The patient is a 14 year old male who has been diagnosed as paranoid schizophrenic (Homeopathy Treatment for Schizophrenia) by a psychiatrist, staying in our city. He was under my care for 18 months. The boy’s mother brought him to me three years after he was diagnosed as schizophrenic.
The boy says ‘People always pick on me. It is me who is punished always, without any fault. In the school bus the kids tease me. The teacher says that I start trouble. But I am not troubling! They all gang up on me. People are always nasty to me. They poke fun at me. I try to ignore them but then I lose my temper and hit them. If anybody is getting injured, that’s not my business! Family environment is not good. Mother is Sindhi and father is Maratha. Though it is a love marriage, there are lots of quarrels and there is financial instability at home. Father is an alcoholic and always is scolding and blaming to his kids, especially to this child. He says, “You are unlucky; spoiled our life….and so many things”
The boy says that his parents have money but still don’t provide for him. For him they are not trustworthy. He is very restless, headstrong, cannot bear criticism. He wants to be a scientist but school friends tease him about it. His mother said he has endless demands which they cannot meet. She says he is very lazy and wants to eat all the time. She states that he has no concentration in studies and keeps saying that one day he will be a big shot, rich man but he puts no effort in. She also says he tells lie or hides many things. He will do only whatever he likes, is unpredictable.
He has a sprained sensation in his ankle and severe pain in heels which increases while walking. The principal told him that he will be terminated from the school if he will not improve himself. The boy said “I know she is only threatening; nobody is going to terminate me from school.’
The following rubrics were considered-
MIND – DELUSIONS – persecuted – he is persecuted
MIND – DECEITFUL
MIND – RESTLESSNESS – drives him from place to place.
MIND – DELUSIONS – deceived; being
MIND – DELUSIONS – fancy, illusions of
MIND – DISCONTENTED
MIND – OBSTINATE – children
MIND – ANGER – violent
MIND – AILMENTS FROM – offended; being
MIND – SUSPICIOUS
MIND – COURAGEOUS
MIND – MENTAL EXERTION – aversion to
MIND – CONCENTRATION – difficult
MIND – CAPRICIOUSNESS
EXTREMITIES – PAIN – Ankles – sprained; as if
EXTREMITIES – PAIN – Feet – Heels – walking – agg. – tearing pain
STOMACH – APPETITE – increased
GENERALS – LASSITUDE
MIND – SCHIZOPHRENIA – paranoid – persecuted, that he is.
Drosera Rotundifolia came up!
Drosera, commonly known as the Sundew, is one of the largest genera of carnivorous plants, being used as stimulants and expectorants, for treating bronchitis, whooping cough, and tuberculosis. Sundews have also been used as an aphrodisiac and to strengthen the heart, as well as to treat sunburn, toothache, and prevent freckles.
I knew of Drosera to treat ailments such as asthma, coughs, lung infections, and stomach ulcers, but for me it was a surprise to find these mental rubrics.
For Homeopathic treatment the following rubrics were considered-
MIND – DELUSIONS – persecuted – he is persecuted
MIND – DECEITFUL
MIND – RESTLESSNESS – drives him from place to place.
MIND – DELUSIONS – deceived; being
MIND – DELUSIONS – fancy, illusions of
MIND – DISCONTENTED
MIND – OBSTINATE – children
MIND – ANGER – violent
MIND – AILMENTS FROM – offended; being
MIND – SUSPICIOUS
MIND – COURAGEOUS
MIND – MENTAL EXERTION – aversion to
MIND – CONCENTRATION – difficult
MIND – CAPRICIOUSNESS
EXTREMITIES – PAIN – Ankles – sprained; as if
EXTREMITIES – PAIN – Feet – Heels – walking – aggravation. – tearing pain
STOMACH – APPETITE – increased
GENERALS – LASSITUDE
MIND – SCHIZOPHRENIA – paranoid – persecuted, that he is.
Prescription- Drosera 200 given in aqua; once a day for 15 days.
Gradually the potency was increased till 1M and 10M as per need of case.
Tuberculinum 30 was used as intercurrent remedy
Prescription- Drosera Rotundifolia 200 given in aqua; once a day for 15 days followed by placebo for 15 days at june 2015.
Drosera, commonly known as the sundews, is one of the largest genera of carnivorous plants, being used as stimulants and expectorants, for treating bronchitis, whooping cough, and tuberculosis. Sundews have also been used as an aphrodisiac[sex stimulants] and to strengthen the heart, as well as to treat sunburn, toothache, and prevent freckles..
Symptom Similarity between Drosera and the child:
1]Habitat of drosera – watery land and humid environment,low nutrient soil, lacking nitrogen, phosphorus and calcium . The environment in the family is poor, low in affection.
2] Deficiency of nitrogen causes-hysteria, epilepsy, enuresis,congestion of lungs. Deficiency of phosphorus causes anxiety, restlessness and Schizophrenia. Deficiency of calcium causes hastiness and restlessness in behaviour. The child is hasty, restless.
3] Characterstics of carnivorous plant- malicious, decietful, sly, suspicious, trust cannot, desire to injure, violent, courageous. The child had all these symptoms.
4] Drosera is insectivorous, traps insects and sucks the protein from them. This child had trapped his mother to fulfill his demands.
5] It is a wild plant. Peevishness is in the nature.
6] A small draft of air shakes Drosera. Every small trifle puts the child out of humour.
7] Drosera needs support always to protect itself from draft of air. To seek support is its tendency. The drosera patient always supports the affected part [holding chest while coughing]. The child was touching his mother again and again during interview.
8] Drosera has Delusions of persecution. Imagines he is being deceived by spiteful, envious people. The child thinks the same for his parents and friends.
Follow ups-
July 2015– Ankle pain reduced; mental status same.
Drosera 200 aqua once a day for 15 days followed by placebo for 45 days.
September 2015– His mother said his behaviour is a little better; not demanding food and money constantly; can sit at one place for study. He is less irritable with his mother and sisters. His ankle pain is better but the problem in school and with friends is the same.
Placebo given for a month.
October 2015– No significant change.
Drosera 1M one dose in aqua given with placebo for a month.
November he couldn’t visit me.
December 2015– No ankle pain but problem in school was the same. He used to tell lies about his school work at home; anger and demands reduced.
Drosera 1M one dose aqua given. with placebo for 45 days. Meanwhile I prescribed Tuberculinum as an intercurrent.
February 2016– According to his mother- ‘He is 50% better in anger, demands and concentration. Now he doesn’t say that he wants to be a scientist as it requires lots of study! But he still complains that people tease him!’
Drosera 10M one dose given in five cup method followed by placebo for two months.
April 2016 -He did not come for visit.
May 2016- I asked him – why don’t you complain to the principal when your friends tease you?
He said- “I used to pinch them and then they used to trouble me! That was a fun! They are crazy, I don’t care.”
I asked him-what do you want to do in the future?
He said-I don’t know. You can ask my mom.
Placebo prescribed for a long time.
November 2016– Mother visited me. No major complaints. Nothing prescribed.
Drosera proved itself a promising remedy in Paranoid Schizophrenia by breaking the delusion of persecution and delusion of grandeur i.e. possessing superior quality such as genius [ I will become scientist]. It recovered his disorganized speech and behavior too! I knew Drosera to treat ailments such as asthma, coughs, lung infections, and stomach ulcers; but that it covered paranoid schizophrenia was really something new and surprising!
New learning of Drosera ..nice case