Controlling Explosive Bowels: A Case of Radium Sulphuricum

Client: ‘it’s better if you ask me questions so I understand what you want and then I can answer correctly.’

(He’s asking for a framework in which to describe his problems.)

Practitioner: What would you like help with?

I’m having anxiety attacks related to bowel movements. They control my life. It overtakes me; I’ll need to leave a meeting. I’ll take side streets to work, so if I need to I’ll be able to stop and use a bathroom.

There’s a feeling ‘Oh oh, I have to go’ (have b.m.) That could happen again in the 8-10 minutes it takes to drive to work.

I love to walk, but I take a bike instead (so can get to bathroom more quickly). I don’t have the freedom to go for a walk. I dread being on airplanes; I don’t want to use the bathroom on the plane.

I go into panic mode if I’m invited to friends’ home for food. It controls my daily life.

I don’t like to be confined. I always take the aisle seat in a plane or theater. I don’t like the corner table in a restaurant. I don’t like chaos, commotion in a restaurant.

I’d like to be free of it; have some normalcy. It’s embarrassing; it’s like ‘are you kidding me?—a grown man worried about going to the bathroom? What’s his problem?’

(tendency to feeling embarrassment and self-critical in a censorious manner)

I try to fight the gurgling (intestinal). Inside, the muscles around my abdomen are all tight. What happens is a pressure inside me; it builds up to the point that it has to come out; I have to release it. It feels explosive. After that, I’m just exhausted; I’ll have the “hungries”.

I don’t want to show weakness to others. It would feel like a catastrophe, an embarrassment.

Practitioner: New challenges?

I like to be prepared and well-versed. I don’t like to go in without knowledge. ‘What will it take to achieve this goal?’ I don’t go in cold turkey.

Practitioner: Your work?

I love my work—I’m dreading my last day. I’m an instructional chairperson at a college. It’s a major responsibility. What I do affects a hundred people every semester. You have to admire these people who build large organizations on a dream.

(He implies that he wouldn’t be able to do build a large organization from a dream of his own, but admires those who do.)

Practitioner: Any problems at work?

I’ll feel rushed to present my ideas. I’ll be interrupted—lose my train of thought—it’s a major frustration.

(There’s a pressure to express the ideas quickly; then he’ll feel frustrated after being interrupted. He’s lost control over maintaining his train of thought.)

Practitioner: Fears? Dark, ghosts, elevators, bridges?

No, nothing apart from what we’ve talked about.

Practitioner: Run warm, cold, somewhere in the middle?

I run warm, put my feet out from under the covers.

Practitioner: Appreciation

I like to be acknowledged, appreciated.

 

ASSESSMENT:

 

The client had problems for decades after he’d been working as a first responder and during an emergency lost bowel control. Apparently he was teased for years after the incident.

In the history, he relates the following:

Controlling, pressure, release, explosive = theme of strongly holding things together vs. falling apart = radioactive

Embarrassment of catastrophic proportions = second column

Gastrointestinal problems, runs warm, desires appreciation = sulphur

PLAN: Radium sulphuricum 200C, two doses separated by 12 hours

 

Follow-up 6 weeks later:

I had only one attack last Monday. It was a crazy, hectic, rotten day at work. I can’t believe the improvement. When the concern comes over me, I just say to myself ‘knock it off’. I made something out of nothing.

I feel relaxed, in control. If something does happen, ‘such is life’. I’m feeling a lot better. When I think ‘what if’ I direct my thoughts somewhere else.

There’s no gurgling, rumbling after I eat food. I don’t feel the gnawing sensation in my abdominal cavity.

For the past 5-6 weeks, I’m a different person. I made too much of nothing.

Within 2 days of taking the remedy, ‘Oh my God, I don’t have that gurgling and rumbling.

I’m not afraid to eat out anymore. I’m looking forward to it. I’m not thinking about it as often. When I do, I just say to myself, ‘knock it off’.

I’m enjoying life more. I’m not concerned about taking a hike, going out to eat. At meetings, things roll off of me. I’m realizing I can’t please everyone. I have a responsibility; I do my best.

I’m walking away from too much news; ‘I can’t change the world.’ I was at 3-4 on the contentment scale 6 weeks ago; now I’m 9-10. I wonder why I waited for the past 40 years.

The client repeated the remedy 2 months after the initial consultation, and has not needed any further doses.