Jennifer returned us to the ‘land of the living’ after 3 years of no sleep. She treated my daughter for night terrors, which disappeared overnight after taking the medicine. Then she worked on my son for continual crying, allergies, and eczema, and gave us back a healthy, happy, bouncing boy with a couple of weeks. Am amazing transformation on both counts. I couldn’t recommend Jennifer highly enough. — Female, age 26
I happened to tune into one of those ‘reality’ based Nanny SOS TV shows recently, and watched a 4-year old boy raging out of control in fury. He punched, kicked and spit on his parents and little brother, and could not be disciplined. He defied any attempt to control his behaviour and his mother was filled with frustration and guilt. She revealed that she had lost another child from cot death years before, and felt that she too had failed her 4-year old son. The father feared that he would one day lose his temper and hurt his son, and felt that his marriage was on the brink of collapse. The younger brother (about 2 years old) was left to cry and spent hours at a time left in a play pen as the parents had no time or energy left to mind him.
I watched this interpersonal dynamic in the family, feeling both compassion for the parents and relief that this program had found this family and could provide them with some counselling and parenting support through their crisis. I also watched this boy and saw many of his symptoms that fit a profile of a homeopathic remedy – Belladonna. This remedy is often associated with fever and inflammation and is a brilliant first-aid remedy for that reason. Because it is part of holistic medicine, Belladonna (among a few other remedies) has a mental and emotional profile. It could be indicated for someone in a state of violent rage manifested by spitting, hitting, and kicking, especially if accompanied with flushing, dilated eyes – which this boy quite visibly had on the TV show!
In conjunction with counselling and parenting support provided by the producers of the show, a few high doses of Belladonna given to that boy might have supported him in the process by reducing the intensity of his rage so he would be better able to cope with his feelings. It was apparent from the beginning that he was completely out of control – as were his parents.
It is rewarding work to treat children when they struggle to cope with the level and intensity of their emotions, whether it’s anger, fear, or jealousy (common with the arrival of a new sibling or a new partner of the parent). Parents report that their children are better able to manage their feelings, and consequently the parents can better communicate with their children to help resolve issues before they escalate.
A parent recently brought her 10-year old girl to me who was struggling emotionally with food (overeating), which began around the birth of her little brother. We treated that girl with a remedy associated with symptoms that arise from jealousy. Within weeks the parent reported that her daughter’s overeating began to subside.
Another parent brought her 3-year old son to me who was suffering night terrors and this was making it nearly impossible for the rest of the family to get any sleep. Not only would the child awaken during the night, but he had become terrified of going to bed in the first place. What was interesting was that these night terrors began after he had a viral infection when he was 2 years old. We treated him for symptoms that arise after such a viral infection, and within 10 days the parent stated that her son’s nightmares had subsided (this was a year ago, with no reported recurrence). Of course, this improvement also had a big impact on the whole family and their interaction with each other.
Along with seeking guidance from books, parenting groups, and counsellors, families also be supported by homeopathy, which offers effective, safe and gentle treatments for a wide range of both mental and emotional issues.
While sleep is a topic I have written about before, I find in the clinic that problems around babies and sleep are the most common complaints that parents (exhausted and exasperated) come to me seeking help for. Again, this is an area where homeopathic remedies can in many cases provide natural and effective treatments, based on reports from parents. Because they are made from highly-diluted plants, animals, and minerals in origin they are appropriate for babies (even newborns) and children.
It is common for babies and small children to wake during the night from teething pain, coughs and colds, and nightmares. However, when the waking extends beyond the physical complaint or becomes chronic (frequent), there are homeopathic treatments that parents claim have improved the child’s sleep by addressing the underlying cause of the waking.
If it’s a physical symptom that wakes the child such as bed-wetting, stomach pain, or a chronically blocked nose or cough, then the homeopathic remedy is given at bedtime for the acute symptom. Other remedies are constitutional, which can strengthen the child’s immune response, and can make acute symptoms less frequent and shorten their duration.
If nightmares or night terrors are keeping the child from wanting to go to bed, or causing the child to wake in fear, then the treatment addresses any consistent themes in the child’s dreams (monsters, being chased, drowning, etc). Because small children are often affected and not able to verbalize the fear, the state or how the child appears on waking from the nightmare or terror (expression, perspiration, body position, etc) and the type of comfort the child needs (being held, rocked, singing or talking, etc) are often indicators as to the appropriate remedy. If the child is older, then having the child draw me a picture of their nightmare often discloses the content of the nightmare or terror, which again leads to the remedy that I would select.
Often the fear of the dark or monsters will affect a child’s sleep as the fear will create a light and restless sleep pattern. These children are the ones that are really difficult to get to bed at night and they often procrastinate through many (creative) measures to put off bedtime night after night. For parents who look forward to bedtime to have personal or couple time, this can be a very frustrating and exhausting time.
As a parent of a child (now nearly 16) who suffered countless night wakings and terrors, it was homeopathic treatment that resolved her sleep –after the very first remedy was given! This extraordinary result actually inspired me to train in the field of homeopathy. It made me wonder how different our early months could have been if we found homeopathy sooner, though at the time I didn’t think that anything could help. Personally and professionally, I can say without a doubt that homeopathy can help…here’s to sweet dreams.
I just wanted to praise Jennifer for finally getting me a good night’s sleep after almost 3 years of my children’s night waking and night terrors. Hopefully it’ll help somebody else.
I have a 3 year old that has been suffering from night terrors, for the past 18 months since her little brother was born. When he was born, he started with being hospitalised at 2 weeks for bronchialitis for a couple of weeks, then colic and then it turns out he’s allergic to everything, from dairy to dust mites. I was at my wits end, because he just screamed 24/7 and when he would finally get to sleep, my daughter would start with the horrific night terrors, which would mean hysteria for anything up to 45 mins.
My sister suggested a homeopath (I had already tried cranial osteopathy and everything else to no avail), and so was slightly dubious, but how wrong was I. I went to Jennifer Gordon in Ballsbridge (086 359 4557) who listened to me for an hour whining about my kids, and was so sympathetic and understanding. She gave me a couple of different things to try for both kids and my god the difference in both of them is unbelievable.
The medicine for the night terrors worked immediately and we had our first full calm night for her in months and she now only gets them maybe once every 2 weeks. My son’s eczema cleared up within the week and he is without a doubt a different child. Happy, calm, everything you could wish for. Anyway, I know this sounds like an ad for Jennifer, and I swear it’s not, but she just improved our life to such a degree that I think she deserves some praise and hopefully if anyone is thinking of homeopathy this will give them the push to give it a go. Anyway, I’m now like a bloody missionary, boring all my friends about it by spreading the good word! — Female, age 27