Introduction: Ignatia Amara is A Grief Remedy

Hi. I’m Dr. Imran Ali, and welcome to our Homeopathy Materia Medica series. While the homeopathic remedy Ignatia has many uses, it’s most well-known for its ability to help those who are having difficulty with grieving. Homeopathy is a very specific art and science of healing, and Ignatia is just one among many potential homeopathic remedies for grief and the problems it can cause if not properly addressed.

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Although Ignatia is the most commonly indicated remedy for acute grief, as you’ll see, its sphere of action is a lot broader than just that.

Ignatia is Extracted From the Plant Saint Ignatius Bean

The plant from which Ignatia is derived is native to the Philippines and was first described by a priest who named it after Saint Ignatius of Loyola, the founder of the Jesuit Order. The plant is from the Loganiaceae family, and the genus and species are Strychnos Ignatia. Like the plant from which the remedy Nux vomica is derived, the St. Ignatius bean contains the substance strychnine, which accounts for the spasmodic properties of both Nux and Ignatia.

Psychological Profile of Ignatia Amara

Idealists, Sensitive, Romantic

Ignatia is known for its combination of idealism and sensitivity. Ignatia types are perfectionistic, have high expectations, and tend to be romantic and idealistic.

Honesty and Integrity

She has a strong sense of honesty, integrity, and sincerity. I say “she” because most cases of Ignatia are female; however, that doesn’t mean the remedy can’t be given to men.

Ignatia is Highly Emotional, Sensitive, and Needs Love

Ignatia is sensitive, sympathetic, and highly emotional. She has a strong need to love and to be loved. She feels responsible for everyone’s happiness, which is why she wants to be nice to everybody. Ignatia types are pleasers because they want to be loved in return. All of these qualities, idealism and romanticism, apply especially to relationships in Ignatia’s life and can eventually lead to a feeling of internal conflict.

When Ignatia Starts Suffering Mentally and Emotionally?

Conflict Between Her Expectations and Reality

Conflict inevitably develops between Ignatia’s expectations and reality, between what she wants and what others want, and between her idealistic vision of things and the true nature of reality. This can understandably lead to disappointment, hurt, sadness, and grief.

Tries to Control Her Emotions

Ignatia tends to try to control her emotions and reactions. She tries to be positive in spite of the negative. She feels guilty if she lets herself or others down and feels responsible for having to live up to her own high expectations of herself and others, especially herself.

Controlling Emotions Leads to Tense Behaviours

Holding the tension in and trying to repress the negative can lead to tense behaviors. Ignatia may come across as upbeat and talkative, but that happy chatter is often just nervous energy. The unresolved internal emotional conflict causes her to become busy and even hyperactive.

A Case of Ignatia Amara Who Needed Appreciation From Her Mother-in-Law

For example, a young woman explains how she’s been really nice to her mother-in-law, but her mother-in-law still hasn’t accepted her. She desperately wants love and appreciation from her mother-in-law.

She does all sorts of things designed to please her and gain her approval. Even though the mother-in-law withholds her approval, she keeps trying to be nice. Eventually, she becomes annoyed and even angry at her mother-in-law, but she doesn’t want to admit that to herself. She tries to hold to her high ideals, but in spite of her best efforts, she starts to feel frustrated.

Frustration is a word commonly used by Ignatia types.

Frustration and Turmoil of Ignaita Amara

The definition of frustration is when progress, success, or the fulfillment of something is prevented, feelings of upset, or an inability to change something or achieve something. Because of their high expectations and sensitivity, Ignatia types can be easily hurt. They’re wounded easily and offended easily.

Turmoil is another good word to describe the mind of Ignatia. The inner turmoil tends to make her high-strung as inner tension develops and frustration builds.

Reactive, Angry, Bitter

Ignatia can become reactive. She can get very angry or hurt. Over time, she can even become bitter.

Hysteria of Ignatia Amara

The Ignatian mind tends to vacillate between equally unsatisfactory alternatives.

You know the expression,

“I’m damned if I do, and I’m damned if I don’t”?

Well, that’s Ignatia thinking about these alternatives over and over. She becomes irresolute and has trouble making a decision. She thinks, maybe I should buy a nice gift for my mother-in-law, or maybe I should give her a piece of my mind and tell her what I really think. As control of so many strong feelings begins to fail, mere frustration can eventually change into more extreme displays of emotion.

Ignatia can have spasms of emotion. She becomes nervous, hysterical, moody, defensive, and quarrelsome. She becomes uptight and intolerant of contradiction. The homeopathic literature is filled with descriptions of the hysterical nature of Ignatia types. Hysteria is not intended to be a sexist term or only associated with women’s menstrual cycles. In modern homeopathic usage, it describes intense, dramatic, unpredictable, and changeable emotional outbursts in either gender.

Contradictory Symptoms of Ignatia Amara

Ignatia’s internal conflict is often mirrored by a variety of contradictory symptoms, either on the emotional or physical level, or even both.

• Sometimes mental symptoms alternate with physical symptoms.

Some examples of confusing or seemingly contradictory symptoms include:

• An empty feeling in the stomach that is made worse by eating
• A tendency to vomit after eating small amounts of food that improves when eating a full meal.

Igantia Amara As a Grief Remedy

Ignatia has a very well-known homeopathic reputation for being a grief remedy.

It’s the number one remedy for grief, especially acute grief after:

• A death,
• The loss of a loved one,
• The breakup of a relationship.

When to and When Not to Prescribe Igantia in Grief?

However, it’s important to understand that it’s not advisable to automatically give a remedy if someone is grieving. After all, grief is usually a normal human response to a sad situation.

In the acute phase, the question is whether the grief is overwhelming the person. In later stages, the question is whether the grief is being adequately processed. Is the person moving through the stages of grief, or are they stuck and unable to shake it? Stuck grief won’t let go and cannot be released, and that’s when a remedy can be very helpful. The grief of Ignatia often involves broken romances. Terms like disappointed love, lovesick, unhappy love, or unrequited love are often used.

Silent Grief Turns into Sobbing

In such situations, the love that Ignatia wishes to give is not being reciprocated. Sometimes Ignatia types suffer in silent grief. They brood, trying to control their emotions and tears. Remember that the Ignatia plant has strychnine. Eventually, that silent grief can explode into sobbing. It can be deep, intense, and spasmodic crying, the type that sounds almost physical in its spasms.

Physical Spasms of Ignatia Amara

Ignatia often experiences physical spasms, especially when emotions are held in a certain amount of self-control. Self-control can be positive, but too much can backfire. For Ignatia, powerful unexpressed emotions become cramped emotions, which can lead to physical cramps. All of that turmoil, frustration, and inner tension can generate an assortment of confusing and unpredictable symptoms.

Virtually any set of muscles can tighten, twitch, tremor, or spasm.

What Are Physical Spasms?

Physical spasms (muscle cramps) are sudden, involuntary, often painful muscle contractions caused by dehydration, overuse, electrolyte imbalance, stress, or nerve problems, commonly affecting the limbs, back, or abdomen, and are usually relieved by hydration, stretching, and rest, though ongoing spasms may indicate an underlying condition.

Cervical Tension, Neck Stiffness & Neck Spasms

Cervical tension, neck stiffness, and neck spasms are very common. Ignatia types often admit they carry tension in the neck or back. Around the front of the neck, we can see throat spasms.

Sensation of a lump in the Throat (Globus Hystericus)

The sensation of a lump in the throat is a strong keynote for Ignatia. In the old books, it’s called globus hystericus, a feeling of a lump in the throat arising from powerful unexpressed emotion, especially grief.

Neuromuscular Symptoms & Convulsions

Ignatia can also be a remedy for neuromuscular symptoms and even convulsions.

Emotional Asthma & Psychomatic Coughs

Moving down to the chest, Ignatia is a remedy for emotional asthma and psychosomatic coughs.

Sighing is a Key Symptom of Ignatia

Sighing is a keynote symptom for Ignatia. The tendency to sigh and yawn often represents unspoken or unprocessed emotions stuck in the body.

Intestinal Cramps & Spasms

Further down in the abdomen, we see intestinal cramps and spasms.

Rectal Spasm & Sharp Upward Pain

Rectal spasms with sharp pains that shoot upward can be an Ignatia symptom.

Fears of Ignatia Amara

Contrary to some stereotypes, Ignatia is not just a short-acting remedy. Like any remedy, it may be indicated for both acute and chronic circumstances.

Ignatia’s fears include:

• Fear of losing a loved one
• Fear of vomiting
• Fear of losing control
• Fear of birds

Ignatia is Easily Frightened & Ailments from Fright

Ignatia can be easily frightened and is indicated for ailments originating from fear or fright.

Modalities of Ignatia Amara

Aggravation from 2-4 PM

Ignatia is aggravated from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m.

Aggravation From Consolation

There is the famous aggravation from consolation. This is one of those contradictory symptoms. Ignatia secretly desires to be loved but may refuse kindness or sympathy when it is offered.

Aggravated By Emotional Events

Ignatia problems tend to be aggravated by emotional events, particularly those evoking any emotion, loss, or fright.

Touch Ameliorates & Hard Pressure Ameliorates

Ignatia is listed in repertory under:

• Touch aggravates but hard pressure ameliorates

Sensitive to Tobacco Smoke

She has a notorious sensitivity to tobacco smoke, is averse to smoke, and is aggravated by smoke.

Food Preferences of Ignatia Amara

• Food desires include a desire for cheese and fruit,
• But there can also be an aversion to fruit.
• Another keynote is “food desire indistinct,” meaning she doesn’t know what she wants.

Eating Disorders of Ignatia

She may overeat under stress or lose appetite, sometimes alternating between the two, and even eating disorders like anorexia or bulimia can point to the need for Ignatia.

Remedy Relationship of Ignatia Amara

Important remedies to compare include Natrum Mur and Nux Vomica.

Natrum Muriaticum (Grief)

Natrum Mur is also a grief remedy and tends to deny feelings, but it generally controls emotions better.

Nux Vomica (Muscular Spasm)

Nux Vomica shares the strychnine property and muscular spasm tendency, but is less sensitive and emotional than Ignatia.

Summary of Key Points of Ignatia Amara

Emotional Picture of Ignatia

Ignatia is highly emotional, has high expectations, is sensitive, intense, idealistic, and has a strong need to be loved. When that love is taken away, Ignatia tries not to react but ultimately feels wounded and becomes dramatic, uptight, frustrated, indecisive, reactive, offended, internally conflicted, and ultimately hysterical.

Contradictions of Ignatia Amara

Ignatia is full of contradictions and prone to spasmodic symptoms. She is filled with turmoil, grief-stricken, and can be angry and bitter.

Keynote clues include:

• Neck tension,
• Sighing,
• Globus Hystericus (sensation of lump in the throat),
• Aversion to consolation,
• Aggravation from smoke,
• Desire for cheese or fruit.

Caution While Prescribing Ignatia

Ignatia is the number one remedy for grief in its many forms. Good homeopathic prescribing requires seeing each case as it is, without preconceptions, which is why Ignatia cannot be pigeonholed as just an acute grief remedy. Any remedy can fit any situation as long as the characteristics and clues fit well.

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