Safe to play; a case of Lac delphiniumby Judy Erasmuson
This delightful 8 year old girl presented last year with a host of concerns, not least of which was her nervous worrying and her feeling "not safe" without her mother around her, both at school and at home. She would say: "I miss you Mum" and cry inconsolably. She could not sleep without her mother there and would wake often, wanting her. A dreamy, caring, and sensitive girl, she loved to help her mother, was upset by others' suffering, and was a passionate animal lover to the extent of naming her snails and insects, and caring for dead flies.
Gentle and shy by nature, she was however extremely playful when well-rested and happy. A water baby, she was the last to leave the pool although other sports did not appeal.
Her physical tendencies included nail biting, finger sucking since in-utero, restless legs, growing pains, tummy aches, headaches, early budding of breasts, a chalky vaginal discharge with vaginitis, buzzing in the left ear, a desire for fruit, serrated front teeth, hyperplastic teeth, mouth ulcers, and blue rings under eyes when she had not slept enough.
Interestingly, like her mother, she was very sensitive to things in the world beyond.
As an infant, she would not breastfeed well (milk flow was weak) and was extremely constipated.
Pregnancy was a stressful time, with some tension between her parents, and her mother was very afraid of impending labour pain.
The overwhelming requirement of the remedy was to allow her to feel safe enough to sleep alone and also to feel generally safe in the world, especially at school. Neither her mother nor I could ascertain exactly what in the world was so frightening for her, except that she felt lonely without Mum and worried that she and her mother would become sick or her brother injured.
Prescriptions of
Medorrhinum, Carcinosin,
Lac maternum, Natrum muriaticum, and Opium did nothing but
Calcarea carbonica 1M yielded quite a pleasing amelioration, which prompted the most gorgeous card I have ever received. It did not, however, hold on repeat.
She had previously received from a colleague: Silica, Carcinosin and
Syphilinum. Her mother also gave her Pulsatilla.
The key to the remedy presented itself when during a further consultation, she stressed how the MOVEMENT of footsteps kept her awake (not the noise itself) and how even the 'fridge humming/vibrating bothered her.
Prescription: Lac delphinium 1MLac Delphinum had come up as the only remedy in my old Cara programme under DELUSION IS NOT SAFE and as it is a milk (surely, she had to need one!!), was worth further investigation... and there it all was.The sensitivity to vibration and movement, issues of safety, love of water, extreme playfulness when well, issues around feeding and attachment, anxiety about family, clairvoyance, love of animals.
Follow upWe have had months of a happy, settled, relaxed (safe), and more energetic girl, who goes happily to bed alone and sleeps through the night. She is fine within herself, very jolly, playing tricks, and being cheeky - in the nicest of ways. Her mother tells me that her vaginitis has gone, as are her headaches and nail biting. Is she still sucking her fingers? Yes, but only when lying down to relax or when upset, so not nearly as often as previously.
Keywords: issues of safety, love of water, love of animals, sensitivity to vibration and movement, anxiety about family
Remedies: Lac delphininum.