‘Hey Mathematics – you are my weak point!’

An approach to trigger the need of remedy

 

Anamnesis

One day a 15 years girl came to my practice with her mother for the problem of difficulty in mathematics.

 

She was my old patient. Few years back she was admitted in hospital for bursting headache, later on Homeopathy solved the issue.

 

She said –‘I could solve the test papers in class and get good score but when it comes to annual exam, I could not remember formulas and get only 4 or 10 marks out of 80. I am getting good marks in other subjects. I like mathematics but only problem is in recollecting formulas. The math problems, which are not based on formulas, are easily soluble.” She is not getting good sleep in the night, which ultimately causes headache next day after waking. She has neck pain aggravation at bending forward.

 

Her menarche was at 13 years of age. She had only one menstrual period in a year since 2 years. Medication has taken for this but in vein.

 

She lost her father 2 years back. After his death, her uncle with his family keep on tormenting to girl, her brother and her mother. The family environment is very unhealthy.

 

She further said- ‘I could not bear someone torturing my mother like this. I am very much angry with them but mom says not to fight so have to suppress anger. My cousin brother teases me a lot but I try to ignore him. I do not share everything with mother; few things I keep up to me. I have the courage to take stand but mother never allows me.

 

Me- How do you feel when you suppress the anger?

Pt- Lot of thoughts in mind; want to go away from family.

I do not know where but want to go away from everyone.

Me- Do you want to shift in hostel?

Pt-Yes.

Me- Are you comfortable with mother or alone?

Pt- I am better when alone. Mother keeps on releasing her frustration on me.

Me- It seems you are being teased and tormented; but you are suppressing anger all the time.

Pt- Yes!

Me- How do you express your suppressed anger? Do you shout on your brother or mother?

Pt- Sometimes! Otherwise, I cry.

Me. – So you cry but not speak?

Pt- Yes.

Me – tell me about dreams.

Pt- I see my late father calling me in heaven.

Me- Do you ever thought about suicide?

Pt- I want to suicide but could not leave my mother alone.

Me- Dear you will get solution through education. Please be calm and now tell me what the problem with Math is? Do you feel it interestlesss?

Pt- I have interest in math. I can solve questions well in class test but the only problem is annual exam.

I read the question paper; solve easy problems and as soon as I face difficult question, I forget formulas! Could not recollect anything!

Mother revealed- “she is very hot tempered, aggressive, start quarreling with her uncle and his family, I have to stop her to avoid complications. She always think about me and has a fear that I may be injured.

Her teacher suggested me to keep her in same standard as she is failed in Math. It will spoil a complete year of life. Doctor, please help us in this matter.”

 

Discussion

I first observe the journey of disease.

H/O-Headache

Sudden death of father

Suppression of menses ( not sure about suppression due to grief)

Humiliation / Insults-

Suppression of anger

Detachment with surrounding

Fear and anxiety (about mother)

Confusion

She is a flower developed on unhealthy soil.

She likes math but not able to solve those questions which are based on formulas; it is about Geometry, not about Algebra!

The following rubrics were considered:

 

Nat. mur, staphysagria, Ignatia, Nux vomica, Sepia and various remedies came up.

I verified all remedies with materia medica but could not find satisfactory match.

 

I again look in the rubric-

MIND – MATHEMATICS – inability for – geometry

Alum. Ambr. calc. caust. con.

In this case Calcarea, Causticum and Conium were not indicated.

Feel of Ambra was there but the characteristic symptom of shyness is missing. Finally decided to go with Alumina.

 

Gathered some points from Boericke, Phatak, Bailey, Frans Kusse, Vermeulen and Farrington’s materia medica about Alumina.

 

Here is the extract.

ALumina patient is physically thin, with bony facial features, and wrinkled brows and mentally unstable, with a tendency towards hysteria. Such patients often have a history of unstable childhood circumstances, including a family history of mental illness, father rarely available in home( in this case- father dead) and mother is quite detached( in this case- busy in fighting her own front),a reflection of the syphilitic miasm in the family. They do not have any role model in their life.

 

Alumina struggles to build a separate identity.

 

The first impression that the Alumina patient often gives is usually one of confusion. In many cases, Alumina’s mental confusion is present from childhood. She can be sluggish in the way she thinks and acts, as though her muscles are weak and inflexible. She needs all her attention to perform a single task, and find it difficult to do two things at once. She likes everything to proceed at her pace and in her own way. The Alumina child has difficulty learning, especially with regard to speech and writing, it becomes more obvious when the she tries to cope as an adult in the world. She then begins to feel overwhelmed, and incapable of making decisions and looking after herself. This generates anxiety, which reduces her self-confidence, making her thinking even less clear and resulting in Irresolution. Due to her weakly developed Will, she easily becomes victim of strong willed people.

 

There is inability to think and to use correct words while talking. Hence, we have ‘Inability to follow a train of thought’, ‘makes mistakes in writing and speaking’, rubrics in Alumina.

 

Alumina is prone to powerful emotions, particularly despair, anger and anxiety. The mood often alternates between despair and a relatively contented state, changing several times within a day (Rubric: ‘Mood changeable’). During depressive moods Alumina will feel hopeless.

 

There may be a great deal of weeping, or the patient may not weep at all, but simply withdraws into silence like Natrum and Aurum.

 

Alumina is predominantly a female remedy, and there is often a marked increase in moodiness before the menses. Both despair and aggression may increase at this time, along with the fear that the patient will hurt herself. Some Alumina patients want company when depressed, whilst others avoid it. She may be subject to sudden bouts of rage, although often she will not take out her rage on others, but rather slams doors and smashes things, or curses out loud ( Bailey).

 

If you ask specifically about impulses, she will confirm her impulse about suicide or homicide.

Alumina is an extremely anxious type, prone to panic attacks and phobias. Alumina’s fear often leads to insomnia. She will lie awake at night obsessively worrying about how she will cope with the next day

(In this case- how will I face Math?), or with some anticipated ordeal in the near future( In this case-they will hurt my mother)

Alumina’s hurriedness is often accompanied by a feeling of wanting to get away, to escape, although the patient has no idea where she wants to go to .

 

Prescription and Result

Alumina 10M has solved the case!

 

Conclusion

Honestly, discussion about prescription and follow- ups is not my cup of tea in this case. Here I want to throw the light on correct selection of rubric by considering the life space and family environment. If I would have considered the rubric (MIND – MATHEMATICS – inability for -aur. bell. calc. caust. falco-pe. kali-c. lyc. merc. rhus-t. staph. syph.), I might have never reached to Alumina.

 

It was not about the problem with mathematics, it was about her personality. She was not able to follow formulas.

 

What are formulas? A fix protocol; a mandatory rule to be applied.

 

Her inner voice rejected to follow rules/ protocol imposed by others; somewhere there is need of separate identity…a feeling ‘why should I follow other?’ but with lack of confidence.

In this case the need for remedy is not mathematics issue. She has hatred and anger for her uncle; anxiety about family; fear of mother getting injured and at the same time wants to run away from family; struggle of self-existence! Does not know what to do?

Alumina not only solved her confusion but also made her calm and confident.

Menses are regular.

I am pretty sure, she will be able to plan a crystal clear future!

I remember aph. 6. It guided us to be unbiased. Usually for such cases we think about Baryta carb, Stramonium, Hyosyamus Thea, etc.etc.

When I look at the patient with unprejudiced mind, I could reach to Alumina. It’s a time to diagnose the person beyond the complaints!

Materia medica is the ocean of valuable remedies. While selection, concentrate on “ What is to be cured in particular case? What is the need for remedy?” It will help you in transforming the lives!

Good luck.

 

About the Author:

Dr. Kavita Chandak.

Biography of author-Prof. Dr. Kavita R. Chandak (BHMS, PGNIH, PG(HOM) London, MD [HOM] PHD( France), Prof.Repertory ,P.D. Jain HMC. She is a Homeopathic international speaker and trainer; advisory board member at Turkey clinical journal;Board of Director,Afghanistan Homeopathic Association.

Her name is in the GOLDEN BOOK OF WORLD RECORDS for Homeopathy. She Presented many research papers in India and at international conferences and world congresses. Her book Health vs Disease was released in America and is available on Amazon as kindle. Dr. Chandak runs two clinics at Nagpur and a web clinic for the last 19 yrs. Her speciality areas are psychiatry, autism, infertility, allergies and cancer. She is the Director of the Padmaja Welfare Foundation NGO working for health awareness in society. Her articles has been published in various magazines, in Hpathy.com,Homeo horizon journal,CleverH magzine and Heritage Magazine. She has participated in 700 talk shows for non medicos with the theme” Prevention is better than Cure.” For more info visit her website: http://www.drkavitachandak.com