Depressive patients needing the potentized feather of the Whooper Swan (Cygnus cygnus) as a remedy are often introverted, tend to suppress their emotions and share qualities of the Lanthanides.
Case : Female, 50 years old, depression
P.: My problem is severe depression. There are days when I am completely unable to work. I just lie on the couch. On better days, I do housework. I feel significantly better when I watch videos of birds flying over the mountains. At those times, I feel as if I am home.
I have a big problem hugging people. I can hug my husband and children, but nobody else. I feel a barrier and I cannot do it, as if there were some kind of wall. I do not show emotions. I may feel very sad inside, but I do not show sadness outwardly. Nobody sees what is inside me.
D.: Why can't you show your emotions?
Because it would reveal weakness. It comes from my childhood. My mother did not take much care of me. She did not hug me. Later, my parents raised me in such a way that I was not supposed to show my feelings.
When did the depression begin?
I think I have had it for a long time, but it became more serious about four years ago. It started at work, where I encountered people who were aggressive and attacking. My boss bullied me. I lived under complete stress for nine months. I could not relax, even at weekends. I was fighting thoughts that attacked me.
How did you react to that?
I tried to explain it to him, but he did not accept it. I was also upset that my husband did not support me and wanted me to stay in that job, even though I wanted to resign. I felt disappointed. I felt small, as if someone had knocked me down and beaten me.
Tell me more about that feeling.
I felt like rubbish.
How did you react?
I said nothing. I was just stuck. I cannot defend myself. I can defend other people, but not myself.
Tell me more about not being able to defend yourself.
I simply cannot do it. I would have to attack someone, and I do not want to hurt anyone.
How do you feel when you are in an argument?
Very bad. I usually do not allow an argument to start at all. If I am cornered, I explode with such force that the other person is unable to be louder than me. But that is rare.
How do you feel when your husband shouts at you?
I feel small, very angry. And I feel frustrated because I cannot change it. It is like a prison, like something surrounding me, and I am unable to get out.
Why do you think you have depression? What caused it?
Probably my whole life. I also reacted very badly to the breakup with my first partner. I often thought about him afterwards. Later, it was very difficult for me when my father died. It had a huge impact on my life. My childbirth was also difficult.
Tell me about your childhood
I took a lot of care of my younger sister. She was born when I was eight. I also remember that when I was three, I had to stay in hospital and my parents were not there. But I remember playing with my father. I do not remember my relationship with my mother. She was always dissatisfied, even when we had cleaned the whole house. Later, I realised that she preferred my sister.
What is your relationship with animals?
When I was little, I had little chicks. It was wonderful. When I called my favourite chicken, it would come to me. I also really like hummingbirds and parrots. They are beautiful. I like geese.
What are your life goals?
I enjoy permaculture, and I am also involved in homeopathy.
What situations in life are difficult for you?
The death of other people is very difficult for me. I cannot cope with someone dying. I can even sense when I am seeing someone for the last time in their life.
Analysis
Animal kingdom: Birds
The patient uses expressions that strongly indicate the animal kingdom. She often expresses herself in terms of someone doing something to her:
• At work, I encountered people who were aggressive and attacking.
• My boss bullied me.
• I felt small, as if someone had knocked me down and beaten me.
• I would have to attack someone.
Another indication of the animal kingdom is the personification of her difficulties:
• I was fighting thoughts that attacked me.
The patient experiences an amelioration when watching videos of birds flying over the mountains. She also has recurrent dreams about birds.
When we look at the general characteristics of bird remedies, from the perspective of Jan Scholten's theory we see strong signs of the lanthanides, such as the desire for independence, spiritual orientation, aversion to authorities and so on. The patient is interested in permaculture and homeopathy. Both aspects represent self-sufficiency, therefore the lanthanide quality is confirmed here.
Anseriformes: Cygnus Cygnus
Among birds, this group has very characteristic features of the Carbon series. Put simply, water birds often have the feeling of being a small child in a difficult and dangerous world. In the Carbon series, we also find very low self-esteem. We have this aspect strongly confirmed in the patient.
• My mother did not take much care of me, she did not hug me.
• I felt small, as if someone had knocked me down and beaten me.
• I felt like rubbish.
• When I was little, I had to stay in hospital and my parents were not there.
The dominant element in the picture of the swan is profound sadness and a feeling of loneliness. The swan often feels like an outsider and is unable to establish contact with others, although it deeply desires it. It longs for an ideal, pure and warm love, but often does not find it. It is not without reason that this remedy is compared to Natrium muriaticum:
• I reacted very badly to the breakup with my partner.
• It was very difficult for me when my father died.
• I have a big problem hugging people.
• Nobody sees what is inside me.
• I was upset that my husband did not support me.
Prescription
Cygnus cygnus 1M, one dose every two weeks.
Follow-ups
After 4 weeks: After the remedy, I remembered several people who had hurt me in my life. I had diarrhoea for a week. I had had a chronic problem with diarrhoea 16 years ago. My relationship with my mother improved significantly; she started helping me. My grievances and feeling of sadness disappeared. The situation from my previous job does not bother me at all anymore. It was simply a life experience. I no longer wake up at night and I sleep very well. It is improved by 40 percent.
After 12 weeks: My depression is practically gone. It is 95 percent improved. I do not feel any sadness and things do not affect me as much.
