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Polygala senega
Year 2025, Issue 8, Article 10CaseAuthor: Helena van Dijk
Man, 53 years old.He has had headaches his entire life, and both are worse after parties or nights out and drinking alcohol.
He is a financial man, head of his department. Presentations weigh heavily on him, even though there have been discussions beforehand. He has had a lot of sleep problems in recent years, sleeps poorly from Sunday to Monday and before presentations or sales pitches or important meetings.
His father was modest, not very assertive, a good man, loved him. He died of heart failure at 61, I was 30, didn't have any children yet. We talked about it a lot with my wife and family. My mother was closed off, a complicated relationship, difficult to have a conversation with, she jumps from one topic to another. She was good at basic care but not at personal development, I never connected with her. She could question the most trivial things. She adapted. He missed the wise woman. And the confirmation, the support. When he passed his exam, she only asked when the next one was. ‘She projected her insecurities onto us, and that was often about money, even though she was so well off.’ And he says he is like her in that respect. On the other hand, she could also come across as confident. He recognises himself in that too. Both himself and his father are conflict avoiders. Especially at work, conflicts cause unrest and uncertainty. In therapy, it was sometimes said that he was like a chameleon.
He is the third of three children. Not bad, not intense.
About his anticipation and sleep problems, he says: "The presentation itself goes well, but I don't feel well, so it could be better. He also has irregular bowel movements and constipation when stressed. When he was 3, 4, 5 years old, he already had regular headaches. It was better for a while when he was given blood pressure medication, but then it came back. When he had to work from home a lot and had fewer appointments, it was better. He feels nauseous with the headaches, and when asked, also with fairground attractions. He enjoys his job, but it is also stressful; he wants to do very well. He is a thinker, dealing with complex issues. The fact that it has become more complex is less enjoyable. It is more difficult to get people with so many different wishes on the same page. ‘Ten years ago, I was ultimately responsible at work, now it's like a burden on my shoulders,’ he says. He is an all-rounder, he can oversee many different issues without excelling in all areas. This enables him to instruct people well. ‘When I die, there is nothing. I can't imagine there being anything else,’ he says when I ask him about religiosity or spirituality. He does talk to his deceased father and likes to hear him say, ‘It'll be alright.’ Every day, a fragment of a thought about his father crosses his mind. He would like to ask him what was bothering him in the past, my mother's uncertainty, which would drive me crazy.When I was 3 or 4 years old, I hit my head very hard on a steel swing. The headache is unfamiliar. At 16, he had growing pains in his knees, not cramps but more pain. And he had acne (you can still see it on his skin). In the last year, his digestion has been irregular, a few days nothing, then twice a day again. He now sleeps 7.5 hours a night. He used to avoid things, especially anything involving exposure, such as swimming pools or hazing rituals where you had to be bare-chested. He wouldn't do those things. The acne he had on his back and face during puberty also made him insecure. He was bullied and teased about it. The acne remained until he was 45. He never had boils. He did take medication for the acne, which helped to some extent. Now he has headaches every week, usually at the weekend, usually at night. He feels it coming on during the day, feels sick in his head, it pulls to the left or right. Around 7 p.m. it becomes really clear, until midnight, then it subsides with painkillers. He can suppress it with ibuprofen. It starts in the neck muscles, moves to the left, deeper into the head, and can be on both sides. It stings, above the ears, deep in the head. It gets worse when I feel nauseous, then I have to sit still or move very quietly. I can't lie down, I have to keep my upper body upright. Then I lie down on the bed with the door closed and the lights off. I do relaxation exercises, which help in combination with a painkiller. It is triggered by thinking, wanting to be in control. If he sleeps through the night, it is gone when he wakes up. That is not always the case; if I still wake up with it in the morning, it takes another two days for it to go away. It is triggered by analysing. Where others give up, I keep thinking. He doesn't remember his dreams; he forgets them quickly. He doesn't have nightmares. He is open, wants to help, is thoughtful, and others can turn to him for advice and counsel. They can trust him; he is loyal, also for fun, going out to eat, doing things together, avoiding conflict with his friends. I ask the physiotherapist about this. He has had conflicts at work, but he deals with them even though he finds it difficult. He does not argue, sometimes he avoids things, does not shake someone's hand because he does not know how to behave. Then I withdraw into myself and get a headache. He had a short period without responsibilities and did not have headaches during that period. He says: ‘I blow things out of proportion and make them bigger than they are, I am afraid of failing’. He drinks four cups of coffee a day. Calcium carbonicum 10MFollow-upSix weeks later: apart from the hangover, he no longer has headaches. However, he still suffers from that fear of failure, feeling insecure and restless sleep. He is also nervous about whether he is sleeping well because he feels that if he is less fit, he performs less well. He sometimes wonders whether he should do something else. His bowel movements are better, less constipated. The empty feeling he has after a heavy bowel movement is less frequent. He repeated the Calcium carbonicum 10M after 2 weeks and has not taken it since. We will continue with Calcium carbonicum 10M once a month as needed. Then, four months later, he went on holiday. It seems as if being out of rhythm triggers his headaches. So there were more headaches. He does feel more relaxed. He keeps track of his headaches, and many were after alcohol consumption, for example a few beers. Despite being very busy, he does feel better. Arnica montana 10M and I give him Nux-v C30 for when he goes out.
Two months later, things are going quite well, he feels better about himself and is less agitated. Apart from some tension headaches, he no longer has headaches. He is no longer so incredibly stressed before a presentation. When colleagues leave work, he still thinks “oh dear” at first, but there is a change in how he deals with it. He is less worried when things go wrong. He also took Nux vomica when he had a stressful task the next day. He wanted to prevent the headaches and night-time restlessness. He also took Calcium carbonicum 10M once a month. In the months that followed, we continued to search for a more suitable remedy. Sulphur seemed to help a little, but not really. He also tried Ignatia and Gelsemium sempervirens in C200 for his stress. He started taking the latter because he had run out of Ignatia. But the fear of failure remains, it is greater than the moment to shine and that bothers him, because he wants to “shine”, he says. When he sleeps poorly, he is restless, overly alert and has anticipatory anxiety. I give him Rhododendron C200, but a month later it is clear that it is not working. He is probably not a 664. I give him Coffea C200 because of the symptoms of restlessness before the upcoming event. He also enjoys it and wants to “shine”. A month later, even after drinking a lot of alcohol, he hardly has any headaches, so that is going very well, but the anticipation remains. The poor sleep has actually been going on since he got promoted in 2010. His boss is happy with him. The responsibility towards the customers weighs heavily on him. I think of 644 and then something with Phase 5, the promotion, the hesitation, I have to do something else and come on Polygala senega MK. After that, he is fine. Sometimes he is not 100% relaxed before a presentation, but when he feels good about himself, he says he can take on the whole world. The preparations go a lot smoother, the work is more enjoyable. Even for a big presentation in Switzerland, it went well. He also won a presentation against a competitor that was make or break. At home, his mother made a comment about his “two left hands”, as she often did (he did build his own carport and canopy), and his sister agreed. Then he said something about it. His sister had an “aha moment”: I actually suffer from that too, from those negative comments from our mother! He has much less stress and sleeps well. His relief is also much better. Well, and then there are the phases and position of Polygala senega. DiscussionYou would rather think of silver series, but everything happens in his work, that's where it's all triggered. He is not spiritual, so not 66 but 644. Phase 5, wanting to move to a higher level in his work, then getting the promotion and having to continue to perform to stay there. But phase 1, where Polygala senega is now... isn't it phase 3? And his stage seems to me to be 9? But how does that fit with his feeling of not wanting to be seen? Why did Calcium carbonicum work well in the beginning? He tackles it all, so it's not phase 2.
He is a financial man, head of his department. Presentations weigh heavily on him, even though there have been discussions beforehand. He has had a lot of sleep problems in recent years, sleeps poorly from Sunday to Monday and before presentations or sales pitches or important meetings.
His father was modest, not very assertive, a good man, loved him. He died of heart failure at 61, I was 30, didn't have any children yet. We talked about it a lot with my wife and family. My mother was closed off, a complicated relationship, difficult to have a conversation with, she jumps from one topic to another. She was good at basic care but not at personal development, I never connected with her. She could question the most trivial things. She adapted. He missed the wise woman. And the confirmation, the support. When he passed his exam, she only asked when the next one was. ‘She projected her insecurities onto us, and that was often about money, even though she was so well off.’ And he says he is like her in that respect. On the other hand, she could also come across as confident. He recognises himself in that too. Both himself and his father are conflict avoiders. Especially at work, conflicts cause unrest and uncertainty. In therapy, it was sometimes said that he was like a chameleon.
He is the third of three children. Not bad, not intense.
About his anticipation and sleep problems, he says: "The presentation itself goes well, but I don't feel well, so it could be better. He also has irregular bowel movements and constipation when stressed. When he was 3, 4, 5 years old, he already had regular headaches. It was better for a while when he was given blood pressure medication, but then it came back. When he had to work from home a lot and had fewer appointments, it was better. He feels nauseous with the headaches, and when asked, also with fairground attractions. He enjoys his job, but it is also stressful; he wants to do very well. He is a thinker, dealing with complex issues. The fact that it has become more complex is less enjoyable. It is more difficult to get people with so many different wishes on the same page. ‘Ten years ago, I was ultimately responsible at work, now it's like a burden on my shoulders,’ he says. He is an all-rounder, he can oversee many different issues without excelling in all areas. This enables him to instruct people well. ‘When I die, there is nothing. I can't imagine there being anything else,’ he says when I ask him about religiosity or spirituality. He does talk to his deceased father and likes to hear him say, ‘It'll be alright.’ Every day, a fragment of a thought about his father crosses his mind. He would like to ask him what was bothering him in the past, my mother's uncertainty, which would drive me crazy.When I was 3 or 4 years old, I hit my head very hard on a steel swing. The headache is unfamiliar. At 16, he had growing pains in his knees, not cramps but more pain. And he had acne (you can still see it on his skin). In the last year, his digestion has been irregular, a few days nothing, then twice a day again. He now sleeps 7.5 hours a night. He used to avoid things, especially anything involving exposure, such as swimming pools or hazing rituals where you had to be bare-chested. He wouldn't do those things. The acne he had on his back and face during puberty also made him insecure. He was bullied and teased about it. The acne remained until he was 45. He never had boils. He did take medication for the acne, which helped to some extent. Now he has headaches every week, usually at the weekend, usually at night. He feels it coming on during the day, feels sick in his head, it pulls to the left or right. Around 7 p.m. it becomes really clear, until midnight, then it subsides with painkillers. He can suppress it with ibuprofen. It starts in the neck muscles, moves to the left, deeper into the head, and can be on both sides. It stings, above the ears, deep in the head. It gets worse when I feel nauseous, then I have to sit still or move very quietly. I can't lie down, I have to keep my upper body upright. Then I lie down on the bed with the door closed and the lights off. I do relaxation exercises, which help in combination with a painkiller. It is triggered by thinking, wanting to be in control. If he sleeps through the night, it is gone when he wakes up. That is not always the case; if I still wake up with it in the morning, it takes another two days for it to go away. It is triggered by analysing. Where others give up, I keep thinking. He doesn't remember his dreams; he forgets them quickly. He doesn't have nightmares. He is open, wants to help, is thoughtful, and others can turn to him for advice and counsel. They can trust him; he is loyal, also for fun, going out to eat, doing things together, avoiding conflict with his friends. I ask the physiotherapist about this. He has had conflicts at work, but he deals with them even though he finds it difficult. He does not argue, sometimes he avoids things, does not shake someone's hand because he does not know how to behave. Then I withdraw into myself and get a headache. He had a short period without responsibilities and did not have headaches during that period. He says: ‘I blow things out of proportion and make them bigger than they are, I am afraid of failing’. He drinks four cups of coffee a day. Calcium carbonicum 10MFollow-upSix weeks later: apart from the hangover, he no longer has headaches. However, he still suffers from that fear of failure, feeling insecure and restless sleep. He is also nervous about whether he is sleeping well because he feels that if he is less fit, he performs less well. He sometimes wonders whether he should do something else. His bowel movements are better, less constipated. The empty feeling he has after a heavy bowel movement is less frequent. He repeated the Calcium carbonicum 10M after 2 weeks and has not taken it since. We will continue with Calcium carbonicum 10M once a month as needed. Then, four months later, he went on holiday. It seems as if being out of rhythm triggers his headaches. So there were more headaches. He does feel more relaxed. He keeps track of his headaches, and many were after alcohol consumption, for example a few beers. Despite being very busy, he does feel better. Arnica montana 10M and I give him Nux-v C30 for when he goes out.
Two months later, things are going quite well, he feels better about himself and is less agitated. Apart from some tension headaches, he no longer has headaches. He is no longer so incredibly stressed before a presentation. When colleagues leave work, he still thinks “oh dear” at first, but there is a change in how he deals with it. He is less worried when things go wrong. He also took Nux vomica when he had a stressful task the next day. He wanted to prevent the headaches and night-time restlessness. He also took Calcium carbonicum 10M once a month. In the months that followed, we continued to search for a more suitable remedy. Sulphur seemed to help a little, but not really. He also tried Ignatia and Gelsemium sempervirens in C200 for his stress. He started taking the latter because he had run out of Ignatia. But the fear of failure remains, it is greater than the moment to shine and that bothers him, because he wants to “shine”, he says. When he sleeps poorly, he is restless, overly alert and has anticipatory anxiety. I give him Rhododendron C200, but a month later it is clear that it is not working. He is probably not a 664. I give him Coffea C200 because of the symptoms of restlessness before the upcoming event. He also enjoys it and wants to “shine”. A month later, even after drinking a lot of alcohol, he hardly has any headaches, so that is going very well, but the anticipation remains. The poor sleep has actually been going on since he got promoted in 2010. His boss is happy with him. The responsibility towards the customers weighs heavily on him. I think of 644 and then something with Phase 5, the promotion, the hesitation, I have to do something else and come on Polygala senega MK. After that, he is fine. Sometimes he is not 100% relaxed before a presentation, but when he feels good about himself, he says he can take on the whole world. The preparations go a lot smoother, the work is more enjoyable. Even for a big presentation in Switzerland, it went well. He also won a presentation against a competitor that was make or break. At home, his mother made a comment about his “two left hands”, as she often did (he did build his own carport and canopy), and his sister agreed. Then he said something about it. His sister had an “aha moment”: I actually suffer from that too, from those negative comments from our mother! He has much less stress and sleeps well. His relief is also much better. Well, and then there are the phases and position of Polygala senega. DiscussionYou would rather think of silver series, but everything happens in his work, that's where it's all triggered. He is not spiritual, so not 66 but 644. Phase 5, wanting to move to a higher level in his work, then getting the promotion and having to continue to perform to stay there. But phase 1, where Polygala senega is now... isn't it phase 3? And his stage seems to me to be 9? But how does that fit with his feeling of not wanting to be seen? Why did Calcium carbonicum work well in the beginning? He tackles it all, so it's not phase 2.