Alternatively Speaking: Making your vote count

Alternative medicine expert Natalie Marx answers your questions: What can be done to alleviate indecisiveness?

By NATALIE MARX
Herbal remedies 370 (photo credit: REUTERS/Simon Newman)
Herbal remedies 370
(photo credit: REUTERS/Simon Newman)
With very little time left to decide who to vote for in the upcoming elections, my readers have been curious to discover if there are any remedies that can help them in the difficult decision making process. I have received many letters from anguished readers because they want to vote for someone, not against someone else and yet cannot decide. If you consider your vote to be precious and that not voting is not an option, read below to find some gentle assistance.Q. Dear Natalie, I need help deciding who to vote for. I have always found it very hard to make decisions and now I find myself deliberating between which parties is right for me. Are there any natural remedies to help with indecisiveness? A. Indecisiveness has been coined in medical terms as aboulomania. While most of us don't suffer from indecision to an extreme pathological extent, it can still be overwhelming by the increasing number of choices offered in modern life. The brain's prefrontal cortex is responsible for making rational decisions and can in-fact only handle about seven pieces of information at a time. There is a wonderful Bach Flower remedy which can help us to become more decisive, creating a willingness to approach decision making differently.
The remedy Scleranthus helps to restore the qualities of balance and decisiveness in the personality. Those in need of Scleranthus can be gripped by crippling indecision when faced with a choice between two things. In this situation they will usually weigh things up and suffer from indecisiveness for a long periods. Mood swings are very common, often resulting in tearful outbursts, and in this state often distracted it may be difficult to concentrate.
Scleranthus helps to restore one’s inner point of balance, creating a greater connection with the soul and one’s own inner direction. For best results I recommend that adults take four drops from a treatment bottle eight times a day for chronic states. For very acute states take four drops every 30- 60 minutes, reverting to the normal dosage when more balance has returned. Try to take your chosen remedy of Bach Flower Remedies for two weeks before reviewing how you feel. Using this for a period of six months or so you will find that there has been a subtle but definite shift in your response to the situations and events of your life.Q. Dear Natalie, although it may sound peculiar, I have read that aromatherapy can be used to help clear confusion and help with indecisiveness. I am at a point in my life where I need to make some important decisions and could do with some help. Any ideas? A. There is a growing body of scientific research which supports the fact that scent has a profound effect on the emotions. Our limbic system processes both odor and emotions, therefore, aroma and emotions are inseparable. Using aromatherapy with essential oils works to cleanse, release, and balance our thoughts and emotions. This is why aromatherapy can help profoundly when it comes to decision making since it affects the mental, emotional, and spiritual aspects of our individuality.
Essential Oil of Lavender is a wonderful choice for balancing uncontrolled emotions, removing indecisiveness and emotional conflict. It can help bring a sense of rationality to the conscious mind. I mostly use Lavender Essential Oil to calm a variety of nervous disorders including excitability, nervous tension, panic, and hysteria. My clinical experience proves that it emanates a mellow peacefulness and induces sleep. You can use this in a variety of ways in your home; in Diffusers, Aroma Lamps, or Potpourri. I also suggest you sprinkle a couple of drops of Lavender oil onto your pillows. When Lavender is inhaled, serotonin is released from the raphe nucleus of the brain, producing a calming effect in the body.
Another favorite is the herb basil, which as well as many other uses, is used mainly to stabilize mood and aid digestion. In Chinese medicine, basil is classified as a warming oil which strengthens yang and is often used for complacency and indecisiveness. When used in aromatherapy basil is considered to be uplifting and used to clear the mind, increase concentration and focus attention. Many aromatherapists also use basil to ease the feelings of fear and vulnerability that often accompany life-changing decisions like a divorce, moving house or a job change. Basil is believed to give courage and increase one's ability to make decisions decisively and objectively.
Finally the beautiful and clean smelling citrus essential oil is not only good for helping you make decisions and to improve your concentration, but reduces acidity in the body - thereby assisting the digestion.
This column is brought to you as general information only and unless stated otherwise is not medical advice nor is it based on medical experiments. This column is not a substitute for medical advice or treatment for specific medical conditions. For more information about specific problems, please contact a doctor.
Natalie runs a clinic both in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem offering a wide range of natural treatment, including a women’s clinic every Wednesday. To make an appointment please email nateopath@gmail.com.
Ask Natalie: If you have a health query and would like an alternative answer, email Natalie with your question at nateopath@gmail.com
Someone Once Said: ‘The risk of an indecision is preferable to the terror of indecision’ - Maimonides