Dr Vineetha Sreekumar
“Sorry I’m late; I got into an argument with my toddler about socks…” mom’s common problem. Children are great imitators, give them something great to imitate.
Temper tantrum is an emotional outburst, usually associated with children or those in emotional distress, typically characterized by stubbornness, crying, screaming defiance, anger ranting, hitting and other physically violent behaviour.
Tantrums are one of the most common forms of problematic behaviour in young children, but tend to decrease in frequency and intensity as the child grows older. Tantrums typically begin at 12- 18 months and reach the peak during the “terrible 2s”.
It can be adapted as behaviour, as a sign of excessive frustration, from too much forceful methods of control from the outside, from feeling of omnipotence (fury when child’s wishes are refused), jealousy over birth of a sibling. Neurological disorders such as ADHD, autism, intellectual disabilities may be a cause.
The mush behind the madness
The pre frontal cortex (PFC) is that part of the brain that regulates emotion and controls social behaviour. It just begins to mature at 4yrs of age and has an important role in acquisition of language for communication. The underdeveloped PFC put kids to have more disagreeable behaviour as an evolutionary trade- off for the sake of human communication.
Kids at this age think magically, not logically. The daily ordinary events seem confusing and they are prone to anxiety. This causes the body to release cortisol (Tantrum juice) which increases blood pressure, speeds up breathing rates & gives rise to confused thinking. This turn kids to ignite at slightest provocation.
Tantrum red flags
- Aggression towards caregivers, objects or both
- Self-injury – kids bite themselves, scratch themselves, bang their heads against a wall or kick objects in an attempt to hurt their foot
- Kids with frequent and very long tantrums are at risk of a serious psychiatric problems.
- Inability to calm oneself after tantrum
Miasm
In Homoeopathic system of medicine, master Samuel Hahnemann gave the name “miasms” for the manifestations of chronic disease conditions. A miasm is defined as polluting exhalations or the stigmata which may be laid upon the constitution of an individual by acquiring the disease. He classified miasms into psora, sycosis and syphilis which differs in all its manifestations at all levels.
| SYMPTOM | PSORA | SYCOSIS | SYPHILIS |
| Stubbornness | Stubborn for things he/she desires. But will ask 2 or 3 times and if refused, will leave it.
Is stubborn especially for others and not for oneself. E.g. psoric child is stubborn to go for picnic because his friend will feel bad if he doesn’t go. |
Is more stubborn than a psoric child but act only according to the situation, place, person, public etc; will act accordingly.
Sycotic child is also stubborn for others but only if there is any profit from them; otherwise is often selfish. |
Too stubborn.
Selfish – stubbornness only for himself & not for others. E.g. syphilitic child if wishes to get a specific chocolate, he must get that specific one at that moment itself at any cost. |
| Crying / screaming | Always try to control weeping; will supress all emotions. Need others company or is feared to be alone.
Will not cry suddenly and frequently. |
Will not cry in front of others. Will sit alone & cry or child will run to a room & lie on abdomen & cry or cover face with pillow & cry or cry at night when others are asleep. | Cannot control crying. Will express it suddenly wherever it may be. Screams with sudden impulse. Child is always easily affected emotionally. |
| Anger | Psoric child gets angered but get out of it easily. | Will get angered easily but will not express it front of others or will react only according to the situation, person, place etc. | Sudden anger. Is always impulsive. Cannot predict what the child will do when in anger. Gets angered for his selfish deeds only. Anger gets worse on consolation. |
| Striking / hitting | Will not hit or strike others or him. Will try to avoid activities that may hurt. | Will hit or strike others but may be with his mom’s hands so that it may not hurt him.
The elder sibling may hit the younger from jealousy but without the knowledge of others (Sibling rivalry) |
Is always self-injurious and impulsive. Will strike his own head against the wall or lie down on the floor and strike the head.
Throws things from his hands if in anger. |
| Destructiveness | Psoric child is generally not destructive in nature. Will not usually destroy any objects like toys or others. | Will remove the toy parts due to curiosity but will reassemble it so that others doesn’t come to know that. Is always cunning and suspicious. | Syphilitic child is also curious and so will destroy the toys to see what is it. |
What Homoeopathy can do?
1) CHAMOMILLA – Bad tempered, impatient, restless, doesn’t seem to know what they want. Difficult to please. Seems to settle temporarily when they are carried or rocked hard. Pain is intolerable, the child clenche the fists, stiffen the body and arch backward. Mental calmness contraindicates.
2) STRAMONIUM – Goes to an uncontrollable rage, strikes, bites, kicks. Speech is incoherent and use threatening language. Repeated night terrors and awake screaming.
3) NUX VOMICA – Has strong personality and can fly into a fiery and violent temper with total intolerance of slightest contradiction. Easily flare up when something disturbs.Is very impatient.
Other remedies include Tarentula, Belladonna, Tuberculinum.
Make your child feel peaceful and happy, free from all stresses. give them enough love and care.
“Your child isn’t giving you a hard time … your chid is having a hard time….”
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