4.8 Cerium carbonicum case
Width 6, Depth 5, Cure 7, Duration 6
By Sonja Obbink
A man of 40 years of age has backache with stiffness. He cannot sit longer than 5 minutes, then he has to get up and walk around. It’s from a lot of stress at his work, too much work. He makes high demands on himself, wants to prove himself, but has lack of self-confidence and needs a lot of reassurance. It started when he was 18, when he left home to study. He had trouble with social contacts; he couldn't handle conflicts and avoided them. He wouldn’t fight or take part in fights.
He wants to be independent. He is advisor for organizations. He travels a lot and doesn't have much contact with colleagues, but he likes that because it gives freedom. He feels vulnerable physically. He has trained in martial arts to overcome that.
His parents were divorced when he was about 2 years old. His mother always spoke ill of his father. Also his mother's friends were always negative about his father. He’s angry with his father because his father has never recognized him. His mother forced him into the male role. He has a daughter of 4. He has many conflicts with her because they are both stubborn.
As a child he was very timid, hanging on to his mother's skirt. Everything was planned rigidly. He feels it as a armor, showing nothing of himself otherwise people will see the real him and hurt him. The armor was also to prevent things coming in. The uncontrolled part of him is frightening because then he will reveal himself.
Analysis
He wants to be independent and free, which indicates the Lanthanides. But he’s timid in this respect, indicating Stage 2 till 5. He wants to have little contact with colleagues to have freedom. So he’s out of contact, which is a strong indication for Cerium.
His story is strongly connected with his father, indicating Carbon. Together this makes Cerium carbonicum.
Confirmations
Lanthanides: -> independence, -> freedom.
Cerium: trouble with social contacts, armor, preventing things coming in, fear revealing himself.
Carbon: vulnerable physically, stubborn, timid, lack of self- confidence
DD: in this case there was a confusion with Stage 6, because he used the words “proving himself”. But when we look at the picture as a whole we can see that he doesn't really prove himself in fact. It may be a feeling, but in reality he’s retiring into his own world. He has difficulty with contact and avoids conflicts, which is not typical of Neodymium, Stage 6 in the Lanthanides.
Follow up
After Neodymium carbonicum MK he had tingling in his back for 2 days but after that everything was the same.
After Cerium carbonicum MK the backache became worse for a week, just as it was when the backache started.
After the second Cerium carbonicum he had a dream. In the dream he got a letter from the air force stating that his father is a hero; this made him interested in his father; it felt as a great relief and relaxation; it had been a big burden that his father was not good.
He started handling conflicts instead of walking away from them.
He could cope with his mother's disease, felt more connected emotionally to her and called a doctor.
His backache is much less; he can sit for the whole consultation. He has more space in his back and isn't stiff anymore.
He has become reasonable towards his daughter; he has grown as a father.