Abelmoschus moschatus

Remedy code: 3-655.33.01
The following example shows a clear and characteristic Malvaceae picture. A ten-year-old boy, solidly but softly built, comes in with the diagnosis of PDD-NOS. Both parents are present, exuding calmness. He is visibly surprised by the novelty and unfamiliar environment. The parents gently guide him, ostensibly to "initiate the conversation," cautiously yet firmly, shielding him with their words. They direct all attention and their remarks about him towards him. Throughout the consultation, they are protective, and probing, but maintain distance; continually sensing how far they can approach him with attention, gauging when it’s enough, whether it resonates, and skillfully identifying the boundary of his “awareness.” The boy himself fidgets, observes, and moves cautiously, but tries hard to articulate what’s on his mind. His voice is nasal, whining in tone, and often very unclear, as if he is too lost in his thoughts, not speaking outwardly enough, figuratively, and also too far back in his mouth. A “gentle giant,” his face is strong, especially the lower jaw. At school, he doesn’t pay attention and looks at other things; he’s a slow starter. “Sometimes it’s so busy in my head, I want to know everything, I think to myself that I already know it.” If something doesn’t work out, he gets upset quickly, becoming nervous and angry. His concentration in the afternoon is poor, and generally, he’s easily distracted. Information doesn’t register with him; you have to say things four times, and you must “connect” with him before he responds with, “Did you say something?” Group explanations of lessons don’t get through to him. At school, he always thinks he’s the one responsible when the teacher says something or when the class gets punished. In groups, he often goes on joking or chatting a little too long. Things are generally fine, say the parents, because they’ve stopped team sports; it made him too restless, though he needs sports to expend his energy. “I was the best on the team,” but he struggled with losing. At school, he had trouble connecting with other children and lagged in speech development. He needs a lot of structure; as long as you support him, things go well. He is receiving physical therapy for his motor skills. “The foundation is familial,” the father and grandfather have it too, but they manage it well. The father recognizes much of himself in his son: “It has something to do with fear,” he says, swallowing hard. He is a large, tough, and strong-looking man. “It’s bravado, a little shield he builds up. He gets along well with the group.” Examples of his fears: there was a burglary once, and since then, he wakes up and comes to his parents. At a theater, when a clown came on stage, he fled. He doesn’t dare go to the football stadium with his father; he finds it too overwhelming. On vacation, he gets so anxious he can’t sleep, cries a lot, and wants to go home, becoming restless and short-tempered. The parents want him to learn to embrace something new. He explains that vacations are stressful: “I’m not very good at making friends...” During the conversation, it becomes apparent how much he observes his parents’ reactions; he constantly watches how they respond, how they look, and how it comes across. He likes to be well-prepared for what’s coming, even down to what they’re going to eat. If things don’t go as planned or as he expects, he’s completely thrown off. A pleasant anticipation cannot be redirected. He can become so angry—it’s a recurring issue—that you lose him entirely (notably, this behavior only comes up later in the discussion, approached cautiously and indirectly). “When I’m angry, I destroy as much as I can.” During sports, he could become furious; his father would grab and hold him tightly. He would be full of tension, and only after a few minutes would he start to “melt.” He once went after a referee with a stick. He grumbles about other children on the team: “They sit pathetically on the sidelines while I’m giving it my all.” His outbursts of anger shock his environment. At school, he might give someone a hard slap, making others scared of him afterward. He might throw the gaming console on the floor, slam doors, or stomp on his bed. If someone acts angry or if the teacher is strict, he gets angry too. He is receiving training from a behavioral therapist. Pregnancy and birth were uneventful. Until the age of three, he was afraid to defecate, holding it in for days, fearing the toilet. As a toddler, he drooled excessively, wore a bib, and underwent speech therapy. He is rarely ill. Up to the age of five, he was often severely congested, frequently needed antibiotics, and had his tonsils removed twice. The father is driven, moving firmly in one direction, and recognizes the “clinging to an idea, a vision.” When the boy is sick, it is always intense and severe. After vomiting once, he developed a significant fear of it. He sleeps well but has dreams: about burglars, fun things like driving a car (where he gets to steer), or about people or police. He also has frightening dreams, waking up sweaty: someone with a weapon, someone scaring him, a thief. Often in his dreams, he wants to scream, but it doesn’t work. He grinds his teeth in his sleep. On vacation, he was willing to sleep alone in a tent, but at home, he always comes to his parents around 4 a.m. Hobbies include tinkering, cycling, playing outside, fishing, and collecting things. He wants to become a race car driver, though his friends comment, “Do you think so?” At times, he experiences diarrhea, which is watery. They have a cat at home, to which his father is allergic (eyes and airways). The boy is afraid of wasps, screaming when he sees them. He is fascinated by uneducated people and the disadvantaged.AnalysisThis prescription predates the development of Wonderful Plants. Based on plant families (Scholten's dictations 2005 and van der Meer 2009 case studies), there are clear characteristics of the Malvaceae family: probing, softness and sensing the environment, both from himself and the parents. Voice and throat are notable: speech, drooling, development, and swallowing away tension. The expression of anger and internalized tension. Despite his aggression, the boy is very gentle, non-invasive, and sensitive. Within this family, a suitable remedy was sought. The need for protection, outbursts, anger, fear of insects and wasps— all these features have been observed in Abelmoschus. The resemblance to the father, especially as the eldest child, is also significant. The father had an anxiety disorder, stayed home on medication, and later started working for himself because he didn’t dare leave the house. He always had many plans and ideas but lacked the courage to execute them. This can be seen as a Phase
Remedy code: 3 aspect. The parents emphasize: “We can’t reach him,” going overboard, crossing boundaries. Fear of insects, being chased, and feeling threatened (police, delusion of being accused) are known from the literature, Julian.
Prescription: Abelmoschus MK.Follow-upTwo months later, he starts speaking on his own, seems more at ease, and appears less dependent on his parents in terms of attention and attachment. Still, with the nasal whine and unclear articulation, he says things are improving. He can concentrate well; at school, they call them “top days.” He completes all his work and is now also given challenging assignments, which he was previously excused from. No angry outbursts have occurred. At home, he is more organized, speaks more clearly, is more open, adapts more easily, moves on from things quickly, and doesn’t dwell on emotions. He absorbs information speedily and understands everything better. He participates fully at school, which he finds gratifying: “I want to feel normal, I want to be like other kids.” Previously, he received less work, and the other children would call him out for it. At home, he is sometimes still nervous. During games, he can get upset “if I lose something important.” His mind is no longer busy (his father used to place a wet cloth on his head to calm him). He sleeps well, comes to his parents occasionally but is easier to send back. He wants to stay over at friends’ houses: “I just want to sleep; they expect me to be an exception, and I don’t want that.” He dreams of driving a car or being in a shop where he can take everything for free. The teeth grinding has stopped. After four months, everything is going well. He is calm and never gets angry, even when provoked. He sleeps better and rarely goes to his parents. No dreams, but there is some salivation; his pillow may be damp. School is very satisfying; he has good grades and concentration. Eight months later, things are still going well. His parents are very happy. At school, he’s doing well. Occasionally, there’s teasing, but he doesn’t react to it. He sleeps soundly. Salivation during sleep is mild, and the bed no longer needs to be changed twice a week. Under tension, he might grumble a little but no longer has outbursts. The following year goes well at his new school. In the last week, he started coming to his parents’ room at night again. Slight salivation during sleep. His face is expressive. When other children are insulting, he feels angry inside: “I want to hit them,” but he doesn’t act or say anything. Everything at home is fine too.