The main idea essential to Aurum is DEPRESSION and LOATHING OF LIFE. Ultimately, this person does not want to live. This idea will be found in practically every Aurum case, whether the patient admits it openly or not.
Aurum patients are closed people. They are not easily able to confess their innermost feelings. In the end, they may freely use the word "depression" but they may be incapable of describing their state more specifically. There are many stages in the development of Aurum pathology, but always they are closed in their relationship with the world.
These are people who feel themselves quite separate from the world. They tend to remain by themselves; they do not have close friends to whom they can turn when they feel depressed or troubled. Usually, they are very proper and correct in their dealings with others - like Kali carbonicum. They are people who are just, honest, fair, and responsible. They would never willingly inflict an injustice on others. They tend to be quite intelligent, hard working and successful. They often attain high positions in society.
Yet, even in the first stages of pathology, these people display a despondency - a dissatisfaction with life in general, especially regarding social and inter-personal relationships. They are closed people who do not express emotions easily. It is as if they are frail on the emotional level; their emotions are not strong enough to be expressed visibly. They are able to accept affection easily from others, but they are not able to return it.
Nevertheless, Aurum patients are characteristically sensitive to any criticism. They are serious minded and they take to heart whatever comments are made about them - similar to Natrum mur. They are too serious to make excuses for another person's harsh remarks - they do not consider the possibility that the person is in a bad mood, under too much stress, not feeling well, etc. In this world view nothing is superficial. Because of their sense of injustice, they may understand the other person's point ? but even so they "take it to heart" (an apt phrase for Aurum). They accept the other's to have a different point of view, but then they further conclude that all possibilities of continuing the relationship are lost.
Because of this process, Aurum patients gradually come to the point when they derive no pleasure at all from social or emotional contact. They become joyless. Nothing motivates or excites them.
Aurum patient are people who usually feel they have given a lot of themselves to others, but not in an emotional sense. They often are quite wealthy - financiers, bankers, etc. - and they have given their wealth freely to others, but in return they have been hurt. consequently they develop resentments which build up inside as a kind of pressure. However, because they are logical and sane people, they try to suppress these negative feelings. They may succeed in this suppression over a period of time, but their emotions then become somewhat unstable. They experience vacillations of moods, changeability.
It is during this stage that Aurum patients are ameliorated in the evening. During the daytime they feel dissatisfied, uncertain, irritable, lacking in self-esteem, feeling unworthy in their occupations etc. In the evening, though there is a return of self-esteem and a relief from the emotional pressures. Even the mind functions better once the sun sets. In this respect, Aurum is similar to Sepia and Medorrhinum. Despite this characteristic, it is also true that in some circumstances Aurum patient; may experience an aggravation of depression in the evening.
As their attempts to suppress negative feelings fail, they break out in tremendous irritability and rage. They may say very damaging things to others. Aurum patients at this stage of pathology may seem cruel and unfeeling to others, especially in their manner of speaking. They do not actually curse - they are too proper for that - but they may say very harsh and violent things to people around them.
In an attempt to control the poisonous process which seems to be overtaking the emotional level, Aurum patients turn more and more to mental activity. They are very industrious and hard-working, but to a pathological degree. Work becomes an outlet to avoid the discomfort of an emotional life which has become increasingly isolated and undernourished.
They eventually feel as if they have completely failed in life, that they are only taking others into believing they are capable, worthwhile individuals. They feel that they do not deserve their status, wealth and responsibilities. They begin to feel that they have no right to live, and that they are literally incapable of maintaining their occupations or relationships. They put the blame for everything on themselves. It is during this stage that Aurum patients become exquisitely sensitive to even chance remarks by others. For the most trivial of reasons, they may jump out of a high window and everyone is surprised. There did not seem to be any big problems and things seemed to be functioning smoothly. But no-one realised the depth of suffering these individuals reach inside.
Finally, even the work strategy fails, and they become suddenly overwhelmed by depression, sadness, and grief. At this point, all is completely without hope. Everything becomes darker and darker, until there seems to be not one ray of light. To these Aurum patients, it is as if the sun has been completely snuffed out and there is no longer any point in continuing to live. By this stage, all the destruction which used to be turned outward in their resentment, irritability and rage, now turns inward. Their thoughts turn constantly to suicide. They feel only a gloom and sadness; life is no longer worthwhile in any sense. They reach the deepest states of depression of which human beings are capable.
In a recent newspaper article, there was a story about a man who shot his wife, his two children, and himself, because he THOUGHT he was going to lose his job. this was very likely an Aurum case. It is interesting that Aurum patients value gold (money) a lot. Their material positions are very important to them. This is one of the reasons why they are so industrious. They may work hours of overtime, partly to ensure their financial security, but also to help allay the feeling that they do not deserve their position.
Classically, the image of Aurum suicidal thinking has been that they have the impulse to jump from a high place. In all their misery and gloom, when they look over high edge, the idea overtakes them. "Now, one jump and there will be relief". They are overtaken by a kind of cloud, a sweet feeling that if they jump everything will be finished. Nowadays, however, there is another kind of impulse. Especially during a fit of rage or despondency, they may get into a car and recklessly push he accelerator to the floor in the hope of losing control. Or there may be an impulse to swerve the car into a wall or an embankment.
The Aurum state represents a true living, death, a complete destruction of the mind and the will to live, illness beginning on the emotional plane.
It is interesting that Aurum patients, being very proper and moralistic, may take another course in their pathology, leading to religious behaviour. Instead of becoming truly suicidal, they tend to pray constantly for salvation. This praying is often accompanied by weeping, and this seems to relieve them. The tremendous gloom and sadness they feel is relieved by praying and weeping hour upon hour.
I remember a schoolmate of mine in India who had painful swelling of the testes. He was a nice person and showed no real signs to causal observation of difficulty on the emotional plane. He saw several of the homoeopathic professors who gave him Clematis, Rhododendron, and other remedies, all with no effect. the pain was very severe so he finally consulted me. At the end of the interview he said, "You know, I am a Christian and I like it, but every night before I go to sleep I feel compelled to pray for one or two hours. I cannot do otherwise". Upon enquiry, it turned out that he was in actually quite depressed, but never had thoughts of suicide. Aurum was given, and after an aggravation for a few hours, it completely relieved him within three days.
Sometimes Aurum is indicated in children, but they will not show the depression. They will, however, tend to be serious, overly responsible, changeable in moods, irritable with fits of anger, and moaning and lamenting.
It is interesting also that there is a correspondence between the emotional level and heart disease. If, for example, an Aurum patient finds a solution to his problems by other means - divorce and a new love, or some other method - then we may see the appearance of cardiac disorders. There may also be heart disease arising out of suppression of rheumatoid diseases; Aurum is a prominent remedy to consider in easy suppressions affecting the heart.
Whenever there is even a trivial heart ailment, Aurum patients develop a fear of heart disease. Whatever anxiety about health which exists in Aurum patients is focussed on the heart. This is not a fear death, usually answer, "No, not at all. I welcome death. This is no life to live". Yet, they do have a fear of heart disease, which represents the plane of emotional vulnerability.
Aurum sometimes is prescribed for very severe rhinitis with offensive odour. The odour is so offensive that even others can smell it.
The syphilitic element is evident in Aurum. They have the typical deep bone pains of the syphilitic miasm.
Also Aurum covers all pains, of whatever origin, which drive the patient to want to commit suicide. The pains become so severe that death seems the only possible relief. I remember a case of neuralgia of one of the nasal branches of the trigeminal nerve. It was an incredible pain that drove the patient completely mad and she wanted to die. It was, quickly relieved by Aurum 10 M. I recall another case of severely painful mastoditis which was recurrent for years; this was also promptly cured by Aurum.
Aurum is a remedy which is capable of reaching into the deepest regions of the human organism when properly indicated and it is sometimes astounding to see the changes it can produce. Patients with deep-seated depressions develop a true elation about life; because of the previous darkness they truly appreciate the new found light they feel inside.
Aurum patients are closed people. They are not easily able to confess their innermost feelings. In the end, they may freely use the word "depression" but they may be incapable of describing their state more specifically. There are many stages in the development of Aurum pathology, but always they are closed in their relationship with the world.
These are people who feel themselves quite separate from the world. They tend to remain by themselves; they do not have close friends to whom they can turn when they feel depressed or troubled. Usually, they are very proper and correct in their dealings with others - like Kali carbonicum. They are people who are just, honest, fair, and responsible. They would never willingly inflict an injustice on others. They tend to be quite intelligent, hard working and successful. They often attain high positions in society.
Yet, even in the first stages of pathology, these people display a despondency - a dissatisfaction with life in general, especially regarding social and inter-personal relationships. They are closed people who do not express emotions easily. It is as if they are frail on the emotional level; their emotions are not strong enough to be expressed visibly. They are able to accept affection easily from others, but they are not able to return it.
Nevertheless, Aurum patients are characteristically sensitive to any criticism. They are serious minded and they take to heart whatever comments are made about them - similar to Natrum mur. They are too serious to make excuses for another person's harsh remarks - they do not consider the possibility that the person is in a bad mood, under too much stress, not feeling well, etc. In this world view nothing is superficial. Because of their sense of injustice, they may understand the other person's point ? but even so they "take it to heart" (an apt phrase for Aurum). They accept the other's to have a different point of view, but then they further conclude that all possibilities of continuing the relationship are lost.
Because of this process, Aurum patients gradually come to the point when they derive no pleasure at all from social or emotional contact. They become joyless. Nothing motivates or excites them.
Aurum patient are people who usually feel they have given a lot of themselves to others, but not in an emotional sense. They often are quite wealthy - financiers, bankers, etc. - and they have given their wealth freely to others, but in return they have been hurt. consequently they develop resentments which build up inside as a kind of pressure. However, because they are logical and sane people, they try to suppress these negative feelings. They may succeed in this suppression over a period of time, but their emotions then become somewhat unstable. They experience vacillations of moods, changeability.
It is during this stage that Aurum patients are ameliorated in the evening. During the daytime they feel dissatisfied, uncertain, irritable, lacking in self-esteem, feeling unworthy in their occupations etc. In the evening, though there is a return of self-esteem and a relief from the emotional pressures. Even the mind functions better once the sun sets. In this respect, Aurum is similar to Sepia and Medorrhinum. Despite this characteristic, it is also true that in some circumstances Aurum patient; may experience an aggravation of depression in the evening.
As their attempts to suppress negative feelings fail, they break out in tremendous irritability and rage. They may say very damaging things to others. Aurum patients at this stage of pathology may seem cruel and unfeeling to others, especially in their manner of speaking. They do not actually curse - they are too proper for that - but they may say very harsh and violent things to people around them.
In an attempt to control the poisonous process which seems to be overtaking the emotional level, Aurum patients turn more and more to mental activity. They are very industrious and hard-working, but to a pathological degree. Work becomes an outlet to avoid the discomfort of an emotional life which has become increasingly isolated and undernourished.
They eventually feel as if they have completely failed in life, that they are only taking others into believing they are capable, worthwhile individuals. They feel that they do not deserve their status, wealth and responsibilities. They begin to feel that they have no right to live, and that they are literally incapable of maintaining their occupations or relationships. They put the blame for everything on themselves. It is during this stage that Aurum patients become exquisitely sensitive to even chance remarks by others. For the most trivial of reasons, they may jump out of a high window and everyone is surprised. There did not seem to be any big problems and things seemed to be functioning smoothly. But no-one realised the depth of suffering these individuals reach inside.
Finally, even the work strategy fails, and they become suddenly overwhelmed by depression, sadness, and grief. At this point, all is completely without hope. Everything becomes darker and darker, until there seems to be not one ray of light. To these Aurum patients, it is as if the sun has been completely snuffed out and there is no longer any point in continuing to live. By this stage, all the destruction which used to be turned outward in their resentment, irritability and rage, now turns inward. Their thoughts turn constantly to suicide. They feel only a gloom and sadness; life is no longer worthwhile in any sense. They reach the deepest states of depression of which human beings are capable.
In a recent newspaper article, there was a story about a man who shot his wife, his two children, and himself, because he THOUGHT he was going to lose his job. this was very likely an Aurum case. It is interesting that Aurum patients value gold (money) a lot. Their material positions are very important to them. This is one of the reasons why they are so industrious. They may work hours of overtime, partly to ensure their financial security, but also to help allay the feeling that they do not deserve their position.
Classically, the image of Aurum suicidal thinking has been that they have the impulse to jump from a high place. In all their misery and gloom, when they look over high edge, the idea overtakes them. "Now, one jump and there will be relief". They are overtaken by a kind of cloud, a sweet feeling that if they jump everything will be finished. Nowadays, however, there is another kind of impulse. Especially during a fit of rage or despondency, they may get into a car and recklessly push he accelerator to the floor in the hope of losing control. Or there may be an impulse to swerve the car into a wall or an embankment.
The Aurum state represents a true living, death, a complete destruction of the mind and the will to live, illness beginning on the emotional plane.
It is interesting that Aurum patients, being very proper and moralistic, may take another course in their pathology, leading to religious behaviour. Instead of becoming truly suicidal, they tend to pray constantly for salvation. This praying is often accompanied by weeping, and this seems to relieve them. The tremendous gloom and sadness they feel is relieved by praying and weeping hour upon hour.
I remember a schoolmate of mine in India who had painful swelling of the testes. He was a nice person and showed no real signs to causal observation of difficulty on the emotional plane. He saw several of the homoeopathic professors who gave him Clematis, Rhododendron, and other remedies, all with no effect. the pain was very severe so he finally consulted me. At the end of the interview he said, "You know, I am a Christian and I like it, but every night before I go to sleep I feel compelled to pray for one or two hours. I cannot do otherwise". Upon enquiry, it turned out that he was in actually quite depressed, but never had thoughts of suicide. Aurum was given, and after an aggravation for a few hours, it completely relieved him within three days.
Sometimes Aurum is indicated in children, but they will not show the depression. They will, however, tend to be serious, overly responsible, changeable in moods, irritable with fits of anger, and moaning and lamenting.
It is interesting also that there is a correspondence between the emotional level and heart disease. If, for example, an Aurum patient finds a solution to his problems by other means - divorce and a new love, or some other method - then we may see the appearance of cardiac disorders. There may also be heart disease arising out of suppression of rheumatoid diseases; Aurum is a prominent remedy to consider in easy suppressions affecting the heart.
Whenever there is even a trivial heart ailment, Aurum patients develop a fear of heart disease. Whatever anxiety about health which exists in Aurum patients is focussed on the heart. This is not a fear death, usually answer, "No, not at all. I welcome death. This is no life to live". Yet, they do have a fear of heart disease, which represents the plane of emotional vulnerability.
Aurum sometimes is prescribed for very severe rhinitis with offensive odour. The odour is so offensive that even others can smell it.
The syphilitic element is evident in Aurum. They have the typical deep bone pains of the syphilitic miasm.
Also Aurum covers all pains, of whatever origin, which drive the patient to want to commit suicide. The pains become so severe that death seems the only possible relief. I remember a case of neuralgia of one of the nasal branches of the trigeminal nerve. It was an incredible pain that drove the patient completely mad and she wanted to die. It was, quickly relieved by Aurum 10 M. I recall another case of severely painful mastoditis which was recurrent for years; this was also promptly cured by Aurum.
Aurum is a remedy which is capable of reaching into the deepest regions of the human organism when properly indicated and it is sometimes astounding to see the changes it can produce. Patients with deep-seated depressions develop a true elation about life; because of the previous darkness they truly appreciate the new found light they feel inside.
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