Introduction
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is a common, chronic and long-lasting disorder in which a person has uncontrollable, reoccurring thoughts (obsessions) and behaviors (compulsions) that he or she feels the urge to repeat over and over. These symptoms can interfere with all aspects of life, such as work, school, and personal relationships.(1) Because current pharmaceuticals used to treat this disorder have unwanted adverse effects and because the clinical results are often unsatisfactory, many patients seek alternative therapies. Current allopathic medicines are narrowly focused on affecting the levels of neurotransmitters with drugs such as SSRI’s (selective serotonin uptake inhibitors) and benzodiazepines. As a result, they can never affect changes on a deeper level that are due to genetic predispositions and other epigenetic influences that contribute to the disorder. Homeopathic medicine, on the other hand, can cause such changes; homeopathy is a phenomenological science that takes into consideration every aspect of the patient’s unique experience of his or her disease state. Also, it was Samuel Hahnemann’s genius that led him, two hundred years ago, to discover the miasmic influence in chronic diseases. This discovery has enabled homeopathic practitioners to resolve destructive epigenetic influences that have been passed down through the generations as described in the following cases.
The following cases are formatted according to CARE guideline. (2)
Case one
Patient Information
In July 2012, four year-old Tom (not his real name), was brought in by his mother for behavioral problems consisting of low frustration tolerance (“He holds things in then explodes”), frequent crying, and mood swings. The mother stated that he could be aggressive with his sister when frustrated and she described him as so dependent that he even wanted to be fed. In addition, he was fastidious and organized, very obstinate, constipated, and chilly.
The patient appeared shy in my office and avoided any eye contact; he spent much of the time playing with the office toys. I noticed a reservedness and delicacy about him and he responded to my questions with only a slight nod of his head.
His mother stated that he was very neat for a child his age and he liked to line things up such as the dogs’ leashes and the family’s shoes. She said, “He’s a great help to me when I’m organizing a party!” He was also very chilly, often waking up at night complaining that he was cold. Other physical generals such as food choices and thirst were unremarkable.
Except for a few ear infections and mild eczema, patient’s medical history was unremarkable and his physical exam was normal.
Rubrics:
MIND: Looked at; cannot bear to be, agg
MIND: Irritability; children, in
MIND: Fastidious
MIND: Obstinate, headstrong; children
RECTUM: Constipation; children, in
GENERALITIES: Coldness, lack of vital heat[Repertorization below.]
Homeopathic Assessment
There was a delicacy about this child that that reminded me of Silicea which matched his shyness, fastidiousness, obstinacy, chilliness, and constipation.
Plan: Silicea 30c, one dry dose (Quinn remedy)
First Follow-Up, October, 2012 (three months later- patient missed the one-month follow-up)
His irritability had improved and the temper tantrums had decreased but patient’s OCD was much worse. He was increasingly averse to dirt and he didn’t want to touch anything that even “looked dirty.” He would only play in the playground (and get his hands dirty) as long as his sister was with him.
His orderliness continued but he was even more compulsive about it; he was constantly lining things up, such as the family’s shoes in the closet and the dogs’ leashes on the floor.
He was “extremely neat” for a four-year-old,” his mother said.
He brushed his teeth and compulsively wiped his mouth to make sure the toothpaste was gone.
He refused to finger paint in school.
He complained of being very chilly all the time and continued to wake up at night complaining that he was cold when his parents didn’t keep the heat up in his room.
He was still dependent, clingy, whiny and extremely stubborn.
He wouldn’t touch his penis when he urinated and refused to stand when urinating, preferring to sit instead- a new symptom.
He wouldn’t drink any water at school for fear he would have to urinate because he was uncomfortable holding his penis when using the restroom.
He had a bowel movement only every few days.
Discussion
It was clear that while some of John’s behavior had improved, such as the mood swings and low frustration tolerance, his OCD symptoms had worsened. This was a type of suppression; Silicea helped the emotional symptoms (behavior) but the deeper, mental symptoms (OCD) worsened. An interesting aspect of homeopathy, however, is that when the incorrect homeopathic medicine has been given, the correct medicine will later reveal itself through the body’s signs and symptoms. In this case, the child’s OCD symptoms worsened especially his aversion to dirt and his phobia for germs.
When we take the rubric: MIND: Fear; disease of, contagious epidemic, infection; children, in, Arsenicum album appears higher in the repertorization making it even more clear that Arsenicum was the correct choice all along as it also covered this child’s chilliness, fastidiousness and dependency.
Plan: Arsenicum album 30c, Quinn remedy, one dry dose
February 28, 2013 Follow-Up
“Tom is so much better since that remedy you gave him last October. “
“He no longer lines things up.”
“He is actually finger painting in school.”
“He is no longer constantly wiping his mouth after brushing his teeth.”
“He is less stubborn, more flexible – in fact much more flexible – you can actually reason with him now.”
“He is going to the bathroom himself in school, standing up and urinating while holding his penis!!”
“His constipation is much improved and his bowel movements are softer.”
“He is less chilly, and no longer wakes us up at night to turn the heat up.”
Homeopathic Assessment
Tom had a beautiful, classic response to the simillimum with improvement on all levels (mentally, emotionally and physically).
Plan: Wait
December 2013 Follow-Up
John was now five years-old and some of his OCD symptoms had returned. His mother thought it may have been triggered by the fact that his teacher was out three weeks due to an illness. Because John was a child who “liked routine,” his mother felt that this event had been very stressful for him.
He had started obsessing again about touching things. His mother said, “He had a rice crispy treat the other day and kept asking me if it was dirty.”
He was concerned about getting his sister’s germs.
He became very upset at school when he found out another child had used his drinking cup.
He was crying again “at the drop of a hat.”
He saw a man on TV take off his shirt and he appeared disgusted by this, asking his mother if that was ok.
He had to fold his socks perfectly or he would get frustrated.
He started waking up at night again complaining of the cold. “This had completely stopped,” his mother said.
He was once again avoiding touching his penis when urinating.
His constipation had not returned (bowel movements were still good).
His clinginess and whininess were still better.
Homeopathic Assessment
John had clearly relapsed although not all of his symptoms had returned. It was remarkable that the low dose (30c) of Arsenicum album he had received over a year ago had lasted so long though this is not unusual when the simillimum is given.
Plan: Arsenicum album 200c, one dry dose, Quinn remedy.
November 2014 Follow-Up
His mother stated, “John responded within days to that last remedy a year ago. All of his symptoms got better so we didn’t need to come back in sooner.”
The last couple of weeks, however, mom was noticing some more crying and whininess, although most of his OCD symptoms had not returned. She said, “I notice he’s getting a bit perfectionistic with his schoolwork and this always improves after the remedy. I’m worried he’s slipping again.”
Assessment/Plan: Patient may be relapsing. Usually when only a few symptoms return, I may prescribe a 12c (lower) dose to take for a few days to a week which usually “boosts” the action of the prior prescription. But in this case, I decided to repeat Arsenicum album 200c since a full year had passed.
August 2015 Follow-Up (Nine Months Later)
John was seven years old.
All of his OCD symptoms were gone.
He was crying more than usual again.
He had become very indecisive and was afraid of the dark and monsters.
“All of a sudden I have to lie down with him at night,” his mother said.
Transitions were becoming more difficult for him.
He seemed more “melancholic” lately.
He started waking up at night and coming into his parents’ bed (not from chilliness).
His body temperature was warmer now in general.
Homeopathic Assessment
John had some new symptoms develop such as a fear of the dark and monsters and his body temperature was warmer. Was he showing signs of needing a new medicine or did he simply need Arsenicum album again (which was also listed in the rubric MIND: Fear; dark, of)? His warmer body temperature was probably a resolution of his extreme chilliness as a result of the remedy. It is worth noting that although Arsenicum album was not listed in the rubrics describing some of his new symptoms, I would have repeated it nonetheless because the simillimum that has acted this deeply deserves to be repeated, sometimes in a higher dose.
Plan: Arsenicum album 200c, Quinn remedy, one dry dose, to be followed by a 1M dose if no response.
Phone follow-ups 2016, 2017, 2018
John’s been doing great. No remedy for almost three years now.
Patient’s mother’s perspective
Before I took John to see Dr. Saltzman, he would fight and resist most things, had terrible tantrums, cried uncontrollably and he was often times nasty. He was also obsessing about many things, he would keep lining things up, and he was afraid of germs and wouldn’t even go to the bathroom and touch his private parts. He even stopped drinking water at school because he was so afraid he’d have to go to the bathroom. After the remedy, my son was in such a better place. He would get dressed on his own, go to the bathroom on his own, he stopped obsessing about whether things were ‘dirty’ and most importantly, he no longer fought me on everything.
One day, about six months after the remedy he started becoming whiny and combative again and I asked him if he was feeling bad. He told me that he needed the remedy from Dr Saltzman to feel better! I took him back to see her and she gave him the same remedy in a higher dose. Within a few weeks, he was so much better. Dr. Saltzman gave me my happy boy back. That was more than two years ago and John is doing great.
A million thanks, Dr. Saltzman!
Case 2
Patient Information
In 1998, I saw Jane (not her real name), age seven, for OCD. Her mother told me she had a suddenly developed a severe fear of germs within the past year and could not stop washing her hands. The drugs Wellbutrin and Prozac had failed to help her and her mother refused to try another medication (recommended by the psychiatrist) at this point.
The mother could not recall any traumatic triggers or incidents at school or at home to explain Jane’s behavior. She only remembered that it started around the time Jane saw a naked person on TV and she seemed “disgusted,” asking her mom if she “could get his germs.”
Otherwise Jane was a healthy child who did well in school. She was very strong willed, outspoken, independent, quick to anger if things did not go her way and prone to mood swings. Her mother described her as a real leader, hard on herself, well liked by her peers, sensitive to what others thought and self-conscious.
Her medical history was unremarkable. She was generally warm, thirsty, preferred sweets and sour foods like lemons and tart fruit.
Her physical exam was normal except for red, chapped hands as a result of her compulsive hand washing.
Diagnosis: Obsessive compulsive disorder; compulsive hand washing.
Homeopathic Assessment
The severe compulsive hand washing was the main symptom in this otherwise healthy child.
Constitutionally, I considered Sulphur which covered Jane’s strong personality, germaphobia, thirst and desire for sweets and sour. I also knew, however, that her compulsive hand washing was a keynote for the homeopathic medicine Syphilinum. The miasmic influence in one so young was evident. However I decided to try Sulphur first because I usually like to start with a constitutional remedy if the picture seems clear.
Rubrics
MIND: FEAR; disease, of; contagious, epidemic,
infection; children, in
MIND: BATHING, washing; desire for; always; hands, her
MIND: INDEPENDENCE
MIND: EXTROVERTED
MIND: REPROACHES; oneself
GENERALITIES; FOOD and drinks; sweets; desires; sour, and[Repertorization Graph below.]
Plan: Sulphur 200c, Quinn remedy, one dry dose
Two month follow-up
Her mother stated that there was initially an improvement in her daughter’s mood swings for the first two weeks but it did not last. The mood swings were back and the phobia for germs and compulsive hand washing continued unabated.
Plan: Syphilinum 200c, Quinn remedy, one dry dose
Six Week Follow-Up
“Jane is doing great, it’s amazing!,” said her mother. Within just a few days of the remedy, her daughter remarked that for the first time in a long time, her brain was “no longer fighting itself.” Jane’s thoughts about constantly having to wash her hands were diminishing and it was obvious to her mother that her daughter’s anxiety and “tension” were subsiding. Within a few weeks of the remedy, her mother noticed that Jane was not washing her hands as much. By six weeks post remedy, Jane’s compulsive hand washing was gone! Her moods were more stable as well and her last school report card was excellent.
Assessment/Plan: Patient’s severe OCD symptoms had completely resolved. I sent her mother home with a higher dose of Syphilinum (1M) to have on hand in case her daughter had a reoccurrence of symptoms before our next appointment.
Follow-up one year later (patient missed her two month follow-up)
Jane’s fear of germs and her compulsive hand washing never recurred and her mother never gave her the higher dose. She was doing well in school both academically and socially.
Plan: Wait
Discussion
The change in this patient after only one dose of a homeopathic medicine was remarkable in light of the severity of her compulsion which had not responded to pharmaceutical medications.
I saw Jane over the years for some minor acute illnesses (bronchitis one winter, influenza, etc.) but her fear of germs and compulsive hand washing never reoccurred. Now she is 28-years-old, healthy and happily married.
Patient’s mother’s perspective
My daughter recently celebrated her 28th birthday. She is a beautifully balanced young woman. She’s married for two years to her high school sweetheart. They are a loving couple and have a wonderful bond together. She’s close with her two brothers and their partners and is a loving daughter and friend to me. She has a good career in the media buying industry and is surrounded by friends from both her grammar school years and college years. She sleeps well, takes no daily medication, eats right and is a wonderful cook.
If you spoke with her, you would not see any lingering symptoms of the severe Obsessive Compulsive Disorder that almost destroyed her life at the age of six. Her hands have no lasting scars from the repetitive washing of that year. She’s relatively clean and neat but certainly not compulsively so. Except for the stories I have shared with her, she has no independent memory of that year of suffering.
It was the evening of Thanksgiving 1997 when the world came crashing down on us very quickly. Without sharing all the details, I knew that whatever had happened to Jane was serious enough that I was able to locate a psychiatrist who would see her. He immediately began working weekly with her, basically in the form of play therapy. Although the OCD symptoms that manifested at Thanksgiving seemed to recede slightly after starting therapy, they returned with full force after the holidays especially the compulsive hand washing and a severe fear of germs.
The therapist seemed to allude to the fact that there weren’t many successful therapies for treating severe OCD in children of her age. Although we are not a family that takes medication of any type, early in 1997, Jane began a course of Wellbutrin (and later Prozac) because the anxiety was so high she could not benefit from the cognitive behavioral work we were doing at home.
After a few months, it was clear that the medications were not working and I decided to take Jane to see a homeopathic doctor that was referred to us by a friend. After a thorough intake, Dr. Saltzman delivered Jane’s first remedy. If I remember correctly, there was not much change after this but it was the second remedy she gave her a few months later that really did the trick! Within days, Jane expressed that she could completely experience the effects of the remedy. I remember her saying one night as we snuggled into her bed, that it was the first time since her OCD started that she wasn’t always thinking about washing her hands, unhappy all the time and always fighting her brain. She no longer seemed to clench her jaw and make fists out of her hands. It was clear that the stress and anxiety were finally subsiding. She was still washing her hands at first but she just wasn’t as miserable every time she wanted to do it. I’m not clear how many weeks later her hand washing improved but as time went on it happened less and less. By the time we went back to see Dr. Saltzman a few months later, the almost year-long nightmare was behind us. If you read any of the books on OCD, complete freedom such as Jane experienced is rare. Today she washes her hands just like the rest of us and germs and dirt are a normal and sometimes even fun part of her life.
If it was not for my stories and the notes I kept, my daughter would never believe this story was about her. I am so grateful for homeopathy and Dr. Saltzman.
Case Three
Patient Information
Tom was eight-years-old when I first saw him fifteen years ago in 2003. He had been on Luvox and Paxil the prior six months for severe anxiety and OCD but his mother discontinued his medications because she said they were making him hyperactive and he started saying inappropriate things in class, which was unusual for him.
Tom was filled with anxiety and fear ever since 9/11; he was in kindergarten at that time. His mother said, “He kept touching his ears over and over again because he felt there were bubbles in them.” He worried constantly about getting sick and dying. He told me, “ worry about having a heart attack.” “I worry about getting brain damage if I hit my head.” “I don’t want to eat certain stuff, in case it makes me sick.”
Tom was afraid of carbon monoxide poisoning to the point where he was afraid to breathe while riding in a car. He had trouble sleeping at night, for fear of robbers.
Tom’s mother described a number of compulsive behaviors such as turning the faucet on and off for fear of “wasting water” and repeatedly opening and shutting the car door to make sure it was closed. Tom kept shutting off the lights in the house to save electricity. If his hands were wet, he wouldn’t go near the light switch. He worried constantly about whether his family had enough money. His mother also described him as being very sensitive, sweet, a real follower, not aggressive. He did well academically and he got along well with other children.
Tom loved ice cream, bacon cheeseburgers, macaroni and cheese, hot dogs, all fruit especially watermelon. His thirst was normal and his body temperature was warm.
His medical history was unremarkable except for seasonal allergies in the spring.
Family history: Mother described a lot of mental illness in the family; the patient’s aunt (mother’s sister) had schizophrenia, and his maternal grandmother had some “undiagnosed mental illness.” His mother described other distant relatives with bipolar illness.
Diagnostic Assessment: Severe Generalized Anxiety and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
Homeopathic Assessment
I found myself feeling much compassion for this child who was completely overwhelmed with a myriad of fears, obsessive thoughts and compulsive behaviors. His case was one of the worse ones I had seen in my clinical practice. Unlike John (case 1) whose OCD behaviors were more typical (germ phobia, lining things up), or Jane’s (case 2) compulsive hand washing, Tom’s fears were vast and atypical- almost any random thought became a possible danger and filled him with terror. His fears were deep and disturbing especially in one so young. What was also notable was the extensive family history of mental illness which made me think of a miasmic influence especially a syphilitic taint due to the destructiveness and depth of fears in one so young.
I did not repertorize his symptoms because of the randomness of his fears and the fact that I had a clear intuitive sense of what he needed. One can think of remedies such as Arsenicum album, but Tom lacked the fastidiousness, dependency and chilliness of Arsenicum. In fact, even with all his fears, Tom’s mother described him as very independent. Aconite covered the intensity of his fears which started after 9/11. However, Tom’s fears did not manifest as panic attacks which are a strong clue for Aconite. The fact that his fears manifested as a type of severe anxiety and obsessive-compulsive behavior in one so young with a strong family history of mental illness led me to Syphilinum.
Plan: Syphilinum 30c, Quinn remedy, one dry dose.
Follow-Up
One month later, mother stated, “Tom is doing really well!” She said she noticed a definite change within two weeks of the remedy. “It dawned on me about a week after the remedy that he was not expressing as many concerns and his worries seemed less intense.” He was also eating better because, “He’s not as cautious about everything he places in his mouth.”
Plan: Wait, send home with Syphilinum 200c to hold just in case his symptoms return.
His mother called me two weeks later to say that she noticed an increase in the intensity of his fears again. “I’m getting worried because he is starting to look at food funny again, like he did before the remedy. He had trouble falling asleep last night because he thought there was a tarantula in his bed that could kill him. “
Plan: I instructed her to give Tom the Syphilinum 200c, one dry dose.
Two month follow up
“Tom is doing great!” He still had fears of robbers (making sure the house doors were locked at night) but he was not spending an hour rechecking the locks as he had before. He was still cautious about food but much more willing to try foods and his appetite had definitely improved since the first remedy. He no longer expressed random fears and was able to ride in the car without worrying about carbon monoxide poisoning. His worry about the family’s finances had gone. School was going well.
Five months later
Tom’s spring allergies were in full force with nasal congestion, itchy eyes, and sneezing. His mother was treating him with Allegra. All his fears were gone except for some hesitancy with food.
Homeopathic Assessment
I considered giving Tom an acute hay fever remedy but I was concerned that it could interfere with the effects of Syphilinum; I had experienced a number of constitutional cases through the years that were antidoted by remedies given for acute situations. Considering the severity of Tom’s prior state, I did not want to take this risk. Knowing that his allergies were only limited to the spring, I decided to give him some quercitin instead (a natural anti-histamine) and I had the mother continue Allegra as needed. In my clinical experience, sometimes it’s best to use certain allopathic drugs for short periods of time for acute situations in a severe chronic case that has responded well to a homeopathic medicine. I was also pretty sure that Tom would need a different constitutional medicine eventually but I wasn’t sure at this point what that was so I decided to wait.
December 2003
Patient was doing great, fears were all gone. Some bullying was going on at school. “He has trouble asserting himself.”
Plan: Wait, consider Staphysagria in the future.
June 2004
Allergies were back, sneezing, itchy eyes, runny nose. I decided to prescribe Euphrasia since it had been almost a year since he received Syphilinum and he remained free of anxiety and OCD symptoms.
September 2004
Tom’s fears were returning. He accidentally spilled some gasoline on his hands at the gas station and started obsessively washing his hands. He kept worrying about getting gasoline in his mouth when he ate. His fear of germs in food was returning and he was “looking at the food funny again.” His obsession with locking the doors to his home had returned.
Assessment: Did Euphrasia antidote the effects of the Syphilinum? Or was Syphilinum’s effects simply wearing off since a full year had passed?
Plan: Syphilinum 200c, one dry dose.
One Month Phone Follow-up
Fears gone! Patient was doing great.
Follow-Up Six Years Later (2010)
I had not seen Tom for many years and he was 16 years old when his mother brought him back to see me. His chief complaint was facial acne and his usual spring allergies which he continued to treat with Allegra as needed. His severe anxiety and OCD never reoccurred. He was a happy, well adjusted teen who was doing well in school.
Assessment: It was truly remarkable and gratifying to see this young man completely free of the debilitating symptoms of anxiety and OCD that had so impacted his life just seven years ago. His mother described him as a responsible, good natured teen who did well socially and academically. Her only concern was his lack of assertiveness and his shyness in new situations which she worried could limit him in the future. He also complained of “sweaty hands” which embarrassed him greatly and he had sweaty (odorless) feet. At this point I felt comfortable prescribing a new remedy for him since it was clear that Syphilinum had removed his ‘miasmic taint’ and a constitutional medicine was in order.
Plan: Silicea 30c, one dry dose.
January 2014 (Four Years Later)
I never saw Tom for a follow-up after the Silicea because his mother said he was doing well though she could not remember if the remedy helped him with his allergies or if he had simply outgrown them.
Tom was now 19 years old and in school for finance with a 3.2 GPA.
His shyness was much better. In fact, his mother stated he was very confident around girls.
His only fear was of “not being successful enough.”
All his anxiety and OCD were gone.
He had antibiotics recently for an upper respiratory infection and his mom brought him in to “strengthen his immune system.”
Plan: Had the Silicea helped him overcome his shyness or had he just outgrown it? He was doing very well and I saw no reason to treat him homeopathically at this point. I prescribed probiotics to protect his gut microbiome from the antibiotics.
As of this writing Tom is 23-years-old, employed in the finance industry and doing well.
Patient’s mother’s perspective
When my son was about seven, shortly after 9/11 occurred, he started to obsessively worry about things. If he bumped his head on the wall, he was afraid he would get brain damage and die. If he was eating food that appeared “tainted,” he would be too afraid to eat it for fear of something happening to him (one example would be if a grape was a little dented, he couldn’t eat it out of fear), if he smelled something that had a chemical smell (like white-out), he would be afraid to inhale and breathe it in out of fear of something happening to him. Getting through a meal and just trying to get him to eat his food was torture every time, He was always obsessively worrying about things that would cause him harm, to the extent that it affected his daily life. Aside from his father and me, he kept his fears to himself. It was very scary and sad to see him like this. We took him to a respected psychiatrist in our area (Poughkeepsie, NY) and after a full evaluation of him, she diagnosed him as having OCD. She put him on medication but that didn’t help. In fact, one medicine, Paxil, actually altered his personality and made him very difficult to deal with. He would do things like running out into the middle of the street without looking, something he would never have done before. He was out of control and his fears were extreme.
After months of this with no relief and fearing this would be his life forever, my husband suggested that we try alternative medicine – a thought that never crossed my mind before. So I took our son to see Dr. Susanne Saltzman, an MD who practices homeopathic medicine in Hartsdale, NY. After her evaluation of him, she said she felt very confident that homeopathy could help him and she knew right away which homeopathic medicine he needed. She said that we should see improvements in him within a few weeks. On day six, we were eating dinner and Nick actually ate his meal without any worries. It was like he was a different person. Over the next few weeks, his fears were gone. He was my normal son again. It was like a miracle! He has been fine ever since and is now 23 years old. We are so extremely grateful for the treatment Dr. Saltzman gave him- she gave us our lives back again.
Discussion
The above cases are just a sampling of the numerous cases of OCD in children and adults that I have treated successfully through the years with homeopathy. In fact, homeopathy can be so effective for this disorder that many of my patients do not return once their symptoms have resolved. This can be a problem for many of us homeopathic practitioners who are trying to record our cured cases! For example, I treated a young adult woman a few years ago with OCD that manifested as obsessive sexual thoughts that interfered with her daily functioning. These thoughts involved doubts about her sexual identity and they were so overwhelming that she suffered from severe anxiety and chronic insomnia. She had tried a number of medications without success.
Due to her sweet, yielding nature and the fact that she “never felt anger,” I prescribed Staphysagria 200c, one dose. I didn’t hear from her again until she came in recently for a follow-up, now two years later. She told me that within a month after the remedy, her obsessive thoughts completely resolved and she felt “like my old self again.” She had no need to return to my office until she noticed some of “those old thoughts creeping back in” a few weeks ago. I repeated Staphysagria 200c, and I predict I may not see her again for many years.
Most of the patients with OCD that I’ve treated through the years had tried allopathic medicine which was either ineffective or just “took the edge off” the anxiety and OCD without actually curing the deeper disorder. Some people wanted to discontinue their medications due to side effects (weight gain, decrease in libido, constipation). But in every case, it was the individual’s unique symptomatology that offered the clue to the correct homeopathic prescription that ultimately cured the patient of a potentially lifelong debilitating disease.
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Susanne Saltzman, MD
Editor, American Journal of Homeopathic Medicine
Article published in the Spring 2018 edition of the American Journal of Homeopathic Medicine.