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The Boy Who Lacked Confidence

Mitchell was a nine year old boy who hated school. His concentration was poor and writing was difficult. Mitchell would often write his alphabet letters back the front, (using "b" instead of "d", and so on). He also had trouble remembering the sounds for each letter. A "lazy eye" added to his difficulties so that the more he tried, the more he would tire and drift off into daydreams. He was still in a standard class but was struggling to keep up with his companions.

Mitchell's constant tiredness was also a problem. Even at school he would sometimes be found leaning across his desk from weariness. His tiredness was affecting things that should have otherwise been fun; most of the time he was only able to join in half a game or activity before he ran out of energy. On arriving home from school he would collapse onto a lounge and frequently fall asleep.

Mitchell's parents, of course, were concerned and had taken him to a GP where the standard pathology tests had shown that everything was normal. The GP suggested that Mitchell may have dyslexia, an opinion the school confirmed. His parents were also taking him to a chiropractor, a behavioural optometrist, and an occupational therapist. Slow gains were being made but it was an expensive process.

Mitch struggled to cope with these difficulties and was embarrassed by them. He hated to fail and had unreasonably high expectations of what he should achieve, lashing out in frustration and anger if he fell short of them. He would also become upset about not having any friends at school, even though his teacher reported that he was popular and always in a group of children. At these times Mitch would worry that other people would think he was stupid and "hopeless". Sometimes he would cry from shame and embarrassment, and his mother reported that his pre-school experiences had been no happier. It seems he had always suffered from low confidence and anxiety.

Interestingly, Mitch's mother said that in spite of these problems, Mitch would also pretend to be fearless and adventurous. He would win the approval of other children by boasting and bragging about real or fictitious exploits. He would also act the clown and behave in a foolish manner in an attempt to impress them. During the consultation I asked Mitch who his favourite television character was and he told me Darth Vader from the Star War movies because he did not listen to other people, fought a lot, and did what he wanted to do.

The stresses of his school struggles led to unpleasant dreams and nightmares where he would cry out words such as "stupid" and "idiot", along with a great deal of moaning and mumbled sleep talk. Other symptoms that Mitchell now experienced included aching pains in his legs at night, which could only be relieved by his mother massaging them and applying warm packs. Bed wetting was another embarrassing problem for Mitchell, occurring several times a week and making it impossible for him to go to sleepovers with friends. Whether from anxiety or habit, Mitch would also bite his finger and toenails - not just nibble them but bite them down to the quick making them bleed.

On examining Mitch's past medical history I found that he had suffered from reflux and eczema as a baby. He had been allergic to cow and soy milk and suffered from projectile vomiting as an infant.

Treatment

The remedy prescribed for Mitchell was a homeopathic remedy called Lycopodium. Lycopodium will treat a broad range of physical and mental/emotional symptoms as long as the characteristic Lycopodium indicators are present. Its gastrointestinal use has already been looked at in the "Bloated Belly" case featured in a recent newsletter. Perhaps Mitchell's babyhood episodes of reflux and vomiting reflected his need for the remedy even at this early age. Lycopodium can, however, also treat states of dyslexia and under-confidence disguised by bravado. For this reason, I prescribed it for Mitchell.

Mitchell's mother had good news to report at his first follow-up consultation two weeks later. Though Mitchell had wet the bed the day after starting the remedy, he had not done so since - he was very pleased about this. His teachers reported that his behaviour in class was significantly improved. He was able to pay attention for much longer and was emotionally stable - there had been no episodes of tears or anger. Mitchell also seemed less tired. He could play for the full length of school breaks and although weary on arriving home did not fall asleep.

Mitchell's condition and energy levels continued to improve over the following months. His bedwetting stopped altogether, he stopped chewing his nails, and the nightly leg pains had disappeared. Mitch's "sleep shouting" had also ceased. On his visits to the clinic over this period, I saw him change from a boy full of bravado and suppressed anger, to one who was happy and calm. His mother said he had become more confident and no longer needed to boast or act the fool to attract friends. His teachers reported that he had made a huge improvement with writing and spelling and that problems arising from his dyslexia were minimal.

Lycopodium

Lycopodium is a homeopathic remedy capable of treating a wide variety of acute and chronic complaints. On the physical level it mainly deals with conditions arising from the gastrointestinal system (including the liver) such as gall-stones, cirrhosis, Crohn's disease, hepatitis, irritable bowel syndrome, gastric and duodenal ulcers, but only when the characteristic symptoms correlate to Lycopodium. It will also treat types of arthritis, asthma, chronic fatigue syndrome, dyslexia, eczema, ovarian cysts and other conditions, again, as long as the characteristic symptoms fall within the Lycopodium sphere of action. On the mental/emotional level, those needing Lycopodium will experience a lack of confidence and feeling of inferiority, although the person will often muster a false bravado and pretend to be extroverted and assertive. They may also brag and boast in order to present themselves as better than they feel. This trait occurs with both children and adults.

Children in a "Lycopodium state" may become angry, bossy, and rude with a parent who does not act firmly with them. In contrast, these children will never display this sort of behaviour toward adults who are firm. It is remarkable to watch these issues gently resolve on treatment with Lycopodium. I now see Mitch only occasionally as small problems arise. He continues to manage his schoolwork well and has an improved level of confidence. He no longer complains of not having friends. As a result, school has become a much more pleasant place for him.

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