Figure 1: Homeopathy can also help with homesickness.
It is summer. Many children go to summer camp. Some spend their summer holidays with Grandma and Grandpa. Or maybe only a short day trip with a friend to the beach or to a baseball game is planned.
No matter how the holiday plans look – at this time of year homesickness can set in. Fortunately, there is a way to dry all the tears and send the children off without worry. Homeopathy can comfort homesick hearts.
There are actually several homeopathic remedies to consider for homesickness. Today I would like to introduce you to the two most important ones that have proven themselves in my practice – and whose use you should know.
Cocculus indicus for homesickness
The first remedy, Cocculus indicus, is the same one we think of when we have to care for a family member day and night and then experience symptoms ourselves. You may recall that I already wrote about this in Caring Relatives: They too can benefit from homeopathic self-care. Keep that image in mind, because homesickness is connected to the same sensitivity we feel when caring for someone we love. Homesickness is often triggered by the sufferer’s anxiety about their family.
“What if something happens to my little sister while I’m away?” “What if Dad isn’t well?” “What if Mum isn’t there when I come back?” “What if my dog dies?” It’s this kind of irrational sadness and worry.
Added to this is the “out of sight, out of mind” component, and being away from home can trigger a complicated kind of grief – not grief in the classic sense, but the fear of losing everything you left behind.
Coincidentally, Cocculus is also an excellent remedy for jet lag. So if a child (or someone else in the family) has had a long journey and suffers from homesickness, this remedy may be just right.
For homesickness I would generally consider using Cocculus C30, to be taken twice daily until a clear improvement in symptoms. More information on dosing and potency of the remedy can be found here.
When is the best time to start the remedy?
Suppose your child goes to a summer camp on Monday. Should we give Cocculus beforehand, just to be on the safe side?
No. Homeopathy is medicine, not a dietary supplement. We do not use it indiscriminately or “just because”. Just like conventional medicines, we use homeopathic remedies only when there is a clear need – when symptoms are actually present. The symptoms must be noticeable first.
Homeopathic treatment might, for example, begin if the child becomes unusually clingy in the days before departure. “Oh, I don’t want to go!” or “I don’t think this is for me.” or “I don’t feel well enough to go. Maybe I’ll get sick.”
As parents you know the signs: your child doesn’t want to go anymore, withdraws or becomes unnecessarily upset. That’s the good thing about taking responsibility for your family’s health. You know your child better than anyone else, so just keep an eye out and watch closely ... but don’t project your own feelings onto the situation. That would only create unnecessary problems. Wait for clear symptoms before giving a homeopathic remedy.
Figure 2: Some children long to be allowed to go home again.
Capsicum annuum for nostalgic feelings and longing
What if your child isn’t so much anxious before a trip but is overwhelmed by nostalgia during the trip? In that case we recommend Capsicum annuum C30 (twice daily until a clear improvement occurs). The child is generally not as emotional as one who needs Cocculus. They feel strong nostalgia and longing. “Oh, that reminds me of home.” “Oh my God, that smells like home.” “This room looks like home.” “Where is my home?” It is that deep nostalgia that could even be called a form of depression.
In children this can sometimes be hard to detect, as they often hide their feelings. But they seem somehow down, as if their sparkle has faded. They no longer show that childlike confidence; the optimism is missing.
In these cases think of Capsicum 30.
A fleeting thought, a moment of nostalgia, is naturally different from them having lost their inner radiance. To justify a dose of Capsicum, the child must generally appear glum and depressed, not just for a brief moment when you show them a photo of their dog at home.
Of course these symptoms can also only appear after the child has already left home. They are not there – so what do you do? Even if your child seems perfectly normal at farewell, you might want to pack some Capsicum in the small homeopathic travel first-aid kit that you put in your child’s suitcase.
Don’t forget the homeopathic travel kit
In fact, you should always include the most important homeopathic remedies on the journey. (You know the usual suspects: Arnica, Arsenicum, Ledum, Apis). Wherever your child is: you can assume that the adults on site will notice the loss of joie de vivre – that your child simply isn’t quite themselves.
Or you call or message your child and hear the sadness in their voice. You could ask the adults in charge to give your child the Cocculus from the homeopathic travel kit.
Be the confident, capable healer of your family. Depending on the symptoms that occur, both homeopathic remedies can be invaluable for homesickness. Honestly, this feeling of melancholy isn’t just for children. Adults can experience it too.
Homeopathy for everyone
Homeopathy can help anyone who suffers from homesickness. Regardless of the person’s age, we can find the most suitable remedy by consulting our materia medica and informing ourselves about Cocculus and Capsicum. Then we can make a good, well-founded choice.
Dear readers: you can be the healer in your family without having to rely on the less informed opinion of an outsider. Your whole family can benefit from user-friendly homeopathy. Education, however, is the key to success.
Get informed, because: Homeopathy helps — spread the word!
Warm regards,
Yours
Book recommendations
https://www.narayana-verlag.de/Das-Kinder-Homoeopathie-Handbuch-Didier-Grandgeorge/b9180
https://www.narayana-verlag.de/Kinderhomoeopathie-leicht-gemacht-fuer-Eltern-Helmuth-Lehmann/b23653
Figure 1: VOJTa Herout/shutterstock.com ; Figure 2: FotoDuets/shutterstock.com
24.07.2025
