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A., a 14-year-old boy, came with his mother for treatment of his vitiligo patches on the back, shoulders and forearms. He was medium height, fair-skinned with a pale face, dry skin and dull, dry hair. It was not cold outside despite the rain, yet A. wore long sleeves, a roll-neck T-shirt and a thick jacket. When I asked him about this, A. was silent and looked at his mother. After a while she replied: “Doctor, he is very sensitive to cold and suffers from frequent infections such as colds, ear and throat infections. That is why we always protect him from draughts or cold air.” Dr Navneet Bidani: “Tell me about your complaints!” Mother: “About two years ago we noticed a white spot on his left shoulder. We thought it might be a seasonal allergy and therefore did not consult a doctor. After another three months another spot appeared beside it and the body hair over that patch turned white. Then we began to take it seriously and consulted various skin specialists, but without notable success. They gave us various ointments to apply to the patch when he went into the sun, and a number of internal medicines, but none of the remedies helped. The white patches gradually increased and after a year they had reached the back and forearms. We became anxious and went from one doctor to another, but without success. Then we were referred to you.” I asked for further information about significant events in the past and about the family history, but there was none, except that he learned to walk late and occasionally talked in his sleep. On further questioning the mother told me that he loves to dance but has never performed. He has terrible stage fright and cannot appear in front of strangers. At home, however, he often dances all day long. When I asked about A.’s character and his behaviour towards his friends and relatives, the mother told me he was very shy and sensitive and would cry if he were reprimanded. He is naturally very caring. His grandmother is bedridden and he looks after her very lovingly. At the same time he is very dependent on his father and cannot go anywhere alone. Even for small tasks he needs his father’s permission. He has only a very small circle of friends. Among his friends he is considered a “good boy”. He shares his games and other things with his friends, but is reluctant to borrow anything from them; that makes him anxious. On questions about his likes and dislikes it emerged that from birth he disliked breast milk; he refused the breast but tolerated cow’s milk without problems. Observations: Treatment: * - Complaints from anticipatory anxiety Follow-up: The patient was treated over a period of one year. During this time he received another dose of Silicea 10M; then CM(2) was given together with a placebo. He is now free of the white patch disease. He returned to me this year with an abscess on the right thigh, which also responded well to Silicea. One more important thing: during his treatment not only did his vitiligo patches disappear, but his behaviour also improved. He is no longer so shy and has more self-confidence. He gives intelligent answers and answers independently. Although anticipatory anxiety is still present, he is doing well at school and can concentrate well. By the grace of the Almighty, homeopathy has transformed this young man’s life! |
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Discussion: The Silicea personality What fascinates me about homeopathy is the extraordinary power that otherwise inactive and commonplace substances can develop through the process of potentisation. Samuel Hahnemann used the pharmaceutical stock of his contemporaries, using herbal tinctures as the basis for his dilutions. Insoluble substances were ground and diluted with lactose powder (up to three times before dissolution in an alcohol–water mixture) and thus served as the basis for further potentisations. Ground, dissolved, diluted and potentised in this way, ordinary flint/sand becomes one of the great polycrest remedies: Silicea, which can profoundly affect any bodily system and has a diverse healing action. Silicea people feel weak and sense that others could exploit this weakness. As soon as someone vocally expresses their opinion or defends their own cause, they feel neglected and humiliated. Any criticism makes them feel bad, they begin to cry or become angry. When others show them sympathy, they feel humiliated because they believe that this kindness stems only from pity for their weakness. Silicea people usually try to emulate the father’s example. Yet they lack emotion, and so it can be difficult for them to form relationships with others. There is a discord between the inner self and the personality. Silicea is very concerned about its image and worries about how others see him/her; they want to fulfil their self-image. For a Silicea child it is very important to please their parents and they want to prove to them that they are good at school. The Silicea child is insecure, and this insecurity results from a lack of connection to feelings and emotions. Because he always feels observed, his body and actions are at the centre of his attention. He is very concerned about how others perceive him, yet at the same time he has a huge fear of being watched (DD Calcium and Magnesium). Such a patient is an outsider within himself. He sees himself through the eyes of others and aligns his actions with what he believes others expect of him. There is a lack of direct engagement with life and he is unable to put his feelings and sensations into action. Silicea people want to show the world how good they are, how much they give, without demanding anything in return, a behaviour which takes on meaning in itself. Their self-worth and image depend on this role. Beneath this they feel worthless, as if they do not deserve to claim anything for themselves. |
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 Source: Didier Descouens / Wikipedia |
This remedy is indicated in people with fair complexion, pale face, flaccid muscles and fine, dry skin. They are nervous and irritable and suffer from nutritional deficiencies due to poor absorption/assimilation of nutrients from food. | |
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The patient can be very sharp-witted but physically in poor condition. When exploring the Silicea psyche one finds a peculiar mixture of shyness and obstinacy. Shyness is a lack of courage. If you treat children who lack courage you might think they do not have enough willpower. Yet Silicea children prove to be stubborn and obstinate. A Silicea child may appear outwardly pig-headed or stubborn, but is inwardly soft and yielding like a coconut or an oyster in its shell. The oyster shell is merely the hardened secretion of the oyster and contains silica (0.17%) and calcium carbonate. Boger uses the term “obstinate” in a general sense. The disease can be obstinate, the patient can have stubborn abscesses and poorly healing fistulae, or he can be stubborn in the head. |
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(1) C 1000 Korsakoff |
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References: |
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>> Link to the website of Dr Navneet Bidani |
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Categories: Cases |
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