Severe Depression in a Woman of 37

The most dramatic change I’ve witnessed in my practice involved very rapid healing of a severe depression.

October 2019. A 37-year-old client had been severely depressed for five months. She was immobilized by her condition, spending entire days in bed having suicidal thoughts. She was unable to care for her 8-year-old daughter, look after basic household tasks, or even herself.

Simple tasks like dressing, washing, and eating seemed insurmountable challenges to her. Her father had moved into her home to assist her with these daily activities. She had been on two antidepressants prescribed by a psychiatrist for over a month, but they hadn’t shown any positive effects yet.

When did your depression start? “I broke down five months ago when my ex-husband filed a lawsuit against me. He falsely reported me to the financial police, accusing me of tax evasion (the client works as self-employed). I fear he might take away our apartment and, worse, our daughter.

He’s reported me multiple times before. Though he never won, I had to cover the legal fees. He’s continually threatening me with lawsuits. Once, I even begged him to drop the case. He responded saying I deserved it. I also had to call the police on him years ago due to his alcohol abuse.”

Can you tell me more about your relationship with your ex-husband? “He used to say I was the love of his life. He wrote poems for me. It was the first time someone seemed to truly love and care for me. I felt invincible. I worked nonstop.

Just two weeks after our daughter’s birth, I began working as an interpreter and English teacher. But as time passed, he became abusive. Each time, he convinced me that I had brought it on myself, that I made a mistake. He had no friends. He couldn’t cope when I left him.”

Describe more your depression please: “I lie awake all night praying for peace between us. The fear is so overwhelming that I wish for death. At night, I feel somewhat safe, but the dawn brings terror. Everyday tasks feel monumental.

It’s like I see a glass of water in front of me, but I can’t pick it up. My brain just doesn’t function. I need someone with me constantly. I literally need somebody holding my hand. I even need my father to feed me with a spoon. I tell him:  Please, feed me with love. I need to feel that you love me. Physically, I often feel intense burning in my arms, elbows, chest, and neck. It’s like the burn of chili pepper.

 How was your childhood? “It was difficult. My mother always criticized me, saying she shouldn’t have given birth to someone as bad as me. She was emotionally distant. We never shared joyous moments, she never took me on a trip or threw me a birthday party. Due to my childhood, I have no self-esteem.”

Analysis: From her statements, my initial thought was that an animal remedy might suit her, given the dynamic of feeling oppressed by someone. I considered spider remedies, which typically reflect themes of domination and threats.

However, my knowledge of different spiders was limited in 2019. The most evident theme was her inability to cope with daily life: Her feeling of vulnerability, her perceived danger from the world, and her need for constant support. The theme of a dangerous world is typical for the plant family Ranunculaceae, and within this family, PULSATILLA PRATENSIS reflects a deep dependence on emotional support of others.

However, initial treatments with PULSATILLA PRATENSIS and later SPONGIA TOSTA brought no relief.

Three weeks after the latter remedy she says: It’s like I’m a five-year-old, I have to hold on to someone. I am like a child lost on the streets, filled with fear, looking for my mother. I need somebody to come, hold my hand and help me.

The fear of a child feeling abandoned and lost in the world is a theme typical of the Piperales plant family, according to Jan Scholten’s method. Individuals who need remedies from this plant family often experienced emotional or even physical neglect from their parents during their childhood. Such experiences lead them to feel unworthy, resulting in low self-esteem. They feel adrift in the world, lacking support.

While repertorizing the physical symptoms in the Complete Dynamics repertory, I was drawn to the remedy PIPER NIGRUM (black pepper). This remedy is characterized by many burning pains, similar to those described by the client. The generalities include PAIN – BURNING, SMARTING, with an intensity of Grade 3.

The selection of this remedy is further confirmed by the typical behaviour of a Piper Nigrum individual: they exert significant effort, apply pressure, and often push beyond their limits. This behaviour aligns with Jan Scholten’s classification of stage 8. The client once remarked, “I worked nonstop. Just two weeks after our daughter’s birth, I began working as interpreter..”

Prescription: PIPER NIGRUM C30, one dose weekly.

One month later, during our follow-up, she shared: “The day I took the homeopathic remedy, my daughter asked me to make pancakes. It felt like an insurmountable task. I thought to myself, either I’ll succeed or I’ll give up entirely.

My father tried to assist, but I resisted, banging my head against the wall and shouting, ‘Stay away! I must do this alone!’ It took hours, with my father guiding me through each step of the pancake preparation. But I succeeded. The following morning, I managed to get out of bed and bath for the first time in ages.

Filled with new energy, I began cleaning the bathroom and eventually the entire apartment, not stopping until 3:30 am. I was determined to complete everything while I felt strong.”

Both the client and I were astounded by the rapidity of her recovery. In just 24 hours, she was back to functioning normally. Concerning her relationship with her ex-husband, she reflected, “I now realize he never truly loved me. I’m no longer fearful or under his control. In fact, I pity him. Homeopathy genuinely saved my life.”

When I asked her to compare her energy levels before and after the remedy, she said, “Before the remedy, it felt like negative infinity. After taking it, I experienced a few days of euphoria. Eventually, it stabilized at a level 120% better than before. With my psychiatrist’s approval, I soon stopped taking the antidepressants.”

This was back in winter 2019. Since then, we’ve had to administer the homeopathic remedy a few times, gradually increasing the potency to 200CH and then 1M. Since then, she has been working full-time, caring for her child and maintaining a healthy distance in her relationship with her ex-husband.