A girl of 16 years old; she comes from a large family that is strictly religious, with a good family bond, which because of the bustle can also be burdening. She is charming, good-looking, in her behaviour she has a childlikeness, bouncy, but she is also romantic and knows how to get attention from everyone in a subtle way with charm and her beautiful appearance. She actually does want to stand out, to be special, but at home the attention is divided fairly, just like the chores. Everyone in the family gets sincere and intense attention, but it does have to be shared. She would most like to join in with the older ones; this remains a longing, you can see it in her clinging attention, but there is no space or time for it. She is able, between all the rules and expectations, to follow her own path in appearance and behaviour. All of this happens within the clear boundaries that exist for it within the family and the church community. She finds infatuation and attention especially very exciting. Her whole bedroom is pink, wallpaper full of little hearts, photos of favourite friends and good-looking advertising faces. She can be enormously angry and rage, usually as a reaction to and going along with the behaviour of brothers and sisters. Previously she was treated for abdominal complaints;
Artemisia absinthium MK gave improvement.
After two years something has happened at school, she is on the outs, the other girls think she behaves strangely. She eats very little, complains about her belly, the suspicion is anorexia. At school she has become very emotional, she says that there are 'very terrible things'. She is shunned by her classmates. These problems started with new girls in the class, who found her strange; she herself thought that she was found 'too fat'. In primary school she was also bullied for a time, she then had to vomit, walked bent over with the pain and also had bowel complaints. That lasted for months at the time. This year they had not noticed anything about her at home.
Last year she had a boyfriend, who had already had several girls, which was very difficult for her, because for herself it was so serious. She sleeps well, is always cold. Terribly nervous when they are going to eat at home, transfers the tension to the others. When she is home alone in the evening, she is afraid, even that the doorbell will ring. She says 'I feel very alone, even in a room full'. No one may know it. Once she had a dream, she had a fat belly, they told her 'you are pregnant'. After Collinsonia MK things go well for a while (theme of friends, group, being on the outs, withdrawing).
For half a year, through therapy, she gets extra attention, conversations, an eye is kept on what she eats, if necessary she is fed. The anorexia now seems over. Playful, not exposing herself, the 'slippery bar of soap', staying well within her emotional boundaries, she can shut herself off perfectly and completely, senses well when attention is going towards her, and decides herself what she shows or lets be felt. She now suffers from sour belches, and sometimes feels very strange: in the family a mild form of epilepsy occurs, at the time she herself also had symptoms of it, which disappeared after
Artemisia absinthium. She then suddenly becomes very strange (at that moment she thinks back on it, and for a brief instant she is a small child again, hidden in the magical, in a little world of her own). 'Suddenly I am then very strange, I then don't know what has happened, I am quieter, feel nauseous and for a moment don't know what has happened. I do know it, but it then seems very long ago, it lasts about a minute'.
This happens every week, usually at home. Now she tells thoughtfully, she has for a moment lost her role and her lines, embarrassed when I ask about menstruation. She shields herself, back on the chair, bending forward to shield the lower abdomen, addressing me formally. It is accompanied by abdominal pain, she uses paracetamol. Talking about school, she tells that it is nice, blushing slightly, she is suddenly a child again, ingenuous.
Analysis The description of the girl: beautiful, slender, cute, has of herself or creates a light atmosphere, she is clinging with attention towards others, and also with receiving. The mother confirms that this used to be even more so, wanting attention, attracting attention, feeling special, being chosen. This has been seen before with Tilia.
She knows how to get extra attention, to discuss problems, to give people the feeling that it is good and pleasant to give her attention. This seems a natural thing, spontaneous, something that has always been there; it does create expectations in her. If there is no time for attention or if it is shared, or the attention is not very complimentary, that hurts her.
She enjoys being admired, being modest and yet in the centre, being the favourite. Attention and admiration fit Tilia. Not the responsibility that the older ones have, but being able to look on at the little ones who do not yet have privileges. Having a constant charge, cautiously keeping feeling her way around, as a quality, but being able to get stuck in this, doing nothing, expecting that it will all just happen. As a trait, which stays with her even during performing and being decisive, as an undertone or actually an overtone. A twinkle on the colouring.
Malvales: the capacity to 'feel', the surroundings, the people. The component of being strong, sure of oneself (what is now named under
Phase 4), and 'not yet being there', not yet being ready for it, dependent on compliments, encouragements (what is now known of
Phase 3).
Stage 9: she tries very hard, she has sensors for whether it is 'entirely right or not', what she wants, the attention, approval of her behaviour). Compare 'smart one', as a theme of
Stage 9), being judged.
Tilia europaea: it is about attention, appreciation, romance, the ideal love or attention. The clinging energy.
Prescription: Tilia europeae C200.
Follow up Over the coming three months things go well; her attitude is now soft and vulnerable, even downy, she finally seems to be well in reality. She shuts herself off with her posture, legs or arms, but the face is more open. She speaks very clearly. She describes herself as 'a bit cheerful, a bit boisterous, a bit grumpy'. No more of the sharp edges, the family says.
Less fretting, 'what am I supposed to say about that, I have friends, we talk a lot'.
With talking about nutrition and food, she is for a moment completely 'gone', she can still withdraw from contact, and seems able to steer herself well in this. When there is something exciting now, she becomes very boisterous, and talks a lot and becomes really 'boiling hot'. When I am in bed then, she has to fan with the blankets, during the day I have that too. At a friend's or in a lesson, she has a bright red face the whole time. Those are situations she finds exciting. She sleeps well, she has no dreams. About her work and about people you notice that she does know it very well, but is very cautious in naming it. She has bad breath, she can smell it herself too, has a tendency to talk with her hand in front of her mouth, and does not stand too close to people. That has been so for months. The brief 'blanking out' has happened twice more over the past months, she then feels light in the head, is nauseous, has to swallow. This lasts very briefly, everything seems to go a bit back and forth, from left to right and back. The memory of it is very vague. It is less often, shorter, and lasts a few seconds: the reaction shifts from central to vegetative.
Six months later things are still going well. Remarkable is that she plays 'schoolteacher' for her little brothers and sisters, intervening and correcting a lot. She still complains of cramps in the belly, improved by warm drinks. She plays a role, the charming young lady, turning away from responsibility (from the adult world). The eating is going well.