A Case of severe Attacks of Rage
Rachel, a lovely, 10-year-old girl with long blonde hair quietly sat in my office with both parents. Her mother had already briefed me on the phone:
 
"The psychiatrists want to institutionalize Rachel for life - under heavy sedation! She is becoming stronger every day and is considered to be a danger to herself and others. The other day she tied a rope around her neck and threatened to jump off the deck to kill herself. Last week she pulled a knife on her brother. When she has an attack of rage it takes two or three people to restrain her. We actually have to sit on her. At those times she has superhuman strength."
 
Perhaps a child like that was inspiration to 'Rosemary's Baby', the first horror movie I ever saw. Unfortunately this was not fiction, this was a real child with real parents who were at their wits end. Rachel's attacks had started when she was about three years old and progressively increased over time. She would suddenly and without provocation experience attacks of rage during which she would be violent against objects and people, including herself. Afterwards she would have no memory of the event.
 
The parents had literally seen dozens of therapists, psychiatrists and social workers to help their daughter. "At one time we had a team of social workers living in our house for two weeks to try and find out what we were doing to 'drive our child crazy' as they put it," the mother reported. 
 
There was no history of trauma in her case.  I've seen somewhat similar cases over the years where the child had been severely traumatized by an injury or another violent incident, but nothing came up in Rachel's case. The only clue was that her grandfather had been a very violent alcoholic. Her attacks seemed to be neurological, almost like a seizure. Rachel also had a number of fears, including a fear of the dark and of ghosts.
 
I prescribed Stramonium, a homeopathic remedy that can be indicated if a person is violent, has a fear of violence, a fear of the dark, of ghost and has supernatural strength while suffering the attack. Stramonium is a fascinating remedy made from a plant known as Angel's or, alternatively and tellingly, Devil's trumpet, based on its beautiful, trumpet shaped flowers. The plant is highly toxic and especially affects the nervous system, causing various disorders of thought and motor control with fear, violence, fits, hallucinations and delirium.
 
As a homeopathic preparation is can treat conditions like Rachel's, although there are several other homeopathic remedies available with similar features, so it is important to seek professional help for the treatment of these cases. 
 
Rachel had several doses of Stramonium 200CH and 1MK over the next six months which entirely cleared up her attacks. She was never institutionalized. The total cost of the remedy she had was about $12.00.
 
You may enjoy watching this video on the materia medica of stramonium by the world famous homeopath George Vithoulkas: