The patient was born in 1960.
Diagnosis: alcoholic; peripheral polyneuropathy due to alcohol consumption; Treacher-Collins syndrome (an autosomal dominant inherited disorder characterised by facial malformations, including absence or malformation of the ears and zygomatic bone, cleft palate, a “receding” chin and eyelid abnormalities, and weakness in the arms and legs).
When he entered the consulting room I was shocked by his appearance.
The patient had grown up in a sheltered environment and the neighbours had all known about his disability. He had never been teased because of his appearance, but in the upper years at school he felt he was not taken seriously and was laughed at. His limit was reached when his own son was born with a mild form of the condition. “I felt so powerless because I could not help him.” He kept his feelings to himself but began drinking instead. His problems worsened when his wife filed for divorce. After that he lived alone and missed his family very much. Once a year he experienced depression, always when the children returned to their mother after the holidays. For him that had always been a reason to drink heavily.
Prescription: Baryta sulphurica C200, one pellet as required..jpg)
Follow-up:
He had many dreams of the past, particularly of the divorce and the feeling of being neglected. After the dreams he always felt better.
Follow-up after six months:
“I feel perfect and cope well with everything. I feel much stronger and more open than ever before. Everything comes easily to me. I have become more relaxed and more active. I also feel stronger towards the children; they now call me every day.”
Discussion
In this patient too the case analysis was carried out according to Jan Scholten’s method and led to the correct remedy.
Barium: feeling helpless; delusion that he is being laughed at.
Sulphur: themes of love and appearance.
The theme: Simply the feeling of being laughed at because of one’s own appearance points to Baryta sulphurica. But the feeling of helplessness regarding his own son (or his son’s appearance) and the powerlessness towards his wife also belong to the same thematic complex. The response to the remedy was perfect. He dreamed of painful events from the past and felt better afterwards. On the path to healing he relived his old pain.
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Category: Medicinal products
Keywords: Treacher-Collins syndrome, alcoholic, Baryta sulphurica, feeling laughed at
