A case of chronic depression

A case of chronic depression

 

 

“This is a case of young female with chronic depression. She is a social worker. She came to me long back in 2016 and this case opened the whole new aspect of the remedy received by patient and taught me many things about her remedy and how lesser known remedies can also help in treating such moderate mental diseases which are otherwise difficult. I have put whole excerpt of the case with 5 detailed follow ups spread over long duration.”

Note- some acronyms are used which are described here –

D- doctor

P- patient

And some sentences are written in Hindi while English translation is given in the brackets.

Case

20-5-2016

Miss D M , THIS PATIENT CAME TO ME WITH DEPRESSION

Female 28 years old , NGO worker and accountant by profession, Unmarried

Chief complaint – Chronic depression with pain in the arms.

D- Tell me.

P- I don’t have interest in anything I feel like doing nothing though I do all the house hold chores but I am not interested to do anything. No interest in studies also.

I have tremendous pain in my arms and hands and it comes often.

Like if I take any pain killer medicines or anything which relieves the pain within 2-3 days it comes back. I am experiencing this pain since 3 years almost.

Every week I have to see doctor and also take pain killers

There is no way out. Too much pain.

Also I have lot of things to do like household thing I have 2 siblings and my mom , my uncle also stays with us. I am working in a office as a assistant and it’s a NGO.

I have lot of financial worries as well. Because my family is dependent on me , I am the only person earning, we are middle class people. I am looking after the whole family. From groceries to clothes, household things etc. I manage.

My mom is a very naïve lady she has never gone to market , never interacted with anyone of outside world so now after my father expired I have to take care of her , both my siblings are younger to me. They are studying in school and college.

So that’s about me.

D- tell me more about yourself.

P- I don’t feel like doing anything now. I am doing routine things but it’s such a burden for me. And I don’t feel connected to anything anymore. There are only say 2-3 friends in my life whom I love to talk. I can just talk for hours with them.

Baki sab to kam karwate hai apna bas. (everyone tells me work )

Aap kuch puchona..(you ask me something )

D- tell me about your complaints ?

P- I feel depressed and no interest in anything. I miss my father a lot. If he would have been here I would have been happier I feel. Second thing is n my house I am handling many responsibilities and still people don’t understand me. I just don’t feel happy from inside.

Gahrwale bahut pareshan karte hai. (my family really bothers me a lot)

By brother fights with my younger sister. ‘he left school from last 6 months and his principal called me and scolded me. Said why he is not coming to school what is your problem.

And when I asked him that why he didn’t go?

he said I don’t like school. He is very rebellious he hits my younger sis. Fights with my mom.

I am in the office most of time and come home in the night, I don’t stay at home so don’t know exactly what these people do all day long.

So there are many problems in my house also I get very disturbed by this thought that how we will survive in future, what will happen.

I forgot to tell you that I have asthma also and I take homeopathy medicines for that on and off.

And it is better but whenever it comes, it is a acute violent episode mostly that happens in night and someone from my surrounding just gets me into the hospital and I take all those pumps and inhalers and then I get better. This is also happening from last 2-3 years.

I had problem in breathing since childhood but these days I am going to hospitals every month I guess.

My father and grand maa also had these breathing issues.

And this pain in arms. my god this is so annoying.

I feel my full life is wasted

Mera pura jeevan ye dawaia aur gharwalo ke sath hi gujr jane wala hai aisa dar lagta hai.

(i fear that i will have to spend my whole life with my family problems and medicines)

What to do?

D- what do you experience inside?

P- I feel my whole life is going like this and I don’t want to be like this. I feel no one loves me I am just a kind of useful person for them and they takemy advantage.

I feel used and I am not complaining about it but sometimes I really feel sad that people are so selfish and why they do so.

There is only 2 friends of mine who call me without anything. I mean without motive .

Otherwise everyone calls me for their work. And second thing is I am just a worker

For most of people .they call me to get things done and not to talk to me.

I do my friend’s recharges, bills payment any many other things

This is also a problem with me that I can’t say no to anyone.

Whole day I do all these things

But inside I feel sad for my self . I feel angry also very angry at times

I feel kaise log hai mera fayda utha rahe hai . (these people are taking advantage of me ).

These people are so harsh with me.

Din bhar gadha hamali karti hu mai. (whole day i do donkey work)

I feel no purpose of my life.

I feel as if I am burden for everyone

{Weeps ++}

D- What is your experience within when you say you feel burdensome, not important, people are harsh with you?

P- I really feel that my family is bearing with me because I am useful if I don’t earn or don’t do anything tomorrow they would just kick me out. Same thing I feel with the office and other people also that I am a burden for them why would they tolerate me.

They don’t even remember me as if I don’t exist. They just call me whenever they have work or things like that so I feel they are just taking my advantage , their work is getting done by me, if i won’t be able to do that they would just throw me.

And you know doc I feel the same inside me also that I am also doing everything just for the sake of doing. I am not interested in anything like household duties, office work, calling people etc but I am doing it as a burden because I have to do it for the sake of living.

Though I don’t make relation with people just for my personal benefit, I am not selfish. I am people’s person. I like company of good friends. And I am a simple person, I don’t do anything with hidden motive , I cant.

Ya inside I feel very frustrated still my one part say we are on this earth as a community and we have to help each other. I am a helping one.

So I do most of things because this is my nature.

No one forces me to do something, I do it myself and then I feel angry that I am not able to say no and like this my life is going on..

This is my problem doctor please help me.

Please help me calm down my mind

I have so many thoughts and full time I am thinking about future, how my family will survive.

I am concerned about my mom also . That what will happen in future I mean I can’t get married I cannot even think about it , I will have to stay with my mom because my brother is very irresponsible , he steals money from my mom. My mom is very biased about her son she even helps him bathing feeding everything. And he is 15 years old so don’t know how things will work?

D- What is your fear? Do you fear anything?

P- Fear of being abandoned, being lonely. I cant stay lonely. I need people. If I stay alone for even 1 day I get breathing issues. I always keep myself surrounded by people. But inside I know that these people doesn’t need me. So I feel intense loneliness.

I also fear that If I don’t do jobs given to me like if I am not that strong enough to pull off the load what will happen ?this thought comes to me often.

I know I am capable enough now, but due to these health issues my strength is decreasing, so I don’t want to lose my capacity to work anymore. I don’t want to fail. Otherwise I will be worthless.

D- What is worthless, no strength and fear of not being able to pull off the job, can you explain these fears?

P- Worthless means i feel one day people might feel that I am not important or I am not worthy .

I feel this many times.

I feel many times people find me stupid and worthless, I don’t feel appreciated though I do lot of work for everyone. I even do those things in office which are not assigned for me. I am a accountant in my office but it’s a NGO so I feel okay we are helping people so I do all the things which are not even part of my job still they don’t give respect to me. Never appreciates me.

But I don’t argue with people generally . I am calm person but in my mind I feel these emotions.

I try to avoid conflicts.

People take my advantage many times they bully me still I try to avoid that.

And no strength u asked so

I feel that I am doing many things, always multitasking, carrying this load of running a family and lot more.. So people need me right now. Later I might lose my strength to do many things. This I have felt often when I fall sick, that time I have to admit in the hospital for say 2-3 days then someone comes from my office they stay with me or helps me but that time becomes very difficult for me as I feel heaviness in the chest, breathing difficult and strangely in my mind also I feel if I don’t get better if I will have to stay in hospital, and if I am not useful for people and family why would they bear with me.

This thought just haunts me saddens me. So that’s the main reason doctor I want to get better, I don’t want to lose my family, my work. Whatever life I have I want to live stronger for my people.

I want simple life, no big dream just that my routine should go on with average health. Because I don’t have anything in life.

I want to support my family forever.

D- do you get any Dreams?

P- ya this dream I have seen many times that I am not able to solve a maths sum in class and people are bullying me, saying this girl is so stupid see she is not able to solve such a easy maths problem.

I get many such dreams .also in most of my dreams I run a lot and when I wake up my legs pain .

In childhood I used to have this dream that all the students are sitting on benches in school and my teacher told me to sit on ground because I have done some mistake so I felt extremely humiliated and I felt why this teacher is doing so.

That was very unusual

D- what was your experience in this dream?

P- I was low confident person since childhood .so same in dream I felt I am inferior to others that’s why madam was behaving like that. I felt completely stupid.

D- so do you want to tell me anything else ?

P- yes doctor I have realised in telling you my complaints that I feel burdened all the time.

I mean worthless , totally neglected and not important and that’s the main thing.

Also before menses I have pain in the breast. They become tender and also my periods have become little irregular since 1 year but them come.

So this is the problem.

Also I have profuse sweating issue.

I sweat a lot can you cure that?

D- yes we will try.

Attendant-

Sister –

She is extremely hard working dr. she takes care of everything. Day and night she is ready to do anything for everyone. If someone calls her in the middle of the night she would g and help them. We always tell her not to do such things but she never listen to anyone. In that way she is very stubborn. Even in eating she is little stubborn she doesn’t eat if we cook something which doe not eat generally. We have to cook according to her choice.

You please do something about her problems we are very worried about her.

She is the man of our house dr. she handles everything with lot of strength, dedication but after our father passed away she is becoming ill very frequently. She has taken all the responsibilities.

She is doing job also preparing for government jobs but these health problems are really troublesome.

Rx lac Assnium 1 M – 1dose monthly

ANALYSIS –

AFTER TAKING WHOLE CASE I OBSERVED FEW CHARACTERSTICS WHICH ARE AS FOLLOWS AND BASED ON THAT I DECIDED TO GIVE LAC ASSINUM AS A REMEDY.

• Depression
• Asthma
• Pain in arms ++
• All problems since last 2-3 years after death of the father
• Chief complaint – lack of interest in anything.
• Asthma – attacks almost every month
• And hand and arms paining too much without any cause
• Talkative – very communicative

NATURE –

• Hardworking
• Can’t say no to anyone , helps everyone.
• Feels she has suffered wrong
• People are taking advantage
• Silent brooding but no visible anger
• Avoid conflicts
• Loves family
• Supports family a lot
• Responsible
• Independence vs dependence
• Feeling of being stupid and bullied in childhood and in dream also.
• Fear of being lonely. Loves company
• Delusion she is worthless
• Wants communication.
• Worried about future and family
• Pain in breasts before menses and menses delaiyed.
• Problems with the family – mom, brother and sister.
• Profuse perspiration
• Feeling of being useless
• Deep sadness and grief about father and family situation

• Loves talking to friends
• Feeling of a burden for family and society
• Also burden is the main experince
• I feel koi cheez ko bojh jaisa uthate hai na waise hi mere ko dho rahe hai kyuki mai kabhi na kabhi kaam aaungi.

Feeling of not being strong enough , cant pull off the job assigned

• Feeling of being not appreciated
• Multitasked
• Stubborn about eating – choosy
• Fairly intelligent
• Dreams- looked down upon, she has to sit on the ground and others on benches

Not able to solve the maths problems and people are bullying me.

“I needed a remedy which is very strong, benevolent, able to manage many things , carry load , feels suffered and somewhat abused and still feel worthless or stupid.”

Lac Assinum – Milk of the donkey belongs to equidae family.

So I chose lac asinum as a remedy for this case.

Follow up

25-6-2016

• She came up to me after 1 month and told me that her interest in studies has increased after first dose. She is enjoying studying started studying for public service sector and wants to upgrade the job.
• She also told that menses have come on time this month.
• Overall feeling better by 30-40%

25-8-2016

• Menses better, appetite better
• No asthma attacks from last 2 months. Little wheezing happened when she ate pani puri in between but it went off by inhaling plain water steam itself.
• Earlier I used to take those medicinal puffs which I have stopped after your medicines.
• No low feeling and she said I don’t feel depressed anymore.

I am feeling much better.

No negative thoughts

The pain in the arms stopped within approx 10-15 days.

My breathing issues are better.

I haven’t taken any pain killer or any other medicines since i started your medicines.

Sometimes when there is so much work pressure and all these things i feel little low.

But otherwise i feel am okay.

Rx PLC for 2 months

Report after

Follow up

5-10-2016

Overall much better, asthma not at all there. No negative thoughts, no suicidal thoughts.

• Energy levels much better.
• Now able to express the anger a little bit.
• Studies going on along with job.
• She said I feel almost 70% better.

RX PLC

Follow up – 7 december 2016

Much better

2 episodes of asthma in last 2 months.

But i took allopathic medicines and i become better.

• She has become completely okay. No more depressive thoughts.
• Menses normal. No pain in breasts before menses.
• She also told me that she used to have headaches often after reading and that also got better.

Nothing else.

No depressive thoughts at all.

Rx Lac assinum 1 M – 1 dose

Follow up

10 March 2017

After 10 months-

I feel much energetic now.

I am very thankful to you dr for this.

My depression is gone and now i feel better.

No complaints at all

Notes- no remedy required all got better

Conclusion – Lac assinum comes from equidae family and as we all know that donkey is most industrious and useful animals and they are also known as “BEASTS OF BURDEN” because they carry huge loads but they are not respected well. As we saw in this case also that the girl has exact feeling of the animal or we could say the human experience of the remedy was there where she felt that she is doing so many things for others specially the family and still feels stupid.

But her dedication for entire family brought us close to mammal group and finally helped to choose lac assinum as a remedy for her.

After approx. 1 year she is completely out of depression, not dependent on inhalers for breathing, no pain and no other complaints with much better mental health.

This is the true magic of homoeopathy. this girl also helped me to explore more aspects of lac assinum as a remedy and enhanced my understanding about Materia medica of the lac assinum.

Hope you enjoyed reading the case and learned something new.

 

 

 

About the Author:

Dr Yamini Ramesh

BHMS , CCAH, FCAH (Mumbai)

Consultant Homoeopath

Founder – Asha Homeopathic academy India

Email – rjyamini@gmail.com

Phone – 9893200976

Asha homeo health center, India.

Website – www.ashahomeo.com

Homeopathic physician since 13 years. Provides online consultation in more than 25 countries.

Own Asha Homeopathic Academy where she teaches medical advances to the budding doctors across the globe. Running online and offline courses for young homoeopaths.

Won prestigious lippe award for the excellence in the field of homeopathy by Bamra Arogya Trust.

Organizes many health awareness seminars and webinars.

She handles Asha Homeopathic academy where she teaches regularly about the advanced methodologies to young budding homeopaths. In the academy she conducts many short term and one long term courses.

Recently she has launched “Neev – the foundation course” for beginner homoeopaths.

She conducts meditation and counseling workshops also for patients as well as doctors together with her husband Dr Vaibhav Jain.