Overcoming Holiday Grief

I can’t help but touch upon the holidays again because we still have a week or 2 before Thanksgiving and Christmas, and New Years. Much sadness and mixed feelings can overwhelm and derail even the stablest of us during these times. There is an expectation of joy and love as the holidays are supposed to be time spent happily celebrating with family- they mark the passage of time in our lives. But some of us just aren’t feeling it- for some of us it is a time of loneliness, anxiety, and self reflection.

There are many reasons why the holidays can come to represent pain, grief, regret, and loneliness, or just plain mixed emotions, to say the least. Regardless of the scenario, the end result is experiencing the emotions I just mentioned.  The concern is getting stuck lamenting- a not good place to get stuck.

Can we be generic when we talk about how to deal with a variety of disturbing emotions under these circumstances? Yes, somewhat, and here is your toolbox…

• Fix yourself up– doing your hair and make-up and putting on a pretty outfit can actually give you a lift. I can tell you from personal experience, this is an essential ‘first’ to lifting yourself up out of a funk.

• Ignatia amara– this is the classic grief remedy covering shock, depression, and sadness. Other remedies on the table may include Apis mellifera for rage and bottled up emotions, Gelsemium sempervirens for sensitivity and tearfulness, Natrum muriaticum for intense sorrow, and Aurum metallicum for the feeling of hopelessness and suicide.

• Bach Flower remedies– these all deal with emotions.  They are gentle and cannot aggravate your condition. Try Willow for bitterness and difficulty accepting injustices, White Chestnut for over-active and exhausting mental chatter,  or Gorse for hopelessness.

• St. John’s Wort and Ginkgo Biloba– these are considered natural depression medications. St John’s wort is particularly effective for depression, particularly for mild to moderate symptoms without the side effects often associated with drugs. Ginkgo Biloba improves neurotransmitter production in the brain and helps bring oxygen-rich blood to the brain to improve functioning and also may help fight feelings of despair.

• Eat right– avoid processed foods and eat high in omega3 oils.

• Reach out and call a family member– perhaps one you have been feuding with or one you may have neglected. Put your pride aside and be humble.

• Give of yourself – one way is to volunteer serving those less fortunate than you- giving is one of the best ways to get off the pity train and  ‘loose yourself’, and the rewards are immeasurable.

• If you are a recovering addict suffering lows during the holidays, attend a meeting for strength and fellowship, keep busy and well fed, and choose from the following remedies- Lac humanum for feelings of isolation, estrangement, and detachedness, or try either Tobacium or Aurum metallicum, both for cravings or all kinds.  Try Agrimony, the Bach Flower remedy of choice for people who put on a brave face to hide their inner struggles, even from themselves, and most often given to those who suffer addiction.

• I also strongly suggest you make yourself a glass of water that has been charged with the Sai Sanjeevini pattern for addiction, and sip on it.  It should mellow out your day.

• Read your bible, or take a Kabbalah lesson at the Rav’s site, http://laitman.com/

As always, if you are unsure what remedy to take or what healing method to use, you may dowse for the modality that will most benefit the condition you are trying to heal (be it grief or a sprained ankle), or you may consult a professional homeopath who, via conventional intake and rubrics, will select an appropriate remedy for you. At the end of the day, remember                              all healing ultimately comes from HIM