Brachythecium rutabulum
Case, Young man, paranoid schizophrenia.
Case by Britta Dähnrich.
He appears sleepy, making contact is hesitant and hard going. He appears slow, mentally numb, he replies mechanically. At the same time his arms and legs are restless. He sometimes has the idea to be the chosen one for the world. Two years ago he was diagnosed as paranoid schizophrenic.
At this time he felt persecuted by cameras and believed to be the chosen one. Before the start of his illness he consumed large quantities of cannabis. At school he had to repeat school twice and only with a lot of efforts and will he managed to finish school. He almost always socialized with people who were younger than him.
As a child as well as today he has problems with eczema, and at times asthma as well. Mother describes him he was always the dreamer and observer, he was different from the other children in the family; the others are more like “racing horses“.
Since the start of his illness he was in several clinics and lived in groups with therapeutic support; often he was unable to follow the rules and ran away, so that he could not stay in that groups.
In conflict situations he withdrew or he wanted to enforce his will.
Now he lives back home, sleeps a lot, helps a little with household; he has no sense of responsibility. Mother describes him as a small child.
He would like to receive professional training, something with wood or metal.
He repeatedly dreams of falling very deep and of monsters. Sometimes he cannot differentiate what is dream and what is reality.
He has a strong urge to smoke, he must discipline himself, otherwise he would smoke all the time.
His mother put him under pressure. She wanted him to do things better and faster.
Analysis
Moss: slow; contact with younger ones; no sense of responsibility; a small child; cannot differentiate dream and reality.
Phase 5: chosen one; pressure from mother; racing horses; enforce his will.
Phase 7: psychosis, paranoid schizophrenia; persecuted; restless; unable to follow rules; ran away; dreams monsters.
Stage 13: withdrew; enforce his will.
Follow up
Due to his frequent cannabis consumption he got Cannabis indica C200, without result. Then he got Brachythecium rutabulum C6, one dose daily, and a continually improvement could be seen. He became more open, more talkative, more creative and was not so tired any more. After three weeks of medication his social worker commented: this is a different person. After 4 weeks of medication no further thoughts of being the chosen one. After 8 weeks he starts helping his father when renovating the house and carpentary work, which he enjoyed.
After 7 months he says: in 2013 I was still very ill, 2014 things are improving ( this means a distance between him and his psychosis ) He looks fresher and more alive. He starts a rehabilitation program, during which he is living in a community during the week. There are no problems any more with rules.
10 months later he looks much better, has lost weight, and appears more dynamic. No asthma, the skin has improved. No more psychotic ideas. No threatening dreams. His medication can be reduced.
Analysis
Sleepy, appears mentally reduced, childlike, numb, withdrawn, difficult to connect with him. Simplified world, satisfied with very little.
Britta Dähnrich