We prescribed Hyoscyamus (Henbane) 30c, again one dose. Hyoscyamus is
known, along with Lachesis, to be a prominent remedy for jealousy, and also fit
most of his other symptoms just as well as Lachesis. In fact, we were amazed
at how both of these remedies covered the case so beautifully. Phosphorus also
came up very high in the repertorization, and and may be needed by later by
Ed because of his charming, sympathetic nature, and his personal and family
history of tuberculosis.
Ed's response to the Hyoscyamus was much deeper and long-lasting than to
Lachesis . His sleep was much better. The jealous thoughts, if they came, were
much easier to discard. His mind felt clearer. Everything was more in focus. He
was now convinced that his thought about his wife having slept with the other
man was really his own delusion. He now felt that the rocks which were covering
him were gone.
He did wonderfully until about three months later when he was served
coffee ice cream without knowing it. He dreamt just before that he was going to
antidote his remedy. He had a terrible stomach ache right after eating the ice
cream. His heartburn was worse since then and he felt more impatient again.
Jealousy was not a problem. His creativity was "fantastic". He felt he had
experienced "an awakening " since the remedy. "I feel love in my heart. I am
able to change my material desires into compassion. I've never been like this
before in my life. I have a sense of tranquility. I understand things I never
understood before. When women approach me now, I feel sorry for them rather
than considering it an opportunity to take advantage of them." At that time,
we gave Ed one dose of Hyoscyamus 200c. He has done extremely well since
then.
3. Carol: Due to her profound shame and feeling of ugliness, we gave Carol
Thuja (Arbor vitae).
The essence of the remedy Thuja is one in which the person feels a profound
sense of shame and ugliness. This shame may stem from a deep, dark secret such
as sexual abuse or a family history of alcoholism, or result from an
embarassment. It is common, in such cases, to see a history of poor
self-esteem, lack of self-confidence, anorexia, bulimia, , and other
self-destructive behaviors. The source of shame may seem trivial or
superficial to others (Carol's birthmark was hardly noticeable to us), but is a
very real cause of profound suffering for the individual . Due to their shame,
they tend to isolate themselves from the world and may feel a lifelong sense of
alienation from others.
We first gave Carol Thuja 30c daily, rather than a single dose of a 200c
or 1M, because she was still on antidepressants. She began, over a period of
several months, to feel more attractive and better about herself. We then gave
her one dose of Thuja 200c. Her self- esteem continued to improve steadily.
Within six months she met a man with whom she shared a deep love and rapport
and they married six months later. Her bulimia had not stopped entirely, but
had lessened. She has not needed further homeopathic treatment.
In each of these cases, a profound shift, or transformation occurred in
the individual. After homeopathic treatment, they each had an expanded range
of potential and possibility in their lives. For Elizabeth, this meant being
more in touch with and functional in the world and having more physical
mobility. Although she would always be developmentally disabled, her range of
capacity was much increased. In Ed's case, he was freed rom the irrational
jealousy which was crippling his marriage and severely limiting his creativity
and inner peace. Carol , finally able to accept herself, was able to attract
the loving relationship she always wanted. These are the kinds of
transformation that make both the homeopath and thepatient feel deeply
rewarded.