This case demonstrates how a remedy was found by using the resources provided by modern homeopaths in an integrated way, and how the materia medica and themes of the similimum shine light on the whole dynamic of the individual. This case demonstrates how diverse materia medica confirm a case, each describing a different dimension of the individual.
Patient
First meeting December 11, 2020. A Woman in her 70s seeking help with generalized anxiety and accompanying chest pains. History of physical abuse which changed to sexual abuse from her brother when she was a 12 year old child.
She was married and divorced with 2 kids in the 70s, educated with 2 university degrees and is currently retired from a career in banking. In her intake form she puts emphasis on various parts of her life:
- Being anxious about the state of the world, US politics,
- Proud of her achievements in life
- Postpartum depression that has lingered for more than 20 years
- Issues around intimate relationships and relationships within her community – she says she never feels she fits in, and can easily feel betrayed in relationships.
Diagnosis & Chief Complaints:
List of importance of chief complaints according to client:
Anxiety with chest pains, nerve pain, weight.
Timeline/History
- Lifelong – weight issues
- Teen – lower back pain from accident → driving off a quarry cliff
- 1969 – Post partem depression and anxiety after birth of first child
- 2016 – nerve pain since a fall downstairs – muscles and nerves “crushed”
- Misc – falling off her deck, arm injury from rowing, concussion from falling against a brick wall, falls tripping up the stairs
Lab reports
- Had heart checked due to palpitations accompanying her anxiety. No issues were detected.
Medications
- Cozaar 100mg 1/day since 2010 Diabetes
- Lorazepam 1mg (as needed) since 2010 Anxiety
- Citalopram 10mg 1/day since 2017 Depression
- Naproxin 220mg 1/day since 2020 Pain relief
Etiology (What was going on)
- 1969 – Post partem depression and anxiety (chest pains) began after birth of first child.
- 2016 – Fell off a ladder doing home repairs; crushed nerves and muscles in left buttock. Didn’t want to hire a handy man to do the work.
Patients’ Symptoms
- Nerve/sciatic pain
- Numb hands and shooting pains.
- Feeling of oppression in the chest / chest pains → felt as if she would die
- can come on violently. Heat helps, sore tight, bruised. Top of chest to under the breasts.
- Heart palpitations
- Allergies
- Difficulty sleeping
- Feeling that she doesn’t belong in her community
Patient’s Words
It started when my 1st daughter was born. I was very sick every day during pregnancy. We lived in a small apartment, I hated it. I went into labour, my husband went to work. I had no anesthetic, she was a posterior baby.
After the birth I didn’t see her for two weeks. I went to stay with friends and had a panic attack. I felt like he was never there for me. I wanted him to take care of me, pull strings for me, have my back, help me when I couldn’t handle it, share the moment with me.
In a group, when someone is insulting someone, I expect someone to step in and stop it. I helped a woman who needed help. He didn’t go out to help, he wouldn’t even help me! I had to do it, it was the right thing to do, do something from a human perspective. [She told of a story about a woman in distress outside at night].
I need support, someone behind me, for survival. Single mom, daring things I have done. I’m self-reliant. I lack the ability to be happily accepted in the group. I’m too good or not good enough.
Group and Belonging: They don’t want me, I don’t fit in, I want acceptance.
Group of men at coffee shop. I don’t like women’s conversation. I like politics and arguments, not talking about baking or other stuff women like to talk about. I wasn’t accepted by the men. When another elderly lady joined the group, I felt threatened and had a panic attack.
I was less desirable and it was hard to get into the group. They started to meet again but they didn’t include me. I tried to go yesterday, it was daring for me. They didn’t want me there. At the yacht club I could pretend I belonged. I was surprised that they said they were happy I was there. Maybe I do belong.
I feel like I belong in my choir group – We all had the same interests, all want to strive for excellence. We are equals, I don’t need to prove I belong. The other church choir didn’t want me. I want acceptance always.
At the coffee shop I use my intellect. I can hold my end of conversations. They could see I wasn’t disrupting. I’m trying to force myself in but I’m forcefully kept out and it makes me apprehensive – Oh no I won’t fit in! What can I do differently? I don’t have any other friends, only 3, I need more. I get personally hurt.
When asked about “Belonging”: The group is at ease, welcoming. Someone makes space, invites me in, or asks me to come along with them. I get hurt, what is wrong with me?
Analysis: The main sensation of the Liliflorae
Issues of sensitivity and reactions required for the ego to adapt; themes of belonging, choice, decision, approval, and acceptance. The focus is on the other in relationship to me. Me and you. This indicates the Plant Kingdom. Plants are dependent on their environment and the whole living ecosystem, of which they are part. They react/respond to all the impressions they perceive.
Liliflorae – SANKARAN Schema[1]
- Sensation: Forced out, squeezed, extruded, oppressed, constrained, constricted. Excluded, left out, they are not interested in me. I am neglected.
- Passive Reaction: Must hold on tight
- Active Reaction: Must move
- Compensation: attractive behaviour, belonging, being included, part of
Keywords: Constrained, constriction, constrictive, excluded, expel, expelled, extruded, forced out, load, oppressed, oppression, pressed out, pressed, pressure, rejected, rejection, squeezed, abandoned, banish, barred, bear down on, boot out, cast aside, cast away, cast out, debarred, disqualified, deserted, dismiss, drive out, dropped, drum out, eject, ejected, eliminated, evacuate, excepted, exorcise, force down, hound out, kick out, left off, left out, neglect, neglected, out cast, out of the house, pressed down, push down, push out, put out, sacked, sent away, squash, threw out, toss away, toss out, compress, derelict, disregarded, fired, missed, omitted, overlooked, push, sacked, shown the door, took out, uncared for, ignored.
Patient’s Words (continued)
Further inquiry brought out the more specific features of the subclass, order, family and genera. We start to see the differentiation between the Lilianae.
INTIMATE RELATIONSHIPS
He had a physical attraction to me. He chose me. I was surprised. He didn’t want me to be a public partner, I said I was OK with this. I found out he had an affair. I cared for him truly. He told me to get off his property, then ignored me and then told everyone I set his shed on fire. I loved him so dearly. I grieved, was suicidal. Betrayal of trust – devastated that they could cause me harm. It takes a lot of trust when it comes to physical relationships. Cruel against the love, the trust. Now once a year we get together and have sex.
[Another relationship] Why is he hurting me now after all this. I won’t get together with him again until he apologizes.
My husband. He was a damaged person. He abused himself. High intelligence, he was insecure. I said yes to marrying him. I tried to back out – he said he would kill himself so I stayed. It was a father dominated family – he expected me to take care of him in everyday things.
IDEAL – be with someone that accepts me, my gifts and abilities. Not be afraid to be my public partner.
He had a wide experience, enriching life. I had the right to touch him, I’ve always had a big chasm in relationships. Sharing together. Getting him to discover nature more. Enrich each other’s perspective – music, the “whoo hooo”, joyful moments.
Gay friend – all the qualities of a relationship without the physical. He said to me, “I decided you were an interesting person, I want to get to know you better”. He was accepting and caring.
About a relationship she admired: Their love was complete, absolute joy
Fair – Injustice – Trust – Betrayal
My brother always beat me up. I wasn’t powerful, my parents never did anything. Hell, terror, afraid all the time, I couldn’t get any visible help. I would try to fight back but he was strong. I wasn’t good enough. No support, I never belonged. I’m never going to feel safe, not uncomfortable. I never saw any improvement in my life.
State of affairs of the world → Trump is a liar, self-centered narcissist, doesn’t think of the good of anybody. It’s unfair he doesn’t get his just deserts. Justice doesn’t happen. Fight against it, I can’t stand by while he gets away with it. Need kindness not causing people harm – not helping them when they need help. You cannot just stand by, it’s a human responsibility
I had a cut throat boss. I got fed up and wrote to VP to complain with proof and they lost it. It’s unfair.
Achievements & Lack
I’m proud of what I have achieved. I was the most accomplished in the family. My parents were academics. My parents expected academic excellence for me and I wanted approval. I was excluded, though, because I was a girl.
I like working for excellence. I want it to be the best.
I’m above average, but feel inadequate. I don’t have financial substance. I don’t have a partner. It’s difficult managing the house and money. I lack the support and security.
Beauty/Attractiveness
Spontaneous addition at the end of one session: I love evening gowns.
Describing herself as a child
I was obstinate, I would get the belt. I wanted to go fishing with the boys, always wanted to belong. When I was 11yo I was accepted to the choir.
Analysis continued: Differentiating the Order, Family and Genera
Jan Scholten: Wonderful Plants[2] 3-633.61.01
6 – They reflect the evolution of humankind, giving us a humanitarian aspect.
3 – Liliane – It is mostly about how to combine a relationship with self worth, how to combine love with egotism, how to combine giving and taking. The theme of working and surviving in society is not present. It is about having children, but not about caring for them.
- Peer Group, Adolescence – There is a strong desire to belong to a group of people their own age. Communication is a major issue for them. Communication is perceived as something that is difficult and has to be learnt. There is the fear of not belonging to the group, of being excluded and having to stand alone. We see the themes of the Silicon series here.
- Value – They want to feel important, to be someone with value.
- Sex – sex is about making contact with someone, connecting with another person. This can give rise to many concerns and inner conflicts, like the fear of being rejected if they make their sexual desires known. Or they can fear being seen as a ‘nobody’ if they are not very sexually motivated. They
- Looks – They want to look good to be attractive… acceptable for the group… music…, especially rhythmic dance music, are important ways they can contact with their peer group.
3 – Lilidae – They like to go out, meet new people, go dancing, listen to music and have fun. They do not know if their relationships will work out well. They do not know if their love relationships and friendships are possible.
6 – Liliales -They want to have a good relationship with family and parents but often feel neglected and used. In their youth they have often been abused, neglected, beaten or emotionally tormented by their parents or siblings. They feel just tolerated in the family, on the edge. Due to that they have the feeling there is something wrong with them, that they are bad, ugly or dirty. They can go to religious practices and groups as a kind of redemption, to get rid of their feeling that something is wrong with them.
The pattern gets repeated in their marriage or with their in-laws. They feel just tolerated, not really loved. They feel taken advantage of as they give more than they get in return. In the end they can get an attitude that they do not want to give anymore, do nothing and just receive.
1 – Subphase 1 is the start of something, an attempt to belong to a group. They have the feeling they don’t belong to the group yet. Group can mean a family, a group of friends, a village or a tribe, or a culture, a city and so on, depending on the situation.
It feels as if they just have met someone or some group and want to make a connection. There is not yet the feeling of really belonging to the group. There is a strong fear of not becoming accepted by the group or person. This fear is easily projected into things they see. A small remark or action can easily be interpreted as a rejection. This can then lead to a withdrawal and the giving up of trying to become part of the group.
1 – Stage – Initiative Impulsive / Instinctive Spontaneous / Lonely Alone / Simple / Single minded Stubborn
Rx Confirmation: Rubrics
http://www.homeoint.org/hidb/kent/c/croc.htm
- MIND, doesn’t belong
- MIND, offended, easily
- MIND, sadness, mental depression
- MIND, singing
- MIND, delusions, die, thought he was about to (p. 23)
- CHEST, anxiety, heart, region of (p. 823)
- CHEST, oppression, heart (p. 841)
Rx Confirmation: Materia Medica
Crocus Sativa
*Translation from Répertoire de Thèmes et de Matière Médicale Dynamique[3]
Made for partying, not for working; without fun life is useless! “If anyone starts to sing a single note of music, she unwittingly begins to sing, and then she is forced to laugh at herself, yet she sings again soon, despite her determination to stop.” Crocus suffers from an endless debate on the choice of means. Extraordinary importance of the enjoyment of the love of the other, which should bring perfect bliss here, right now, without distance. He expects from others a joy they are unable to give him.
Getting to joy by the possession of the object of love means that any failure is terrible and casts doubt on the means chosen, oscillating between extremes: “Changeable mood, irritable, the slightest thing excites his anger, which he regrets the next moment, but it nevertheless recurs soon, because his calm torments him and prevents him from expressing his feelings; normally, he changes a hard word he’s about to say for a softer one, but it then seems too soft so he chooses a harsher word which he dismisses for a softer one, and so on, in his speech, his thoughts, his actions. “Cannot stop this: the other can give me this thing, but he doesn’t want to. What is key to the other giving me that perfect joy?”
Feels humiliated if using a soft word, but fears provoking a reaction by too strong a word. I am worthy of receiving this joy, why does the other not give it to me? His whole actions are wrong because he indulges in a false object: loving the other instead of God, whereas he is only the image of God. Crocus, finding the desired good too distant approaches the real object as if it was the perfect distant object he imagines.
The yoke overflows from where we want to keep it, does not keep the beat. Music is the science of beat, which he misses. He expected to find righteousness, stability, balance by himself and loses what little he had: always too much in everything.
Remedy Given:
INITIAL PRESCRIPTION – Jan 04, 2021
Rx: Crocus 200K single dose. “Feeling” Level corresponding to 200 (situations that had a big effect and elicited big feelings). Treating the source of anxiety (her chief complaint), physical chief complaint of nerve pain was secondary.
FOLLOW-UPS
As it is now a well-established scientific fact that Self Rated Health (SRH) SRH—is the single best predictor of health (Idler and Benyamini 1997), at MICH we have developed a short list of questions so that the individual can evaluate the direction the healing process is taking.
The 6 key markers of health are: F=Freedom of Response, O=Optimism and Objectivity, R=Relationships, C=Chief Complaint (intensity), E=Energy and awareness of environment, and S=Sensations. The phrases in bold are what was determined at the initial consult, and thus form the baseline. The phrases in italics are what the patient experienced after 2 months of treatment.
Jan 22, 2021 – Follow-up
OPTIMISM/OBJECTIVITY:
- I feel more self-sufficient.
RELATIONSHIPS:
- I have stopped missing my ex. I feel that is better for me. I have no more expectations that he is still interested → susceptibility to intimate relationships reduced
CHIEF COMPLAINTS:
- Pain in left leg/buttock reduced greatly. Was 7/10 now 3/10 but it’s starting to come back → self rated symptoms, definite improvement from POV of client
- I was able to watch the January 6th Capital Riots in Washington without any anxiety → susceptibility to world affairs reduced
ENERGY:
- Slept for 4 nights straight in a row, I have never slept like that before → example of vital energy being touched
SENSATION:
- Went to the men’s group at the coffee shop and I felt OK – I want intellectual conversation, but it will be what it will be. The men tolerate me, some welcome me → susceptibility to group belonging/trying to force herself in/feeling forced out reduced, however still hearing that she doesn’t feel 100% natural in that environment/situation.
- She spoke about another woman joining the coffee group and not wanting to create a social bond with her. → The women coming into the group lessens my right as a woman. The men water down the conversation because of the women. My whole life has been male dominant, don’t censor yourselves. I want them to feel the same as if I wasn’t there or as if I were another man. I don’t disrupt the dynamic of the group. I share joys with people.
Next step: wait
Mar 17, 2021 – Email follow-up
She had a fall on the ice but reported she was recovering more quickly than normal, when I suggested that a redose and at a higher potency may be needed in the future, she responded:
I do think I need a further dose of remedy. I am more fragile at the moment. There are probably at least 2 reasons. The first is that I am most vulnerable in the spring. My first and worst panic episode was on May 5th 1970 or 71…that’s how powerful it was, that I remember the date. The other thing is that my brother no sooner gets a treatment plan for the current tumor than he grows 5 or 6 more! (true) Through our daily phone check ins I have begun to suffer from caregiver fatigue. He is 9 years younger than me and this whole journey has smacked me right in the face with my own mortality. I find I have chest pains at some point in almost every day. I also cannot not talk with anyone about THEIR troubles or the troubles of COVID or the USA without getting pains. I am using citalopram and lorazepam. It stops the pain but does not prevent it from occurring. I might add that in general I am more than OK.
Rx: Crocus 200K single dose. The same core issues were present: using the crocus as a constitutional remedy for challenges. She had a bottle of Crocus 200k for future challenges, but checked in with me before re-dosing. Only one dose is required on May 18, 2021.
Dec 1, 2021 – 60min follow-up
Called because she was going to be performing solo in the Christmas choir and feeling panicked. “If I don’t do my best, it will ruin the five years I have worked fitting into this town. I am not just a regular church singer (feels gifted).”
Wanted to prove her belonging. Delusion of fitting in vs being excluded – delusion level, therefore MK.
Rx: Crocus MK one dose
Apr 8, 2022 – Email follow-up
Doing well. No repeat. Guided the client to contact me should she feel anxiety coming back.
[1] Dr. Rajan Sankaran. Sankaran’s Schema. Mumbai 2006
[2] Jan Scholten. Wonderful Plants. Utrecht 2015
[3] Dr. Guy Loutan. Répertoire de Thèmes et de Matière Médicale Dynamique. Editions Loutan 2011: p96-97
