Anxiety and Depression

* Female
* 38 years old
* 1st Consultation March 2004

CASE

Susan consulted me clinically for help with anxiety and depression and long-term skin problems.

Susan presented with a very flat demeanor. She had been suffering from anxiety and depression for at least the past 12 months. Susan said that she had an almost constant feeling of anxiety in the chest and stomach. She felt tired and lethargic, slept poorly and struggles to wake in the morning. Emotionally she was very teary, crying at the smallest thing and was very irritable with her children. The week prior to the onset of her menses and the evenings were her worst times. Never felt depressed when at work. Susan worked as a home care nurse – or when on holidays at the family’s beach house. She often played music to relieve her tension.

She had been on an anti depressant for 4 months with no change in mood, however, had found St. John’s Wort 30+ effective in relieving the anxiety and feared to ever stop taking it.

Since puberty Susan had also suffered from a variety of skin problems. She said that she had never had clear skin since then and that it was always worse in the week prior to her menses. Along with a scarring type acne she also has many bouts of boils and had had several cysts removed over the years. Ten years ago she went on a course of Roactin for these problems.

Top to toe summary revealed an enlarged pituitary gland, which was diagnosed 6 months prior to her 1st pregnancy. Symptoms at the time included weight gain, lactation, headaches behind her eyes and tiredness. This condition was monitored medically on a 6 monthly basis and she was on medication, which she was told would continue for her life time. Susan blames the course of Roactin for the enlarged pituitary gland.

Only other point of significance I could pick up was a bout of severe pneumonia at age 16 years for which she spent 2-3 weeks in intensive care and took a long time to recover from.

Susan loves the hot weather and craves sweets which she binge eats when depressed.

She has a love/hate relationship with her mother whom she describes as her biggest stress. Her mother also suffers from depression. Susan felt that her mother dictated to her all the time and that she could never please her no matter what she did. Her mother would often scream at Susan and degrade her in front of other people. Susan felt responsible for her mother’s happiness. Despite this Susan said she gets on well with her mother and that she couldn’t live without her.

COMMENTS

Susan gave me some very good generals on which I could base my search for the appropriate remedy. I decided to use these and a couple of broad physicals in my repertorisation.

RUBRICS CHOSEN

• MENSES; agg.; before (109)
• AIR; seashore air; amel. (27)
• FOOD AND DRINKS; sweets; desires (101)
• GENERALITIES; HEAT; vital; lack of (219)
• OCCUPATION, diversion; amel. (51)
• SKIN; ERUPTIONS; boils (156)
• GLANDS in general, complaints of (46)