A 16 years old young girl visited me in the clinic with her mother on 30.3.2016. The girl was tall, slender, with long brown hair, light complexion and facial acne. She had experienced panic attacks during the last period which were added to a background of a number of already existing phobias. She was under homeopathic treatment for the last 3 years but had seen no improvement. She also had frequent urination and chest pain from time to time.
During the case taking the patient seemed quite timid, looking down most of the time and her answers were very short. I had to keep asking her questions, starting from the physical level to get her gently into the procedure. She said that she had an increased appetite and eats very often during the day. She prefers sweets, especially chocolates. She doesn’t like onion and fat.
She wants to study psychology. She preferred primary school than high school and was friends with all the children back then. Her childhood friends describe her as talkative, whereas the ones in high school say that she is very shy and doesn’t talk at all. The one is her real self and the other is the fake one. On asking her what’s the opposite of the real self was, she said “to appear mild, low profile.” She doesn’t have many friends in high school and feels bad about that. She also doesn’t want to go out. She gets very angry with her little sister. One day she scratched her sister because she didn’t want to go get her the ice cream that she asked for.
She goes on to say that she is a very religious person. She doesn’t go to church often but prays a lot. She can’t sleep if she doesn’t have a holy picture under her pillow. She even takes it with her when she makes a long trip. She says religion protects us from the spirits.
She is very afraid of the dark. She gets panic when she is in the dark. When there is a power outage or there is a storm, or fireworks, she goes to sleep in her mother’s bed. She doesn’t like closed spaces either. She is also afraid of spirits and says that they are frightening, they don’t have bodies, and are wrapped with long clothes. When she goes to bed at night she feels they are somewhere around the room, while during the day she feels them by her side or behind her. She is okay if she is home alone during the day but she can’t stay alone at night, as she gets very scared. She fears that these spirits are going to harm her. She knows that all these things about spirits are stupid but she can’t help feeling scared. She used have nightmares about robbers and spirits until recently. For the last year she has been sleeping most of the time with her mother. She is anxious about how she is going to move to another town for studies, away from her family, as she wants someone to be with her, to protect her.
On asking her if there is something she would change in herself, she said that she would not have these phobias. She would also change everything in her appearance, her face, her body, her small breasts, be thinner. There is nothing she likes about herself.
Information from her mother
Her mother says that her daughter shows no care about her appearance, to put on some make-up, or even brush her teeth. She is quite domineering with her little sister, and treats her like a servant. If she wants something and it is not done, she reacts with yelling. She has no friends at school and she stays in the bathroom during the breaks, so that they don’t see her alone. She is abrupt, telling what she believes is the truth without caring if she is going to hurt the other person’s feelings. Her phobias started when she was 12 years old. She uses religion as a way to feel more secure.
Analysis
It’s obvious throughout the case that this young girl has developed a deep sense of insecurity. She does not feel safe in this world. In her effort to sublimate this intense feeling of weakness, she adopts a number of tactics. She doesn’t stay alone at night, she sleeps with her mother. But most important of all, she prays to God for protection. I found this specific trait quite peculiar, especially for a teenage girl. Another point that caught my attention was the two selves that she mentions, the real self and the fake one. So she seems to experiences a sense of duality with her real self being expressed in the family where she feels more secure. In this safe environment she is abrupt and domineering. Outside the family, which she perceives as a dangerous place, she is mild and timid. Added to all this, is her profound lack of self-confidence regarding her appearance, which was not in accordance with reality as she was a beautiful young girl.
Repertorisation
–Mind, religious affections
-Mind, fear, evil of
-Mind, confidence, lack of
-Generals, food and drinks, fat, aversion to
-Stomach, appetite, increased
-Bladder, urging to urinate, frequent
I prescribed Lachesis 200CH
1st Follow up 10.6 2016
The first thing she said is that her appetite is more balanced now. She used to eat every half an hour, now she eats normally. She goes out more for walks now. She has made some friends and she enjoys spending time with them. Her behavior towards her little sister is much better now, she even hugs her. One night she stayed alone in the house and she was not afraid, as she used to be. She still prays but now the thoughts that something bad is going to happen to her are less intense.
Her mother says that she is more communicative and more sociable now and not so fearful.
I prescribed Lachesis 200CH
2st Follow up 30.9.2016
The patient starts with saying that now she decided she wants to leave her hometown and go to Athens to study psychology, while before she thought it was impossible to live without the protection of the family. She keeps on going out with friends. One night she went camping with them and she enjoyed it. Her mother says that she is much, much better.
1 prescribed 1 dose Lac Sac
Thank you for sharing your case. Why did you prescribe Lac Sac after her mother said she was doing better?