UNDERSTANDING BELLADONNA

A lady aged 34 years came to me for the treatment of migraine.

Pt.: “This pain is there since last five years. It started immediately after the birth of my second child. Since then I am taking treatment but there is no permanent relief. Pain-killers give temporary relief. We have already done all the tests including MRI but there is no abnormality.”

Dr.: “What do you do during pain?”

Pt.: “It is so terrible that I can't do anything. I have to immediately take a painkiller and lie down. I just go mad during the pain. Till the time the painkiller starts affecting I stay in great distress. That time the pain is so intolerable that I feel it is better to die being in this type of pain.”

Dr.: “What is the main concern regarding the problem?”

Pt.: “I just want everybody should be happy. I myself don't like to stay like this. I like to be in a good mood but this pain never allows me to be in a good mood. I am observing that day by day my mood is becoming very bad. During the pain I don't like talking to any of my acquaintances though I used to love talking to them in normal condition. My main concern regarding this problem is that it should stop immediately or else I will be totally helpless to even perform activities which I love to do.

If we analyze the case then the main fear which brought the patient to us is not migraine but the apprehension that she will be restricted to one place if the pain doesn't stop. Here she wants to do things as per her will and wish but the pain restricts her to one place, so it doesn't allow her to move.

This feeling is: 'FEAR - paralysis, of' and the modalities which doesn't allow her to move is: 'QUIET; wants to be'. The totality of these two rubric leads us to the state: 'DELUSIONS - poor, he is'.
Belladonna comes to doctor when she feels that she is unable to do whatever she wants to do (DELUSIONS - poor, he is) and apprehends that this state will lead to temporary restriction of movement (FEAR - paralysis, of) which will further jeopardize his intensions.

Why Belladonna, who always cherish good life, short of nothing goes into the state of poor?

This is because of the frivolous nature of this remedy.

When she has lot of wealth she just boasts it and shows it to others without taking care about his future and health. Even though his condition deteriorates but he never pays heed to it and against the wishes of the doctor and nature he continues enjoying life compromising his health where in his energy level further goes down.

FRIVOLOUS
BOASTER, braggart
POMPOUS, important
DEFIANT
AUDACITY

A day comes when his condition becomes totally serious and then he goes into the state of 'ANGUISH - weeping, with'.

Now he starts feeling the depleting of energy level which brings on the fear that every activity he loves to do will now be not possible.

DELUSIONS - poor, he is
FEAR - paralysis, of

Belladonna is naïve and doesn't learn from his mistakes and stays like that till he has wealth of everything (DELUSIONS - wealth, of) but when the wealth is exhausted then he becomes serious (Serious) and starts contemplating to take measures to come back to health.

Though he is poor but he never leaves the state of 'FIGHT, wants to & POSITIVENESS' and always tries to win over the situation. But the condition where he starts taking remedial action is at very low energy level so he wants the doctor to cure him as early as possible having an intention to get back to his original life style and enjoy the life.

CARRIED - desire to be carried - fast
LIGHT - desire for
In Belladonna children, the main guiding symptoms are Playing, desire to play and Attention desires. The desire word is added to playing as it denotes the involvement of second party in Belladonna's play. In original Kent repertory Belladonna is not in the rubric PLAYFUL but he needs a partner to involve in his play. This is just to attract the attention of others. During play, the partner's attention will be there on the child and not on other activities. These children, as per the mothers, will never allow them to stay alone at home. During sickness they become very dull but activity with them especially something different stimulates them to remain normal, otherwise they cry and want to be with somebody

DULLNESS - heat - during
LIGHT - desire for
CARRIED - desire to be carried
NOISE - inclination to make noise

The problem with the Belladonna child is that they treat their parents as their private property, as if they possess them. They try to boss over them. They feel that their total attention should be only given to them and not to be anybody else. If they go for their work leaving him at home, that time they should substitute somebody who are of similar nature and can devote that much attention to them.

DELUSIONS - wealth, of
TALKING - business, of

In Neuro behavioral disorder in children we have seen children becomes very cranky at home, biting, striking their parents/attendants, severely striking their own head, throwing things at others, destructive and shrieking.

The guiding symptom to prescribe Belladonna in these cases of children is the change which can be effected when their mind is being diverted to other things when the child is violent. Like engaging them in play, activities which elate them, take them to park, puppet shows etc. They get easily diverted as they are very credulous and naïve, never learn from their previous experiences.

While prescribing on mind we should be careful not to form a picture on the mind about the remedy. We are expert in doing this. But this will lead us to prejudices that Belladonna is very frivolous and always stays light. If we think about the etiology what state brings Belladonna to the clinic, it is not light or frivolous or credulous but it is the poor feeling, the anguish and the apprehension that the disease state will lead to his temporary restriction, brings the Belladonna patient to clinic. So please stay unprejudiced and try to understand the main concern of the patient during the problem which brought him to your clinic.

BY DR ASHOK MOHANTY
MOB.: 9810026564

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