I have three children who I love dearly, but sometimes I need space. My husband does shift work which means at times it is just me home with three children and two cats. When it gets to the point I want them to GO AWAY and I’m feeling irritable, it is time for a dose of Sepia.
Sepia is most well known for its indifference to family, and as a hormonal remedy for women. Being a Mum can be overwhelming, where your personal space does not seem to exist at all and you have no time for yourself. This can make you irritable and grumpy (definitely makes me irritable at times!) Especially with younger children there can be a push pull reaction- you need space, so you try to set some boundaries and they end up clinging even more which makes you more irritable and needing more space. At the end of the day, especially if you have lost your temper, you can end up feeling guilty, like you are the worst Mum in the world, and even anxious that you may be screwing up your children, or tearful, sad and miserable because you just can’t do this Mum thing right.
If you are not a Mum, or your children have grown up and left home, you may have the same irritability and indifference to your partner, wanting space and for them to leave you alone, but on the other hand feeling anxious and sad if they do leave you alone. A Sepia state is not very comfortable state to live in.
Physically for Sepia everything may be relaxed, heavy and droopy.
There may be a mum-tum happening, with extra weight around the abdomen. It may feel like everything is sagging- breasts hanging lower than usual, or flat and shriveled, and there may be prolapse problems with vaginal or uterine prolapse. Even if there is no prolapse, there can be problems with urinary incontinence or light bladder leakage, or just stress incontinence when sneezing, coughing or jumping.
Sepia’s stomach feels empty, and eating does not relieve this “gone” feeling. They crave sweet food, and vinegar or sour things, and really don’t like fatty foods.
In pregnancy there can be morning sickness where they can’t bear the sight or smell of food, and yet are still hungry, or thrush with thick, white discharge. The “mask” of pregnancy with facial pigmentation is another part of the Sepia picture. It can also be a remedy for post partum depression when they feel flat, apathetic and indifferent to family.
It can also be a menopause remedy, when they are chilly but get hot flushes, and periods that can be either very late and light, or heavy with flooding. The other characteristic symptoms of indifference to family, irritability and heavy, sagging and dragging feeling would be there too.
Sepia is an essential remedy in my home kit. Is it one you need to add to yours?