear and will not disappoint the child . But if it would disappoint the child it would be better the cat would be dead right away. The girlfriend is so warm-hearted that she would not disappoint the child but if she does it anyway the child prefers to separate on his own and is nasty to her so the girlfriend turns away indignantly. Due to his fear of disappointment the Ignatia child is subject to deep emotional variations.
If a child has great difficulties when moving himself away or a beloved friend moves away then one thinks of Ignatia first and then of Sodium muriaticum.
Ignatia and Sodium muriaticum in comparison
The conditions of Ignatia and Sodium muriaticum are very similar where the traumata of Sodium muriaticum are considerably more drastic. Concerning Ignatia, the main topic is “The Example” and “the substitute example” while Sodium muriaticum addresses long past events and one does not know exactly which ones. In both cases life does not make any sense anymore and it is all about the love one expected from others and which one has not received up to now. With Sodium muriaticum the breach of confidence mostly took place in the early first two years of life. At that time, the heart of the child was open and full of trust but did not get the expected love and got a slap in the face instead; a slap in the face also in a metaphorical sense. The Sodium muriaticum child expects affection and experiences rejection in the same moment. It is also connected with frustration like it is with Ignatia but here it is about a deeper rejection of the whole personality.
If a beloved person dies, the Sodium muriaticum child takes this as a personal rejection, meaning he does not feel accepted – life lost its meaning. Then the Sodium muriaticum pupil is depressed and is not able anymore to make any efforts at school. The brain seems to be absent, senselessness spreads in his mind. Nothing happens in his thoughts anymore, only a “dull brooding”. Even after months the brain cannot function properly. Things he was able to do before he can do them anymore. Only the simple things still function. He remains as a bundle of sorrow.
Thus it is important to differentiate Ignatia from Sodium muriaticum when consulting youths with depressions by their leading symptoms, namely the disappointment through the example on the one hand and the deep rejection on the other hand. There could be many other remedies but today Ignatia and Sodium muriaticum are the most common remedies besides Lachesis. It can be added that the Ignatia person does not show continuous depressions. He is too fluctuating in his feelings.
For such deep seated disturbances one does not use lower potencies. One does not start under LM 30.
His motto is:
“I am me and you are you”
The school of future for Ignatia
When an Ignatia pupil comes to school he feels comfortable right away. The teachers are caring, dear and wise people. Their presence is calming. They try to bring the lessons into the hearts of the pupils.
Sodium muriaticum (cooking salt)
Confidence Breach and Rejection in earliest childhood
At home the parents try to be attentive with the child but nonetheless the Sodium muriaticum pupil does not feel sufficiently noticed and is of the opinion that he does not get enough attention. The talks between parents and child are as short as possible. The Sodium muriaticum pupil does not find the correct time to tell the events of the day calmly. His efforts at school get worse. He cannot learn properly anymore. Actually, he does not have any fun anymore but he nonetheless makes an effort to learn the lessons thoroughly. The entire learning has become mechanical. And because there is so little love and attention at home, his heart has become atrophied and cannot be moved to allow the necessary feeling to flow into the leaned material. Therefore, his brain stops to function. He becomes depressive and in this state he is not able anymore to achieve any good notes at school. What he formerly learned easily it now demands all his efforts. Only the most simple things are functioning.
Suddenly the Sodium muriaticum pupil falls in love and happiness returns into his life. He cannot believe that life can be so beautiful. His entire time is spent with his friend or girlfriend only. School is forgotten as if it did not exist anymore and the following weeks pass speedily. His achievements at school are zero and only after his notes have become very bad the Sodium muriaticum pupil wakes up, also because his parents have to spend more time with him now. Even if the parents stay superficial in their caring and attention, the sense of duty of the Sodium muriatcum pupil pushes him to not neglect his tasks any longer. His heart laughs and he can fulfil his homework quickly and joyfully, so he can spend more time with his girlfriend afterwards. If the love between the two lasts, the school is no longer a problem for the Sodium muriaticum pupil.
Because Sodium muriaticum children suffered from breaches of trust very early before the second year of life, similar painful situations will repeat in most cases during the course of life.
If the love to his girlfriend were to be over, it would be a very painful blow for our Sodium muriaticum pupil. His life again would lose its meaning and his efforts at school would become mediocre or bad. If at this time the remedy Sodium muriaticum is given the compulsive repetition of the injured love is interrupted and the pupil can slowly regain confidence.
His motto is:
“I know how to appreciate myself”
The school of future for Sodium muriaticum
A loving atmosphere is prevalent at school. The teachers love the subject which they are responsible for. If they talk about a subject feelings of enthusiasm can be felt. The pupil loves the lessons, even the numbers in mathematics become living figures.
Phosphorus (Yellow Phosphorous)
Lack of Love extinguished the fire of enthusiasm
The Phosphorous pupil actually has no difficulties with learning. He is intelligent, lively and full of joy of living. He also likes to be sociable, creative, musically inclined and likes to dance.
What is his problem then? There is a conflict between his imagination how he wants to live and the actual impressions and demands at school which dull his senses during the course of time. This pupil should normally not have any bigger difficulties due to his big creative abilities and intelligence but nonetheless he cannot learn properly. The reality of school hurts! He feels so badly that he cannot talk anymore. Even his heart can pain him. He has a similar problem like his potassium sulfuricum pupil. All things beautiful in life such as cooking, stitching and the theatre group are interesting for the Phosphorous pupil because he feels totally alive then and can become one with the activities. But now he has to learn and theoretically understand the whole. With this his entire creativity breaks apart.
He already loses his vitality even when thinking of learning. Then he feels totally bad because he is so tired and all joy of living seems to be gone.
Is there anyone around who could learn in a condition like that? The child sits in front of his homework, stares at it and begins to sing: “There once was a king…” The mother immediately says: “Stop singing, learn!” The child obeys but gets more tired and dull and totally withdraws within himself. He doesn’t understand anymore what actually is wanted from him and lost the connection to his actual homework because all vitality has been taken away.
His motto is:
“I am the nurturer of my own heart’s flame”
School of future of a Phosphorous Pupil
The teacher enters the class as if he was on stage and the topic starts becoming alive in front of the eyes of the pupils.The pupils experience the subject as it is in daily life. It is a lively and joyful performance.
Nux vomica (Poison Nut Tree)
Lacking strength makes him furious
Simply the fact that he has to say something during the lessons even though he does not want to in this moment is enough to make the Nux vomica pupil angry.
That other persons (teachers) demand from him when which lessons have to worked on is really very annoying! And therefore he cannot (will not) learn.
He tries to be a good pupil but in the moment when he has to do something specific and the pressure becomes straighter he is annoyed. And if you have to add numbers while being angry and you want to quickly finish the annoying task, you often get a wrong result. Then this is doubly annoying because he actually wanted to finish quickly.
In a positive condition, the Nux vomica pupil can calculate so quickly that he is always finished as the first one in the class.
In a negative condition, as soon as he is told that he has to finish the task right now the annoyance at the pressure from outside gets in the way and he cannot do anything anymore. He cannot cooperate anymore and thus not learn properly.
Nux vomica is a remedy which is relatively easy to recognize.
His motto is:
“I simply do it!”
… to be continued
Exert from “Homeopathic Advisor – School Difficulties” No. 19, 6th edition 2011
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