Different mental stages of Arsenicum Album

D Shweta

ABSTRACT
Arsenicum album is a very deep acting remedy, polychrest remedy which affects every organ and tissue.

DISPOSITION:

• Insecurity: The insecurity is not a lack of confidence on a social or professional level, but rather a more fundamental sense of vulnerability and defenselessness in matters relating to disease and death.
• Anxiety: anxieties can be reasonable and unreasonable, tangible and intangible, major and minor, relating to the present and future, visible and hidden, relating to health and disease. Anxiety may be manifested outwardly as some specific worry, or in general as mental restlessness, anticipation of troubles, or a fussy meticulousness. It may come out as perfectionism, authoritarianism, and a tendency to immoderation or extremism. Anxiety < morning, night especially midnight
• Dependency: desire for company; it is an actual need for someone to be present near him. He surrounds himself with people because of his insecurity concerning his health and his unaccountable fear of being left alone to face possible health hazards.
• Possessive: possessive of objects, of money, and especially of people who are near, such as a wife or husband.
• Selfish: His philosophy is: look after yourself first, everything else comes second. If something happens to someone else, he will think first of what it means to himself.

He is much more selfish; he tends to be a “taker.” In a relationship, he will give support to another person, but primarily with the expectation of receiving support in return.

He feels that what he is getting is not enough or not good enough. In his striving for more, his “desire is greater than his need”, and maybe greater than he deserves.

• Avaricious and miserliness: He does not want to throw anything away, does not want to waste anything; miserliness and avarice are the results of this attitude. Arsenicums motivation is “fear of poverty”.
• Fastidiousness : perfectionistic quality of an intensity akin to normal orderliness. Obsessed by the need for order and cleanliness to the point of expending inordinate energy, constantly cleaning and straightening. He is meticulously clean. Even the adolescent boy keeps himself immaculate by frequently showering and washing his hair and feeling compelled to get rid of all the (often imaginary) dirt. Some wash their hands constantly to discourage germs. He cannot overlook an error or inadequacy in his work, no matter how insignificant; he is compelled to continue working until he is satisfied with the results.
• Censorious: It is this inner drive for perfectionism that leads him to be very critical, very censorious of others. He is meticulous (“conscientious about trifles”:). His finer movements are often remarkably delicate and precise-the handwriting, for instance, is small and beautiful and whether building a table or painting a fence, cleaning a yard, writing a report, or cooking a meal, his work manifests that particular “finishing touch” -that final polish-that reveals a meticulous attention to detail. He readily criticizes anything done by anyone else, and his keen perception readily brings any existing imperfection to light..
• Dominating : He  is a domineering personality. He takes the lead in personal relations, determining their scope and tone, and leaving others no choice but to comply. The symptom, “pain aggravated by other people’s talking” is revealing. He becomes restless and fidgety, and his headache, sinus trouble, joint, stomach or other pains intensify when he must listen to another person lecture or be present at a gathering where he has little to say.

Mental picture in disease:

First stage: complaints are more functional and not involving much physical pathology. In this stage we see more physical level symptoms with less mental disturbances. Upon inquiry, one will probably discover the disposition feature of Ars alb like –fastidiousness, miserliness, a certain degree of insecurity, discontentment, and restlessness coupled with weakness, censoriousness, and irritability. Particular physical complaints — burning pains, restlessness, chilliness, aggravation from cold, frequent colds, periodicity, thirst for frequent sips of water, and aggravations occurring after midnight, especially from one to two AM (and one to two PM) – with irritability : The irritability is seen primarily in the morning upon waking, morning being a difficult time for Arsenicum.

Second stage: when illness penetrates deeper or pathology starts. The anxiety becomes more pronounced especially after midnight and in the morning on waking, and when they are alone. This anxiety leads to panic attack, restlessness.

Anxiety about illness causes him to live in constant fear

Fear of being alone, with a constant need for company. Agonizing fear of death. Fear with anxiety especially after midnight.

In acute cases especially during fever, they have fear of robbers.

Restlessness is very marked, both physical and mental restlessness due to anxiety < after midnight, early morning. Restlessness with great anxiety moves from one place to another. Restlessness alternates with unconsciousness.

Third stage: constant fear, anxiety, and restlessness ends in exhaustion in third stage which leads to a state of despair of recovery. They think that their sufferings may be permanent as a consequence of the toll exacted by the weight of the constant anxiety and fearfulness.

Final stage: there will be deppression and suicidal disposition.

Depression: during this stage he avoids meeting friends, relatives.

He just wants lie down and wants to be quite, occupied with thoughts that aggravates his depression and torments his mind day and night.

Suicidal thoughts: he feels that his sufferings are incurable; thoughts of death will occupy his mind. This suicidal disposition will come suddenly or aggravate after severe fright or shock, or during asthmatic attacks.

In the final stages one may encounter great difficulty in accurately prescribing Arsenicum without the knowledge of its stages of development

In Arsenicum, acute diseases have the same anxiety, restlessness, and even despair which characterize the chronic state. The restlessness and anxiety can be tremendous, compelling the patient to get up and move about.

Miasmatic analysis of symptoms :

PSORA	SYCOSIS	SYPHILITIC
ANXIETY – morning ANXIETY – night – midnight – after ANXIETY – health; about RESTLESSNESS – night – midnight – after COMPANY – desire for – alone agg.; when	AVARICE FEAR – night – midnight – after – FEAR – alone, of being – lest – he die FEAR – death, of FEAR – robbers, of DEATH – presentiment of DEATH – sensation of DEATH – thoughts of DESPAIR – recovery, of	MANIA – suicidal SUICIDAL disposition – night – midnight, after COMPANY – aversion to – fear of being alone; yet FASTIDIOUS DELUSIONS – contaminated – everything one is touching is contaminated

REFERENCES:

1. Materia medica viva by George vithoulkas
2. The soul of remedies by Sankaran R
3. Lectures on Homeopathic Materia medica by J T KENT
4. Boericke new manual of homoeopathic Materia medica with repertory
5. Synthesis repertory

Dr. Shweta
PG Scholar
UGO Dr. Vijaykrishna V
Dept of Materia medica
Government Homoeopathic Medical College, Bangalore