A case of

Childhood

Schizophrenia

By Dr. Jawahar Shah

A straight jump to

Sycotic phase

A young child was brought for

poor performance in exams. 

On detailed interview,

we came up with

following facts ...

The child was

previously a

brilliant student…

Would perform

very well

academically

and always

stood first in

the class without any problem.

When he was 11 yrs old,

the normal SSC education

pattern of the school changed

to a Cambridge based education

which obviously is a much

tougher and complex system

of education.

All the problems of this child

started thereafter… 

This change in education

came as a big shock to him.

Developed this idea

that he would not be

able to cope up with

the new education.

Had a

constant anxiety

that he had not

studied at all,

and would surely

fail in his exams.

Felt that

other students

would go ahead of him.

Every

half an hour,

he would call

up his friends

to ask how

much portion they had

completed.

Child became very sensitive,

irritable , anxious and fearful

of everything.

He developed fear of studies,

of dark, of lonely places, of

exams, of failure.

He started developing

delusions and hallucinations,

like he would hear noises and

voices from far off places.

Had a feeling that there is

something wrong with him or

that somebody is chasing him.

• His concentration level dropped

down.

• He forgot what ever he had done.

• He developed a lot of confusion.

• Would read the same page again

and again as if he had never

understood what he had read.

He did not

feel like

studying

anymore

Felt that … he should leave the studies

Started

praying

that he

should

get some

illness…

which prevents him

from appearing for exams.

Sleep was disturbed,

Child would often get up

from sleep or would not

get sleep for hours together.

Sensitivity to noise increased

even if the television was on

four rooms away,he could hear

it , could hear the noises from

2 or 3 buildings away.

Developed marked

sighing and cried often.

It was quite evident from this

case that the child could not

bear the stress of the new

advanced pattern of education

and he was collapsing

under this stress.

Developmental milestones :

• Birth wt. 6 ½ pounds

• Talking 11 months

• Walk 1 1/4 year

• Teething 7 months

Case of Childhood Schizophrenia due to the following Diagnostic Criterias : 

Characteristic symptoms :Two of these symptoms were present for a significant portion of time during a six month period or

more : Delusions Hallucinations

Social / Occupational Dysfunction :

For a significant portion of time, since the onset of the disturbance, the major areas of functioning of

Work and Self careAre markedly below the level achieved.

Duration :

Continuous signs of

disturbance persist for

at least 6 months or more.

This has been ruled out as a

Schizoaffective and Mood

Disorder Exclusion because : 

No Major Depressive, Manic

or Mixed Episodes have

occurred concurrently with

the active-phase symptoms.

Symptoms considered :

Fear : Failure, of

Mood, disposition :

despairing, hopeless,

discourage

Fear : Dark

Fear : Alone, of being

Symptoms considered :

Delusions, Imaginations :

Walk : Someone walks behind

Concentration difficult

[see comprehension thinking]:

Dullness, sluggishness difficulty of

Thinking and comprehending

Symptoms considered :

Delusions : imaginations:Noise,hears

Work : Aversion to mental

Sensitive, oversensitive : Noise to:

Weeping, tearful mood : Tendency

Illusions, delusions, visions, etc.,

wrong, everything

Walking delay in

I recorded the first symptom of the case from complete mind..

Next symptom I typed in the repertory search feature…and recorded this symptom …

Few other symptoms I directly typed in the quick rep and recorded it

The patient had a lot of dullness…

I went to the Thematic search of the program

… and got all the symptoms related to

‘Dullness’ to record two rubrics…

Concentration difficult

Dullness sluggishness

Difficulty of Thinking and Comprehending

Last I searched for the symptom ‘walking delayed to’…

…which I got from the ‘Clarke clinical’ repertory

Walking delayed in

Following was the repertorisation table:

Following were the remedies that came up

Calc 24 / 13 Phos 21 / 9

Nux-v 20 / 10

Sil 20 / 10

I proceeded with the case … with

application of repertorisation strategies

I put the most important symptoms of

the case in the clipboard

Calc was coming up strongly….

I decided to apply the

‘Mineral’ filter…to see which all

‘Calcareas’ were covering the case…

The three closely related remedies were…Calc..

Phos..

Sil…

I used the differentiate mat med feature, in this case using these remedies

All the Delusions were covered by Calc…the other two remedies didn’t cover them at all

On a right click I applied the ‘Symp covd /

not covered feature’’…

…Calc

covered

all the

symptoms

of the case…

I went to confirm the remedy thro’

Materia Medica

Compilation of Mental symptoms

from Boericke:

Apprehensive;

worse towards evening;

Fears Loss Of Reason,

Misfortune, contagious diseases.

Forgetful, confused,

low-spirited.

Anxiety with palpitation.

Obstinacy :

slight mental effort

produces hot head.

Averse to work or exertion.

From Archives,  

Clarke has mentioned that:

Calc. patient is slow in

movements.State of mind is one of

apprehension. Patient fears she will

lose her reason, or that people will

notice her mental confusion.

Symptoms from Hering :

• Imagines

some one is walking beside her

• Feels as if she would

lose her senses.

From HOMPATH Tresorie

The Homoeopathic Recorder By Allan D Sutherland

Volume: April/June 1935. VOL. L. NO.2

Author: Joseph L. Kaplowe, M.D.

Remedy: CALCAREA CARB.

‘Calcarea has fear of going insane, or that people will observe her and suppose her to be crazy; talks about fire and murder; imagines someone is walking beside her, and even though alone, believes that someone is in the same room.

Prescription :

15th March, 1997  

Remedy :

Calc . Carb 200 one dose

S. L 2-2-2 * 3 days

17th March, 1997 Depression > Concentration > Was able to study, was worried about his position 

Remedy :SL. 3

powders nightS.L 2 pills 2

hourly

21st March, 1997 >> Able to appear for the exams and no problems 25th April, 1997

Patient reports that he has stood 1st in the class.

21st April, 2001

• Studying very well•Has stood first in all

exams without any

anxiety

episodes.

•No other complication or problems.

Learning

1)Step by step use of Repertory

2)Uses of different functions of

search

3)Importance of recording

Symptoms while taking a case.

4)Differential diagnosis of a Remedy

5) Importance of calcarea group - its

appearance & expression in a

given case.

6) Importance of particular

symptoms in final differential

approach of remedies.

7) Confirmation of a prescription

from Materia Medica.

8) A single dose can help to cure an

illness if detected early and managed

with right Homoeopathic Medicines.

A Sycotic expression

reversing to healthy state

with a perfect Similimum