If only I am not Anxious....
NATIONAL JOURNAL OF HOMOEOPATHY 1998 May / Jun VOL VII NO 4.
Dr Parinaz Humranwala
'Arg-nit

'You know I get these frequent attacks of urinary tract infection, which come on twice every year. Generally I take allopathic medication and my problem is solved. Being a professional writer and having several books, plays, biographies, poems, and short stories to my credit, I was approached by a publisher to translate a book on Kidney diseases in Marathi. I took up the work willingly not knowing the matter within it. When I began the translation, I correlated my urinary infection to the diseases mentioned in the book and thus began my sleepless nights. I lay in bed wide-awake thinking of the consequences of the diseases. My husband, who realised that I had a problem, took me to urologists of repute and multiple investigations done turned normal, but it did not settle my agitated mind. I have tried yoga and have tried relaxation through various methods but of no avail. Can Homoeopathy help me?' 

So began my patient Mrs PK aged 51 years a grandmother of two children. I then began asking her about her novels in Marathi, which she has been writing since the last 20 years. So the lively lady goes on further. 'I prefer to write stories with humour and am always careful that the ending of my novels is bright. I have always hated to describe hospital scenes and most of all if I have to kill a particular character in my story, I mutter a quick prayer to Almighty to forgive me.' 

"To be honest I never like doctors. I am so scared, that even if I meet them at social functions, I would never invite them home and would carefully avoid saying 'see you' too." 

In August of 92 whilst having dinner at her friends party, she felt that a pea stuck in her throat and began to suffocate her. Her hosts summoned a Doctor who felt that there was nothing of that sort which was suffocating her but she pleaded with her husband who got her hospitalised out of fear of suffocation. She was discharged the subsequent morning with no medication. That day she had worn a blue sari to the party and from that day onwards she refuses to wear any blue sari out of fear that some health problem would crop up. 

'Whenever I return from abroad my air travel is miserable as I am not comfortable in planes and feel suffocated and I keep worrying about the custom officials though I may have nothing with me to get scared about.' 

'Of recent I feel out of breath and keep drawing long breaths. I am unable to walk even a short distance. When I walk on the road and if I have to go over a speed- breaker, I pause take a deep breath and feel that my blood pressure is shooting up. I once had a slight increase in blood pressure about two years ago and really needed no medication, but the doctor put me on a small dose of Minipril, as I insisted on medication. I have been told that my symptoms are purely psychological but that does not solve my problem. I avoid climbing any places for fear of blood pressure shooting up or experiencing suffocation.' 

'Whenever I have to appear on stage or give an interview to the newspaper about my books, I am extremely apprehensive. I am concerned about the way I drape my sari and feel disappointed if my performance is not appreciated.'
Her Appetite is increased (hence scared of Diabetes),
Desires sweets, rice and dal,
Dislikes non-veg food.
Thirst is normal.
Stool and Urine -normal.
Thermal - ambithermal going towards hot. 

Past History - UTI, Hysterectomy [due to excessive bleeding] 

Family History - Father- Diabetes
Mother- Hypertension 

Discussion: What I perceived here is the state of anxiety related to her health. The imbibed fear that she has a serious disease inspite of the fact that investigations proved normal. Fear of doctors or anything related to medicine. Fear of suffocation and her superstitious nature. Apprehension before public appearance and a desire to be appreciated. Desire for sweets also featured prominently. 

Her predominant anxiety brought into play various remedies like Kali-ars, Arsenic-alb, Argentum-nit, Calcarea-carb, Phos, and Phellandrium etc. What was striking was the agitation within this lady when she was stressed, giving rise to a suffocating sensation; her pessimistic bent of mind which lead her to apprehension and a fear of doctors and the performing quality with a desire to be appreciated by her peers. This is the state of the agitated Argentum-nit. 

Follow-Up:
She was prescribed a dose of Argentum-nit 1M and she reported within a week that she felt better and had restarted her incomplete novel. She could come walking to my clinic and had purposely walked over the speed breakers to notice the difference. Felt more confident of herself. Her sighing came to a stand still too. She followed up for the next three months and needed no repetition of the remedy. 

Comments: Tyler says 'Remedies, as we Homoeopaths learn to realise them, step forth as personalities. They haunt us in bus and tram, and confront us in our patients. They become creatures of temperaments - mental and physical. They have likes and dislikes, cravings and aversions. They are sensitive to meteoric conditions, as well as to human intercourse and environment. We realise their terrors, real or imaginary-& their strange obsessions. And in equal measure, we are able to apply them with success for the relief of persons of like idiosyncrasies and distresses.' 

'Silver Nitrate is a remedy of very vivid personality, quite unlike all others. It has such strange weaknesses and self-tormenting!' 

'Arg-nit also has claustrophobia. Wants the end seat in a row so as to be near the door in church or theatre for an easy escape. Even in the street, the sight of high houses always made him giddy and caused him to stagger: it seemed as if the houses on both sides would approach and crush him. Arg-nit cannot look down-and cannot look up.'