Natrium muriaticum (homeopathic treatment for depression)

-SANKARAN R.,

Natrum muriaticum is a sycotic remedy. It is a mineral - a salt - and it has the elements Natrum with belongs to group IA and Chlorine (Halogen group).

The main feeling of Natrum muriaticum is that she will be let down or betrayed or disappointed by the person her trust depends on, or by the one she loves. The relationship she seeks is not one of dependence like Calcarea or Magnesium but of friendship or romance, a relation on a one to one basis.
The betrayal that she feels is the betrayal of her trust or faith. She has a fear of being emotionally hurt or disappointed and hence is reserved, unapproachable. At the same time, there is a tremendous insecurity with a fear of being alone and a fear of robbers (Natrum carbonicum).
She believes that there is something wrong with her - either she is not good enough, not good looking enough ("Delusion, she looks wretched when looking in mirror") or that she has not done enough, and this is why the other person will disappear or leave her. This makes her do her best to be nurturing and caring, makes her go out of her way for others. But when hurt, she withdraws completely; there is great sadness ("Silent grief", "Weeping when alone") with aversion to consolation. There is a bitterness, tremendous anger, irritability, hatred and malice. She dwells on past disagreeable occurrences, is unable to forget them ("Revengeful"). An idea clings, prevents sleep and inspires revenge. She becomes averse to company, shut off from people ("Averse to the opposite sex, to her husband"). This again alternates with a desire for company or relationship. Thus we find contradictory symptoms in Natrum muriaticum people. In order to avoid the disappointment they enter into a relationship where, from the very beginning, there is no expectation of total commitment (like falling in love with a married man/servant) - silent, one-sided love. The Natrum muriaticum woman has fallen in love with someone and it is this one person she will love and hate. All that matters is how he treats her. Her entire mood depends on this. Having been hurt she blames herself as much as she blames the other person and her feelings often alternate between these two.
She cares so much for this one relationship, that at times she finds it frightening and may even behave as if it means nothing to her. She doesn't want to be hurt.
As with other remedies of the mineral kingdom, Natrum muriaticum patients are very organized. They are independent and dependable. They care a lot about structures like the house, relationships, date and timings. I have observed that many of them like music, especially the sad, sentimental type. They are also fond of novels and other literature based on relationships.
I have found that these patients usually relate a history of big problems or quarrels with their parents. There is almost always a history of disappointment in love. Tremendous grief after the death of someone dear.
There is a certain reservedness about them which makes them want to express themselves through art, but there is an organization to their art - it is structured, there is no free flow. They put up a wall of unapproachability but are externally cheerful. It is difficult to get them to express their real feelings but when they "break" a little, they can get sentimental and there may be a flood of grief.
Sepia comes close to Natrum muriaticum. Both have the theme of disappointment, both have the theme of the body being disfigured. But the main contradiction of Natrum muriaticum is not between relationship and occupation as seen in Sepia, but between making and breaking the relationship. Therefore there is no contradiction of will in Natrum muriaticum - the whole theme is of the relationship and not like Sepia, two separate themes of occupation and relationship. Thus Sepia, the animal, is larger of which Natrum muriaticum, the mineral, is a part. Natrum muriaticum is a two-sided salt, like a coin.
Since it has the theme of investing everything in one person or one relationship, Natrum muriaticum likes to dwell on grief and nourishes grief. If this grief is "new" or fresh in mind (even though several years may have passed) the patient will need Ignatia; when it is "old" has become a scar, provoked only when touched or prodded (even though it might be just a few days after the incident) Natrum muriaticum will have to be given. Ignatia is the "acute" of Natrum muriaticum.
In terms of Indian classical music Raga Bhairavi carries there a theme of separation or quarrel with the loved one, especially in a man-woman relationship, hence this Raga is closest to Natrum muriaticum with its "disappointment in love" and the bitter-sweet memories associated with it.
Physical concomitants
- Hot patient.
- agg. Heat of the sun.
- Emaciation about the neck.
- Crack in the middle of lower lip, especially in cold weather.
- Desires salt.
- Increased thirst.
- Salty sediment in perspiration.
- Headache from exposure to sun.
- Mapped tongue.
- Much trouble around the menstrual period.
Rubrics
- Ailments from disappointment, old.
- Ailments from grief.
- Ailments from love disappointed.
- Anger, consoled, when.
- Anger, talk, indisposed to.
- Anxiety, alternating with indifference.
- Company, aversion to, presence of other people aggravates the symptom, desire for solitude.
- Delusion, thieves, sees, house, in.
- Delusion, wretched, she looks (when looking in a mirror).
- Dwells on past disagreeable occurrence, recalls disagreeable memories.
- Grief, cry, cannot.
- Grief, silent.
- Hatred, persons who had offended him, of.
- Love, married man, with.
- Sensitive, music, to.
- Shameless in bed.
Kent
- Desires bitter.