A Solved Case of Severe Fears and Phobia – Death, Graves, Pregnancy, Childbirth, Sleep, Blood, Bad News (Hussain Kaisrani)

Patient Information:

• Name: Mrs. AM
• Age: 33 years
• Marital Status: Married for 5 years
• Location: Quetta, Pakistan
• Presenting Concerns: Chronic fears and phobias impairing physical, emotional, and mental health.

Chief Complaints:

Mrs. AM approached the clinic seeking consultation regarding a wide range of intense and persistent fears and phobias that had severely affected her overall quality of life. These fears led to physical, emotional, and mental health deterioration, leaving her feeling hopeless, anxious, and overwhelmed by her condition.

Primary Issues:

• Severe emotional distress
• Multiple phobias affecting her day-to-day life and well-being
• Difficulties in communication (initial history was taken via WhatsApp due to circumstantial constraints)

Symptom Summary:

Emotional Symptoms:

The predominant emotional disturbance for Mrs. AM was a series of chronic, overwhelming fears and phobias. These emotional concerns were significantly impairing her quality of life, both physically and mentally.

1. Fear of Death (Necrophobia):
   Mrs. AM recounted a traumatic experience 4 years ago when she witnessed her uncle’s funeral rites, which included post-death rituals and the burial process. This experience left her haunted by the idea of death, and over time, the fear grew exponentially. Her phobia worsened after the death of her cousin, where she once again observed funerary rites. The vivid thoughts of her own death, burial, and funeral have become all-consuming, often leading to increased heart rate and intense emotional distress when exposed to death-related topics or images.
2. Fear of Cemeteries and Graves (Coimetrophobia):
   Mrs. AM developed an acute phobia of graves, cemeteries, and funerals, which further restricted her freedom of movement. Even seeing a mound of soil or an excavation on the ground would trigger overwhelming anxiety due to associations with graves.
3. Fear of Pregnancy and Childbirth (Tokophobia):
   Despite years of marriage, Mrs. AM is unable to enjoy the prospect of motherhood due to an intense phobia of pregnancy and childbirth. This fear has also caused significant strain on her marital relationship, as her anxieties about labor and delivery prevent her from conceiving.
4. Other Phobias and Fears:
   • Fear of Announcements from Mosques (associated with funerals and death).
   • Irrational fear of impending disaster or catastrophic events.
   • Fear of Serious Illnesses (e.g., cancer).
   • Fear of Insanity (concern that without treatment she will go insane).
   • Fear of Blood (resulting in fainting upon exposure).
   • Sleep Phobia: Fear of nightmares related to death, graves, and funerals, leading to disturbed sleep patterns.
5. Miscellaneous Fears:
   • Thunderstorms, ambulance sirens, lizards, dogs, and darkness.

Mental Symptoms:

1. Intrusive Thoughts:
   Mrs. AM reported being unable to quieten persistent and distressing thoughts. Once a troubling thought entered her mind, it would replay repeatedly, especially those related to death, funerals, and burial.
2. Loss of Control Over Mental Imagery:
   Her mind would involuntarily conjure vivid images of funeral scenes and death, which she felt powerless to control.
3. Fear of Psychiatric Stigma:
   She believed she might be a psychiatric patient but feared the social stigma associated with seeking help. She was deeply troubled by the possibility of being labeled as “insane” or “crazy.”
4. Paranoia:
   Mrs. AM often felt as though she was being watched or followed by others, especially by men, which contributed to her sense of unease.

Physical Symptoms:

• Insomnia:
  Severe sleep disturbances due to constant fear and nightmares related to death and funerals.
• Decreased Appetite and Thirst (Anorexia):
  Emotional stress led to a significant loss of appetite and thirst.
• Burning Sensation During Urination.
• Hair Fall and Frequent Flu Episodes.
• Backache.
• Leucorrhea and Painful Menstruation (intermittent).
• Restlessness and Extreme Anxiety:
  These physical symptoms were exacerbated by her emotional distress.

Habits, Desires, and Aversions:

• Aversions:
  Salt, milk, yogurt, eggs, strawberries, peas, turnips.
• Desires:
  Ice cream, chocolates, cold drinks (especially Pepsi).
• Sleep Position:
  Prefers sleeping on her left side.
• Perspiration:
  Perspires on the neck and back when in a hot environment.

Family History:

• Hepatitis
• Heart Attack: Uncle passed away at age 40.
• Intestinal Cancer: First-degree relative.
• Paranoia/Anxiety: Brother suffers from similar mental health issues.

Quality of Life Impairment:

• Social Limitations:
  Mrs. AM avoids watching TV and using social media, particularly Facebook, due to her fear of encountering news related to death, disaster, or tragic events.
• Emotional Distress:
  Constant sadness and hopelessness are linked to her overwhelming thoughts about death and future disasters.
• Marital Strain:
  The fear of pregnancy and childbirth has had a detrimental impact on her marital life and physical relationship with her husband.

Case Analysis and Homeopathic Treatment:

After a thorough case analysis, Aconitum Napellus was prescribed.

Why Aconitum Napellus?

Based on a comprehensive review of the patient’s symptoms, Aconitum Napellus was identified as the most appropriate remedy. The most striking and significant feature of Mrs. AM’s case was her fear of death — a hallmark of Aconite’s action.

• Aconitum Napellus is known for its profound fear of death, often experienced as an acute, overwhelming panic, especially in response to perceived threats of sudden death.
• The patient’s repeated fear of impending death and the vivid mental imagery associated with funerary rites and burial scenes correspond closely with Aconitum’s characteristic “fear of impending death.”
• The acute, sudden onset of her anxiety and panic fits the description of Aconitum’s action, as outlined in the homeopathic literature.

Supporting Literature:

• George Vithoulkas in Materia Medica Viva emphasizes Aconitum’s ability to treat chronic fears, especially death-related phobias that lead to paralyzing anxiety and panic attacks.

George Vithoulkas has very beautifully explained the fears and phobias of Aconite in his Materia Medica Viva.

The shocks in an Aconitum case penetrate the entire body and mind and send the whole organism into a shudder, into extreme trembling with tremendous restlessness, unrelieved by any change of position, and an agonizing fear of death. Phobias, especially of death, that persist for years can result. It produces a fear that death will come on suddenly, when least expected; this phobic state is not constant, but rather one that comes in fits. The fear is most accurately expressed as a “fear of impending death.”

We witness this kind of picture today in patients suffering from phobic neuroses. From time to time, with or without small provocations, acute states erupt with the above characteristics.

The attacks are not regular, nor are they constant; they come in fits, in sudden acute crises and can come at any time and as a consequence of any stimulus. The most important point is that in almost all cases we see a tremendous fear of death, which sometimes reaches panic proportions, in addition to the feeling that death is imminent. A physician attending an Aconitum patient in a crisis may hear the patient saying that he has “come too late,” that he will “die soon”, this being another expression of the presentiment of death. The books say, “Predicts the time of death.”, and while it is not always expressed in exactly these words, the patient’s comments will have the same implication. A similar fear of death during pregnancy or during labor can be seen and is a keynote for this remedy. In chronic conditions the patient will not make such specific predictions; he just has a general presentiment that death will come soon and suddenly. For instance, a woman may fear that she will die before she can bring up her children. This is an almost clairvoyant perception; in fact this remedy often has clairvoyant experiences and in particular clairvoyant dreams.

Dr Kanodia quoted Dr. A. H. Grimmer in his famous book Life Saving Drugs in Homeopathy; Dr Kanodia K. D. – B. Jain Publishers India. (2005) that a dose of

• Dr. Kent, in Lectures on Materia Medica, highlights the relevance of Aconitum in cases where patients have intense fears about death, particularly during pregnancy or childbirth.

Dr Kent is the top most respected pioneer homeopath and his Lectures on Materia Medica is considered highly reliable literature. He says،

Sometimes a pregnant woman will say, “Doctor, there is no use your planning for my confinement. I know I am going to die in that confinement.” If there is any one think that is a really strong symptom to prescribe on it is that A dose of Aconite, and then change the subject. She goes away, and in a few days you ask her about that fear and she says, “Oh never mind that.” ………

• Dr. Kanodia, citing Dr. A.H. Grimmer, mentions that Aconitum is effective for patients suffering from extreme fear and anxiety, especially in situations like wartime stress, where death is a constant threat.

Prognosis and Follow-Up:

Given the chronic nature of Mrs. AM’s symptoms, Aconitum Napellus was selected to address both the emotional and physical symptoms arising from deep-rooted fear and anxiety. Follow-up consultations were scheduled to assess progress and adjust treatment as necessary.

Conclusion:

Mrs. AM’s case illustrates the profound impact that chronic phobias and fears can have on one’s life. By addressing these fears with Aconitum Napellus, we aim to alleviate her emotional and mental distress, restore her quality of life, and help her regain a sense of control and peace.