On January 28, 1986, I saw my first patient of the afternoon, who tearfully let me know that the Space Shuttle Challenger had disintegrated on reentry, and all the astronauts on board had been killed.
I excused myself long enough to look at the TV to confirm her statement. I was in a state of shock from the grief and was wondering how I could see my patient or the others scheduled for that afternoon. After taking one dose of Ignatia 1M, I felt well enough to continue seeing patients. This patient also received a dose of Ignatia and promptly felt better.
Recently, the husband of one of my patients died, following a long and distressing illness. Although she thought she was well prepared for his departure, she still suffered from grief. Following a few doses of Ignatia, she soon regained her emotional balance.
Some patients have asked me if homeopathic remedies either suppressed grief or interfered with a person's processing grief. From my observations over the past 30 years of treating grieving patients, my conclusion is that homeopathic treatment speeds up the processing of grief, but neither suppresses the grief nor the grieving process.
Discovered by the Jesuits in the Philippines in the 1600s and named after their founder, St. Ignatius Loyola, St. Ignatius' bean (Ignatia amara) is a widely used homeopathic remedy for the effects of grief.
According to Hahnemann, the founder of the homeopathic school of medicine, "… Ignatia is the main remedy in cases of vexation in subjects who have no tendency to break out violently or to revenge themselves, but who keep their annoyance to themselves …"
The same may be said of persons needing Ignatia for grief. They tend not to openly express their grief and wish to be alone while grieving. Also, these persons sigh a lot. Or even laughing at times, alternating with periods when the grief is more strongly felt. Regarding the grief itself, they frequently do not want to talk about it.
Those experiencing grief may need different homeopathic remedies, but Ignatia is a very commonly indicated one for grief and its effects.
Very probably, many of the survivors and families of the Virginia Tech massacre would be benefited by taking Ignatia.
If a person has recently experienced grief and is not currently taking another homeopathic remedy, he or she may try taking a dose of Ignatia 30c or 200c and observe its effects.
Disclaimer: Prior to taking any homeopathic remedy, onw should consult a homepathic physician (M.D. or D.O.)
References:
Materia Medica Pura by Samuel Hahnemann, M.D.
Complete Guide to Homeopathy by Dr. Andrew Lockie and Dr. Nicola Geddes
Information about classical homeopathy and a list of classical homeopathic physicians
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