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Zincum phosphoricum

Year 2021, Issue 5, Article 3CaseAuthor: Peter Tumminello
‘If I don’t say yes’ … a case of Zincumphosphoricum A woman age 39, married, a business analyst with one child.
Mental: ‘I am working very hard, very very busy, there is a lot of work on and pending. There are projects from everywhere … working more than double my scheduled work hours - 70 hours a week.’ She is weeping easily since the overwork. When I enquire further about the situation she replies: ‘I work very hard and take all calls and am open to customers 24/7. Somewhere deep in me I feel if I don't say yes things won’t come to me’.
Dreams: of sickness in her son or other close relatives. She also dreams often of blood, wounds and fighting. Her dreams are always dark – of the night or dark spaces.
Physical: She is very tired and cooking is too much of chore, it is an effort to even think in the evenings. She can’t cope with reading outside her work situation. Her sleep is inadequate as it is broken by her young son waking her in the night.
In the last three months she has nausea after the evening meal – even drinking water will bring it on. She is needing coffee 4-5 per day to stay awake and she also desires sparkling water. She is averse to apples.
The menses are short - lasting less than 2 days (usually 3-4) and more painful in recent months.
Analysis: I did a repertory where Phosphorus was very prominent. I could have given it but was unsatisfied that Phosphorus addressed the compulsive desire to work hard and repeatedly saying ‘yes’ to all requests for service. Zincum which is at stage 12 of the ‘Ferrum series’ (work, task, duty) does cover this aspect as Scholten recommends it for “overdoing your work”. There are many possible reasons for overdoing work and I was still left with the idea it was to accommodate the request of others. I found the crystal structure of Zincum phosphoricum is Orthorhombic. This structure has ‘accommodating others’ as a fundamental theme. This usually rests on an underlying need for emotional harmony with others. I now sensed my prescription to be water tight with the fundamental presence of structure together with the clear evidence of both elements – one through repertory and the other through periodic table indications.
Treatment: Zincum phosphoricum 30C daily for 14 days.
Results: I saw her again in a month: ‘I felt a difference immediately. I have been able to be more assertive - I feel better inside and more powerful. It took away the fear of saying ‘no’ to clients … really helped me in getting my perspective right. I am not all over the place, there is more choice when someone approaches me with a request as opposed to saying ‘ok’ to everyone. There have been two or three situations where I have put my point across very assertively. I am more at peace with myself and more in control. There is a woman at work that irritated me – I was able to ignore her. I developed a new feeling towards her - I can see why she is doing it so I forgive all the trouble she creates in the office.’
Her dark dreams and dreams of blood are no longer there. The weeping disappeared along with the aversion to reading.
The nausea in the evening, the short menses and menstrual pain all lifted. The desire for coffee reduced to 1-2 daily and the aversion to apples was gone.
Further follow-ups: She repeated Zincum phosphoricum over a period of 1 year and 8 months in ascending potencies to 10M. At one stage the mind became unclear and difficult to focus which also disappeared after repeating the remedy. A composite of her comments in this time:
“I feel strong and anxiety goes. A life changing medicine for me – I have never felt so strong. The remedy strengthens me, clarifies and solidifies my thinking - gives me a no worry attitude. I am calmer and feel emotionally strong. I can sit and pray and a deep feeling comes to me. I have stopped asking for things from God - I pray for more clarity and strength.”
Comments: She used to have regular flus through the year, there was none for 18 months and when it reappeared it was much more manageable.
A deep, life changing and satisfying result like this is typical of when the understanding of crystal structure is tethered to the analysis.