Psycho-dynamics of Staphysagria

Dr.Ashis Datta

  “ – Angry people get hurt and cause hurt.”

Staphysagria is generally prescribed acutely for the physical affects of suppressed anger. In these causes, patient feels the anger and resentment clearly but no expression. The force of it rebounds upon the body, producing physical symptoms. Staphysagria is a very sensitive type; in particular, they are sensitive to parental aggression and disapproval. (Kent: ‘Oversensitive’, ‘Ailment from reproach’). 

Where the parents are often restrictive and more authoritarian, the young child learns that it is not safe to express his displeasure and lead him to stricture punishment. Sometimes parents are not so particularly strict, but they put the child down verbally, telling that he/she is good for nothing. The child is often either physically mistreated, or made to feel that he is not good. This condition plays a major role in the development of future illness.

Acute states of Staphysagria can arise in any constitutional type. The anger of constitutionally Staphysagria is usually much less apparent than in acute cases. Sometimes anger of such patient is often so suppressed that it is not only remain unexpressed, even not felt.

Chronic state or Constitutional types are determined more by his inborn quality than by environmental factors. There seem to be remarkable ‘resonance’ between constitutional type and the external influence they receive.

 According to their respond to the repression they may be grouped in to four –

1) Violent  2) Smooth   3) Subdued (quite thoughtful or depressed)    4)  Charming

The commonest cause of this resentment is rejection by loved one, usually a partner, especially when the rejection is done in an aggressive, hurtful way. The main point is that the anger is obsessive. ( W. Boericke: ‘ Impetuous, violent outburst of passion, hypochondriacal, sad’).

The violent, smooth, charming types tend to resemble each other physically. The subdued type also looks very similar to the former, but his feature becomes rigid and a little emotional. Once Staphysagria’s old, sub-conscious anger comes in to the picture, it attaches himself to the present circumstances, generates an endless resentment towards the person who rejected him. There may be genuine cause of anger, the way he was treated, but irrespective of the cause, his anger will take more than a few outbursts to defuse, since there is a huge reservoir of the past anger.

Violent – This type is little closer to the traditional Staphysagria, but more complicated than others. The majority of this type is found in male. They are very prone to confusion, dreamy and absent mind (Kent: ‘Concentration difficult’, ‘vacant feeling’).

They are romantic and usually craves for intimacy and charm of an intimate relationship, but his nature of tendency to avoid and escape (evasiveness) as well as violence, prevent him from fulfillment of his desire.

 Staphysagria patients (particularly violent type) is generally very much fond of sexual relation. (Kent: ‘Lascivious’, ‘Libertinism’ ‘Nymphomania’). There is a very closer connection between desire and aggression (the male hormone testosterone has been shown to promote both), and the suppressed anger of the violent Staphysagria tends to fuel his libido (sexual desire).

Like other types, the violent type is also predisposed to vivid and intense sexual fantasies (Kent: ‘Sexual thoughts intrude’), (W. Boericke: ‘Sexual sin and excesses’). These fantasies often drive him for frequent masturbation. (Kent: ‘Masturbation disposition’).

The aggrieved Staphysagria person lives, eat and dream of hurt and revenges. (W. Boericke: ‘Ill effects of anger and insults’)  

Smooth – They are generally very social and their emotional ‘lightness’ combined with their easy charm make them very popular. As they hide themselves from their deeper feeling, they are generally less successful in their private life and also liable to become angry when they glosses over serious problems, may be practical or emotional.

Subdued (quite thoughtful or depressed)– they are very much introverted, a fugitive, who run away from people in order to avoid repetition of their previous experiences.  This type of habit grows in their childhood to avoid punishment and to keep them out of sight of others, which continues to adult life. By doing so, he seriously restricts his emotional satisfaction.

Charming- This is somewhat more common than men than women, whereas in the other three types, they are rare or non-existent. they learn in childhood to avoid pain by being good, so good that becomes utterly complaint, incapable of expressing opposition to anything.  

This type is often seen as a devoted wife of a somewhat dominating husband. Her mood is generally mild & cheerful and relatively stable emotionally. In the cases of suppression / tortured Pulsatilla, one can think of Staphysagria as it acts well in such a situation.

“If you argue and rankle and contradict, you may achieve a victory sometimes; But it will be an empty victory because you will never get your opponent’s good will”. Ben Franklin

Dr Ashis Datta, M.D(Hom)
Email: indudelhi@yahoo.com

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