SALTS AND LIFE EVENTSThe happiest and most distressful event in life By Mari Trini Ramos
IntroductionAmong the many influences that have inspired me in my practice or helped me a step forward.
one very important has been the homeopathic training I received in Mumbai, India, and another one the books of Jan Scholten on the minerals. The first one gave me confidence to trust my feeling and judgement when using the emotions of the patient as a means to understand the case, and the second one cleared the jungle of mineral remedies I thought would never be able to cross.
Since a few years I started to ask my patients at the end of the anamneses two questions to see if I had really "hit the core" and could get a confirmation for the remedy I had in mind. After a while I noticed that patients who needed a mineral remedy would often give their answer in an almost archetypal way, using the terms Jan has put down in his book to give the essence of the remedies. The questions were very simple: Tell me the happiest and the most distressful moment or event of your life.
At a certain point I realised that the happy moment or event was telling me the "theme" that was pre- occupying the patient at this moment of his life. Often after giving their answer the patient himself is surprised that old stuff is still so alive within him. The unhappy moment or event, if they could come up with one, was telling me the most predominant "emotion" of the patient. This helps me to differentiate between a lot of mineral remedies and make my choice much more precisely. Sometimes the case is very clear or the patient so expressive that I do not need to ask these questions. In other situations, when the patient has very few or unclear symptoms I use it as an "opener". I also find it very useful in cases where I know beforehand that the patient will have to be treated for a long time because they carry a large emotional burden. Going through the process they might change to another remedy or need assistance in an acute situation. Putting them these questions helps me to pinpoint that what needs to be treated at that moment and to differentiate whether I have to change my prescription or not.
In the beginning I used to put these questions directly, just like that, but I kept on trying different approaches to see which one works best. Nowadays I put these questions almost at the end of the interview, after the patient has been able to tell his story to satisfaction. I ask the patient to close his/ her eyes, explaining them that this way they will not be distracted by all the items lying on my desk. I also close my eyes to concentrate and so as not to peak at them, as they are vulnerable sitting in front of me. Hereafter I ask them if they are sitting comfortably and if not to change their position. I more or less know beforehand whether the patient will relax easily or not. When they relax I put my questions after one or two minutes so they have time to retract into themselves.
If I suspect they will have difficulties in relaxing, often so with business people, I talk to them in a quiet manner and although my words may change from one day to another and from one patient to another the basics are that I tell them that in their brain there is a "library" where all the happenings of their life have been stored in an orderly manner: grief events together, anger likewise, happiness as well., etc., and that all the information will be available if they can just relax, and stop their thoughts. Usually this method is enough to "release" the traumatic events.
If this does not work I ask them to come back another day and take more time to do the following exercise: Again to sit comfortably but now they have to observe the rhythm of their respiration for a few minutes. Often this is very difficult for these patients because they are afraid of losing control. After that I ask them to view in their mind a picture of themselves at a young age. I ask them to "feel" what kind of child they were, fearful, daring, obedient or not, and also if they were happy or not. What was the atmosphere in the house and in the family. After that I "move" them forward through school years and puberty, asking again how it was at school, if they had many friends, what hobbies they had, when they fell in love, their first job, etc., until we come to their actual situation in life. All the time I am the only one talking, and depending on the question I give them more or less time to recall the moment but do not let them talk or they will loose contact with themselves.
My experience is that most of the time they go along with my questions and when at the end I ask them the most happy and the most distressful moment of their life, they can quite easily pinpoint them.
I sometimes have heard that this approach resembles techniques of hypnosis. I do not doubt this but since I have never undergone hypnosis I could not tell. Nevertheless, every way is a good way if it helps you to get information to help the patient and does not harm him. This is not a system but it can become a helpful utensil for anyone being able to translate the answers of the patient that would lead to a mineral remedy.
The best way to explain this will be by presenting a few examples.
Case 1Female 45
I had given her
Carcinosinum with good results 2 years before.
Main complaint now (1997) is a serious oedema and redness around both eyes since 2 months. It hurts and itches. Warmth <. She had had this symptom in the past but it had no recurred since the Carcinosin was given. She tried other medicines with no result and doctors say they don’t under- stand the reason of this stubborn eruption that is keeping her home because of the pain and distress it causes. She also feels extremely tired but tiredness was one of the main symptoms in the past. Sore pain and loss of strength in both wrists, extending to the hand and thumb. Also sore pain in ankles and legs. These are new symptoms. Desires: salt (3), salty food like cheese, vegetables. Healthy food in general; she is quite thirsty. Aversions: sweet, cauliflower and other "coward" (tasteless) dishes; fat. Aggravates: pungent, garlic, onions (stomach ache/heartburn).
When talking with her, she says everything in her life is all right and under control. She’s much more open and spontaneous than before the Carcinosin. She is much more assertive, which has resulted in a lot of conflicts and quarrels with her relatives, but she still feels happy about the change she has undergone.
To my questions she answered:Most happy event: The birth of her daughter. She experienced labour very consciously (first child was a Caesarean delivery). She had a strong motherly feeling when her daughter was born.
Most distressful event: Her mother’s behaviour. She feels very angry towards her. "Her love was never unconditional. Every time she calls me or expects me to do things for her I have to control myself because I feel enormously angered and remember everything from childhood".
AnalysisThe most happy event gives me the theme going on in her life: mother/daughter relationship, which points to MURIATICUM. The most distressful event gives me the feeling about the theme:
Anger, reproaches pointing to AMMONIUM.
We do find the symptoms tearing pains in wrist, anger, hatred and aversion to family members in
Ammonium muriaticum. No doubt many experienced homeopaths would understand the needed remedy immediately, but I doubt if it could be confirmed just by repertorising the few symptoms we had. So it is interesting to see how these two little questions can confirm a supposition. I gave her
Ammonium muriaticum C30 twice and after a slight aggravation the bone pains disappeared. The eruption/swelling around the eyes disappeared slowly within 10 days. The symptoms recurred three years later (2000) when I repeated the remedy, now on a LM potency.
I will not explain the whole history of the case since it is a very long one but would like to state that the remedy has been given on a basis of totality and not meant at all as an acute intercurrent. The ammonium phase is in my opinion a very logic one in her development. After the Carcinosin her personality is really being born and the anger from the suppression of her dominant parents comes up. Although she tells me how angry she feels in reality she still behaves in a very polite and control- led manner. If anything happens between them, she tries to avoid her mother and makes excuses, rather than confronting her. As I have seen in other cases I expect her to go through anger, then sadness (
Natrium) before starting to be who she really is.