Homeopathy and Mental Health: Nervousness and Insomnia

By Frank King, DC

It's not necessarily what you eat, but what is eating you that could be the problem. Nervousness, anxiety and insomnia affect a very large percentage of our population. Many of us are affected by nervousness and don't even know that it is influencing the quality of our lives.
Nervousness eventually affects the quantity of our life by shortening our years. Like a thief in the night, nervousness robs us of the peace that provides a quality of life that is unsurpassed by any material blessing.

Homeopathy is often a key piece of the health care puzzle for a calm, healthy life and restful sleep. Nervousness, anxiety, and insomnia are common underlying factors to many other conditions including: chronic fatigue; depression; phobias; chronic muscle and joint problems; allergies; hypersensitivities; various indigestive disorders; eating disorders; hormonal imbalances; headaches; chronic recurring subluxation; neck and back tension; recurring herpes; urinary tract infections; breathing and lung disorders; recurring cold and flu symptoms; weight problems; blood pressure disorders; and sexual disorders.

Mental and emotional stresses can obviously affect any part of health. Any chronic or recurring health problem should be homeopathically evaluated for mental and emotional remedies such as nervousness, anxiety or insomnia. A simple sublingual reflex response test can be applied using either leg length or a muscle test. A complimentary detailed protocol for this procedure can be obtained from our office.

Whether we are dealing with nervousness, anxiety or insomnia directly, or as a component to another chronic disorder, there are a number of common homeopathic formulas that will often test positive. The correct homeopathic formula will commonly bring fast results in the mental/emotional realm.

Homeopathic formulas can be quickly and simply applied to these cases: 

• as a general tonic to the nervous system;
• for anxiety-related conditions;
• for sleep disorders;
• for depressive type anxiety;
• for anxiety related to grief and guilt;
• for anxiety related to fears and nervousness;
• for eliminating toxicity that can cause mental/emotional or other chronic conditions;
• for chronic recurring conditions.

Homeopathy added to your chiropractic management program will effectively broaden your scope of practice. However, when dealing with nervousness, insomnia, and many other conditions, your patient's lifestyle management is essential to your successful management of their health. The following are some helpful hints which you may want to hand out to your patients. I hope this will be helpful to you and your patients.

Lifestyle Management Procedures

You sit and fidget in your seat, swinging your feet back and forth. Your hands begin tapping to a rhythm of their own. You just can't seem to sit still. Concentrating used to be easy, but now your mind is running so fast it feels like it may just jump right out of your head.

Has bedtime become a dreaded time, instead of a time to be treasured at the end of your busy day? You toss and turn and are still awake at 3 a.m. When you finally fall asleep, your alarm announces it's time to get up and begin another day! You don't know how your going make it through the day, but assure yourself that tonight will be the night that you'll finally sleep, only to have yet another sleepless night.

Do you find yourself avoiding certain people, places or situations to avoid that anxious feelings?

If any of these scenarios sound the least bit familiar and have been occurring consistently over a period of time, you're most likely experiencing some nervousness or insomnia. Now while most of us will experience a nervous moment here and there, or a sleepless night every now and again, it is not normal to be plagued with these conditions for any length of time.

Other symptoms of nervousness or insomnia are over-sensitivity to all the senses; sensitivity to disorder or noise; nervous indigestion; and frightening dreams at night. There can be physical and emotional causes for your nervousness or insomnia. Count on being a little unsettled or restless if you've recently moved, changed jobs, or experienced a death of a loved one. Any change or loss can cause you to react nervously. If you are experiencing a drug or alcohol withdrawal, you most likely will be agitated. It's very important for you to work with a good health care professional, counselor, or pastor, as you adjust to life without dependence on drugs or alcohol.

What follows is a list of lifestyle management steps designed for you to incorporate into your life so that you might live and move and celebrate the vibrant, disease free life you were intended to enjoy! 

• What's going on? To effectively deal with the problem, you need to know what it is. After you've ruled out any serious health or emotional problem, make a list of all concerns you're having which may be contributing to your nervousness/insomnia, and then begin tackling them one at a time.
• Be a detective! Keep a journal of what you've eaten, physical exercise, thoughts, events, etc. In time, a study of your notes may point to the culprit which is causing your nervousness or insomnia.
• Maintain balance. It is so important to live a balanced lifestyle. Eating good, wholesome foods, drinking good clean water, and regularly exercising is crucial for you to maintain optimal health all the days of your life!
• Follow a good vitamin and herb regimen. Taking a good B vitamin regularly is a good idea. Check with your health care professional to see what other vitamins would be best for you. Herbs that have a calming effect are: chamomile, rosehips, valerian root, and catnip, to name a few. Make yourself a good tea with these herbs and drink before bedtime.
• Watch your thoughts. Don't let a doubt-filled nervous thought enter your mind. It's so important to keep your thoughts pure. Don't even entertain a negative thought!
• Time Out! When you feel yourself reacting nervously, take a time out. Be aware of every part of your being and begin to breathe slowly and deeply. Allow your body to relax with each breath. Focus on the solution as you breathe, not the problem!
• Take a break from coffee. Eliminating caffeine is a good idea even if you're not experiencing nervousness or insomnia. Begin now to eliminate this substance from your life.
• Be productive! Instead of lying in bed tossing and turning, use this time to finish that book you've been meaning to, or pray, or clean out that closet or drawers, or work. Just lying there staring at the clock only makes you feel frustrated and is a waste time.
• Change your perception. Through times of sleeping problems, you may feel as if you haven't slept at all when in fact you probably have slept some. And even if you haven't slept, allow your body to lie there and rest and relax. It's certainly better than worrying about your lack of sleep!
• Don't be "bright-eyed"! Many times, if you awaken suddenly, you may feel as if you are so alert that you can't possibly go back to sleep. Don't allow that thought to control the rest of your night. Just lie there and breathe deeply, and allow sleep to enter once again.
• Turn stumbling blocks into stepping stones, or opportunities to grow! Each of us are plagued from time to time with symptoms, which, if we deal with effectively, can be used to teach us methods of overcoming life's difficulties.