Anacardium Orientale: Marking Nut

Today I’ll be talking about Anacardium Orientale, a homeopathic remedy made from the juice of the nut of the marking nut tree. Also known as the Malacca bean tree, Semecarpus anacardium is a member of the Anacardiaceae family. Anacardium is a very powerful remedy capable of treating some rather serious and deep-seated psychological disorders.

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So let’s not waste time, let’s get right into it.

What Is Anacardium Orientale

Okay, Anacardium is one of those remedies that is easily misunderstood because of the extreme way that it’s described in the literature. And while it’s true that Anacardium can be invaluable in the treatment of severe psychiatric illness, it can also be beneficial for many less severe, more run-of-the-mill situations. So bear in mind that the indications for Anacardium are not always as extreme as the books suggest.

Unbearable Inner Conflict Resulting in Inferiority Feeling & Cruelty

The main idea of Anacardium is that of a person struggling with an unbearable inner conflict, which in turn generates feelings of inferiority and a tendency toward cruelty. It is a picture of an abused person whose confidence has been shattered and who consequently lashes out at the world. Think of the abuse that Anacardium experiences as having left a black mark on his very being.

Marking Nut Tree Characteristics Compared With the Pathology of the Anacardium Remedy

The marking nut tree exudes a resin that blackens on contact with air and can stain the skin. In his synoptic reference one, Frans Vermeulen draws a parallel between this aspect of the plant itself and the pathology that it’s used to treat. He summarizes the idea so well that I thought I would read the quote directly to you here.

“This characteristic of marking the skin by blackening it accounts for the plant’s name, marking nut. This physical phenomenon is symbolic of the remedy’s themes. For Anacardium, the black mark is more than skin deep; it seems to penetrate all the way to his soul. Having a black mark, being blackballed or blacklisted, and being a blackguard or a black sheep all signify someone who has been expelled or repudiated, fallen from grace. One who is considered a rogue and a miscreant and is denounced and condemned as evil, sinful, or bad. The black mark brands the outcasts, the tainted, the rejected, the damned. Anacardium asks himself, “Am I good or am I bad?” As good as he tries to be, the black mark, the sin, the evil refuses to be dislodged.”

Personality Traits of Anacardium Orientale

Poor Self-Image, Low Self-Esteem

The person who needs Anacardium typically has a very poor self-image. He struggles with low self-esteem and feelings of worthlessness. This can often be traced to or attributed to a history of abuse, either emotional, physical, or sexual.

Lacks Confidence & Fears Failure

He lacks confidence, doubts himself, and doubts his own abilities. He fears failure, and this becomes particularly evident when having to take an exam. Anacardium fears that he will fail tests and exams.

Easily Embarrassed

As a consequence of his low self-esteem, he feels mortified and can be easily embarrassed.

Boasting Their Abilities

He compensates by trying to prove his value. He feels the need to prove himself to others and to himself. Sometimes this takes the form of bluster(speaks loudly to appear confident), and although Anacardium is not listed in repertories under bragging, in my opinion, it should be. I’ve seen kids in my office who make a point of reciting their achievements to me or of boasting about their abilities.

Struggle to Prove Himself & Lack of Belief in Himself Causes Problems

But while Anacardium struggles to prove himself, he ultimately defeats himself due to his own lack of belief in himself. This tension between Anacardium’s sense of inferiority and his need to prove himself can create several problems.

Depression & Alcohol/Drug Abuse

He can be easily offended and is prone to depression. Sometimes it leads to alcohol or drug abuse.

Anacardium’s Inferiority Complex, Anger, Frustration & Violence

It can also cause him to lash out in anger or frustration. Here we see the flip side of the Anacardium inferiority complex, which is a tendency toward violence and cruelty. He can take his anger out on his loved ones or even an innocent bystander.

Slightest Insult or Offense Can Cause a Violent Backlash

His history of abuse, his sensitivity, and his low self-esteem combined to create a hair trigger whereby the slightest perceived insult or offense can provoke a violent backlash.

Anacardium truly is the remedy for cases where the abused have now become the abusers.

Very Cruel & Cold-Hearted

Anacardium can be very cruel and cold-hearted. He is malicious, vindictive, and hateful. He can be sadistic and antisocial. And he can lack a sense of morality or right and wrong.

Sadomasochistic Sexual Fantasies

Some are inclined towards sadomasochistic sexual fantasies or behaviors. Sadomasochistic sexual fantasies are sexual thoughts or imaginings that involve deriving pleasure from giving or receiving pain, domination, or submission (consensually).

Abusive, Cruel

Anacardium may even enjoy violence. He can be abusive toward animals. I’ve had several patients describe to me how they would go out drinking with the purposeful intent of getting into a fight at the bar.

I tend to think of behaviors like this as a subconscious means of venting anger and indirectly taking revenge upon their abusers. In children, we often see a similar lack of confidence and inclination to get in trouble. It’s not so much a remedy for hyperactivity as it is for kids with behavior and discipline problems.

Repertory Rubrics Explaining the Aggressive Side of Anacardium

Rubrics that illustrate this aggressive side of Anacardium include:

• Hatred,
• Malicious,
• Vindictive,
• Want of moral feeling,
• Misanthropy
• Unfeeling,
• Hard-hearted,
• Suspicious
• Mistrustful.

Strong Disposition to Curse, Swears

Of course, one telltale Anacardium clue is a strong disposition to curse. He swears especially when he’s angry. He can use strong, aggressive, and even blasphemous language. His profanity can be foul and may have religious overtones.

Anacardium lists prominently under:

• Cursing,
• Swearing,
• Cursing blasphemy,
• Cursing in children,
• Cursing in rage.

Since he may not show this side of himself in the consulting room, you may have to ask about it. I usually keep it direct and simply ask do you tend to swear much.

Anacardium Is Not Always Prescribed For Extreme Cases Only

Now, as I said in the beginning, descriptions of Anacardium tend to give the impression that this remedy must be reserved only for extreme cases. But that just isn’t true. Oftentimes, we don’t see any of the violent or aggressive aspects of the remedy. Sometimes we prescribe Anacardium for a person with low self-esteem issues and nothing more.

Nevertheless, it’s important to understand the remedy in its full-blown state in order to be able to recognize it in its more subtle forms.

Internal Conflict: Violence & Expressing Remorse

Now, in some cases, the Anacardium type will lash out angrily and then turn right around and express remorse for his behavior. This tendency to repent quickly illustrates a dominant theme that I mentioned at the beginning of this discussion. Which is that Anacardium often finds himself grappling with some kind of impossible internal conflict, one that has no real solution.

Right Vs Wrong Or Good Vs Evil

This unbearable inner conflict usually involves two opposed black or white possibilities. Oftentimes, concerning issues of right and wrong or good versus evil. This internal contradiction explains why Anacardium would lash out angrily and then quickly express remorse. He doesn’t really know how he feels or where he stands.

Story of A Kid to Underestand Anacardium Picture

I’ll never forget a story I once read about a family whose oldest son committed suicide. The younger brother had witnessed his older brother shoot himself. Years later, when the younger brother was old enough, he received a birthday gift from his parents. It was a hunting rifle. Now imagine the psychological bind that this kid probably felt.

Was he supposed to be grateful for the gift from his loving parents? Or was he being given a subliminal message that his parents wished that he, too, would shoot himself? No doubt he thought to himself, do my parents love me, or did they want me dead? Imagine the intense confusion and emotional conflict that such a person would feel. This is exactly what we see in some Anacardium cases.

The patient may not always be fully conscious of an internal contradiction, but it’s usually there. Some kind of psychological schism pulls them in two different directions at the same time. And this in turn often creates a great deal of suffering and a tremendous state of indecision.

Should the younger brother embrace his parents for their generous gift? Or should he rage at their incredibly insensitive act, or even worse, their unspeakably evil intentions? Clearly it’s a no-win situation. There is no satisfactory solution.

Double Bind (Damned if I do Damned if I don’t) State of Ancardium

This is what psychologists refer to as a double bind. It’s a classic psychological dilemma that places a person in a damned if I do, damned if I don’t predicament. A double bind creates tremendous psychological confusion and can drive a person crazy, sometimes literally.

This is why Anacardium is listed so prominently in repertories under rubrics that express this idea of confusion of identity. Such rubrics include:

• Confusion as to one’s identity
• Sensation of duality
• Antagonism with oneself
• Contradiction of will
• Two trains of thought
• Delusion that he is double.
• Feels as if he had two wills, one commanding him to do what the other forbids.

And of course, the most famous Anacardium keynote of all delusion is that:

• A devil is speaking in one ear, and an angel is speaking in the other.

A Case of a 10-Year-Old Boy Claiming Devil Talking in One Ear & Angel in the Other Ear

I once saw a boy about ten years of age who had been having emotional problems. I nearly fell out of my chair when he literally said it’s like I have an angel talking to me in this ear and the devil talking to me in this one.

His parents explained to me that he was experiencing a great deal of confusion over the fact that his mother was white and his father was black. A couple of doses of Anacardium seemed to completely resolve the conflict that the boy was feeling. And he went on to be a very successful young man.

An Example of a Very Strict Baseball Coach Causing Double-Bind Situations for His Players

There was a highly admired basketball coach at a school that I once attended. He was well-liked and respected. But as time passed, I heard stories about his strict disciplinary methods.

He ran the team so hard that a player once vomited right on the court during practice. The coach demanded that he take his shirt off to use it to clean up the vomit. Another time, after the team lost an away game, instead of taking the bus home, he made the whole team run all the way back to the school. Now imagine your mindset if you happen to be a player on that team.

Does the coach care about us, or does he hate us? If we win, will we be rewarded? If I make a mistake, will I be punished? And therein lies the problem with double-bind situations. They’re enough to make a sane person crazy.

Weaker individuals who don’t have the necessary maturity or psychological skills to identify the abusive nature of such situations are going to be more susceptible to the double bind than others might be. Now, sometimes the suffering is too great for the psyche to bear. In such cases, it can result in various psychiatric illnesses such as:

• Severe depression
• Bipolar disorder
• Schizophrenia

Paranoia & Auditory Hallucinations of Anacardium

When Anacardium begins to break from reality to develop symptoms of psychosis, it usually takes the form of paranoia and or auditory hallucinations. He becomes paranoid. He may have dreams of being pursued or delusions of being persecuted.

He hears voices that say foul things to him, whispering blasphemous things in his ear. Sometimes they command him to do horrible or violent things.

Anacardium lists in repertories under:

• Fear of evil,
• Fear of insanity or losing one’s reason
• Delusion that he hears voices
• Delusion that he is possessed by a demon
• Delusion that he sees devils.

As you can see, this kind of internal schism progressively separates a person from his own emotions. From his sense of right and wrong and ultimately from reality.

Over the years, I’ve been fortunate enough to have witnessed several cases in which a timely dose of Anacardium has rescued some of those lost souls from the brink of psychosis.

Brain Fatigue & Memory Issues of Anacardium

Okay, now there’s one more important feature of the Anacardium mental emotional picture. And that is a distinct tendency to develop brain fatigue and memory issues.

The old books refer to it as brain fag, which is defined as a kind of mental fatigue or mental burnout.

There may be a weakness of memory, and this often becomes evident when academic work is involved. There can be nervous exhaustion from reading or studying. Brain fag, along with the general Anacardium lack of confidence and fear of failure, can combine to create a nightmare scenario when it comes to taking exams.

The brain freezes, and the mind can go blank at crucial moments during an exam. This tendency toward mental fatigue is expressed by several rubrics, including:

• Concentration difficult
• Dullness of mind
• Forgetfulness
• Prostration of mind
• Stupefaction as if intoxicated.
• Lack of self-confidence with memory loss
• Forgetfulness for what he has read
• Vanishing thoughts, unable to think
• Vanishing thoughts reading aggravates
• Vanishing thoughts while talking
• Vanishing thoughts while writing.

Since most Anacardium prescriptions are made by virtue of the psychological aspects of the case, it’s worth summarizing the essence of this remedy one more time.

Confirmatory Symptoms of Anacardium

When we see feelings of inferiority or very low self-esteem combined with anger and or aggression, we think of Anacardium. Strong confirmatory clues include a history of abuse or feeling that the psyche is in conflict, being pulled in two different directions.

Physical Generals And Modalities of Anacardium

All right now, let’s discuss the physical Generals and modalities.

Anacardium is Chilly

Anacardium is generally chilly and can be ameliorated by warmth. By the heat of the sun or by a hot bath.

Right to Left

Some symptoms can start on the right and then move to the left.

Emotional Stressors

Anacardium is aggravated by a variety of emotional stressors. Especially anger, fear, and embarrassment.

Aggravated by Abuse

Naturally, Anacardium will be aggravated by any kind of abuse or even perceived abuse. And this can include punishment, humiliation, or mortification(great embarrassment and shame).

Aggravated By Contradiction

Anacardium is aggravated by contradiction and may become angry if contradicted.

Aggravated by Mental Exertion

As previously noted, there can be aggravation from mental exertion or from studying.

Ameliorated By Eating (Most Useful Modality of Anacardium)

Perhaps the most common and useful modality of all is the fact that Anacardium is ameliorated by eating and aggravated by fasting. Headaches, for example, are better after eating and worse from fasting. This modality can be a great telltale clue in kids with emotional and behavioral issues.

I’ve had more than a few parents describe how their child is an irritable, angry terror after getting home from school. And they know that eating a snack is the only thing that can help settle them down.

Sensation of a Band and a Plug

Two additional keynotes for Anacardium include a sensation of a band and a sensation of a plug. A person may complain of a feeling of a constricting band around the head, around an arm, around the leg, or anywhere in the body.

Likewise, there may be a sensation of a plug in the head, the eye, the stomach, or the rectum, for example.

Constipation With Ineffective Urge

The Anacardium version of constipation involves an ineffective urge to have a bowel movement. There’s a feeling as if the rectum is plugged and no stool is passed.

Ancardium For Tendon Problems

Anacardium can also be a remedy for problems involving tendons. It’s used for tendon injuries that result from lifting or straining. And arthritic conditions that involve inflammation of the tendons.

Skin Problems of Ancardium

Lastly, Anacardium can be useful for itchy skin problems, including eczema or poison ivy. The keynote clue in such cases is that the itch is ameliorated by very hot or even scalding hot water.

Remedy Comparisons of Anacardium Orientale

Okay, now let’s finish up with some remedy comparisons. Like Anacardium, there are some other remedies that exhibit a similar inferiority slash cruelty polarity.

Lycopodium Clavatum

Lycopodium, for example, lacks confidence and can be domineering to the point of being abusive.

Hepar Sulph

Hepar sulphuris is insecure, defensive, and capable of becoming angry and violent.

Staphysagria

Staphysagria similarly lacks confidence and struggles with anger issues.

Nitric Acid

Nitric acid swears and has anger issues.

Arsenicum Album & Nux Vomica

Arsenicum and Nux Vomica are both capable of becoming rageful and violent.

Mancinella

Mancinella has a similar fear of evil and is also afraid of being possessed by the devil.

Kali Bromatum

Kalium bromatum struggles with religious guilt and paranoia. But is more specifically fearful of being punished by God.

Rhus Tox & Rhus Venenata

Lastly, both Rhus toxicodendron and Rhus venenata fit itchy skin conditions that are ameliorated by very hot water.

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Glossary

Schizophrenia

Schizophrenia is a chronic, severe mental disorder that disrupts thinking, emotions, and behavior, often causing hallucinations, delusions, and disorganized speech.

Bipolar Disorder

Bipolar disorder is a long-term mental illness marked by extreme mood shifts, cycling between manic or hypomanic highs and depressive lows.

Paranoia

Paranoia is an intense, persistent, and irrational distrust of others, often involving beliefs of being watched or targeted, ranging from mild suspicion to severe delusional thinking, with defensiveness, hostility, and difficulty trusting others.

Auditory Hallucinations

Auditory hallucinations are the experience of hearing sounds or voices without external sources, often linked to schizophrenia but also occurring with stress, trauma, medications, substance use, or neurological disorders.

Stupefaction As if Intoxicated

Stupefaction, “as if intoxicated,” is a state of marked mental dullness and confusion resembling alcohol or drug impairment, where a person feels dazed, lethargic, and unable to think clearly.

Tendons

Tendons are strong, flexible connective tissues—mainly type I collagen—that link muscles to bones, transmitting muscular force to produce movement and maintain stability.

Poison Ivy

Poison ivy is a North American plant that triggers itchy, blistering rashes from an allergic reaction to urushiol oil present in every part of it.

References

• Schizophrenia – National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
• Bipolar Disorder – National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
• Marking Nut Tree – Encyclopaedia Britannica