Clinical Cases

Connected by Umbilical Cord

A case of migraine and dysmenorrhoea is worked through with the Case Witnessing Process.

Case of a 27 year old girl, who consulted me with presenting complaints of Migraine, Acidity, severe Dysmenorrhoea, PMS (pre- menstrual syndrome), skin eruptions and acute dry cough.

PASSIVE CASE WITNESSING PROCESS:

D: Whatever comes up spontaneously you can talk about it. It may be related to your problem, may not be related to your problem. Anything that helps me to understand you, you can talk about.

P: OK. I have started becoming a very irritated person. Laziness has also started coming. My nature as such has become very laid back, carefree, careless attitude and when I know I can do better but I don’t push myself enough to think.

During my PMS, I am very cranky also, get hurt very easily. Like a day or two before periods I tend to get a migraine which….

(Pause) (Patient looks upwards and thinks)

(Unlike many patients who begin with their complaints, here we see that the patient spontaneously starts to talk about herself and her complaints at the general level. In the Passive phase we passively listen to the patient and make note of everything communicated both verbally and nonverbally. )

I am an introvert. I don’t mix and get along with people very easily. I am very picky and choosy.

I like listening to music. Sometimes I feel music really connects me and calms me down. I like English classics and English songs.

(Pause) (Patient looks upwards and thinks)

I am very attached to my mom. Very very very very attached. Means anybody talks anything against her I don’t like it and I am very very protective about her and, means like I’ll see to it that she is sleeping correctly, the direct blow of fan is not on her. I am very very concerned and like you know the umbilical cord is still attached (HG: both palms rounded and facing each other). You know very connected to my mom and I really look up to her for whatever she does.

(Now this is something very out of place and it comes along with an appropriate hand gesture making it more peculiar. Also we observe her eye movements, which mostly look upwards indicating that she is more in touch with her imagination.

One more interesting observation was, previously she said that the music connects me and now it’s she’s connected to her mom.)

D: You are doing well absolutely. This is what I want; just be in the moment and keep flowing.

P: I am having some sort of sleeplessness; I am not able to sleep so I don’t get up fresh. After 4 o’clock I am just dragging myself. 4-5 o’clock I am already tired. I just barely make it through those few hours, come home and I am dead on the bed and –a- because I am so tired, I have no energy. That’s when my migraine starts in and –a- anything I do or think just adds up to my discomfort basically. After coming from work I don’t do anything. That freshness of mind and body is not there. Morning I just have a glass of bournvita milk. I need lots of sugar. And migraines –I eat off an ice cream and I have tablet of Dispirin and my migraine seems to settle down, it relaxes.

I am not a very accommodating, adjusting person. I want my space means I want that kind of thing. And like right now my grandmom has come. So I am already getting irritated that I am not getting time with my mother because she has to look after her all the time. You know my space, my time (HG SAME AS BEFORE)I want my mom alone and ya I get a lot of ADD if my mom is giving attention to somebody else, attention deficiency I get. I feel left out like “You didn’t ask me, you didn’t tell me, you didn’t look at me”

(Again we see the same Hand gesture that came up earlier with ‘umbilical cord attached and connected to my mom’ repeating, which makes it significant.)

(Pause)

My dad used to pamper me a lot more than my mom.

(Wipes tears) (Patient coughs)

And my brother and me are like, we are very close in the sense when he needs me he knows I’ll be there and when I’ll need him I know he’ll be there. He’ll take care of me like a father, though he is the younger one.

My fiancé I feel is very immature.

(Here we see that the patient repeatedly keeps this ‘love, care, pampering’ in the centre.)

(Pause)

Work related I think I don’t have an eye for detail. I don’t put my life or energy in it. I am not doing that focus, concentrated work …very just haphazardly I finish it off. I am very low on confidence.

I like getting massage points from my maid. I have kind of spoilt myself for that. So I enjoy getting that massage, any kind of head massage or relaxing.

When my energy levels are down, I kind of get migraine and that time mom you know will kind of pamper me and take care of me.And now in my fiancé’s house who will take care of me. Nobody would care.My fiancé thinks I always fall sick so he is always basically shouting at me rather than taking care of me. He doesn’t have that kind of maturity to understand that you have to take care of someone and not shout. So that is one fear that mom takes care of me and loves me. There (at my In-laws) no one will understand me.

(Here we gather that whether it’s her mom, father, brother or fiancé, in all the areas one thing that comes up in prominence is the attachment, connection, love, pamper and care along with peculiar verbal and non-verbal expressions, indicating the focus to us.)

Oh I feel very cold since childhood. Like in office, I have 2-3 sweaters, I have a hot water bag and my hands are numb. I have never been a strong person you know like I have seen girls who are like thinner than me but they are so strong and more energetic and more livelier than me.

I don’t take coffee at all because if I take coffee or while I have chocolate I can’t sleep at night.

My period pains have started since a few years. Before that I had very very smooth, normal painless periods. I feel my energy is totally sucked out (HG: both hands clawed and pulled downwards). I mean I just can’t do anything. PMS period I get very irritated, cranky, irritated, hungry and wanting attention and pampering properly or just not be irritated and I want to be left alone. If not left alone, be for me and pamper me and take care of me.

That’s about it.

AT THE END OF PASSIVE CASE WITNESSING PROCESS:

Focus: attachment, connection, protective, pamper, love, care.

Level of experience: Delusion

How patient is expressing the level of experience:in touch with herself

Level of experience is expressed at: General level

Non verbal expression:

  • Appropriate hand gesture

  • Eyes looking upwards

(At this junction, since all the aims of Passive case witnessing process are attained, we become Active. In Active case witnessing process we try and explore other areas to ensure the focus.)

ACTIVE CASE WITNESSING PROCESS (to explore another area of dreams)

D: Tell me something about your dreams since childhood till today?

P: (looks up) I don’t have very pleasant dreams. I have seen snakes in my dreams quite a few times and I have seen (looks up) either somebody dying, I have seen tornadoes and I am flying in a cyclone or a tornado and sometimes gurudev (teacher) also comes in my dreams and twice or thrice dad also has come in my dreams. Sometimes though I am dreaming I have actually felt myself….like I am crying.

(When asked to describe the snake dream she could not go further to express her feelings of it. ‘Crying in the dream as if in real on seeing her dad’s image in dream’, again depicts her attachment feeling. On further questioning about her childhood dreams, she spontaneously went to her childhood in general. So I move with the patient’s flow and ask her the next question.)

ACTIVE CASE WITNESSING PROCESS (to explore another area of childhood)

D: Tell little about your childhood?

P: Childhood as such very nice except for mom-dad’s fight. I was dad’s pet and mom’s pet, As a kid I was very introvert. I wouldn’t even have friends, I wouldn’t mix with people and I would just be with my mom and all the time I would be behind her only.

Dad would pamper me a lot. I would always be on my mom’s side. Because I would feel she is more right. I would fight with him, talk rudely with him, but he will still love me, no matter what.

Mom would make me do all these drawing classes and painting classes.So actually I give all my credit to whatever I am today to my mom because she actually pushed me for everything.One step at a time she has actually built me for whatever I am today. She will see to it that we are happy and we are growing. So she has always taken care of all that. It’s because of her whatever I am today.

(We notice that the patient gives the same focus in different other areas. This confirms the certainty of the focus being correct, and paves the way for the Active-Active case witnessing process.)

ACTIVE- ACTIVE CASE WITNESSING PROCESS (to explore the whole pattern)

D: So, this love, care and pampering is very important for you?

P: I am not an extra person in the world you know. I want to be acknowledged, appreciated and taken care of. I wouldn’t say pampering, but understanding and care I want. That kind of thing which my fiancé doesn’t have.

D: More about this love, care, pampering?

P: I am 27 years old. I can’t expect everything given ready in my hand but mom actually does that because she can see that I am tired, you know that kind of love and pampering. I am exhausted and I am drained. She knows my energy levels are down so that kind of love and care is what I am expecting. When I am down and tired, when I am actually not well, my younger brother helps me, but he acts like an older brother. .

D: More about this in general, you know like as if?

P: As I said small things matter if you understand, that’s what is love and care. To think little much extra for me, when required you be there for the person that is, that is important.

(Since she is in connection with situations, I change my line of questioning here.)

D: Earlier also you said that you are too protective about your mom and that umbilical cord connection is still there. What is that?

P: I am always thinking about her. I am always concerned. If she doesn’t answer the phone more than twice, constant fear if anything happened to her. I always want her to be in a comfort zone.

D: So you have that kind of worry something might happen? Can I understand that worry?

P: Then I’ll lose her. Something might happen to her. She’ll get hurt. I’ll lose her.

(Weeps and wipes tears)

I just want her to be happy. So I want her to be safe. Like if anything happens to her I’ll die (weeps) I feel. I think I’ll commit suicide after, that kind of thought I have since childhood. If anything happens to mom I can’t live without her.

(Here we understand that she is still stuck in her childhood. This gives us a hint of the Mineral kingdom where the issue lies in the developmental process.)

P: We have been very over protective about mom and put her in a cocoon (HG both hands curved and facing each other.) all the time. Yes that’s how I am so attached to mom. She was always worried about us and our well being and our growth.

D: More about this protectiveness and attachment?

P: I think my mom is the only person who loves me, basically who understands me, who will selflessly do anything for me, who is always there for me.

(Patient starts to coughs very badly… drinks water.)

(This sudden intensification of cough is a scientific clue that the patient has touched her centre. This phenomenon is nothing but the Homeopathic aggravation during case witnessing process.)

D: You also said that you at times feel attention deficient, when left alone?

P: (smiles). I don’t like sharing my mom you know. My mom giving attention to everybody, I am very possessive, I think. She is my mom. Nobody else’s mom. I want time and space with her and those people at her work place keep intruding. Her attention is only for me, her love is only for me.

But my mom doesn’t do that. She doesn’t pamper me that way. When I am OK she will not pamper me. So I feel she should look at me once in a while, that way my mom doesn’t pamper me at all. She will say, what childish behaviour is this. Its only when I am not well you know that she’ll pamper me. I want her to be around.

D: So for you your mother is?

P: Everything. If I am not feeling well I just want to hold her hand or put her hand on my head and I think that vibrations only relaxes me or cures me. Till now also if I am not well, I’ll go and cuddle next to her and I’ll sleep off. I’ll just want to be with her, that’s it. When I am sleeping down on floor, and she is sleeping up on bed, I’ll hold her hand, you know something like that.

D: So when you say she is ‘everything’, that means what?

P: (looks up) She is everything, as in nothing else matters to me more than my mom. If I had to select between the whole world and mom, it will be mom, giving happiness for mom. I don’t mind giving my life also.

D: That is probably the same thing that you expect out of…..

P: My fiancé also may be. Like that kind of care and that way. My mom sees through me. She knows me.

(Here we observe that the patient still talks in connection with her situation. So as to get the deeper altered pattern we need to dissociate her at this point.)

ACTIVE- ACTIVE CASE WITNESSING PROCESS (with dissociation)

D: So you mentioned that umbilical cord kind of connection with your mother. Can I understand that in general? Just explain these words.

P: That I am very connected and attached (HG) to her. I think its stupidity at my age to be so connected and to be so worried and so possessive and so much about my mom. I don’t see any of my friends doing such stupidity. You know I feel I am just (HG same as before) connected to her. Connected through some very invisible –a- -a – some invisible connection I see still (HG of connection)

D: Don’t worry whether it’s making any sense or not? Just flow and just tell me about this.

P: looks up (coughs) That force is there, that I feel that just draws me into my mother. That force on you- is always there. If anything happens, you know mom is always there.

(We know from our previous observation that she is in touch with her imagination (eyes looked upwards), therefore we use the Active imagination technique to get the whole pattern.)

ACTIVE- ACTIVE CASE WITNESSING PROCESS (with active imagination technique to get the whole altered pattern)

D: Now in general what picture comes to your mind if I give these words to you, the umbilical cord connection?

P: Connection (HG same as before during umbilical cord) attached, literally umbilical cord attached, me and my mom are connected like, I feel. So much that in my next birth also I will be somewhere with her only. That kind of closeness, that kind of like when a baby is born. It is attached to his mother. That kind of attachment. After we grow then we separate but (Coughs badly) I am not able to separate myself from her. Like I need her.

(‘I am not able to separate myself from her’, – Here she identifies herself with the baby who is attached to the mother and not able to separate. Thus this gives us surety that it is not just a mere image, but it is coming from the deeper pattern.)

D: ‘Like a baby who is born, attached to the mother’, just be in that. You also did this HG?

P: My whole life is my mom and will always be my mom. In everything my mom is my first thought. I have to consult her. I have to talk to her. I have to get her acknowledgement. Then only I am confident that I am doing it correctly or else I am not.

D: So now not related to you or any situation. Just in general ‘like a baby born and is attached to the mother and you are not being able to separate’. Just talk about it as abstractly as possible.

P: (Patient coughs)ok. I need to use the washroom. Can I just please go. Sorry.

(Here we see the Defence coming up; it’s the last resort of the sub conscious to refrain from the altered pattern coming out. Also it shows that we have hit the centre.)

P: Ya, like not able to leave the mother and go and be independent… connected all the time. Just there is this attachment and the baby will be with the mother all the time.(HG: both palms rounded and facing each other). (Patient coughs and drinks water)

D: Just close your eyes and whatever comes to your mind you know, or whatever you experience, just talk about it.

P: I actually just see a mother and the small baby, that’s it. The umbilical cord there, an attachment is there and they would just always be there like with each other. The mother will be there for the baby and the baby will be with the mother.

D: More about this. Just let yourself go on. Describe it as completely as possible?

P: (Pause) It’s actually an unborn baby with the umbilical cord in the mother’s womb. It’s not even come out. So It’s a calm baby. (Patient coughs) It’s just lying there peacefully, sleeping and it’s just floating.. It’s just safe and protected and happy. (Clears throat) That’s it.

(Here everything peculiar from the passive, ‘safe, protected, calm, happy’ gets connected to the pattern.)

D: Just silently keep watching those pictures and see what you Experience.

P: It’s just a sense of calmness and peacefulness. But that’s it. (Patient coughs)

Why does this cough start in the evening? I was ok till before I came. It just started now.

(She has been coughing since a long time, but it’s now she realized it. This is again a kind of defence mechanism.)

D: When you say safe and protected what do you mean?

P: I mean it’s taken care of. It’s already loved by his mother before it’s coming out. It’s happy, it’s healthy and (clears throat)

(Here we see the circle getting completed. The patient comes back to the same focus of ‘care, love’ from where we started our Active journey, thereby indicating that the case is now scientifically complete.)

D: Earlier you said so much about connection and attachment, possessive, at times you feel stupidity, like the other people, you don’t see like…

P: Like the relationship others share with their parents is very formal. They think their parents don’t understand them. How other people think that they can’t connect to their parents. I think how stupid, how can you not connect with your parents. That is stupidity.

D: Anything else.

P: Nothing.

Analysis of the case:

PASSIVE CASE WITNESSING PROCESS:

  • I don’t push myself enough

  • I am an introvert.

  • I feel music really connects me and calms me down

  • I am very, very, very, very attached, protective to my mom… very connected to my mom

  • I am very,very concerned and like you know the umbilical cord is still attached (HG: both palms rounded and facing each other).

  • Tired…dragging myself… I am dead on the bedI have no energy.

  • I want my space

  • I get a lot of (ADD) attention deficiency…I feel left out

  • My dad used to pamper me a lot more than my mom

  • Brother takes care of me like a father, though he is the younger one.

  • My fiancé I feel is very immature.

  • I am very low on confidence

  • When my energy levels are down, I kind of get migraine and that time mom will pamper me and take care of me…love me

  • I feel my energy is totally sucked out (HG: both hands clawed and pulled downwards).

ACTIVE CASE WITNESSING PROCESS

  • Theme of attachment in dreams

  • I was dad’s pet and mom’s pet

  • I would just be with my mom and all the time I would be behind her only.

  • Dad would pamper me a lot.

  • My mom because she actually pushed me for everything…One step at a time she has actually built me for whatever I am today.

ACTIVE – ACTIVE CASE WITNESSING PROCESS

  • I am exhausted and I am drained… my energy levels are down.

  • If anything happens to mom I can’t live without her.

  • We have been very over protective about mom and put her in a cocoon

  • I think my mom is the only person who loves me, basically who understands me, who will selflessly do anything for me, who is always there for me.

  • I don’t like sharing my mom you know. I am very possessive

  • My mom for me is Everything.

  • I just want to hold her hand or put her hand on my head…I’ll go and cuddle next to her and I’ll sleep off.

  • My mom sees through me.

  • Connected through some very invisible –a- -a – some invisible connection I see still (HG of connection)

  • That force is there, that I feel that just draws me into my mother. That force on you is always there

  • Connection (HG both hands clawed and pulled downwards) attached, literally umbilical cord attached, me and my mom are connected like to I feel.

  • like when a baby is born. It is attached to his mother. That kind of attachment.

  • After we grow then we separate but I am not able to separate myself from her.

  • My whole life is my mom and will always be my mom.

  • not able to leave the mother and go and be independent… connected all the time

  • It’s actually an unborn baby with the umbilical cord in the mother’s womb.

  • How other people think that they can’t connect to their parents. I think how stupid, how can you not connect with your parents.

Centre of the case:

  • Attachment, connection, love, care, pampering.

  • It’s actually an unborn baby with the umbilical cord in the mother’s womb, not able to leave the mother and go and be independent. Not independent, but not able to just go; must be…connected all the time

Kingdom:

  • One step at a time she has actually built for me whatever I am today.

  • She will see to it that we are happy and we are growing.

  • The umbilical cord is still attached…not independent

  • I am very low on confidence.

  • Not able to separate

It clearly reflects the issue of development suggestive of Mineral kingdom

Row and column

Which Row:

Attachment, connection, Protection, pampering

  • Literally umbilical cord attached, me and my mom are connected like to I feel.

  • If anything happens to mom I can’t live without her.

  • I think my mom is the only person who loves me, basically who understands me, who will selflessly do anything for me, who is always there for me.

  • My mom for me is everything.

  • My mom sees through me.

  • Invisible connection…invisible force

  • It’s actually an unborn baby with the umbilical cord in the mother’s womb

  • After we grow then we separate but I am not able to separate myself from her.

  • Non verbally HG: (HG: both palms rounded and facing each other).

This points to the Second row of the periodic table.

Which column

  • My mom because she actually pushed me for everything…One step at a time she has actually built me for whatever I am today.

  • I just want to hold her hand or put her hand on my head…I’ll go and cuddle next to her and I’ll sleep off.

  • I just need my mom.

  • That force on you is always there. If anything happens, you know mom is always there.

  • I have to consult her. I have to talk to her. I have to get her acknowledgement. Then only I am confident

All these indicate column two.

The remedy that lies at the junction of Row two and Column two is Beryllium

There is another aspect to the case

  • Lazy, laid back

  • I don’t push myself enough

  • Tired…dragging myself… I am dead on the bed… I have no energy.

  • I feel my energy is totally sucked out (HG).

  • I am exhausted and I am drained… my energy levels are down.

All these reflect the Carbon state.

Remedy: Beryllium Carbonicum

Potency: 1M (since LOE at end of Passive was delusion.)

Prescription: Beryllium Carbonicum 1M, one dose

Summary of follow ups:

Next day after the consultation: I received a call from her that suddenly some red rashes had come up on her face. They looked horrible.

Prescription: Wait and watch. As it could be a good sign of Homeopathic aggravation after the Case Witnessing Process.

First follow up after 21 days: The rashes had subsided by themselves within a day. Her cough was better in two days. She didn’t experience any episode of migraine and acidity in all those days. Although there were circumstances when generally she would have got migraine, but she didn’t. Mentally, her irritation and PMS symptoms were just the same. Her sleep had improved. Her mornings were fresher than before. The fear of darkness and sleeping alone still persisted. Energy levels were better.

Prescription: Sac Lac

In between when she had her menses, she again complained of pain in abdomen, though not as severe in intensity as before.

Prescription: A dose of Beryllium Carbonicum 1M was given.

After 3 months: No migraine or acidity. She experienced a mild headache before her menses but her PMS symptoms were much better. She did not get worried about small things. Her energy levels were better. She could now sustain a heavy exerting day with ease. “I am not feeling tired or totally exhausted.”

Prescription: Sac Lac

After 6 months: Now her dysmenorrhoea is completely gone. There is no migraine or acidity. Now she says she is much calmer than before. Her anger and irritation has reduced a lot. She is not snappy at people. Also even after a tiring day she does not feel drained of energy as before. Her nature of getting anxious and worried of small things was far less. The unnecessary worrying is not there anymore. She now takes things as they come. When asked about the umbilical cord connection, she says that the attachment with mother is still there but now she can make her own decisions. She is overall much better in all aspects.

Prescription: Sac Lac

Now she is off medicines. In between, when the symptoms and the mental state reoccurred with the same altered pattern, she received a single dose of Beryllium Carbonicum in 1M.

Case ends.

About the author

Priyanka Gandhi Jain

Dr. (Mrs.) Priyanka Gandhi Jain (M.D. Psych. Homeopathy) : Besides having her independent practice, named Shristi Homeocare, she has written two books for Dr. Dinesh Chauhan, namely: ‘A Wander with a Little Wonder’ and ‘The Scientifically Intuitive Case Witnessing Process’. She is a faculty teacher in ABJF charitable trust founded by Drs. Chauhan’s for Indian homeopaths. Presently she is doing an online lecture series for homeopathy students in Bulgaria. She also conducts counseling awareness workshops in schools.

Leave a Comment