24 Homeopathy TODAY • NationalCenterForHomeopathy.orgAutumn 2013

Back to school: for some it’s an adventure, but for many children

and teens, the start of a new school year is fraught with worry and anxiety.

Leaving home or saying goodbye to parents can be stressful. Fear over what

may happen at school—or what might happen to loved ones at home or work

during the day—can be paralyzing. Dread over fitting into new social circles,

whether on the playground or in P.E. class, can be agonizing.

Beat the Back-t Beat the Back-t Ease the tears, fears, & anxiet

by AMY ROTHENB

25NationalCenterForHomeopathy.org • Homeopathy TODAYAutumn 2013

I recommend children who experienceschool anxiety be treated with homeopa-thy. This can help reduce a child’s overallanxiety level, making mornings easier andleading to more success, both academi-cally and socially.

First, do your homework!In a child with mild school anxiety, it isfine to go ahead and seek homeopathiccare without a psychiatric workup. Chil-dren who are severely anxious or whohave slipped into school refusal, however,should first have a complete diagnosticworkup with a mental health counselor orpsychiatrist who has experience workingwith children and the assessment of anxi-

ety. As caregivers, parents, or doctors, weneed to understand what drives a child’sbehavior as the first step to being able tohelp. Some children do not want to go toschool because there is something badhappening at school, whether bullyingfrom other children or a very stressfulenvironment in the classroom. There aretimes when a particular school setting isnot ideal for the child and an alternateplacement should be sought if at all possi-ble. In any event, understanding thedynamics of your child’s school, class-room, or unique social circle will go a longway toward understanding what they areexperiencing and toward providing relieffrom back-to-school stress.

A trio of homeopathic helpersThere are many remedies that could behelpful for a child who suffers from schoolanxiety. The ones that I most frequentlyprescribe in my office are Baryta carbon-ica, Silica, and Pulsatilla. In this article, I’m focusing on these remedies as theyrelate to school anxiety (keeping in mindthat there is much more to say about eachof these remedies as they relate to othercomplaints).

Baryta carbonica: Young for their ageThe child who needs Baryta carbonicaseems younger than their age. These chil-dren do not have a strong sense of who

to-School Blues to-School Blues ty with homeopathic treatment

BERG, ND, DHANP

26 Homeopathy TODAY • NationalCenterForHomeopathy.orgAutumn 2013

they are, so it can be difficult for them toknow how to act in a group. They mayfind it challenging to make basic decisionssuch as what to wear, what kind of note-books to buy, or what to write about for anessay. They have a desperate need to fit in,so they may well act like others and followalong, but deep down, big classroom set-tings are a nightmare for this child, andthe anxiety can mount.

Times of transition can be especiallyanxiety-ridden for the young person whoneeds Baryta carbonica. Moving from pre-school to kindergarten, for example, orfrom middle to high school can make themfeel overwhelmed, worried, and anxious,even reaching the point of school refusal.The child who needs Baryta carbonica maystart to talk about the coming school yearearly in the summer; they may evendevelop physical symptoms as a response tothe stress and anticipation of the comingschool year. Sore throats with swollenglands and tummy aches with constipationare common complaints in these children.

It’s no wonder that school is a difficultplace for the young-for-their-age Barytacarbonica child. If you think about it,school is all about being part of variousgroups, making choices, and putting for-ward who you are. It is not that Barytacarbonica is unintelligent—these childrenare often quite bright—but their under-standing of the world around them tendsto be small and focused on the littlethings, and may result in obsessing onminutiae like how they pack their back-pack, how they do their hair, how they setfood on a plate, and so on. No matter thetopic under discussion, the homeworkassignment, or whatever the experience,the child needing Baryta carbonica willnaturally want to keep the focus small and

narrow, making things more manageable.Rather than being wide-eyed and curiousabout their environment, Baryta carbonicachildren are very concrete in their think-ing and want to know everything ahead oftime. In addition to whatever therapy aparent might choose for the Baryta car-bonica child, taking pains to explain thingsfully, visiting the new school ahead oftime, and parsing it out for the child willhelp. It is not so much that the parent ismicromanaging every detail (thoughsomeone needing this remedy would lovethat), rather, the parent or other caringadult is helping to acclimate the child orteenager to a new setting.

The tendency for the Baryta carbonicachild to be more concrete can lead to akind of rigidity in their thinking andactions. For example, once they’ve settledon a particular school outfit, these chil-dren may wear that same outfit every dayand be quite upset if forced to make achange. Walking the same route betweenclasses or getting the same school lunchevery day for years is easier for these chil-dren—they don’t have to think about itand don’t have to make any decisions. Thisrigidity also manifests as excessive concernwith “the rules,” as these provide a feelingof safety for the Baryta carbonica individ-ual, who can become overstressed whenothers choose to treat rules as optional.

Young people who need Baryta carbon-ica are not our “big picture” thinkers.Rather, they are only able to digest the big-ger task, idea, book—or even the compli-cations of friendship—in smaller parts,one piece at a time. This is another reasonthat school causes anxiety for Baryta car-bonica children and teens. For example,during the high school years, much ofwhat is required of teens relates to their

ability to infer, both in the academic and,most certainly, in the social realm—andthis not a great strength of our Baryta car-bonica youngster.

Growth = change for the whole family For the child or teenager who needs it,Baryta carbonica confers a kind ofstrength: more confidence, more opin-ions, more clear likes and dislikes. Theanxiety lessens, the physical complaints(such as frequent upper respiratory infec-tions or low muscle tone) should improve,but most notably, the person him- or her-self comes to the forefront, “growing up”in a very real sense. In some families thiscan present different kinds of challenges.Parents who are accustomed to an obedi-ent, almost docile child may suddenly findthemselves with a youngster who is morechallenging, with more overt needs andopinions. On occasion, I have had toremind parents that this growth is ahealthy sign, something we shouldapplaud and not resist. Of course, whenparents get the help they need to navigatethis evolution, it helps the child, andindeed the entire family, to grow.

With homeopathic treatment, theBaryta carbonica child or teen retains hisbasic nature and tendencies but is muchless impacted by external stressors, andreduced school anxiety results. The health-ier and more balanced children become,the less the external world impacts themnegatively (and this applies to childrenwho need other remedies as well). Withour Baryta carbonica child, for example,we wouldn’t expect homeopathic treat-ment to result in a loud, outgoing, groupleader. They will still hold back, still tend tothink more narrowly, still conserve someenergy, but much less so. After treatment,such a child might well find one thing tograsp onto and really pursue, makinghealthy strides in understanding, ability,performance, and the like.

Silica: Weak and oversensitiveIt can be difficult to distinguish the childwho needs Silica from one who will dowell on Baryta carbonica. There are, how-

Starting school can makethem feel as if the parentsare trying to get rid of them.

ever, clear differences and unique presen-tations in children needing each remedy.For the Silica child, the underlying issue isweakness, whereas immaturity is the hall-mark of the Baryta carbonica child. Theweakness of the Silica child can be seen onthe physical level, certainly, but also in thecognitive sphere. Owing to this inherentweakness, the child who needs Silica,when stressed, can become quite oversen-sitive, both to other people and to the sur-rounding environment. It’s easy to seehow the entire school experience can bean affront to the sensitive Silica child. Thenoise, light, and general chaos that is typi-cal of most school settings, simply doesnot work for a kid who needs Silica.

Their school anxiety manifests as need-ing to control everything they can (whichmay be confusing with Baryta carbonica).These are the children who can easily get into “what if” mode, where the imagi-nation runs wild and they cannot stopthinking of every bad thing that mighthappen. The child who needs Silica willseek protection from parents or perhaps ateacher, not wanting to leave mom or dador be left alone at school. This is the childwho sticks to the teacher’s side in theyounger grades, who may become the“goody-goody,” so as to stay in theteacher’s good graces and within theteacher’s sphere of protection.

Naturally, children and teens who needSilica can develop physical ailments inresponse to their anxiety, and true to theirSilica nature, worrying about the ailmentsthemselves can make these youngsterseven more anxious! They may haveheadaches, sinus troubles, chronic ear-aches, or upper respiratory tract infec-tions, often with swollen glands and lots ofperspiration. They may be small in statureand have difficulty gaining weight. Lowstamina and a general sense of weaknessunderlie much of their pathology.

In healthier states, where the stressorsin their lives are not as severe or constant,

or their physical symptoms are not as per-vasive, these Silica-type children may dofine in school. Rather than exerting them-selves on a different sporting team eachseason or joining many clubs, these youngpeople will instead find a small group ofgood friends and stick to doing one thingthat they love. They will not socializewidely and may be known as shy. Withhomeopathic treatment, as their anxietylessens, they will be able to shine in what-ever they have chosen. They will evenseem quite confident, while knowing theirlimits, and consistent with their natural,underlying weakness and fragility, theywill be careful not to over-do.

Pulsatilla: Clingy and afraid of abandonmentChildren who need Pulsatilla have anunderlying fear of being abandoned,which can trigger school anxiety. This fearof being forsaken can relate to parents,teachers, friends, or siblings—it does notreally matter. The core feeling is that some-one the child loves and needs will not bethere for them. So, starting school canmake them feel as if the parents are tryingto get rid of them. The child who will ben-efit from Pulsatilla cannot understand why

they have to go to school when theiryounger-than-school-age siblings get tostay home.

The neediness of the Pulsatilla-typechild is well known. When younger, theymay cling to the parent’s leg or skirt, refus-ing to let go. They can cry pitifully andcarry on as if they are being physically tor-tured. Even the older child will offer bigemotional displays when they have toleave the parent or separate from the per-son they are with at the moment. Theseare the children who seek consolation,affirmation, and reassurance at every turn.

If the child’s teacher is able to addressthis need for attention and be a surrogatewho loves and adores the child, everythingat school can work out fine. But in theyounger grades, if the child has a teacherwho is not “warm and fuzzy,” things willprobably not go well, making the drop-off-at-school time difficult. The child willwrap themselves up in the parent, ask forone more story, or insist on one more triparound the classroom to show the parent“just one more” picture they drew or note-book they wrote in—they are using uptime, all the while keeping the parent closeat hand. There will typically be lots of cry-ing, perhaps even tantrums. This behavior

27NationalCenterForHomeopathy.org • Homeopathy TODAYAutumn 2013

Over the past 28 years of practice, I have witnessed so many kids and teens whose fear, anxiety, and apprehension around school have improved greatly, thanks to homeopathy.

28 Homeopathy TODAY • NationalCenterForHomeopathy.orgAutumn 2013

may be confusing to parents, as the child isabsolutely fine at home. That’s because athome, the child’s system is not beingstressed! We all respond to stress in pre-dictable and patterned ways, according tothings like genetics and our environ-ment—and also in accordance with ourconstitutional homeopathic remedy type.So, if you make the stress big enough, thePulsatilla-type child will react with anovert emotional display, with much weep-ing and carrying on.

What this child or teenager needs whenthey are under stress (in this case, from theschool situation) is consolation, support,and encouragement. They need to be rein-forced and cajoled, reminded of how muchthey are loved. This is not the child whoneeds “tough love.” When we know theconstitutional type of our children andwhat kinds of things make them better orworse, it can guide the way we parent andthe way we support a child in need.*

Children who need Pulsatilla can some-times seem to have no opinions of theirown. Their strong need to please others, tofeel loved and not abandoned, may makethem just “go with the flow” on everything.(The child who needs Baryta carbonica canseem that way too, but that’s because theyactually lack opinions. The Silica-typechild can manifest this way as well, but thatis because it just takes too much energyand effort for them to express and carryout an opinion. Rest assured, however, thatthe Silica child has a strong opinion, evenif it’s not overtly expressed.)

Even though the Pulsatilla youngsterwants and seeks lots of attention, affec-tion, hugs, and so on, if they get too muchof that, sometimes they get overwhelmed,feeling suffocated in a sense. They can getirritable and have outbursts. Parents may

say, “There is no pleasing this child,” andat some moments, that seems especiallytrue. As the remedy Pulsatilla begins totake action, however, we can see the childor teenager become more self-reliant, lessclingy, and less dependent on the parent.At the same time, we will see an easing ofthe typical Pulsatilla physical symptoms,such as upper respiratory infections,asthma, or skin issues.

Consider the whole child—physical & emotional Under times of stress, a person can mani-fest symptoms of most any kind, affectingany bodily system, so it is always impor-tant to recall the physical general symp-toms for each of the remedies you areconsidering. General tendencies that applyto the whole person like body tempera-ture, appetite, or thirst, for example, canhelp us distinguish these three remedies. Achild needing Pulsatilla is nearly alwaysvery warm, whereas kids needing Silica orBaryta carbonica are more commonlychilly. Someone needing Pulsatilla prefersopen and moving air while a Silica-typekid prefers to be indoors, wrapped up niceand cozy. A child needing Pulsatilla tendsto have little thirst while one needing Sil-ica tends to be more thirsty. In otherwords, while the physical particular symp-toms (like swollen glands, an earache, or astuffy nose) are important, remember topay attention to the physical generalsymptoms—while also seeking to under-stand what drives the child in the moreemotional realms. When we understandwhat underlies the child’s behavior, whatdrives their fears and anxieties, that willhelp us find the best possible remedy withthe widest sphere of influence.

School, with the academic, social, and

other stressors it holds, is a major insti -gator of anxiety for many kids. Homeopa-thy offers a wide-reaching, effectiveapproach for this population—withoutthe unwanted side effects of psychotropicdrugs. Over the past 28 years of practice, Ihave witnessed so many kids and teenswhose fear, anxiety, and apprehensionaround school have improved greatly,thanks to homeopathy. With appropriateconstitutional homeopathic care, schoolanxiety can be reduced, enhancing learn-ing, growth, curiosity and the ability tointegrate new information and knowl-edge. The child’s distracting or recurringphysical issues are addressed simultane-ously, revealing the beauty of homeopa-thy: we treat the whole person, regardlessof complaint, and improvements occur onmany levels.

Thank you to Paul Herscu, ND, DHANP, myperceptive, prolific (and wonderful!) husbandfor his ongoing ability to articulate nuanceddifferences among closely related remediesand his ongoing commitment to sharing thatinformation. Much of the above materia medica of these three remedies is drawn fromhis teachings. If you’d like to read more, see hisfirst book, The Homeopathic Treatment ofChildren, or subscribe to the Herscu Letter, his online lecture series that includes philoso-phy, cases, and extended materia medica(www.nesh.com/the-herscu-letter/). My ownunderstanding and prescribing for patients isalways improved by my ongoing work withand learning from Paul.

*See my article on constitutional types and parent-ing: “Some Thoughts on Homeopathic Family Practice: Does Parenting Impact ConstitutionalTypes? Should Constitutional Types in ChildrenImpact Parenting?” The New England Journal ofHomeopathy, Spring/Summer 1997, Vol.6 No.2/3,http://preview.tinyurl.com/lu4nr9m

Amy Rothenberg, ND, DHANP,practices in Enfield, CT(www.nhcmed.com) andteaches through the New England School of Homeopathy(www.nesh.com). A Two Year

Course on the East Coast will begin in 2014. She is currently the president of the MassachusettsSociety of Naturopathic Doctors working on legislation to license naturopathic doctors in thatstate. You can follow her blog at www.huffington-post.com/amy-rothenberg-nd/. Her book, The A Cappella Singer Who Lost Her Voice & Other Stories from Natural Medicine can be found onAmazon or at www.amyrothenberg.com.

A B O U T T H EA U T H O R

Withhomeopathictreatment, astheir anxietylessens, theywill be able to shine inwhatever theyhave chosen.