The problem
She had firstly just experienced a "nervous tummy" which made her feel slightly sick and had made eating difficult. Over a three week period this has massively accelerated to the point that she was barely keeping any food down, could not be left alone at any time, was only sleeping about three hours a night and having to go into her mums bedroom to get any sleep. She was very weak and light headed and was having constant palpitations.
Obviously she could not focus on her studying and had fallen behind which was making the anxiety even worse. Her GP had wanted to prescribe betablockers but both the girl and her mum were very unhappy with this.
The consultation
At the initial consultation we went through a thorough medical history and talked extensively about methods to help her help herself, including breathing exercises, a guided meditation to help her sleep, positive affirmations and definite actions and goal settings with relation to her studies and to keeping things in perspective.
Herbs that helped
I also prescribed a mix of seven different herbs to help nourish her nervous system, calm her mind and support the organs that support her. I also included herbs that switch down the "fight flight" response which was causing her inability to eat and included herbs that increased her ability to focus and concentrate, traditionally called "scholars herbs".
The results
Both she and her mother returned three weeks later to discuss progress. Her mother was absolutely delighted, her appetite was back. Over the first week of taking herbs the nausea reduced and gradually her appetite returned. She was now eating pretty normally but could still feel a bit sick if studying. She had been able to rationalise her feelings and distance herself a little from the foreboding feeling that she was experiencing and talk herself out of have anxiety state. She was faithfully repeating her affirmation which was keeping her focussed on the positive rather than the negative. The herbs had reduced the anxiety to around 40% of the previous fortnight! and although still there was becoming more manageable. She was no longer sleeping in her mums room.
I've seen her twice since then and things have continued to improve. She has sat her first higher exam and will be finished the other two by next week. Although nervous, it is a healthy nervousness and she intends to continue the herbal medicine until these exams are over. Her mothers comment was that she was delighted to have her happy go lucky, bright and enthusiastic daughter back.
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Jean R Dow B.Sc.(Hons), B.A.(Hons), M.Sc. graduated from the Scottish School of Herbal Medicine in 2004 and has been practicing in Edinburgh, West Lothian and Glasgow since that time.Jean works from a vitalistic philosophy and uses herbal medicine in a manner that supports the person’s own innate self healing, self regulating ability.
Jean also works closely with people living with cancer, supporting with herbal medicine and nutrition both during mainstream medical care (chemotherapy, surgery, radiotherapy) and/or after this has finished. She has completed advanced nutritional qualifications with the Penny Brohn Cancer Centre in Bristol and also runs nutritional workshops teaching about the positive role of food for both the body and the mind with a particular focus on people living with cancer or chronic degenerative disease. To contact Jean, please call 0131 556 8440.
"I love what I do, Herbal Medicine is my passion and I love working with people."
~ Jean R Dow
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