CASE REPORT
Tina came to me in May 21 2021 with a chief complaint of poorly managed anxiety. Upon initial observation she appeared to be physically and mentally exhausted and was overwhelmed by her daily obligations. She was in a very depleted state and her condition needed to be addressed. She had been taking medication (Lexapro) for her anxiety, but was also self-medicating with marijuana to help with sleep. Despite these methods, she still experienced overwhelming anxiety and was only sleeping about 2-3 hours per night.
Tina had been overwhelmed with raising her two children, one her biological son, and her daughter, a foster child. She had been taking care of the child since she was 2 years. The child is now 6 and there was always a looming threat that the child would be returned to her biological mother’s care despite the mother not being very stable.
She mentioned her stress would increase before she had to appear in family court regarding the child’s care and would lie awake through the night .She has also recently divorced from her husband who she reports had been physically and emotionally abusive towards her, at times even threatening to kill her.
Some nights she would awake believing he was in the house coming to kill her. Much of her anxiety is regarding her children’s safety. She believes that she needs to protect her children from others. She was treating her anxiety with medication (Lexapro) which was helping to ease the severity, but she was still having symptoms and was not able to sleep more than a couple of hours per night. She would wake at about 3AM and would lie awake until her alarm went off at 5AM. At her worst, she has gone 2 days with only 2-3 hours of sleep.
History
Her anxiety began at age 12 after she received a D grade after being an honor roll student. She began hyperventilating and was afraid of disappointing her parents, despite her parents never commenting on her grades. She eventually developed a fear of failure and her confidence was lacking. Logically she knew she was capable and intelligent, but would still become overwhelmed at the thought of not being able to perform well on examinations.
Repertory Chart 5.21.21
HOMEOPATHIC INTERVENTION
Natrum Mur 30 C was prescribed to be taken once per week. She was also suggested to drink chamomile tea at night to help with sleep.Nat Mur addresses the difficulty she had sleeping, the PTSD developed after being abused, her reserved nature, the persistent anxious thoughts, and her aversion to company when she is upset. She also has a dullness of the mind that is present in Nat mur as well.
Followup 7/23/21
There was no initial reaction and she had been taking the remedy for about 3 .weeks. She was still presenting some of the same complaints like not being able to sleep, and feeling anxious , but otherwise she felt fine. She was scheduled for carpal tunnel surgery as well.
Followup 9/30/21
She appeared to still be a bit tired, but she had a brighter energy and more vitality during the consultation. She reported she had been sleeping well and had been busy taking care of her children. Keeping busy was helping to keep her mind off of her anxious thoughts. Her ex-husband’s birthday had just passed and she began to worry again believing he was coming to harm her. She was advised to continue taking the remedy as scheduled.
She felt the remedy was working, and had been having deep sleep that lasted through the night. She would wake refreshed and continue to have energy throughout the day. She was recovering well from her carpal tunnel surgery and was scheduled to have another surgery on the left wrist in December. Suggested to continue the remedy, but take Hypericum 200C for the first 3 days after surgery.
Follow up 1/18/2022
Her doctor changed her medication from Lexapro to Zoloft, and she reports her symptoms have been under control. She reported a new symptom of tingling in her left arm which was initially understood to be an aggravation of the hypericum and she was advised to drink chamomile tea for 3 days to antidote.
She later mentioned she had been having a headache in her left temple as well. After taking the symptoms and repertorizing, Nat Mur was still strongly indicated. She continued with nat mur 200 C.
Rep Chart 1.18.22
DISCUSSION
The overall plan of action for this case was not to get Tina off of her medications, as she did not express a desire to do so and it would not have been in her best interest. The goal was to help her achieve a balance in her overall function.
I felt it was important to address the symptoms that were most interfering with her quality of life. Her mental-emotional symptoms are so deep-seated that they began in adolescence, and have carried on into her adulthood. Even when being treated with medication, she could find only so much relief.
Her sleep quality was greatly affected and her energy was extremely depleted. After taking nat mur, Tina had more energy and was finally able to cope with the stressors of her life in a healthier way. With her newfound energy she is spending more time with her children and is taking more time to take care of herself.
Moreover, she no longer needs to smoke marijuana to sleep. She has been sleeping deeply through the night and waking refreshed. When asked how she felt after taking the remedy, she felt the remedy had helped improve her quality of life which as homeopaths is all we can ask for.
References
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2020, September 4). Products – data briefs – number 377 – September 2020. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved February 6, 2022, from https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db377.htm
Facts & Statistics: Anxiety and Depression Association of America, ADAA. Facts & Statistics | Anxiety and Depression Association of America, ADAA. (n.d.). Retrieved February 6, 2022, from https://adaa.org/understanding-anxiety/facts-statistics
Farah, M., Farah, M., & Farah, W. by M. (2021, December 18). Migraines and disappointed love – miran farah. Hpathy.com. Retrieved February 6, 2022, from https://hpathy.com/clinical-cases/migraines-and-disappointed-love/
Leibovitch, E., Leibovitch, E., & Leibovitch, W. by E. (2022, January 18). A case of slow development, fears, restlessness – elka leibovitch. Hpathy.com. Retrieved February 6, 2022, from https://hpathy.com/clinical-cases/a-case-of-slow-development-fears-restlessness-2/
Shah, C. (2021, December 18). Polycystic ovarian disease in a woman of 29 – chanda shah. Hpathy.com. Retrieved February 6, 2022, from https://hpathy.com/clinical-cases/polycystic-ovarian-disease-in-a-woman-of-29-2/
Team, P. B. H. (2022, January 15). Study on modus operandi of the homoeopathic aggravation after first administration of Remedy. homeopathy360. Retrieved February 6, 2022, from https://www.homeopathy360.com/study-on-modus-operandi-of-the-homoeopathic-aggravation-after-first-administration-of-remedy/
What are anxiety disorders? (n.d.). Retrieved February 6, 2022, from https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/anxiety-disorders/what-are-anxiety-disorders
It would be helpful to know how to read the rep charts.
Virginia, the list on the left of the chart are the Repertory rubrics (headings) that the homeopath thought matched the case. The first column to the right is the remedy that covered the most headings and in the highest degree (as some remedies will cover a heading, but only slightly, those remedies score a “1”. We’re not too happy if the remedy that covers the most headings (symptoms) does so with only “1’s”. We might prefer a remedy that covers fewer headings but with all 2’s and 3’s. It appears in this case that Nat-mur came up in the #1 position, covering all 11 symptoms with a decent number of 2’s and 3’s; in other words, not a weak showing.