Clinical Cases

A Case of Childhood Schizophrenia

Written by Jawahar Shah

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A straight jump to Sycotic phase

A young child was brought for poor performance in exams.

On detailed interview, we came up with the following facts…

The child was previously a brilliant student. He used to perform very well academically and always stood first in his class without any problem. When he was 11 yrs old, the normal SSC education pattern of the school changed to a Cambridge based education. The new system was a much tougher and complex system of education.

All the problems of this child started thereafter. This change in education came as a big shock to him. He developed this idea that he would not be able to cope up with the new education. He had a constant anxiety that he has not studied at all and would surely fail in his exams. He felt that other students would go ahead of him. Every half an hour, he would call up his friends to ask how much portion they had completed.

He became very sensitive, irritable, anxious and fearful of everything. He developed fear of studies, of dark, of lonely places, of exams, of failure. He started developing delusions and hallucinations, like he would hear noises and voices from far off places. He had a feeling that there was something wrong with him or that somebody was chasing him.

His concentration level dropped down. He started forgetting whatever he had done. He developed a lot of confusion. He would read the same page again and again as if he had never understood what he had read. He did not feel like studying anymore. He felt that he should leave the studies. He started praying that he should get some illness, which will prevent him from appearing for exams.

Sleep was disturbed. He would often get up from sleep or would not be able to sleep for hours together.

Sensitivity to noise increased. Even if the television was on four rooms away, he could hear it. He could hear the noises from 2 or 3 buildings away.

He developed marked sighing and cried often.

It was quite evident from this case that the child could not bear the stress of the new advanced pattern of education
and he was collapsing under this stress.

Developmental milestones:

• Birth wt. 6 ½pounds
• Talking 11 months
• Walking 1 1/4year
• Teething 7 months

Diagnosis: Childhood Schizophrenia

Diagnostic Criteria:

Characteristic symptoms:

Two of these symptoms were present for a significant portion of time during a six month period or more:

Delusions

Hallucinations

Social / Occupational Dysfunction:

For a significant portion of time, since the onset of the disturbance, the major areas of functioning of work and self care are markedly below the level achieved.

Duration:

Continuous signs of disturbance persist for at least 6 months or more.

This has been ruled out as a Schizoaffective and Mood Disorder Exclusion because :

No Major Depressive, Manic or Mixed Episodes have occurred concurrently with the active-phase symptoms.
Symptoms considered:

  • Fear : Failure, of
  • Mood, disposition : despairing, hopeless, discourage
  • Fear : Dark
  • Fear : Alone, of being
  • Delusions, Imaginations :
  • Walk : Someone walks behind
  • Concentration difficult [see comprehension thinking]:
  • Dullness, sluggishness difficulty of thinking and comprehending
  • Delusions : imaginations:Noise,hears
  • Work : Aversion to mental
  • Sensitive, oversensitive : Noise to:
  • Weeping, tearful mood : Tendency
  • Illusions, delusions, visions, etc., wrong, everything
  • Walking, delay in

The patient had a lot of dullness. So I went to the Thematic search of the program and got all the symptoms related to ‘Dullness’ to record two rubrics…

  • Concentration difficult
  • Dullness sluggishness
  • Difficulty of Thinking and Comprehending

Last I searched for the symptom ‘walking delayed to’, which I got from the Clarke’s Clinical Repertory

  • Walking delayed in

Following was the repertorisation table:

Following were the remedies that came up

  • Calc 24 / 13
  • Phos 21 / 9
  • Nux-v 20 / 10
  • Sil 20 / 10

I proceeded with the case with application of repertorisation strategies. I put the most important symptoms of the case in the clipboard.

Calc was coming up strongly. I decided to apply the ‘Mineral’ filter…to see which all ‘Calcareas’ were covering the case…

The three closely related remedies were- Calcarea, Phosphorus, Sil

I used the differentiate Materia Medica feature in this case using these remedies.

All the delusions were covered by Calc and the other two remedies didn’t cover them at all.

I went to confirm the remedy through Materia Medica.

Compilation of Mental symptoms from Boericke Materia Medica:

Apprehensive;
worse towards evening;
Fears Loss Of Reason,
Misfortune, contagious diseases.
Forgetful, confused, low-spirited.
Anxiety with palpitation.
Obstinacy:
Slight mental effort produces hot head.
Averse to work or exertion.

From Archives,

Clarke has mentioned that:

Calcarea patient is slow in movements. State of mind is one of apprehension. Patient fears she will lose her reason, or that people will notice her mental confusion.

Symptoms from Hering :

•Imagines some one is walking beside her

•Feels as if she would lose her senses.
From HOMPATH Tresorie The Homeopathic Recorder By Allan D Sutherl and Volume: April/June 1935. VOL. L. NO.2 Author: Joseph L. Kaplowe, M.D.

Remedy: CALCAREA CARB.

‘Calcarea has fear of going insane, or that people will observe her and suppose her to be crazy; talks about fire
and murder; imagines someone is walking beside her, and even though alone, believes that someone is in the
same room.

Prescription: 15th March, 1997

Remedy: Calc . Carb 200 one dose

S. L 2-2-2 * 3 days
17thMarch, 1997

Depression less

Concentration better

Was able to study, was worried about his position

Remedy:

SL. 3 powders night

S.L 2 pills 2 hourly
21stMarch, 1997

Further amelioration

Able to appear for the exams and no problems

25th April, 1997

Patient reports that he has stood 1st in the class.
21st April, 2001

• Studying very well
• Has stood first in all exams without any anxiety episodes.
• No other complication or problems.
Learning

1) Step by step use of Repertory

2) Uses of different functions of search

3) Importance of recording Symptoms while taking a case.

4) Differential diagnosis of a Remedy

5) Importance of calcarea group – its appearance & expression in a given case.

6) Importance of particular symptoms in final differential approach of remedies.

7) Confirmation of a prescription from Materia Medica.

8) A single dose can help to cure an illness if detected early and managed with right Homeopathic Medicines.

7) Confirmation of a prescription from Materia Medica.

8) A single dose can help to cure an illness if detected early and managed with right Homeopathic Medicines.

A Sycotic expression reversing to healthy state with a perfect Simillimum


About the author

Jawahar Shah

Jawahar Shah
Homeopath and the creator of HOMPATH homeopathic software.
8, New Hari Niwas, Dattatray Road, Santacruz (W), Mumbai "“ 54
Tel : 022 "“ 2661 4532, 2661 6561 Fax : 022 "“ 2660 0204
Email : [email protected] Web : www.hompath.com

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