Erbium metallicum

14.4 Erbium metallicum case
Width 8, Depth 6, Cure 7, Duration 7

A man of 25 years of age has had a heroin addiction for 6 years. Before that he used cannabis for 5 years, from age 14 to 19.

He’s very quiet and introverted. He never talked about what he did at school. When his mother questioned him, he answered, “I don’t remember”. It feels as if he has a wall around him. He had only one good friend. He had an aversion to any social thing like scouting or football. He’s an outsider, laughing at what’s going on around him. He can speak ironically, in a distant way, so one sometimes doesn't know if he’s joking or serious.
He never complained much. In fact he was so stoical that when at 5 he fractured his wrist his mother only found out two days later after he fell on it again.
Inside he’s romantic and sensitive, timid and loving. He has tremendous compassion. As a child he could call to birds flying overhead. When migrating pigeons or swallows were passing by, he took grain and the birds would come to him and eat out of his hands to strengthen them for their long flights. He saved a few of his friends from an overdose of heroin, knowing exactly what to do. During his addiction time he could be very cruel, including kicking the cat and breaking its tail. He could violate his father's trust, stealing money and alcohol from him, but he never did that to his mother.
He‘s intelligent and has good deductive reasoning. He studied by himself as a computer programmer. He reads a lot in the libraries, although he didn't study at university or finish his high school studies. He has deep thoughts about things. He knows a lot, for instance about the Lanthanides “That’s the hidden part of the periodic table”. Lately he has a feeling of holes in his mind.
He likes music very much. His favorite group is Pink Floyd, and his favorite album “The Wall”.

Past history
His birth was problematic for his mother. The nurses and doctors in the hospital gave her Pethidine without asking her permission, just saying “Oh this is good for you” and then giving her the injection. It made her numb, particularly her legs, so that she could hardly walk from one ward to another. She felt foolish and was talking rubbish. She lost her power and felt out of control because they had taken over all her power. She was angry but didn't show it because of the power situation in the hospital. The labor was very intense because they made her push 3 times in every contraction instead of the normal twice. She felt rushed and hurried, as if she would burst or explode. The labor was short. He was born quickly, in half an hour.
After birth he wanted to drink every 3 hours but the hospital regime was every 4 hours. By the time he had to be fed he was too exhausted from crying to drink. So he became a bottle-fed baby.
He developed well and rapidly. He walked and talked at 9 months. At 15 months he used full sentences and long words. At 2 his mother put headphones on him and he was completely blown away by music. His mother was amazed by his excitement.
He’s the first-born. At the age of 2 he retreated and regressed when his brother was born.
He feels guarded.

Analysis
The situation at birth is typical of Erbium, Stage 14 of the Lanthanides. The power of the mother was taken away; she wasn't even asked if she would like the Pethidine. She felt out of control and power. Only formally was she in control: Stage 14. The power theme, the power over oneself, is the theme of the Lanthanides.

When the mother heard the song “Comfortably Numb” from the album “The Wall”, her mind went straight back to the same feeling as during the birth: powerless and numb. She felt nauseous and uncomfortably numb.

Confirmations are:
Lanthanides: precocious, sensitive, compassionate (with birds), self- willed.
Erbium: irony, distant, no contact, favorite Pink Floyd, particular favorite The Wall.

Follow up
After Erbium metallicum 200K he became more open. He told his mother about his heroin addiction. He started talking when asked, holding nothing back. Sometimes it can be inappropriate like talking about his sex life to his mother. He gets on well with lots of people. He stopped taking heroin and switched to Methadone. He got a job.
After 3 years he’s still off the heroin and has worked for 3 years. He’s on a rehabilitation program for heroin addicts.