Understanding Homoeopathy

1. Mental and Emotional Symptoms
In previous months we have touched on the symptoms that are most important when considering
repertorising and remedy selection. According to Margaret Roy a symptom is a change in the
body/mindthatcausesdiscomfortand shows an altered state of health and disharmony or disease
of the whole.A symptom is produced in the process of cure however homoeopaths don’t consider
all symptoms to be of equal value.
Homoeopathscategorise symptomsintoahierarchyinorderto show the degree of individualityand
the activity of the vital force. They consider Strange, Rare and Peculiar symptoms to be of prime
importance closely followed by Mental and Emotional symptoms, which are put so high in the
hierarchy because they represent the person’s character and individuality.
These Mental and Emotional symptoms refer to all emotions, temperaments, disturbances of the
will and understanding. This includes dreams, delusions, sleepwalking and talking, fears,
embarrassment, forgetfulness, laziness, our need for company etc.
Some symptoms are part of the temperament or character and help us to see the constitutional
remedywhereas othersmaybe passingandare an understandableresponsetodisease.Anexample
of thisisChamomillaanditsirritabilityassociatedwith teething pain (the underlying constitutional
remedy will more likely be a calcium remedy such as Calc carb).
It’s important to be careful that the Mental or Emotional symptoms that we choose to repertorise
are onesthatclearly limit the person—not just a character trait! For instance, being nervous about
going out but not limited by it is a character trait whereas if a person has difficulty in leaving his
room or speakingtoothers,theirtimidityispathological and needs to be included in consideration
for the remedy.
The vital force expressesMental andEmotional symptoms in a way that is specific to the individual
and the particular way that these symptoms are described can help lead us to the correct remedy.
Next month we will explore: General, Particular & Common Symptoms.