Abstract
Background Schizophrenia is a chronic, complex, highly disabling, serious mental disorder characterised
by distortions of thinking and perception. Psychotropic medicines used for management
are effective but are characterised by severe limitations. Alternate safe and effective
treatment regimens are being explored. Homoeopathy is a system of medicine based on
individualistic approach with potential relevance to psychiatry.
Purpose The purpose of this case report is to demonstrate the utility of homoeopathy in management
of schizophrenia.
Client Description A 37-year-old female patient was brought by her husband to outpatient department
of psychiatry. Auditory hallucinations, referential delusions, thought withdrawal
and emotional outbursts were reported during the interview.
Measures and Outcome The physician's initial assessment lead to diagnosis of schizophrenia and confirmed
as paranoid schizophrenia by the psychiatrist. Clinical Global Impression-Schizophrenia
(CGI-SCH) was used to assess the severity of symptoms at baseline and consecutive
follow-ups for 18 months.
Intervention The patient was prescribed a single dose of Natrum carbonicum 200C and repeated only once after 8 months, when sleep disturbance demanded repetition.
Results Baseline CGI-SCH scores in domains of severity of illness and degree of change were
29 and 20, respectively, which reduced to 5 (normal) in both domains by 4 months and
remained the same for the next 2 years.
Implications This case study reinforces the utility of homoeopathy in schizophrenia and throws
light on importance of a thorough case taking of psychiatric patients to elicit totality
of symptoms to arrive at the similimum.
Keywords
schizophrenia - homoeopathy - totality of symptoms -
Natrum carbonicum
- CGI-SCH
