online case RH/Jan.01

[Rosemary Hyde]

Hi, Joy.

I guess I could use some enlightenment on this point of "layers." I always
thought that it was important to prescribe on the central nature of the case
before us. With this case, up to this time, we've been dealing with the
same central issue and its consequences -- the grief from the death of the
patient's partner, and the physical and emotional barriers that developed as
a consequence. Although I knew about some of the problems he'd had with his
father and I agree and see now that basically he's undoubtedly a lycopodium
individual, this was not the first presentation at all. At first, the focus
was grief and his inability to let go of events and circumstances and things
and grudges that had happened 20 years in the past. Once the presenting case
dissipates and, rather than seeing cure one is dealing with a different,
earlier emotional trauma serving as etiology for a different set of
symptoms, I always thought that this constituted a deeper layer of the case.

Obviously, I had no idea that his presentation would dramatically shift its
focus or his way of responding to the central emotional trauma. Now, he no
longer resembles Nat-m as he did before, and the central issues are no
longer Nat-m issues. Should I, nevertheless, continue expecting Nat-m to
resolve the whole case? Obviously, it's possible that had I seen through the
presenting surface to what lay underneath and known that this would resolve
into a Lycopodium picture, perhaps the resolution would have come more
quickly. But I've always been taught to prescribe based on what's there,
what presents, now, in the present and that potential underlying remedies
would not work if they're not on the surface.

Anyway, I'll look forward to learning from your wise comments.

Thank you. Rosemary C. Hyde

[Rochelle]

Hi Rosemary,
What you should prescribe on is what is the top layer at this minute now.
Ask your patient what is the most important symptom to be cured now. When
you have prescribed on what is presenting itself to you at this moment then
that layer will go and what is underneath will emerge for you to prescribe
on. It's like unpeeling an onion..
Regards, Rochelle
www.rochellemarsden.co.uk
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[Rosemary Hyde]

Hi, Rochelle.

I think what you said is what I had always understood. In this case, the
patient now very much wants cured the sensitivity on the right side of his
throat and the hacking cough -- both of which symptoms were not part of the
initial picture. This along with the fact that he now feels he's out of the
grief dilemma with its reluctance to move on and plan new things, and that
his previous physical symptoms had resolved to his satisfaction while he's
now presenting a different emotional picture completely is what made me
think this was a new layer, not just a continuating of the natrum healing
process (which had gone on for 14 months before there was a perceptible
shift in the whole case, energetically and symptom-wise.) Thanks for your
comment.

Rosemary C. Hyde

[Dave Hartley]

imho, this is DEAD WRONG.

I hear this line of thinking too often; this reply is not "personal."

The client not the homeopath.

The homeopath must (MUST !) be able to take a case, and to discern what is
to be cured.

The client's thoughts on what is most important are obviously solicited, but
quite often DO NOT represent what a competent homeopath will feel to be
"central to the case."

Treating SUPERFICIALLY.. minute-fragments of a FULL CASE ... CANNOT be
rationalized or justified by a superfical application of homeopathy &
Hahnemann's chronic-disease theories relating to "layers."

regards,
Dave Hartley
http://www.localcomputermart.com
Santa Cruz, CA (831)423-4284

Tri-Cities Computer (TN) |Asheville Computer (NC)
423-952-0983 or 877-245-3362 |(828)285-0240
$9.95 internet http://www.federalisp.com/?page=ispsignup

[Rochelle]

Interesting, as what I wrote below was what I have been taught. Listen to
the patient's words( I had a patient a couple of weeks ago who was telling
me in all ways to give her Dolphin - haven't done a follow up yet!!)Look at
the signs they are giving you. Ask what s/he feels is the most important
thing to be cured. This was what was drummed into me. I reckon in the
majority of cases I am able to help my patients on some level.I don't
profess to be able to achieve the final accolade - the similimum and am not
sure how possible this is in today's society of pollution, vaccinations,
stress etc!!
Regards, Rochelle
www.rochellemarsden.co.uk

[Joy Lucas]

Dear Rosemary, just a few more comments on your case.

I have been meaning to ask you about an aspect of this case which we glossed
over somewhat - and that is his sexual needs.

In your first presentation he says... He has wealthy woman friends who pay
his way to exclusive benefits and performances to which he wears his tux and
where he enhances their image by being the elegant escort.

and also.... He is still mourning this partner. He keeps looking for a new
partner, but he really wants the former one. Therefore, everyone he dates is
unavailable for one reason or another, or he rejects them all as
uninteresting. He dates each potential person only once, then moves on. He
admits to being sexually compulsive, and has had dozens and dozens of
one-night partners in this way, sometimes several times a week. He says
sometimes he thinks about sex 24 hours a day.

There appears to be a number of things going on here. Is he boasting,
bragging or covering up an impotence for example. LYCOPODIUM has this theme
of impotence, literally as well as emotionally which shows as cowardice.
This is why they cover up their sense of lack by putting on a show of
bravado to protect their ego which needs regular doses of being puffed up -
hence the elegant escort situation. They can also tell really big lies about
their sexual prowess to cover up.

MEDORRHINUM also has this theme of covering up. Sankaran tell us of a
case..."I am ok as long as my weakness is covered up. I know my weakness is
not fatal to me, it is not the end. But if it is exposed, I will be
criticised. I will lose a lot, people will take advantage of me and my
position will come down. Therefore I must do all I can to see that this
weakness is not exposed. I may have to be overactive in the opposite
direction as a result." So the result is a lot of fear and anxiety.
MEDORRHINUM shares with ARGENTUM NITRICUM the 'anticipation if a time is
set' - a strong aspect of this case.

So can you tell us anymore about the sexual aspect of this case? I would
also be curious as to what his relationship with R. was really like and what
was he like before that relationship.

There are some obvious pointers to LYCOPODIUM in your case. You may or may
not know that LYC. is an ancient plant form. And again Sankaran reminds us
that several thousands of years ago LYCOPODIUM was actually a huge tree and
over the years it has been reduced to a small fern - club moss. So this is
where the notion of SMALLNESS comes from. This is how profound it is to
damage the ego of a LYC. and his father certainly seems to have done this. I
am wondering to what extent his partner did this as well.

LYC. is also a counterpart to ARG. NIT.

Here we have an interesting trilogy of remedies - LYCOPODIUM, MEDORRHINUM,
ARGENTUM NITRICUM which you might feel is worthy of some comparisons.

Good luck and we look forward to further follow-ups of your case.

Best wishes, Joy Lucas

[Rosemary Hyde]

Thanks, Joy.

Yes, I agree with your evaluation of his sexual situation. I don't know
what he was like before meeting Robert -- he has not addressed this at all.
But it seems fairly clear that there was in the case an element of
exaggeration in all of his behaviors around sexuality, and that underneath
there was a different feeling of potential inadequacy. He, at least in the
20 years of his grieving over R's death, had idealized R to such an extent
that it's hard to get an objective picture now of what the relationship was
like. I was aware of Sankaran's information about the history of Lycopodium
as an organism, and that's why the patient leading off this time with a
statement about his father making him feel small, followed by a recurrent
dream in which he was too big made me think of Lycopodium immediately.

Both the anticipation if a time is set and the inability to start another
relationship as opposed to serial one night dating have changed radically in
the past few months in this case. These are among the reasons why Arg-n
seems to fit the case less well now. Also, although he was previously drawn
to sweets (although salt was a stronger craving) -- another possible
indicator of Arg-n -- this too has changed rather dramatically, and his food
preferences have evened out. As I said, he really has cleared off the whole
initial set of issues and manifestations and seems like a different person.
This different person was lurking there under the initial presentation, I
can see this clearly. But the other symptoms were much stronger and were
the urgent ones then, so this "lurking" persona wasn't at all clear
initially.

I've wondered about giving a nosode periodically throughout this case, but
that too was unclear -- medorrhinum or carcinosin??? So I didn't, and just
kept waiting till each set of responses stalled before doing anything --
which is why the case has been evolving very slowly for over a year.

Analyzing it in depth this way has been a wonderful learning opportunity for
me. Thanks so much for your provocative suggestions. Rosemary C. Hyde