Author:
Jan Scholten
Book:
Homeopathy and Minerals
Type:
Remedy
Chapter:
110
Vanadium
Vanadium is a little-known remedy; all we know is some physical symptoms, like degeneration of the liver. However, Boericke (1927, page 666) also mentions anorexia. In mineral therapies vanadium and zincum are sometimes advised in the treatment of anorexia nervosa. Homeopathically speaking this symptom is not very obvious in zincum, but it seems to be a valuable recommendation for vanadium.
Anorexia, bulimia.
In my experience, and this may sound like a bold statement, vanadium is the first and foremost remedy in cases of anorexia or bulimia.
Success
They have a great need to succeed in their undertakings. This usually has to do with social acceptance: they have to prove themselves in society. This is a pattern which shows up in the whole Ferrum group.
Failure
A typical feeling of Vanadium people is that they keep thinking that they won’t succeed. They try and achieve something, but they fail yet again. When they succeed, their mood goes up, when they fail, the mood sinks. The opposite may also happen: when they are in a good mood they are able to succeed in their tasks, when their mood is low everything goes wrong. This looks like manic depression in a certain sense. A typical state of Vanadium is anorexia alternating with bulimia.
The alternating states can also apply to their general functioning in society. There may be certain work patterns or addictions which stand in the way of playing a normal and balanced part in society.
Essence
the idea that they have to be successful, but they are not allowed or they are incapable. They feel obliged to live up to many tasks, but they are confused as to what tasks and why.
Mind
they don’t really know what they want. They make plans, but they think ’I won’t succeed anyway'. They feel that they have to achieve a lot in their profession, but they are not sure what.
They are always doubting themselves and can’t make a choice. They are not strong enough to make any decisions, and if they do make one they doubt their choice afterwards. They doubt their decisions and they doubt themselves: ‘Am I choosing the right profession’, ‘am I a good person’, ‘am I nice looking, intelligent’, ‘who am I?'. The doubt is a result of their fear of failure: ‘I can’t succeed anyway’.
This theme comes up in their dreams, too. They dream of missing the train, of not getting to the telephone on time etc.
They don’t dare to take responsibility for their choices, because they are convinced that they will fail. And when they do fail they feel incredibly guilty. Their continuous doubting attitude is the reason that they don’t complete things and are always late.
The cause of this situation can usually be found in their upbringing. There is often a successful and dominant father. They are brought up very strictly, with the task of pleasing everybody, particularly their own parents. They have to be good, caring, decent and hardworking children.
Such a child won’t dare to resist this regime and eventually won’t know anymore what it wants for itself. It feels obliged to do its duties but doesn’t know the reason or the purpose anymore. Furthermore, the message they receive ‘to be good’ may have a double meaning, in the sense of ‘be successful, but don’t become more successful than your father’.
These people have a strong tendency to suffer from anorexia or bulimia. Here we find the same themes again: they feel good when they succeed, and they feel awful and guilty when they fail. The eating attacks are in compensation for the lack of warmth and support. Other addictions may also fit this picture.
These people are very kind and gentle. They feel the need for warmth and company and they always try to please others. They are easy going, not only out of kindness, but also because they have no opinions of their own. They cry easily.
They would like to remain a little child.
They are often a bit anxious, with restless and itching legs.
Fears: failure, coming late, missing the boat, arteriosclerosis.
Generals
Location: right sided.
Physique: blonde.
Temperature: cold, cold hands and feet. Raynaud's syndrome.
Time: < 7 am.
Desire: sweet, liquorice.
Menses: little, or absent. Premenstrual complaints. < ovulation.
Body
Eye problems.
Pain in throat, coughing up little lumps of yellow and green, bitter mucus.
Stomach and bowel problems. Degeneration of the liver, cancer.
Constipation.
Pain in the ovaries.
Sciatica.
DD: Anac, Bar-c, Carc, Cob, Hyp-ant, Ign, Lyc, Mang, Puls, Thuj.