The Beauty And The Beast
NATIONAL JOURNAL OF HOMOEOPATHY 1997 Jul / Aug VOL 5 NO 4.
Dr. Vishpala Parthasarathy
'Lach

A tall statuesque girl, 27y, Hindu, more specifically Maharastrian, walked into my clinic in the fall of 1993. When I learnt that she was in films, I automatically assumed that with her good looks, she was into acting. Then she introduced me to her husband who was a cameraman. and that only confirmed my assumption.. . why else, I asked myself, would she marry this total contrast of a man-short and dark and a Muslim, except that she had come very close to him during shoots.
But no, strange are the ways of the world! My assumptions were all wrong! She was a director. She liked directing documentaries, and had done one on Sardar Vallabhai Patel.

So, till now, 5 mins into the interview, no problems had surfaced. (I like to define for myself, likely conflict areas in every patient, within the first 5 mins of the interview, and then spend the rest of the time in exploring, re-defining and resolving these conflicts). Next I went into the family set-up. Her father was an engineer and in service, mother was a professor in a college and a younger engineer brother who was also employed. They were a small family and quite close. Again no problem area.

So for the moment I left that track and concentrated on her physical symptoms. 1. Menstrual cycle:Irreg bleeding. Bleeding would stop for a day, on the 4th day, then continue again- heavy flow with clots, great irritability beginning 10 days MB and accompanied 8 days later by Pain, both of which were relieved by the onset of the flow. In Aug '93, her periods had lasted 1 1/2 mths, probably due to IUCD. But this was a single episode, so not to give too much weightage, tillthe next episode. Blood is blackish and indelible.
2. Left sided sciatica and cramps; calf- pain began after bending awkwardly and on pressure, better walking 3, heat and rest. Had accored in Nov '92 for 10 dy and now continuous since Mar '93. SLR 0. No neuromuscular deficit. X-Ray NAD
3. She often had diarrhoea before exams; also from anxiety and milk. Painful gripes and has to rush for stool.
4. Heartburn and acidity since 1991, from Anxiety,excessive excitement, worse evening and Lunch B/A. Occ Dizziness and nausea and restlessness.

Physical Characteristics:
She was 5' 71/2" tall weighed 53 kg(earlier was 42-had put on 10 kg in the 2 yr. of marriage.) She was amaemic-11g, had some dark circles, few carries and cold palms. She had a sweet tooth, also liked salty stuff, non-veg esp meat and chicken and cold drinks. A hot patient, she loves winter and monsoons but occ gets bone-pains and feels chilly.

Life story:
Born in Mumbai, a single unit comfortable family. She finished her 12th in Elphinstone college and went to Pune Film Institute to do a course in direction. Met her husband who was doing the cameraman's course. The Poona Film Institute must have been a culture shock for this conservative Maharashtrian girl born in the suburbs of Mumbai, and it must have gone to her head. Events occurred, which I am not too clear about, and they were expelled from the Institute. Then matters went to court, and they were reinstated in college following a court decision. Ostensibly, life levelled out, they passed out in '89 and they came to Mumbai. She started work as an Asst Director. But time is not always the leveler it is claimed to be; sometimes it freezes the problem and holds it in cold storage, to surface at some other time. This happened with our patient. The 1992 Hindu-Muslim riots triggered off the old scar, and she developed Anxiety Neurosis. Had to undergo Psychiatrist's treatment for a yr., and gradually came out of it with her future husband's help. She describes him as mature, dependable, deep and wise; and herself as a will-o-wisp- impulsive and superficial. (Over the years I have seen this phenomenon very often - beautiful girls married to unlikely husbands. I call this "The Jamal syndrome"- named after a friend, who had a very bad first marriage, which she got out of completely - physically and emotionally - and today is a balanced and happy person, thanks largely to her current husband.. It was also shown very convincingly in a Shabana-Girish Karnad movie -Swami- where her father's words were "wo tumhe pyar karega, yeh tumhe nibhayega". These are very successful marriages). This phenomenon was duplicated in our patient too. Seeing his support, probably, the parents did not object to the marriage, and they got married in 1993, after she survived her second shock of the Bombay Hindu-Muslim riots of 1992. Today, she is more mature and happy and able to cope with her fears and anxieties( though her main anxiety today is that her husband may die!). She has learnt to cope with her earlier traits- fearful ness and cowardliness and such anxiety that she turned cold with difficulty in breathing. Today she is independent and happy. When I saw her again in Mar '97, and we exchanged mutual compliments, she was off for a month's shoot at Conoor.
So we see in this case where a phase remedy had to be given for her current symptoms, after which her constitutional remedy emerged, which helped her settle.

To Structuralize :
Handling: Here obviously,the Poona Institute had been a culture sshock, and left her raw and nervous. It was an old wound, so not really requiring counselling. I felt in this case the Homoeopathic remedy would suffice to heal. Only the remedy may come in layers, before the final constitutional remedy phase emerged.

Rubrics:

1. AF Fright/shock
2. < Emotional Excitement
3. Anxiety = Diarrhoes
4. Ferr Crossing
5. Motion Sickness
6. Diarrhoea from Milk
7. Sleep starting in
8. Menses Before -Irritable
9. Menses beginning-pain>flow
10. Menses Intermittent
11. Crav-sweets,salt, cold-drinks, meat

Remedies:
Natrum, Calc, Lyc, Sepia Phos, and Arg-nit emerged high

Follow - Up :