Healing with Homeopathyby Judyth Reichenberg-Uilman, ND, DHANP, LCSW, andRobert Ullman, ND, DHANPwww.healthyhomeopathy.coin

Successful Homeopathic Treatment:An Actress with Psoriasis

Angela: An Actress with PsoriasisAngela, a thirty-twoyear-old actress from Los Angeles,

first consulted us by phone eight years ago for help withher psoriasis:

My work is really hard on me because it's so competitive,working in an industry that is all about image, trying tohave a family and be normal and not get caught up in allof it. ! love my art, skills, what I have achieved. It's a greatcreative outlet. My husband is from Nicaragua. His familyis very supportive - they moved near us jusl before we gotmarried in order to be close to him and his future children.Their philosophy about family and raising kids is muchdifferent from that of my parents. My father died a monthbefore my daughter was born. It was really a hard timefor me. Life and death at the same time. That's when I gotpsodasis and when I started noticing allergies. I consulteda naturopathic doctor who put me on an elimination diet. Icut back on corn and wheat. The allergies were better, butthere was no change in the psoriasis.

I'm very accommodating. Sweet and nice. I have a hardtime saying what I feel to people. I never want to hurtanyone's feelings. I have a very good sense of humor,but if I try to make a joke and it comes out wrong, it canhurt someone's feelings, and they'll think I'm mean. I getirritable when too much is going on at once - too muchnoise, stress, heat - or when I feel claustrophobic. Mynerves just tighten up. I don't argue with anybody, evenmy closest friends. I might lose the friendship. That mightmean I wasn't liked or I had failed in some way.

I had a really reckless childhood. I was kicked out ofschool for talking back to teachers, not listening, leavingthe school premises. I threw a chair at a teacher, got intoa fistfight with a basketball coach, and he pressed chargesagainst me. My husband thinks I'm making it all up, sinceI'm completely different now. As an adult, I can get alongwith anybody, I really care a lot about people. I think it'sbecause my parents got divorced, and we moved acrossthe country from my dad. I didn't have the attention thatI needed. That's why I'm attracted to the closeness ofmy husband's family. I actually find it fulfilling that theywant to know what's happening in our lives all the time.

comforting and secure knowing they're close by and wecan count on them. My mom was never really interested inmy life. She can say one thing, and it will set me off. ThenI feel guilty afterwards. She is very eccentric, unreasonable,and illogical.

I was having some pain with intercourse before we gotmarried. I was finally diagnosed with endometriosis. I gotmarried in February, had the surgery in March, and waspregnant by April. My sexual energy is zero since I gotpregnant. We had a wonderful sexual relationship beforethat. When my dad died, I couldn't go [to his funeral]because I was eight-months pregnant,

I might have had a little psoriasis during the pregnancy.Right after my daughter's birth, I began to find good actingjobs. I smoked from the time I was fourteen until I gotpregnant, then again occasionally after I finished nursing.I went through a period of not feeling happy with myself.The psoriasis was hurting my self-í-steeni. I was kind ofleading this double life: smoking at work, then not from themoment I came in the door at home.

I have a really healthy relationship with my husband. He'squite a romantic. Neither one of us has a schedule. Witha two-year-old, everything falls apart at the seams. I feelall over the place. Like I'm constantly trying to organize.Maybe it's not my nature, and I'm trying hard to make it mynature. I have a seriously bad memory. I could go home toget something, then walk out of the house without it. I tryto make lists, then I forget to take the list. But 1 can keepperfect track of scripts and roles for my work.

I have this fear and embarrassment in crowds. I get nervousif all eyes are on me. Sweaty, stuttering, and my heart beatsfast. My mouth and throat get tight, and I have to take adeep breath. I second-guess myself and don't stand myground. I guess it's just self-consciousness. It may be thatI'm super hard on myself in my career. When you get to besuccessful in your field, you have to have a name behindyou. I want to be everyone's favorite person. When I'mdown, I become afraid that I will lose my acting jobs. Thereare so many people watching my work and a lot of criticismin the industry.

64 TOWNSEND LETTER - OCTOBER 2008

My psoriasis is on my elbows, left knee, and right leg.Without cortisone cream, it is quite painful and bumpy withlots of skin flaking off all the time. It has the appearanceof lesions. When I'm working on screen, I can't show myelbows or knees when we're in the tropics. I won't showit because they would be grossed out. I try to cover it thewhole time. One producer asked about it and wonderedif it were contagious. They might think it was horrible ifanyone saw it on film. So I don't ever let it show exceptwhen I use the steroid cream. The psoriasis has taken achunk out of my self-esteem. I feel uncomfortable if even alittle of it shows. What would they think? Someone wouldhave a negative image of me, I wouldn't be talked about ina positive light. Maybe not be hired back as an actress.

At this point, a particular homeopathic remedy washighly indicated. It was one for peoplewho feel very much ashamed, oftenbecause of a disfigurement or a visibleskin condition, and they feel a strongneed to hide it, cover it up. We knewthat these people are highly sensitiveand can be secretive. There is oftensomething in the past - such as sexualabuse or family secrets - that theyhave hidden for years. Those needingthis remedy often have a historyof a sexually transmitted disease,about which they are profoundlyembarrassed. We also know that theydare not disclose this informationout of shame, so we sometimes needto sensitively question the patientfurther, delicately and sensitively.

We inquired about Angela's fearsand dreams, often doorways to tbeunderlying, deeper state.

Having a baby, I think more aboutdeath. We knew some people on aflight that went down, and I think alot about what it must have been likefor them in their last moments. I'vestopped watching scary movies. Myimagination goes crazy. I have thenormal mom fears about my family'ssafety.

Angela mentioned having hadsome wild, passionate dreams, whichwere embarrassing to her. That led tothe confirmation of the remedy wehad in mind:

I used to be quite promiscuouswhen I was younger. I was going outwith a guy who wasn't right for me,and I ended up contracting venerealwarts (condylomata) at sixteen orseventeen. It was awful. I had allsorts of treatments. It was degradingbecause I didn't feel that he cared verymuch about me. Maybe I didn't care

enough about myself, I never told anyone about it, evenmy husband.

We asked Angela whether she had any history of warts,again strongly confirmatory of the medicine we had inmind. "! did have warts on my fingers as a teenager." Shecouldn't remember exactly when the warts began, but wesuspect it occurred after the condylomata.

We inquired as to whether Angela had any patlicularattraction or aversion to onions and garlic. She lovedboth. We also asked if she had had any history of vaginalinfections. These symptoms also confirmed the likelymedicine. ,^

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TOWNSEND LETTER - OCTOBER 2008 65

Healing with Homeopathy

Excellent, Long-Term Results from the Tree of LifeThuja occidentalis (Arbor Vitae, Tree of Life, cedar)

fit Angela's case very well. It is a common homeopathicmedicine for sensitive people with warts and is oftenindicated for patients with a history of condylomata. Thereis a predominant feeling of embarrassment and shame anda desire and effort to cover up one's weaknesses. It canbe effective for women with cysts and growths, as wellas vaginitis, and, in this case, endometriosis. The patientoften reports either a strong desire or aversion to onions.Another characteristic feeling, which we did not elicit inthis case, but which often arises using our current style ofcase-taking, is of being fragile, like glass about to shatter.For Angela, we prescribed one dose of Thuja 200C.

Angela called seven weeks later to say that shewas pregnant. This is not the first time we have seena patient become pregnant very soon after taking thecorrect homeopathic medicine, especially in cases ofendometriosis. She was thrilled. Her next appointment wasone month later. At this appointment. Angel remarked thatshe felt better mentally, experienced more energy, enjoyedmore sexual activity, and felt more even overall. She wasnow experiencing classic symptoms for morning sickness:queasy stomach, gagging, triggering vomiting, and a jumpystomach {patients needing Thuja often report a feeling ofsomething alive inside their abdomen). Angela lacked anymotivation to do anything. We gave her a dose of Thuja30C and instructed her to call with an update in seven toten days. She called two weeks later to say her skin wasimproving as well as her morning sickness.

Seven months after starting homeopathic treatment,Angela was six months pregnant. The psoriatic patch onher right shin had disappeared, and those on her left knee

and right elbow were improving. Only her right elbowcontinued to be much of a problem. The pregnancy hadgone very smoothly, and Angela was pleasantly surprisedthat she did not suffer from back fatigue as she had in herprevious pregnancy. Her memory was noticeably better,she did not feel as nervous in a crowd, and she was nolonger second-guessing herself for fear of having said thewrong thing. We repeated the Thuja 200C a month laterdue to feelings of anger and a return of the jumpiness in hergut.

Eleven and a half months after beginning the homeopathy,Angela called again. She was enjoying her ten-week-old son and felt very calm, in contrast to her postpartumanxiety after her daughter was born. Her skin was okay,she felt really good emotionally, confidence was high, thejumpiness in the gut had resolved, and her confidence wasgreater. We prescribed a dose of Thuja 200C, after whichher skin symptoms worsened temporarily (generally a goodsign in homeopathy).

Three months later, Angela was happy to report thateverything was great. Her sexual life was better, and herenergy amazing. We prescribed Thuja ]M, a higher dose,after which she experienced a worsening of the psoriasis.We realized that the IM potency was too high for Angela'slevel of sensitivity. Following the initial aggravation,her skin did improve again, her sex life continued to beconsiderably more satisfying, and she reported an overallcalmness.

We have continued to have appointments with Angelaabout every four to six months ever since. It has now beeneight years since her first consultation with us. In fact,she was doing so well recently that there was a one-yearinterval between her phone appointments. She finallycalled because the psoriasis had returned shortly after anunpleasant confrontation with her in-laws. Her psoriasishas healed very nicely, except for the times she wouldrelapse and need another dose of the Thuja. In addition, themedicine helps her to feel calmer and more emotionallystable, have increased self-confidence, experience lessanxiety in her stomach, have greater focus, and be lesssensitive overall. Angela has needed a total of 20 doses ofThuia over the past seven-and-a-half years (a little less thanthree doses a year). She is quite satisfied with the resultsand delighted with her life.

liidyth Retrhenberg-Ullman, ND, DHANP, LCSW, and Robert Ullnian,ND, DHANP, are licensed naturopdthic physicians board certified inhomeopathy. In practice for 25 years, they practice at the NorthwestCenter for Homeopathic Medicine in Edmonds, Washington, and treatpatients by telephone and video consultations as well as in person. Theyare (o-authors of eight books. Including Ihe best-selling RHalin-Frec Kids.Rage-free Kids - and Prozac Free; A Drug-Free Approach lo AspergerSyr)drome and Autism; Whole Woman Homeopathy; Homeopatt^icSelf-Care; The Patient's Cuide to Homeopathic Medicine; and Mystics,Masters, Saints, and Sages: Stories of Enlightenment. They have taughtinternationally. They live on Whidbey Island, Washington and in Pucon,Chile, and can be reached at 425-774-5599, Fax: 425-67{M)319, or atwww.healthyhomeopathy.com.

TOWNSEND LETTER - OCTOBER 2008