8.10 Samarium phosphoricum case
Width 5, Depth 4, Cure 9, Duration 6
by Sonja Obbink
A woman of 45 years of age has had migraines since the age of 30. She has pain around the eyes, her nose is obstructed, she has pain in her cheek extending backward and to her occiput. It goes together with nausea, but no vomiting and is worse around menses. It's worse when deciding to work, doubting if she could do it. An attack lasts 3 to 4 days.
It started when she began evening school. The migraine got worse 10 years later, when she was at high school. The crisis that she had to handle was that the fact that she wasn't stupid, that she could in fact do mathematics.
As a child her mother told her that she was stupid, as mother was herself. Her sister was very intelligent and was loved very much by her father. She was always compared to her mother. In her family she was always having to help, whereas her sister had to learn and her brothers didn't need to do anything.
She wants to be in control, in her job, in everything but she doesn't succeed in this. It led her to the edge of being overstrained. But she has to go on to make things perfect.
She is under constant pressure, everything is as if she “has to”.
She has the idea that when she understands things, they will be over.
She likes to help people, yet has an aversion to administration.
She was afraid of her father.
She can be homesick, > staying with her mother.
Her marriage is good, she has three children.
Profession: home care.
She has few friends, she solves everything herself, together with her husband.
Fears: thunderstorm.
Time: < 3 am.
Desire: basil, thyme.
Analysis
Her migraine started and was aggravated in school situations. This is a strong indication for Phosphorus. This is confirmed by the theme of "stupid". Her mother called her stupid and she had to grapple with the fact that she wasn't stupid.
Stage 8 is clear from how she handles situations. She’s “on the edge”, but has to go on and everything feels like she “has to”.
The migraine itself is indicative of the Gold series. Samarium is in Stage 8 in the Lanthanides. Her desire for being in control fits very well. Together this leads to Samarium phosphoricum. She has few friends (Phosphorus) because she solves everything herself (Lanthanides).
Confirmations
Lanthanides: doing everything herself.
Phosphor: homesick, fear thunderstorms, -> basil, -> thyme.
Follow up
After Samarium phosphoricum MK she is sick for a few days. Since then less migraine, less fixed on the pain. She feels less like a victim. She's more relaxed and sleeps better. She's less concerned with what has to be done.
Her feeling of being stupid is much reduced.
Her migraine is gone. Once she got migraine from working in her sister's garden, when her sister went on and on with working and she did the same; then she realized what she and her sister was doing and she stopped going on and on. Now after six months she has no migraines anymore.
Barium phosphoricum and Beryllium had no effect.
Ferrum phosphoricum, also Stage 8, and Phosphorus, palliated.