Author:
Maarten van der Meer
Book:
Evolution of analysis
Type:
Case
Chapter:
3-665.73.06
Citrus aurantium 3-655.44.11
A 50-year-old woman appears vital, tall, and very expressive, with a receptive alertness. She is expressive, dynamic, and speaks clearly. She seeks help for poor sleep, which has been ongoing for months. When sleeping away from home, such as on vacation, the problem worsens. Falling asleep is not an issue, but after 1 or 2 hours, she suddenly wakes up fully alert, still feels tired, but her mind becomes very busy. Upon waking, she experiences anxiety, feeling suffocated by the darkness. This has led to a fear of going to bed, creating stress. She describes the sensation as being “buried alive.” Sometimes, she gets up briefly to distract herself, but the restlessness lingers. Distraction helps temporarily, but the anxiety may return, often taking 1- 2 hours to subside. She has congenital deafness in her right ear, while the eardrum in her left ear is damaged.
She suffered many ear infections during her student years and has used a hearing aid for the past 10 years.
Last year, she started a new job, which was exciting and busy. At that time, she sometimes woke up early, but it was a different type of sleep disturbance. Her work involves communication and advice in healthcare.
Her career has always been in education and social involvement. She finds the current focus on healthcare and research fascinating, learning a great deal. Although it’s not difficult work, it’s very busy as everything is new. Over the past few months, nothing else has changed. Everything is well-balanced, including her home life. She finds menopause interesting. Although she doesn’t notice it herself, her husband says she has become more “bitchy,” and she has had some night sweats. Her dreams are often busy, with many events occurring. She used to sleep well and enjoys power naps. She goes to bed at 11 p.m. and always reads before sleeping. She has tried avoiding alcohol, which she finds challenging. The lack of sleep itself doesn’t bother her, but the anxiety does. She exercises twice a week to prevent lower back pain, which began five years ago.
Due to bloating and flatulence, she eats less meat and dairy. The lower back pain can be sudden and severe, with stabbing sensations. She takes painkillers and finds that staying active helps. She has a high pain threshold. There is no family history of similar complaints. She grew up in a small, safe, cheerful village.
She studied abroad and lived there for several years. Her hobbies include cooking, maintaining a herb garden, and enjoying theater and cabaret.
Analysis
Silver series: Interest in herself, her work, education, science, and culture.
Phase 4: Her demeanor, attitude, and stable childhood.
Stage 11: She has a heavy workload and wants to persevere.
Her main issue is the anxiety and shock upon waking, not fatigue. Searching within the mentioned parameters, focusing on Classe and Phase, the rubric "starting on waking" in the repertory points to Citrus aurantium.
Prescription: Citrus aurantium C200.
Follow-up
She experienced several good nights immediately after taking the remedy. After a week, she had one restless night and another disturbed night due to coughing. "It's quite under control now, but I still sometimes wonder, ‘Will it go well?’ when going to bed" (a Stage 11 expression, reflecting both control and concern).
Sometimes she wakes up to use the bathroom but can go back to sleep easily. She has experienced lower back pain again, which feels very stiff in the sacral area and occurs more frequently. She now sleeps more deeply and wakes up as she used to. Her dreams remain frequent and abstract. She hasn’t noticed any further night sweats, and her mood remains unchanged, according to her husband. Interestingly, she now wakes up exactly at 6:15 a.m. every morning. Her sleep remains consistently good.