I cannot be alone
Alice had given birth to a lovely baby 5 weeks ago, and whilst she was overjoyed with her new bundle of happiness she was still haunted by the events that had taken place after the birth of her baby. For the last 2 weeks Alice was feeling she had fallen down a hole of anxiety and overwhelming emotions. She gets upset by the smallest thing and does not want to feel like this, she is worried it will effect her bonding with her baby.
Her pregnancy had been an easy one, with no real problems, and the birth itself went well. After the birth, Alice was given her new baby to hold for the briefest of time, before she was snatched out of her arms and rushed into the Intensive Care Unit for more oxygen. Alice was very shocked by this and her partner also looked shocked she said, "like he had seen a ghost". As it turned out the baby was fine, however, this experience had left Alice feeling traumatized.
Now she needs to be near her own mother all the time and feels that she cannot cope with being a mother and caring for her baby. She feels overwhelmed by the pressures of looking after the house and taking care of her baby. She feels inadequate and unable to cope.
A bubbly person
Alice told me that she is normally a bubbly person, likes to have a joke and a laugh, enjoys life. But now she is frightened to be alone, does not want to sleep alone and is suffering from panic attacks where she finds it difficult to breath. She had never experienced anything like this before and had not had any real trauma or anxiety in her life until now.
The Remedies Given
This was actually a very simple case as Alice was essentially a very healthy person who had had a recent traumatic experience which had set her back a bit emotionally. There are two main remedies for shock, these are Aconite and Opium. Opium is very helpful in a number of shock or post traumatic stress situations. People who need this remedy are in a stupified state, a fog and really don't feel themselves. Its almost as if experiencing the shock has switched them off and dulled the senses. This remedy can be effective after a stroke which can produces similar symptoms, or after seeing a traumatic event, especially if there are flash backs.
So Alice was given Opium and also Phosphorus to take two days later as I felt that this was her constitutional remedy. (E.g. the remedy that best suits her personality). The Opium would deal with the trauma and take her out of the state of shock and then she would get a further boost and balance from the constitutional remedy.
Like a Miracle
Alice did not turn up for her follow-up appointment, I think she felt so well she just forgot. However, I rang her mother to find out what had happened and she said it had been like a miracle. First the depression went and then the trauma disappeared. Within a week of taking the remedies she was back to her old self and to mum's relief back living in her own home.
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