Fighting with a sword in both hands; a case of Osmium

Ms. A.D (27 year old female)

Chief Complaint: Involuntary urination, three to four times a day. All investigations are normal.

PASSIVE CASE WITNESSING*:

Mira Valvekar (MV): Just be with yourself, reflect back on last 27 years of your life and tell me what comes up.

Patient (P): “I am working at IBM (a software company). A friend of mine did a lot for me to get that job. In the period before I got the IBM job, I used to travel to two companies that were at two opposite ends of the town, to have interviews. During that time, I had no involuntary urination. I was just wondering why I struggled so much for 6-8 months. When I started getting work tension at my job, the involuntary urination started. Now, since being on my new job, when I fell tense, my problem starts. It happened once when I was thinking about marriage for the entire day (she is unmarried). When this tension is in my head, I get the urge to go to the toilet. Before I could reach the toilet, I would lose control over my bladder. Last month, I lost control twice before I reached the toilet and my clothes got spoilt.  Something had gone wrong with me and it was evident that I was not normal. If I get a promotion tomorrow, how will I manage with this problem? Will I be confident enough? I try very hard to not let that happen.”

(Goes to a new area: family situation)

“The thing is that I am the youngest in my family. I am earning well, so I feel I must share it with others. I am the one who is always taking on the tension about everything and everyone. It’s all for my family that I am doing this, so it’s no problem. I am always thinking I have to do this for my father, my mother, my sisters; this keeps giving me tension. All these responsibilities are on me, doing things for my family members.

“At least 1 ½ hours every day I help my mother with the housework before leaving for my job. I feel it’s my responsibility. After the morning housework and my job, I have no energy left to exercise when I come home from work. Even my father says to me that we have only you to rely on. We know in times of need you will come forward and be with us.”

(Pause for about a minute: she starts crying)

MV: Tell me something more about yourself in general.

P:  “I want to buy a car for my father. If I don’t do it now, when will he get these luxuries in life? So, I have to recalculate all those things, and manage the finances. I jot down the things that need to be done by the weekend. As the jobs get done, I tick a mark on the paper, and that list essentially has jobs of everyone.”

MV: Something more about you.

P: “I have a very positive attitude in life, but don’t know why I get depressed and feel so low sometimes. Especially since the last 6 months, when this urine problem has come, I feel very low at times.  I try a lot to pull myself out of it. I try too hard.”

(Spontaneously goes into a new area: father)

“My father had to struggle a lot in life since he was young. He has done everything possible to earn a living for his family. I keep on telling my mother what I have learned from my father is that, in life you have to struggle, and to fight it out with a sword in both hands. That’s how you have to do it, never accept defeat (starts crying).”

MV: Anything else about you... see what comes up naturally to you...?

(I am just waiting to see if she moves into one more different area on her own)

P: “There are these sessions that my company organizes for us employees once a month during office times. Recently there were sessions on leadership, they are really very interesting. They inspire women on how they can lead in all fields of life. I would really like to hear from them about leadership and the qualities a leader needs in order to take any responsibility on his shoulders.”

MV: go on...

P: “About leadership. How can one form a team and work along with others? How will you lead that team? What qualities should a leader have? How can we improve our skills? Actually, the thing is that I am very weak in English; I cannot communicate properly in English. I tell myself that I will try to improve. I have to give my interviews in English. I never back out; I don’t know if I am grammatically right or wrong but I don’t give up! I will try very hard. I fall and hurt myself. I am not in a position to move forward, yet whatever happens, I want to go ahead. I will not give up. That has been my life story until now.”

(She spontaneously begins to talk about her work place. I allow her to talk, since I am still in the passive case witnessing part of the session.

“If I am working on a project and not getting something, then it is a challenge for me. In my previous company, I had an opportunity where I had to handle people. That’s what I love to do. Problem solving is what I love the most.  And moving ahead, taking everybody along with you.”

(With this, I thought the focus of the case to be: responsibility, tension with a lot of struggle. So, I moved on to Active case witnessing, to confirm my focus.)

ACTIVE CASE WITNESSING*:  

MV: Do you remember any dreams?

P: “Yes. Recently, I had a dream that my friend who helped me get this job was in trouble. He needed financial help. The amount was something like two lakh of rupees. He did not ask me directly for money, but since I am his friend and I knew he was in trouble, I had to do something. I kept on wondering how I would collect this big amount. I could maybe arrange one lakh of rupees, but he needed two lakh of rupees.”

MV: So, what is the feeling like when you think of this dream now?

P: “He is the one who helped me get my job, now it is my turn. Last time he did it, now it is me who has to show that even I am capable of helping my friends. I have to solve my friend’s problem; that was on my mind all the time. It was like a hammer.”  

(Here too, in her dreams, she speaks of the same issue that she was mentioning until now: Responsibility. Other important issues that have come up repeatedly are ‘struggle’ and a ‘constant effort’ during the passive case witnessing. From here, I became Active – Active.)

ACTIVE - ACTIVE CASE WITNESSING*:

MV:  In general, what is ‘responsibility’ for you?

P: “It is on my mind all the time. I have to fulfill my duties at any cost. I have to do whatever is allotted to me in any circumstances. People can rely on me, once the work is given to me.”

ACTIVE - ACTIVE CASE WITNESSING*: (WITH DISSOCIATION)

MV: Tell me a bit more about this responsibility, the constant effort on a general level. It need not be related to you.

P: “The people like the big company owners come to my mind. They look at every aspect of their venture with full responsibility. Nothing comes easy for them. There have made a lot of effort for many years. They take on the responsibility of that place like their own family. The leader of the project should definitely know this.”

MV: go on...

P: “Responsibility is a father and his child.  I remember a picture where the father throws his child up in the air. That’s responsibility for me; that the father is going to be there. Come what may, there is no other side to it. The child completely depends on the father (crying while describing this).”

MV: So tell me a bit more about all this... that struggle…

P: “Every step you have to fight, you will face resistance in life. You will have to keep on fighting and move ahead.”

MV: Just go on... see what you can say about this on a general level, don’t involve yourself in it.

P: “All these big people like J.R.D Tata, Mr. Kirloskar and P.N.G. (businessmen). I have read a little about all these people. All these people have struggled so much since a young age. The efforts that these people have put in their work, the responsibilities that they have taken up: they have really led from the front. I have read somewhere that you need to make lot of effort to reach to a respectable position. Then, once you have reached it, it requires your responsibility to maintain you on that pedestal. Whichever company they might be running, they look into the smallest thing personally, taking all the responsibilities on their shoulders. It’s not that they have these huge companies from day one. Initiall,y they were small companies. I like a leader who would to be with the staff and solve their problems and move ahead.”

(She mentioned her liking for problem solving at the end of the passive case taking as well - to solve problems and move ahead along with everybody.)

MV: So, you like to be the leader?

(Smiles. Until now she was crying off and on, but here she gives a big smile for the first time, and I see a shift in her being.)

P: “Yes, very much. I would like to know everyone well. Analyze my team, allot proper work to every candidate. If they get stuck somewhere, I would like to solve the problem.”

MV: Anything else that you would like to say?

P: “No actually. I have said a lot of things that I have never spoken about before.”

Analysis of the Case:

By the end of PASSIVE CASE WITNESSING, these are the most peculiar expressions the patient came up with:
Tensions bring on this problem.
Struggling for all the things.
When I started feel tension at my job, the involuntary urination started.
Something had gone wrong with me and it was evident that I was not normal.
If tomorrow I get a promotion, how will I manage with this problem? Will I be confident enough?
I find my way to do things.
I try very hard to not let that happen.
I try not to take that much tension about anything.
I am the one who always takes on tension about everything and everyone.
If I get more, I must share it with everybody.
All these responsibilities are on me.
Normal bladder control is lost
Even my father says this to me: “We have only you to rely on.”
If I take up something, I must complete it.
I will not be able to move forward, and whatever happens, I want to go ahead.
I will fall and get hurt but will not give up.
Leadership, leadership qualities, forming a team, to lead that team, take responsibility on your shoulders.
To fight with a sword in both hands and accept defeat.
I can’t stay behind.
Handle people and solve their problems
If I am not able to solve something during a project, then it is a challenge for me.
Move ahead taking everybody along with you.

A few more things that I noted at the end of passive case witnessing process:
Level of experience: delusion (SITUATION)
She is in touch with herself*.
Her talk is multidimensional*.

FOCUS OF THE CASE: RESPONSIBILITY, TENSION WITH STRUGGLE:

ACTIVE CASE WITNESSING:
Dream that my friend, who helped me get this job, was in trouble.
It’s like a hammer.
It is my responsibility and I must do it.
I am also capable to help my friend in need.

ACTIVE- ACTIVE CASE WITNESSING:
The leader of the project should know everything.
Responsibility is like a father and his child. The father is going to be there for the child.
Efforts of all the people, responsibilities that they have taken up.
At every step you will face resistance in life.
Big company owners who started from a small unit and are successful today, after taking responsibility of every small thing about the company. Once you have reached a position, it requires your responsibility to maintain you on that pedestal.

KINGDOM:  Mineral Issues that point toward the Mineral kingdom:
1. Capable
2.  Something was wrong with me that was not normal.
3. Can I manage work with the urine problem? Low confidence.
4. I am weak in English.
5. People can depend on me once the work is allotted.
6. To keep on trying to improve oneself and move ahead, to improve your skills.
7. To lead.
8. Every step you face resistance, where you have to fight and move ahead.
9. To fall, get hurt but not give up.
10. Responsibility

Which Row?
1.To do things for everyone of the family.
2.To lead a team, and look after every employee.
3.To be there for team mates, when a problem comes and they are stuck (to solve problems).
4.To make a difference in many people’s lives.
5. Start from a small company and develop into something big.
6. To treat the entire company like a family, as if their own.
7. People like JRD Tata, Kirloskar, started from a very small project to achieve what we see today.

These are the expressions specific to the 6th Row (Reference: Structure-Volume 1 &2 by Dr. Rajan Sankaran)
Accountability
Am I capable?
Authority
Backing
Dependent on
Dutiful
I am responsible
Leader
Leadership
Right and wrong

Which Column?
The patient describes her experience as that of being under a constant tension, a hammer.
As if constantly fighting with a sword in both hands.
Trying and trying without giving up.
Having to face resistance in every walk of life, but moving ahead.
To reach a high position.
Constant struggle to achieve it.

This points out to column Eight.

Expressions specific to column 8 (Structure volume 1&2 by Rajan Sankaran)
Persistence
Resistance
Determination
Make your own path
Opposed

CENTRE OF THE CASE: Responsibility at a mass level, and achieving something in life that will make a difference to many, where you will lead from the front. Face resistance, fight all the time with two swords, and move ahead without giving up to reach a high position. Be a problem solver, on whom anyone can depend.  

Prescription: Osmium 1M, one dose (1M as patient’s level of experience at the end of Passive case is delusion)

Reference from Jan Scholten’s Elements of Homeopathy:

Osmium metallicum
Crisis manager
Carrying on organization structure
Forcing responsibility
Tremendous effort to exercise power
Weakness

Follow ups:

1st follow up, 21days: the patient was better regarding the involuntary urination. She said: “In 21 days, I’ve only had the problem twice when at work.” Initially, she faced this problem two or three times a day. Felt much more confident as was happier at work. Her thoughts concerning of marriage still continue (she is unmarried). Overall, I found her to be better, so I did not repeat a dose.

2nd follow up, 55 days: no complaints at all. “Not even once did I get involuntary urination.” She has had a promotion and felt that she would be able to take up well the responsibility. 
Plan: Placebo

3rd follow up, 75days: she complained of having urinary problems since 2-3 days. When asked what had happened in these recent days she said, she had a similar dream, where she had to complete a certain deadline and that was giving her a lot of stress. She also had a few upper respiratory complaints. 
Prescription: repeat Osmium 1M, 2 doses on two consecutive nights.
Involuntary urination stopped 3 days after repeating the remedy.

4th follow up, 6 months later: she says that she is completely free of her urinary problem. Sometimes, she just feels the urgency to urinate but can control it very well. She thinks of her marriage, as at 27 she is not married, but that is just a thought. She says: “I don’t feel tension all the time anymore.” She has joined dancing and painting classes on weekends, which have always interested her. I asked her what happened to that hammer, struggle?  She says the feeling is much better. ”It is not there with me all the time.” Taking every day as it comes and leaving the rest to God.

[*: Three steps of Case Witnessing process (Passive, Active and Active-Active) as learned from Dr. Dinesh Chauhan and as mentioned in his Book The Scientifically Intuitive Case Witnessing Process: The Journey of Three Steps.]

Photos:
Sword fighting; Colin Mc Millen; Flickr
Hammer; Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery; Flickr