Light at the end of the tunnel: a case of Rattus rattus

Male, 23 years old; chief complaints: drug abuse, drug dealing, and kleptomania

Observation: height 6’, weight 150 lbs., East Asian

Initial consultation: June 2009

Patient (P): “I was recently released from Hazelden Treatment Center for Youth for drug use; my mom wanted me to see you. I was born in India and was at Saint Mary’s Orphanage until I was about three years old. A family in Duluth, Minnesota adopted me. What the hell were they thinking bringing an Indian boy to Minnesota? I began stealing things from the moment I arrived. I cannot help myself; I especially like shiny objects, anything that glimmers or glistens attracts my eyes, and my fingers begin to move, it is like I am compelled to reach out and snatch the object. I especially like to do it in front of other people. It is such a rush.”

MIND - ADDICTED; tendency to become

MIND - DECEITFUL

MIND - GLITTERING objects

MIND - KLEPTOMANIA

MIND - ORPHANS

“This is also what I like about taking drugs, the rush, I like to take drugs out in the open, where no one would ever suspect that anyone would do such a thing.

"There is a kind of conspiracy theory I have that drugs are supposed to keep people in a certain class system. I wanted to climb to the top of the class. I quickly found out who the best drug dealers were and how they behaved and made connections; I went undercover at music festivals in the summer, my mom thought I was selling foods at a concession stand; I have many secrets and lies. I think I would do well in business. The music does soothe me. I go to a lot of concerts; I haven’t been to a concert sober yet, not since I was released from the treatment center.”

MIND - LIAR

MIND - MUSIC - amel.

“I was adopted from Calcutta, India. I don’t remember much except all the children were constantly climbing over one another. I think I shared a crib with five or six other boys. I wanted my mom to adopt all of us, like we were supposed to be together. But they only adopted my two brothers and me; we were Indian children being raised by Catholics in Northern Minnesota. It is really surreal if you think about it.

“My whole life was about survival. My brothers have never done drugs or alcohol, just a few beers at high school parties (they are twins). I began to drink when I realized that I was gay. I would lie about my age and get into bars and go to concerts with college guys much older than me (laughing)."

MIND - LAUGHING - involuntarily

“I was constantly getting into trouble, my brothers were so innocent, it made me look like a demon. I had to hide my gay life, my drug use, my stealing to get drugs, and eventually my drug dealing. The stakes are high and I wasn’t afraid to play the game. The drugs made me forget my pain.”

Homeopath (H): Can you describe pain?
P: “The pain is sadness that keeps you up at night; it makes you want to jump out of the window and escape from your cozy life to find some kind of adventure. I quickly learned who the bad kids were in school. They were racist toward me. I learned how to do what I wanted to do and pin it on the most racist kid. I would steal things from the Principal and plant it on the kids who taunted me. I love the idea of revenge. I started smoking pot in the sixth grade and quickly found cocaine, ecstasy, and other drugs.”

MIND - DELUSIONS - jumping - impelled to jump out of the window

MIND - DRUGS

MIND - ESCAPE, attempts to

MIND - HATRED - revengeful; hatred and

“I love music festivals and ecstasy; I wish that I wouldn’t have had to go to treatment (I was actually sent to treatment five times). When I was in the ninth grade, I fled treatment and hitchhiked to Minneapolis and lived as a homeless youth for a while. The irony is that my dad is a well-known politician and my mom is from a very, very wealthy family. I would have been a great friend to Harry Houdini; I am an escape artist (laughing)."

Observation: the patient is laughing at odd times throughout giving his case. His eyes are darting about the room, especially when something is glimmering or glistening. While sitting in my office he has put three pens and a small clock into his jacket pocket.

H: What does it feel like to be an escape artist?
P: “Well, to be honest, I have these terrible recurring dreams of being in mazes or tunnels. The tunnels are dark and damp and scary. I keep running and feel like I should be breathless; this kind of dream seems like it lasts for hours. Sometimes I will see a little light down the end of a tunnel and I will chase after it. I am very afraid. I feel that I am running from someone or something threatening.”

DREAMS - ESCAPING

DREAMS - NIGHTMARES

DREAMS - RUNNING

DREAMS - TUNNEL

“My mom said that when I came home to live with them, I would take the blankets and sheets and pillows and go and sleep in the closet under the clothes. She would hear me screaming and shouting. I will still to this day wake up totally drenched in sweat.”

MIND - FEAR - terror - night

MIND - HIDING - himself

“A psychiatrist told me I had night terrors. I would sometimes climb out of my bedroom window and run into the night while I was asleep. I had no idea I would do that. It is totally crazy. I am an escape artist.

"I would also escape from the treatment centers to do drugs; I also studied how to buy and upsell drugs in the treatment centers. I am pretty skillful at manipulation (laughing).

“I have a terrible temper. I see red when I don’t get my way. I start to feel that someone is betraying me or being racist and I immediately begin to think of revenge. I become very decisive. Someone was talking about a new gaming system they got as a gift in class at 9:30 am, by 2:30 pm, I had escaped school, broke into their house, stole the gaming system and several hundreds of dollars of these stupid people. It’s totally thrilling. No one caught me. When I got bored with it, I dumped it at another kids’ house.

“When I set my mind to something, it becomes crystal clear, like all of the paths are open to me. It’s like in those dreams of the mazes, suddenly, I know what to do, and I cannot stop myself from doing it.

“I also like taunting men into looking at me, 'look at the exotic Indian boy!' It gives me a sexual rush. I was sexual at a very early age. It’s not easy to be Indian and Catholic, or gay. I secretly wish that I could have a boyfriend but I doubt that will ever happen. One thing I like about the music festivals are that guys and girls all dance together, and when they are high, guys will make out with me even if I am not white and even if they are straight."

H: What else do you like about the music festivals?
P: “The dancing. I live to dance. I love dancing; I can get as high dancing as I do with drugs. I could actually be a highly skilled dancer; but how does a 6’ tall adopted, Indian boy in a Catholic family become a professional dancer? Stealing things seemed so easy; you steal things, sell them, buy drugs, keep some, sell some for more than you bought it for and your life is pretty good, until you get caught in a sting.”

MIND - DANCING

H: What do you mean ‘get caught in a sting’?
P: “I mean I was set up (laugher). It’s ironic actually; I was set up by a police informant that I used to sell drugs to. It’s all a game, you manipulate, lie, cheat and steal, you do anything you can to survive, even though you have everything you could ever want and more."

H: Is there anything else you’d like to say today?
P: “I don’t really want to go back into that life. But I cannot seem to get clean. If homeopathy really works, I want it to help me to turn my life around. I mean, I am still unable to stop myself from stealing little things. It’s such a rush.”

HP: Like the pens and clock from the table?
S: “Too funny, you saw that and didn’t say anything? I like you already!” (Roaring with laughter)

Repertorization using Synthesis 2009V

MIND - ADDICTED; tendency to become

MIND - DANCING

MIND - DECEITFUL

MIND - DELUSIONS - jumping - impelled to jump out of the window

MIND - DRUGS

MIND - ESCAPE, attempts to

MIND - FEAR - terror - night

MIND - GLITTERING objects

MIND - HATRED - revengeful; hatred and

MIND - HIDING - himself

MIND - KLEPTOMANIA

MIND - LAUGHING - involuntarily

MIND - LIAR

MIND - MUSIC - amel.

MIND - ORPHANS

DREAMS - ESCAPING

DREAMS - NIGHTMARES

DREAMS - RUNNING

DREAMS - TUNNEL

Key points to consider:

Drug use

Manipulation

Secretiveness, deception

Sexuality & sensuality

Stealing = kleptomania

Analysis

Repertorization indicated remedies such as Lachesis, Natrum muriaticum, Belladonna, and Tarentula. However, in this case, I was struck by the involuntary laughter of the patient; in a way he reminded me of a villain from a comic book. His adventures were wild and involved high risks and when he was caught somehow he managed to escape from the treatment centers.

In this case, I thought about the following language and observations to select the remedy:

Attracted shiny objects

Bold

Children were constantly climbing over one another

Desire to steal things from an early age

Eyes darting to and fro

Heightened sexuality

Impulsive, wildness at night

Mazes & tunnels

This led me to think of a proving of Rattus rattus by Jayesh Shah. The proving of Rattus rattus includes themes of light and dark, dancing, sexuality, immediacy, and impulsively acting without regard to consequences, and stealing to survive.

Prescription: Rattus rattus 200C, one dose

Follow ups

August 2009: “I do not usually remember my dreams, but since taking the remedy I feel that I am dreaming and they are very vivid. I think that they have been very violent. The other night I woke up curled up on the floor of my closet, like I did so many times in my childhood.

“I have also been much more patient. I am not getting angry as easily; I am talking with my brothers and mom more; they notice that I am much more open. My friends say that I am more present than I have ever been.

“My desire to steal things has increased a lot since taking the remedy. However, I am finding that I pick up the objects and cradle them in my hands, and then I will set them down.

“I have also been smoking two packs a day; I wasn’t really smoking before the remedy.”

Prescription: Rattus rattus LM 1, 7 drops in 4 oz. water, one dose = one teaspoon once daily

October 2009: “I am doing much better. I have cut my smoking down in half.

“I have also had really bad allergies this fall. A lot of congestion, and sinus infections, and sore throats; the last time I had allergies that I can remember is just before I started to use drugs as a teenager. I felt miserable. Using the LM as you recommended really helped, every ten minutes for an hour, my congestion and sinus headache cleared up immediately.

“I haven’t woken up in my closet the last two months. I also remembered a dream, this was very violent, not so scary. So me and my best friend and his girlfriend were walking down this long alley (it was kind of like a tunnel or a tube) that was very dark, when this dude approached us. He was dressed normally, but he had an Ace bandage wrapped around his head. He came up to us and started pushing my friend. My friend took out a gun and shot the dude. We all kept walking as if it was a normal occurrence. It felt surreal.”

Prescription: Rattus rattus LM 2, 7 drops in 4 oz. water, one dose = one teaspoon once daily

December 2009: “I have really cut down my smoking to about six cigarettes a day. I am feeling like I am much less anxious. I see how I wasn’t dealing with life on its terms. I feel like my libido has lowered. I used to have FWB (friends with benefits) that I would hook up with for sex 15-20 days in the month when I was in my late teens. I am contemplating monogamy. I am definitely not into open relationships.

“I began exercising, doing yoga regularly, and I just joined a dance school. My dad told me that he always thought I would be a great dancer. That was a real shock; I never thought my dad knew anything about me.

“After starting the LM, I puked a couple of times, I had a weird taste in my mouth, like I would get when I was using ecstasy. I actually felt like I did when I would get so wasted as a teenager. That lasted about three days.

“Overall, I feel stronger. No dreams that I can remember. I am sleeping very deeply and quite soundly.”

Prescription: Rattus rattus LM 3, 7 drops in 4 oz. water, one dose = one teaspoon once daily

February 2010: “I had the urge to steal much more than ever after the last LM started. No puking luckily. But, I had an increase in my impulsivity and an urge to connect with my old friends. So I went dancing until 2 am at this bar in downtown Minneapolis. I so wanted a drink. I have been sober for six months. I have stopped smoking altogether.

“I think that this remedy is helping me to grow up. I am thinking of getting my driver’s license.

“Also, I am dating someone seriously. I never thought that would happen.

“You need to help me with this stealing impulse. I need something strong.”

Prescription: Rattus rattus 200C, three doses over twelve hours, followed by Rattus rattus LM 4, 7 drops in 4 oz. water, one dose = one teaspoon once daily

May 2010: “I am really calm. I had the most amazing dream of Mother Mary. I thought it was, or hoped it was my own birth mother, but it was Mother Mary or this Sister from Saint Mary’s Orphanage. She brought me this silver tray with all these tiny little sweets on it and said to me, “It’ll be alright child, take one…”  I reached over to the tray and I realized I was 3 years old (the age that I was when I came to Minnesota). I woke up feeling calm, I felt like I was reborn, and all of my scurrying around stopped. That was about two or three weeks ago and I feel calm still. I looked at myself in the mirror and said to myself, ‘I have nothing to escape from, this is my life.’ Now when I see a statue of Mary Queen of Heaven, I feel that calm. I haven’t ever really thought about my birth mother before.

“That remedy took away my urges to smoke or steal things. My parents and brothers notice a major shift in my person.

“I am joining the dance school full time. I want to become a professional dancer.

“I am much calmer than I have ever been and happier that I can ever remember being. It’s like I’ve been reincarnated in my life; even though Catholics don’t exactly believe that.”

Final analysis

The patient continued to come for follow ups every two to three months for two more years (ending his homeopathic treatment June 2012). He matured considerably over that time. He remained sober, reestablished healthy and fulfilling relationships with his family, and has a long-term monogamous relationship for the first time in his life. He no longer smokes and rarely has the urge to steal shiny objects. He also no longer feels that he has to escape. Occasionally, when his night terrors reappeared, he was dosed with Rattus rattus 200C three doses over twelve hours, the last remedy administered in April 2012 was LM 13. His mother reports that he has left Minneapolis to join a dance company in New York City.

A special link to a National Geographic Special on the Karni Mata Temple: http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/india-rattemple-pp

A link to an Interhomeopathy article on Rattus norvegicus (I used Rattus rattus from Helios): http://www.interhomeopathy.org/experimentation-de-la-ratte-degout-rattus-norvegicus

Photos
Shutterstock: Gold glittering; Ron Dale
Wikimedia Commons: Rattus rattus; H.Zell; CC BY-SA 3.0