Schizophrenic Patients Led Me to Homeopathy
When I entered the University of Washington School of Social Work in 1974, I knew nothing about psychosis. My personal background at that time was yoga, meditation, vegetarianism, and herbs. It was in my inpatient and outpatient clinical training that I first witnessed the plight of psychotic patients—first on the locked and unlocked psychiatric wards, in the emergency room, and, later, in halfway houses, patient homes, and, briefly, at the WA. State psychiatric hospital, Western State. I was horrified by the side effects of the psychiatric drugs, then called phenothiazines. Head tremors and shuffling, sometimes permanent, were common, as well as a blank gaze. Not only did these individuals suffer the torment of the hallucinations and delusions, but also the highly visible stigma of these additional symptoms leading to further isolation. I also found, consistently, that physical complaints of patients identified with psychiatric symptoms/diagnoses were nearly universally ignored and rarely included in our psychiatric rounds. I made a commitment to myself to find a kinder, more gentle and humane answer for these patients. I had an opportunity to teach yoga to inpatient and outpatient psychiatric patients. I still recall advocating for a remarkable Native American shaman who ended up on the locked ward due to her “hallucinations.” I was able to convince the psychiatrist that she was in fact not delusional. My experience with these patients was so profound that it led me to devoting my life to finding an effective natural approach to mental illness.
Soon after arriving at Bastyr in 1979 (the second class to graduate), I was introduced to homeopathy. It was immediately apparent to me that this was the avenue I was seeking to help individuals with mental and emotional complaints. My husband, having had a similar revelation relative to his experience working with developmentally delayed children and adolescents, teamed with me to devote our lives to become as proficient as possible in applying homeopathy to these challenges. Two of the most disturbing and problematic mental health conditions are schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. I have found homeopathy to be of great benefit with some of these cases.
Special Considerations in Treating Schizophrenic Patients
- It can be extremely difficult to get a clear picture of the patient during the initial case taking. This is due primarily to the longstanding mental numbness attributable to the psychiatric medications. I will say that the drugs used now are far better than those in my initial mental health days. However, it is rare for patients to be clear-headed enough to provide the kind of history and details that are needed by the homeopath. The ideal time to begin homeopathy is during the first break, when the etiology and earliest symptoms are still accessible and available.
- It is often necessary to rely on family members to understand how the patient was prior to the first break, stressors, relationships, unique interests and personality features. There are over 4000 unique homeopathic remedies, one and only one of which will have the most beneficial effect on the patient. Finding that remedy, or simillimum, depends on the knowledge and experience of the homeopath and the clarity of the information provided by the patient. In many cases I have seen homeopaths rely on a limited number of commonly prescribed remedies for schizophrenia rather than venturing further, although the patient in this article needed a well-known remedy.
- Compliance can be highly challenging due to a number of factors. First the patient needs to be consistent taking the homeopathic remedy as instructed. This can be difficult due to mental confusion and other factors. In the 70s patients were commonly prescribed Prolixin, an injectable anti-psychotic drug administered once a month, due to their inability/unwillingness to take their medications faithfully. The inconsistency of their lives is made worse by periodic hospitalizations, changes in doctors and providers, and, usually, a quite unhealthy lifestyle.
- Psychiatric patients with schizophrenia are marginalized, often incapable of working, supporting themselves, and engaging in healthy self-care habits. They often lack adequate, reliable housing and rarely have a functioning support system. They have often been deserted by family and friends and may have run through numerous group living situations. It is difficult to find low-cost, highly experienced homeopathic mental health care. Student clinics with experienced teachers may be one answer, or health insurance, or low-income sliding scales.
- Given all the above challenges, I recommend that inexperienced homeopaths get their feet wet by training with those seasoned in mental health. Clinical supervision is also recommended. If a case is over your head, refer to someone more experienced.
- Be clear about which patients you are willing to treat. I, for example, will not work with patients with borderline personality disorder, anyone actively suicidal, those with heavy addictions, or who are not good candidates to stay with treatment for a minimum of one to two years. If the patient is living with family, those individuals need to support the homeopathic care. As a homeopath, respect your limits and refer out if you feel a patient might get better care elsewhere for a particular problem such as schizophrenia.
A Young Woman with Schizophrenia: Ten Years of Follow-Up
Renee first contacted me at the age of 30 with a diagnosis of schizophrenia. She complained that her thoughts spoke loudly to her nearly all the time, telling her to do nonsensical and even dangerous things. This had begun with nightmares four years earlier following an auto accident. She was working as a counselor at the time. Colors became distorted. Disturbing voices became more and more frequent. This resulted in a three-month psychiatric hospitalization with anti-psychotic medication. Renee felt surrounded by electrical energy and by images of others telling her to do various things. All of the input overwhelmed the young woman to the point of paranoia.
By the time Renee contacted me, she felt that she had mentally regressed. She could no longer play the guitar. Harsh voices bombarded her incessantly. It was as if something had been removed from her head. Like the vital essence had been drained from her. Now she needed a quiet, tranquil environment to feel peaceful. Prior to the accident she was living independently and getting very good grades in graduate school. All of that fell by the wayside following her psychotic break and hospitalization.
“I felt like I was being taken over. Invaded by different energies. My mind was not mine. People would come in my dreams and do things. It seemed so real in my mind. I would feel electrical vibrations in my body… Now I’m just not there. I just want quiet. I get scrambled. My brain gets overwhelmed. I can’t get enough air. I feel like someone keeps me from moving forward, keeps me stuck. It is a fight between good and evil. Someone playing tricks on me. Trying to be evil. I was a good person. Negative, demonic things trying to hurt me. Good and bad. Images of graveyards, caskets, girls with angel wings and boys with pitchforks and horns… All these weird things happening in my head.”
A Battle Between Good and Evil
What about Renee’s symptoms were unique enough to select a single homeopathic remedy? The harsh, recurrent, if not incessant, voices are common in thought disorders. So is the feeling of being taken over. And persistent, profound confusion and dullness of mind, often aggravated by the psychotropic drugs. It was the Renee’s clear description of the good and bad forces, angelic and demonic, angel wings versus pitchforks and satanic horns that confirmed Anacardium orientale from the cashew family. The classic symptom of this remedy, in the homeopathic materia medica is of an angel sitting on one shoulder and a devil on the other.
Renee did suffer sexual abuse during her childhood, which can be an etiology for this remedy. These children typically try to live up to parental expectations, to avoid violence and abuse, by being obedient themselves, to the point of angelic. But even this degree of compliance often results in more voice and abuse. If the domination persists, the opposite tendencies may develop, of hardheartedness, to the point of cruelty and malice It is expressed characteristically, as a contradiction of wills, the delusion of being separated from the world, and a delusion of being under super-human control. Renee’s sweet and gentle nature did not change, but the cruelty manifested instead in her delusions. She became tormented incessantly by dark, evil, demonic forces.
Delusions of Anacardium also include a feeling of separation from the world, of seeing devils, cursing, hatred, and a feeling of inhumanity. All of these were aspects of the forces and voices, which tormented Renee.
Ten Years of Homeopathic Follow-Up
Anacardium was, fortunately, a very clear prescription. Renee has been on Abilify, Invega, and other medications as well the entire time, though the dosage has varied. Over the years, I did try other remedies periodically to see if more progress was possible. Ultimately I found that adjusting the potency of the original remedy was the best course of action. Renee is one of my favorite patients and I talk with her every six weeks without fail. My biggest regret is that, despite being on the right homeopathic remedy, the significant disruption in Renee’s life beginning with her first psychotic break, following the car accident, has led to a significant limitation of her life. I only wish is that I had been able to begin working with her homeopathically at the time of her first psychotic symptoms, or even earlier. I believe it may have been possible for her to pursue her graduate degree and enjoy a relatively normal life. Instead she is unemployed, and lives a simple, fairly limited life. However, Renee is one of the kindest, sweetest people I have ever met. I always look forward to my time with her, as she does as well. Her values are positive and benevolent, and her lifestyle natural and uncomplicated. I believe that my steady support, encouragement, and the benefit of the homeopathy over the years, has made a significant difference for her.
At the beginning of treatment Renee was extremely fearful. She felt suffocated to the point of not wanting to be around people. The young womanfound herself talking out loud frequently telling the tormenting voices to be quiet. Renee complained of her mind being out of whack, scrambled, off track, overwhelmed, and unable to fathom. Her sleep was disrupted by the voices, which she complained were crude, dangerous, repetitive, and incessant 24/7. The mental demons and “evil things” were out to hurt Renee, to put her in a casket, drown her, and to block her mind. Her intention of going back to work was foiled by the voices. Despite the Abilify, much of Renee’s time was spent screaming at them to go away. More than anything, she sought peace of mind from the “roller coaster ride at motorcycle speed.” The frightening, argumentative, masculine voices told Renee, in terrifying tones, to avoid laughing, smiling, and showing any emotion. She felt invaded by electrical vibrations and a variety of terrible images. Renee has had few significant physical symptoms over the past decade.
I have given Renee various potencies of Anacardium in both liquid and dry doses beginning with 6C, then 12C plussed potencies and over the past three years 200C liquid daily. Renee lives alone in an apartment, eats well, relates quite well with her immediate family, as compared to in the past, attends natural healing and lifestyle classes, has been involved with various spiritual communities, and has had a positive and consistent relationship with a psychiatrist who has not overmedicated her. He will be moving on and I hope the next one is as beneficial. The biggest difference in our conversations over the past few years has been the lucid thread of conversation on Renee’s part. We converse about her interests, activities family interactions and she does not mention the voices, as she always did in the past. The daily high-potency has been very effective in helping her to be peaceful and clear. I sincerely hope that the consistency in Renee’s life and treatment continues so that she may enjoy relative peace and well being in comparison to her previous psychic torment.
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