Abbreviations: MG: Mahesh Gandhi; P: Patient; HG: hand gesture. The cases have been shortened for reasons of readability.
Case 2
This case concerns a 19-year-old woman with epilepsy and panic attacks, who is being treated with antiepileptics and barbiturates. The mother, who accompanied her daughter to the appointment, told us that her daughter is afraid to leave the house alone because of her seizures. At home she feels markedly more comfortable and relaxed. Sometimes dizziness and an aura are noticeable before a seizure. The seizures themselves are usually triggered by bright light, for example when watching TV or in front of a computer. Rotating fans or the passing scenery in a train can also trigger an epileptic seizure. She then feels dizzy and describes the sensation as if the ground beneath her feet were being shaken by a slight earthquake.
Even the mere sight of a crowd puts her into a kind of trance in which her perception is severely limited. The mother reported that the first seizure occurred at the age of 16, the second followed within six months. During the second seizure her eyes rolled and her neck turned to the left and the girl was unconscious for 15 minutes. After this incident the mother advised her daughter not to go out alone, which the daughter has not dared to do since.
Because of her convulsions the young woman is very afraid of travelling. She fears that something might happen and that there would be no one to help her. At this point the patient spontaneously said that she is afraid of crowds and faints in them. She believes that she is being watched by others; this thought frightens her. She then falls into a trance-like state; her eyes are open but her visual perception is greatly reduced. She therefore avoids crowds because these situations are very overwhelming for her.
The patient then spoke about her exams, for which she prepares thoroughly but still feels unable to answer the questions. She says that she cannot attend classes because computer screens make her dizzy and this leads to a trance with restricted visual perception. Her mother is a great help to her, gives her confidence and supports her. Others do not understand her complaints, not even her father and brother. She is highly hypochondriacal and fears illnesses that could enter her body. She reacts with panic to trivialities: for example, she once had a headache and became panicked because she thought she had contracted leprosy and would have to die.
Currently she is thinking about what career to pursue and is very indecisive. She believes she is not normal and that other people consider her odd because there is something wrong with her. She believes that people think she is mentally disabled. She regards herself as an outsider who is very dependent on others, e.g. on her mother.
She dreams of travelling to many places, but cannot do so alone and depends on her mother's accompaniment. She also dreams about ghosts. She cannot bear to see blood; the sight makes her dizzy and she is afraid of having to witness an accident or a funeral. She cannot watch horror films and cannot even bear the sight of a coffin. She is greatly afraid of cockroaches, lizards and dogs that might bite her.
The central theme in this case is obviously clinging and the need for support (mother) and moral backing. The patient feels understood only by her mother. She also expresses the feeling that there is something wrong with her, that she is not okay, perhaps mentally disabled. Her illness has taken away her self-esteem. This is the language of the mineral kingdom – the young woman does not see herself as independent but is completely dependent on her mother.
Her individuality is further shaped by the experience that she will fall as soon as she is out on her own; she needs her mother to hold on to. We therefore note the patient's panic, which breaks out even over trivialities and always when she is alone. This is mainly about acute situations in which there is a need to hold on. This is the essence of the present case. The panic is experienced as an earthquake, as if the ground beneath the feet were not stable. This panic, which occurs whenever one is alone, is a characteristic feature of the lithium series [4].
The second aspect of the case is confusion. The young woman does not know which path to take in life. Confusion is an important theme of the remedies located in column 3 of the periodic table (Alumina, Scandium, Yttrium – these patients are confused and doubt a lot). Another key aspect is the restricted visual perception that the patient repeatedly reports. This sensation symbolises the situation in the womb – one is completely enclosed and suddenly has to go outside. One does not yet know the new environment and tries to cling to familiar things. The remedy in which this aspect is particularly pronounced – clinging in moments of panic as if the ground under the feet were being pulled away, coupled with confusion and restricted perception – is in row 2 of the periodic table and in column 3: Boron. [5]
Prescription: Borium metallicum C200
Follow-up: The patient responded very positively to the remedy. The fear of leaving the house disappeared completely. She no longer considers herself abnormal. The epileptic seizures and trance-like states stopped. She no longer needs to take any medication. Her parents find that she is 100% better.
The cases were prepared and compiled by SnehaVyas and Devang Shah.
Sources:
4 – Rajan Sankaran, Structure, Volume 1, Row 2
5 - Rajan Sankaran, Structure, Volume 1, Row 2, Boron
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Photos: Shutterstock
Green two-way sign;iQoncept
Single soap bubble; PanicAttack
Category: Cases
Keywords: Anxiety disorder, panic attacks, schizophrenia, trauma, catastrophe, convulsions, confusion, hysteria, lithium series, suffocation, separation.
Remedies: Borium metallicum, Calcium nitricum, Lithium muriaticum, Nitrogenium, Oxygenium
Original article: Interhomeopathy.org
