14.6 Erbium carbonicum and Erbium oxydatum case
Width 7, Depth 7, Cure 7, Duration 5
A man of 50 years of age has had depressions since his early teens. His story is as follows:
“I was born in South Africa. I lived there until I was 9 years old. During the time my family moved around many times for the changing jobs of my father. Till 9 I had been to 26 schools. I have very few memories of this period in my life. Both my parents were married before they met. Each had a child from the first marriage. My mother had a daughter and my father had a son. They went on to have 4 more children, me and then 3 younger daughters. I did not get on well with my older stepbrother. I was always messing up his stuff and driving him crazy. I think I was closest to the sister born after me and also to my older stepsister. I did not really know my father. In South Africa I was too young and later he was usually travelling around and spent little time at home. In consequence we were raised by my mother. Her own upbringing was very strict, very Victorian. In her frustration, she used to hit us with a wooden spoon to discipline us. Some of this desperation comes out in me particularly when I’m dealing with my own children. My anger builds up into an uncontrollable volcano and then explodes.
My family moved abroad where my father set up an engineering consultancy business. After 18 months we moved to England. My first school was a boarding school; during this time I suffered from migraines and the sight in my left eye deteriorated as I had a detached retina. This was not picked up on until much later when it was too late to operate and save the sight of my eye. The migraines continued infrequently for many years until the age of 40 years, when I avoided eating oranges and bananas, particularly together. In my 15th year the eye consultant who was treating my left eye noticed holes forming in the retina of my right eye. The condition was successfully operated on and the condition stabilized until recently. Now for about two years, I have noticed a cataract slowly forming in the lens of the right eye. I have referred this to a consultant who says that the sight has not deteriorated enough to warrant an operation (I can still legally drive a car). I have tried treating this holistically but without any success. For near sight I must remove my spectacles and I have small black spots and floaters in my vision. These do come and go and seem to be related to stress.
When I was 16 I had mumps. This was not too serious but it developed into encephalitis and I was hospitalized. The pain was so bad that I just wanted to die. I had a lumbar puncture at this time.
When I was 20 years, I moved in with my first wife. While driving my father’s car I had an accident with her son in the car. He was badly damaged and needed hospitalization. The other passenger, my closest friend at the time, was killed. I was hardly injure. This was difficult for me to bear and soon after I cut my wrists, the wrong way, it was a cry for help! My wife and I lived together for about three years before we married, partly because we could not, as she was still married and partly because I did not think it necessary. During this time we had two children of our own, a girl and a boy. We would have frequent rows, which would get very heated and sometimes, maybe on about 3 or 4 occasions, I hit her. I left her when I was 35 years. The children stayed with her for 4 years and then they came and lived with me. They have now made their own way. My daughter has a boy from a difficult relationship and raises him on her own. She has also been married; this too was a difficult and abusive relationship.
My father died when I was 22 years from an aortic embolism, very quick. I had to see the body, to know that he was dead, to believe it.
I’ve since remarried. My wife has two daughters from a previous relationship and we have now a son.
My memory, both short term and long term, is bad. Even before our son was born, I would be tired, now I’m exhausted and suffer from lack of sleep. This affects my concentration and also my energy. My energy is low even though I eat very well, too well judging from my weight: I could easily shed 20 kilos. The weight gain has been steady over the years. I want to eat, to be full up.
I’m chilly; I need to have warm feet to sleep at night so I usually wear socks.
The heels of my feet crack easily. If I only wear sandals, the deep cracks appear unless I cream out my feet. The left heel is worse than the right heel.
I suffer from flatus and eructations, regardless of what food I eat. My stool is regular.
Very itchy ears and anus.
I have been unable to read books for about three years, lack of concentration and interest. I just want to watch a video or play computer games. I’m suffering from depression for many years; this also shows in regular pattern with work and outside interests. I start with great enthusiasm and then very quickly lose interest. I run out of steam, but it looks I can’t be bothered I can’t complete. I have not found a job or activity, which I’m happy in, though I have tried many things.
I have an issue about authority and will hit against it.
Twice or three times a year I get a throat infection which does not clear up and goes on to my chest, then I am really ill and usually need to spend a few days in bed.
I’m closed; it’s not normal for me to share my feelings and emotions with anyone.”
He has difficulty completing things. He takes on things with enthusiasm for a few weeks, but then he has no will to complete them. This is due to a feeling of being inadequate, not being capable of doing anything. So he withdraws and finds shelter in everyday jobs.
He has difficulty to fill in forms, postponing it to the last second. Then he works on it the whole night to deliver it himself.
He has an aversion to routine so doesn't get it done, saying “Their expectation means that I have to perform”. He’s losing his esteem. He’s blocked by a lack of internal fire, drive.
He’s trained as a homeopath, but has no diploma.
He feels being taken for granted, not appreciated, not understood.
He has no joy in his life, no enjoyments, no reading or listening to music.
He feels cut off, isolated, cynical.
He feels different, not knowing how to become one of the gang.
He goes around the problems.
He is irritable, to his wife, his children and at work.
Migraines, excruciating, >> vomiting <<< putting head in the snow.
17th: encephalitis with excruciating headaches.
Car accident: there was no care taken of him, his wife put all the attention to the child, no space or time for him, with the feeling of having no future.
Weather: chilly, -> warmth, -> sauna, steam bath.
Desire: chocolate (2), salty meat (2), spicy, cheese, rice
Aversion: cauliflower.
Food: < banana, orange.
Sleep: sleepless, no dreams.
Analysis
The eye problems and migraine indicate the Gold series. The Lanthanides are indicated by his aversion to authority and his feeling of being different. And he’s not a manager.
The determination of the stage was difficult. He feels detached, indications Cerium, Erbium and Ytterbium.
The problem with father points to carbonicum. Thus is confirmed by the deep cracks in his heels.
The Oxygen qualities are indicated by the being neglected by his father and also mother. The qualities of it came more to the front after he was improved already quite well with Erbium carbonicum. He started to tell “I’m not appreciated. I’m dirty, not in tune with myself. I feel selfish and I inflict my mood on other people, they have to deal with my shit”. The words “dirty, selfish and shit” are typical of Oxygen.
Confirmations
Lanthanides: feels different.
Stage 14: going around the problems (diverting), no future.
Erbium: cut off, isolated, cynical (can also be Holmium), holes and detaching retina
Carbonicum: father, not appreciated.
Oxydatum: their expectation, not appreciated, dirty, selfish, shit.
Follow up
After Erbium carbonicum he feels changed. He feels more positive, has again motivation. He can feel like part of a group. His feeling of having to be acceptable to people has changed into the idea “Why should they like me?". He is proving himself to make him self-worthy. He changed his job into a new one that he likes more. His depression still is there, but not as deep and not continuous anymore.
After a year the change isn't continuing. He feels flat again and with low energy. He’s irritable with his children because they don’t do what he asks or tells them. He’s angry because he’s not appreciated. He’s feels dirty with himself, not in tune with himself. He feels selfish saying: “I inflict my mood on other people, they have to deal with my shit".
After Erbium oxydatum he feels very well. His balance point is within him, controlled by him, instead of outside of him as in the past. He’s in control of himself. His depression is much less deep.
After in total two years he’s doing fine.
As I was a bit confused about which of the two Erbiums was the really good one, I asked him about the difference between Erbium carbonicum and Erbium oxydatum. He tells: “Erbium carbonicum helped me to make a road in myself, so I can go; it’s a very deep change, a sub foundation; Erbium oxydatum filled in the potholes, made the tar on the road, so I can go fast; these remedies work together”.
In the beginning Ammonium carbonicum had helped him temporarily.
Cerium, Ytterbium carbonicum and Chamomilla had no effect.