A case of Childhood Schizophrenia By Dr. Jawahar Shah A straight jump to Sycotic phase

A young child was brought for poor performance in exams. On detailed interview, we came up with following facts...

The child was previously a brilliant student…

Would perform very well academically and always stood first in the class without any problem.

When he was 11 yrs old, the normal SSC education pattern of the school changed to a Cambridge based education which obviously is a much tougher and complex system of education.

All the problems of this child started thereafter… This change in education came as a big shock to him.

Developed this idea that he would not be able to cope up with the new education.

Had a constant anxiety that he had not studied at all, and would surely fail in his exams.

Felt that other students would go ahead of him.

Every half an hour, he would call up his friends to ask how much portion they had completed.

Child became very sensitive, irritable, anxious and fearful of everything. He developed fear of studies, of dark, of lonely places, of exams, of failure.

He started developing delusions and hallucinations, like he would hear noises and voices from far off places. Had a feeling that there is something wrong with him or that somebody is chasing him.

His concentration level dropped down. He forgot what ever he had done. He developed a lot of confusion. Would read the same page again and again as if he had never understood what he had read.

He did not feel like studying anymore Felt that … he should leave the studies

Started praying that he should get some illness… which prevents him from appearing for exams.

Sleep was disturbed, Child would often get up from sleep or would not get sleep for hours together.

Sensitivity to noise increased even if the television was on four rooms away,he could hear it, could hear the noises from 2 or 3 buildings away. Developed marked sighing and cried often.

It was quite evident from this case that the child could not bear the stress of the new advanced pattern of education and he was collapsing under this stress.

Developmental milestones : Birth wt. 6 ½ pounds Talking 11 months Walk 1 1 / 4 year Teething 7 months

Case of Childhood Schizophrenia due to the following Diagnostic Criterias : Characteristic symptoms : Two of these symptoms were present for a significant portion of time during a six month period or more : Delusions Hallucinations

Social / Occupational Dysfunction : For a significant portion of time, since the onset of the disturbance, the major areas of functioning of Work and Self care Are markedly below the level achieved.

Duration : Continuous signs of disturbance persist for at least 6 months or more.

This has been ruled out as a Schizoaffective and Mood Disorder Exclusion because : No Major Depressive, Manic or Mixed Episodes have occurred concurrently with the active-phase symptoms.

Symptoms considered : Fear : Failure, of Mood, disposition : despairing, hopeless, discourage Fear : Dark Fear : Alone, of being

Symptoms considered : Delusions, Imaginations : Walk : Someone walks behind Concentration difficult [see comprehension thinking]: Dullness, sluggishness difficulty of Thinking and comprehending

Symptoms considered : Delusions : imaginations:Noise,hears Work : Aversion to mental Sensitive, oversensitive : Noise to: Weeping, tearful mood : Tendency Illusions, delusions, visions, etc., wrong, everything Walking delay in

I recorded the first symptom of the case from complete mind..

Next symptom I typed in the repertory search feature…and recorded this symptom …

Few other symptoms I directly typed in the quick rep and recorded it

The patient had a lot of dullness… I went to the Thematic search of the program … and got all the symptoms related to ‘Dullness’ to record two rubrics… Concentration difficult Dullness sluggishness Difficulty of Thinking and Comprehending

Last I searched for the symptom ‘walking delayed to’…

…which I got from the ‘Clarke clinical’ repertory Walking delayed in

Following was the repertorisation table:

Following were the remedies that came up Calc 24 / 13 Phos 21 / 9 Nux-v 20 / 10 Sil 20 / 10 I proceeded with the case … with application of repertorisation strategies

I put the most important symptoms of the case in the clipboard

Calc was coming up strongly…. I decided to apply the ‘Mineral’ filter…to see which all ‘Calcareas’ were covering the case…

The three closely related remedies were… Calc.. Phos.. Sil… I used the differentiate mat med feature, in this case using these remedies

All the Delusions were covered by Calc …the other two remedies didn’t cover them at all

On a right click I applied the ‘Symp covd / not covered feature’’… …Calc covered all the symptoms of the case…

I went to confirm the remedy thro’ Materia Medica

Compilation of Mental symptoms from Boericke: Apprehensive; worse towards evening; Fears Loss Of Reason, Misfortune, contagious diseases. Forgetful, confused, low-spirited.

Anxiety with palpitation. Obstinacy : slight mental effort produces hot head. Averse to work or exertion.

From Archives, Clarke has mentioned that: Calc. patient is slow in movements.State of mind is one of apprehension. Patient fears she will lose her reason, or that people will notice her mental confusion.

Symptoms from Hering : Imagines some one is walking beside her Feels as if she would lose her senses.

From HOMPATH Tresorie The Homoeopathic Recorder By Allan D Sutherland Volume: April/June VOL. L. NO.2 Author: Joseph L. Kaplowe, M.D. Remedy: CALCAREA CARB. ‘Calcarea has fear of going insane, or that people will observe her and suppose her to be crazy; talks about fire and murder; imagines someone is walking beside her, and even though alone, believes that someone is in the same room.

Prescription : 15 th March, 1997 Remedy : Calc. Carb 200 one dose S. L * 3 days

17 th March, 1997 Depression > Concentration > Was able to study, was worried about his position Remedy : SL. 3 powders night S.L 2 pills 2 hourly

21 st March, 1997 >> Able to appear for the exams and no problems 25 th April, 1997 Patient reports that he has stood 1 st in the class.

21 st April, 2001 Studying very well Has stood first in all exams without any anxiety episodes. No other complication or problems.

Learning 1)Step by step use of Repertory 2)Uses of different functions of search 3)Importance of recording Symptoms while taking a case. 4)Differential diagnosis of a Remedy

5) Importance of calcarea group - its appearance & expression in a given case. 6) Importance of particular symptoms in final differential approach of remedies.

7) Confirmation of a prescription from Materia Medica. 8) A single dose can help to cure an illness if detected early and managed with right Homoeopathic Medicines.

A Sycotic expression reversing to healthy state with a perfect Similimum