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Tuesday, August 2, 2011

Dulcamara - Homeopathic Remedy

 This chapter will focus mostly on the metal and emotional state of Dulcamara, since other Materia Medicas adequately describe the physical. This material should be considered tentatively as it comes from my own observations and deductions based primarily on in-depth experiences of two cases in particular which illustrate the essence of the remedy. Both patients happened to be women, but this should not imply that Dulcamara is a female remedy. It is interesting that, as one would expect from the provings, I had prescribed such remedies as Calc. carb., Rhus tox, and Kali carb. before settling on Dulcamara in these case. It is only by careful examination of such illustrations in our practices that we can begin to paint the portrait of the true essence of a remedy.
 Both of these women have very forceful, strong-willed personalities. They were DOMINEERING and POSSESSIVE in their relationship with other people, especially those closest to them. Dulcamara patients are very opinionated, insistent upon their own point of view, and then feel unappreciated when those around them do not show the gratitude they expect.
 The typical Dulcamara patient carves out a territory, a sphere of influence - usually with her own family, but possibly including neighbours and friends as well. Within this sphere of influence she attempts to dominate others by her strong will and forceful opinions. She lives vicariously through others by trying to govern and control their lives.
 Outside her own circle, however, she is suspicious of others. She is on guard. She becomes so wrapped up in her own state that she finds fault with other people. She expects that they will not understand her, that they will misunderstand and misinterpret her feelings and behaviour. During the initial interview she is very closed; she is willing to talk only about her concrete symptoms - her frequent colds, her hay fever, or her joint pains. She is unwilling to reveal more of herself until she is assured that the prescriber understands and appreciates her to her own satisfaction. One patient even changed doctors because she was convinced that he did not understand her. He did nothing specific to offend her, but she said she would never go back to him; she reported, "He is a nice person, but he does not understand me", merely because he was not forceful enough in backing up her own opinions.
 This type of patient is very insistent upon her own point of view. She is always right, and she expects others to acknowledge that. During the interview in usual fashion, you listen quietly and sympathetically to what she has to say; you do not reply, but merely write down the symptoms in detail as she gives them to you. She wants you to believe her absolutely, however, so she feels unappreciated. when you begin to realise this, you reassure her that you do indeed believe what she is saying. She is very suspicious. It takes a lot of serious reassurance on your part to gain her confidence enough for her to open up and describe her true state.
 Arising out of the Dulcamara patient's possessiveness is great anxiety about others. Her husband may be facing and important meeting at work, and she feels compelled to give him detailed instructions on how to behave, what to say, etc. This is not merely helpful advice, as Phosphorus might offer. Dulcamara insists that her opinions be followed, and she is disturbed if they are not. She insists that her son not marry, or if he does he must marry the woman of her choice. She suffocates others in her domination and possessiveness.
 The Dulcamara state, as you can see, is very self-centred. It almost never crosses her mind that others also have rights and freedom of choice. She is tremendously attached to those around her . She demands that they do exactly what SHE wants.
 In Dulcamara, the anxiety for others is an anxiety for the health of her relatives in particular. This may be carried to such and extreme that she exaggerates trifles out of all proportion to reality. Little problems loom so large that they seem to create in her a kind of madness. This state is similar to Calc. carb., but if you inquire into the meaning of her exaggerations you discover that it arises fundamentally out of her possessiveness.
 During her interview, to take a concrete example, the Dulcamara patient may report to you with great forcefulness and anxiety that her husband has a runny nose. She seems so obsessed by this that she seems to pass off her own problems. You cannot see why such a trivial problem means so much to her, but it does. Little things create an agony for her, a deep despair.
 A Dulcamara patient's husband may have many things on his mind and leaves for work without saying goodbye. She then ruminates about hits; "I have devoted my whole life to him, cooked for him, kept his clothes cleaned and pressed, and no he doesn't even take notice of me"! To take another example, after all her exhortations, her son leaves home and marries a woman not of her own choice. She feels unappreciated and falls into deep despair. Finally, she may even have suicidal thoughts. She say to herself, "I don't want to live any more".
 Considering these complaints, you have difficulty understanding her upset, so you inquire, "What is the problem? You have a nice family, your husband provides you with a nice home, your son is getting married to someone he loves. What is the trouble". It is that she feels that they are all ungrateful. She tries to possess them, and they go their own way. This makes her feel - and appear - very "uptight". UPTIGHTNESS is very characteristic of Dulcamara, and you may even discover that this state has gone so far as to produce idiopathic hypertension. Dulcamara is a excellent remedy for high blood pressure in patients of this type.
 Once someone leaves her circle of influence, the Dulcamara patient may continue to try to prove that her view was correct all along. Spitefully, she describes the terrible way her son is treated by his wife; "His wife doesn't cook for him, doesn't keep house properly. He is living in a terrible state"! Not knowing better, you may imagine that, he is living in a hovel. But if you happen to visit his home, you see immediately how much the patient has exaggerated the situation. You witness a well-kept, happy home, but the patient has picked up on minor faults and blown them out of proportion - merely in order to prove herself right.
 The physical picture of Dulcamara, or course, is well described in all the books. Changes of weather from hot to cold brings on diarrhoea, joint pains, or coryza. It sometimes is a valuable remedy in hay fever. A prominent characteristic is the tremendous headache which comes on after a catarrh has been suppressed. It also has eruptions of the face, and if these are suppressed a painful facial neuralgia may occur.
 When you first study a Dulcamara case, you may immediately think of Calc. carb., and indeed Dulcamara is quite similar in many respects. Dulcamara patients tend to be obese. They are chilly - particularly aggravated in changes from warm to cold. They may desire sweets. For years I puzzled over this dilemma, especially when Calcarea did not help much. I still cannot recall bow Dulcamara came to mind, but it probably was triggered by some relatively minor physical symptoms. It is only after seeing Dulcamara dramatically transform a few cases like this that I could finally discern the beginning of its essence. After taking dulcamara these patients become much calmar, their blood pressure normalises, and they lose their extreme concern for their relatives.
 Kali carb. is another remedy that comes easily to mind in such cases. It is uptight, intolerant to cold and has a desire for sweets. Kali carb. however, is much more independent than Dulcamara not nearly so likely to be concerned about others.
 Arsenicum, of course, is another remedy to compare. It has great anxiety about others and is chilly as well. Arsenicum, however, is anxious about losing his or her relatives because of dependency. He or she needs others to provide a feeling of security. Dulcamara's anxiety is juts the opposite; it arises out of a sense of possessiveness, a need to dominate. In addition, Dulcamara is far more strong-willed and forceful then Arsenicum.

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