HOMEOPATHY
What is homeopathy
Homoeopathy is a complete system of medicine. It is an
effective and scientific
system of healing which assists the natural tendency of
the body to heal itself. It
recognises that all symptoms of ill health are expressions
of disharmony within the
whole person and that it is the patient who needs treatment
not the disease.
Treating like with like, or the Law of Similars
In 1796 a German doctor, Samuel Hahnemann, discovered a
different approach
To the cure of the sick which he called homeopathy (from
the Greek words
meaning “similar suffering”). He realised that
there were two ways of treating ill
health, the way of opposites and the way of similars.
Take for example, a case of insomnia. The way of opposites,
(conventional
medicine or allopathy), is to treat this by giving a drug
to bring on an artificial
sleep. This frequently involves the use of large or regular
doses of drugs which
can sometimes cause side effects or addiction.
Homeopathic remedies are prescribed according to the Law
of Similars. This law
states, ‘That which makes sick shall heal’.
This means that the symptoms caused
by an overdose (too much) of a substance are the symptoms
that can also be
cured with a small dose of that substance.
The way of similars is to give the patient a minute dose
of a substance, such as
coffee, which in large doses causes sleeplessness in a healthy
person. Perhaps
surprisingly this will enable the patient to sleep.
We know that when cutting a strong onion we often experience
an acrid runny
nose, a particular soreness in the throat and stinging,
runny eyes; so a homeopath
will prescribe Allium cepa (the homoeopathic remedy made
from onion) for the
patient who has a cold and bad throat with these particular
symptoms.
The holistic approach to medicine takes a wider view of
illness, a wider view of
the causes of disease and the ways in which people express
their illness
individually.
Homeopaths do not treat physical, emotional and mental
or even spiritual
illnesses separately, but regard them as intimately connected,
since all are aspects
of the whole of the patient’s suffering.
When starting homeopathic treatment, the patient may not
realise the relevance of
some of the questions being asked. It may appear that the
homoeopath is interested
in matters which have little to do with the particular complaint
about which the
patient is most concerned
Before prescribing, the homeopath wants to have a complete
overview of the
patient and will need to know all about you. A detailed
understanding of who you
are, along with any complaints and details of how you experience
them, is needed
to assess your case correctly. So anything you can tell
your homoeopath that is
typical of who you are will help this process. Finding out
about your general
energy level, your past medical history and the way you
live are also important.
Anything you say will be treated in the strictest confidence.
The first consultation
can take as long as two hours
This information is then used to prescribe a remedy for
that individual patient, not
merely for his or her disease but for the person’s
whole state. Thus, homeopathy is
truly holistic. This fundamental principle of homeopathy,
that of the individual
prescription, explains why two patients with apparently
similar illnesses may be
treated with a different remedy. In other words, two patients
might have headaches
but the way they have their headaches can be different,
their overall state of health
can be different, the way they cope with life can be different
and so on.
What will happen once treatment starts?
Homeopathic remedies cannot cause side effects and you cannot
become addicted
to them. This is because only a very minute amount of the
active ingredient is used
in a specially prepared form.
After taking a homoeopathic remedy, different patients
respond in different ways.
After taking your remedy you may notice some changes. Some
patients experience a
period of exceptional well being and optimism others may
suddenly feel very tired
at first and need to rest for a day or so before improvement.
This often happens
with patients who have been under stress and who really
do need to stop and
recuperate. Sometimes your symptoms can appear to get worse
for a short time.
All these reactions are indications that the remedy is
working and that a
process of self-healing has begun. Sometimes these responses
are quite subtle and
may pass unnoticed, while at other times they can be quite
marked. Sometimes a
cold, rash or some form of discharge may appear as a ‘spring
cleaning’
effect which means your system is going through a cleaning
stage. Similarly, old
symptoms can reappear, usually for a short period. These
symptoms will pass, and
must not be treated as they are a very important part of
the healing process. If any
response to your treatment concerns you, do contact your
homeopath as soon as
you can, as it is important to know what happens as treatment
progresses. You
might also want to make notes of any changes and take them
with you to discuss at
your next appointment.
Homeopathy cures from the inside, and often outer symptoms
such as a skin
complaint, are the last to clear. Be patient! In the long
term it is much better for you
to be cured of both the cause of your illness and its symptoms,
rather than merely
relieving or suppressing the symptoms. Remember that every
case is different, and
no two patients are alike. If you wish to discontinue your
treatment for any reason,
What are self-healing powers?
Since medicine began it has been recognised that there is
a capacity for self-healing
within the human organism. In acute illnesses such as colds,
chicken pox etc., the
body naturally resists infection and, in time, gets better
through mobilising its own
defences, helped by rest, fresh air and the right food.
In more long-lasting chronic
illnesses, such as repeated migraine or depression, the
body’s vitality is often too
depleted to do this without assistance. In these cases the
right remedy will stimulate
the body’s self-healing powers to start the process
of cure.
How long does treatment take?
This depends very much on what sort of illness you have,
as well as the other
individual characteristics of your case. So it is not realistic
for your homeopath to
assess this until it can be seen how you respond to the
remedies prescribed over
some time. It is possible to say that a slowly developing
complaint, or one that has
been experienced for some years, will not disappear
What are homeopathic remedies?
The remedies which homeopaths use come from many different
sources. Most are
derived from plants, but minerals, metals and some poisons
which have been used
medicinally for generations are also used.
After initial preparation of the raw material the remedies
are made by serial dilution
and succussion (vigorous shaking) in a solution of alcohol
and water. This is done a
few (three to four) times or up to many thousands of times.
The liquid dilution is
then used itself as a remedy or soaked into tablets or granules
for convenience.
The diluted remedies are described as being 'potentized',
in recognition of the
dynamic healing power they can stimulate.
How the remedies are given?
Remedies may be prescribed in a number of different strengths,
or potencies as
they are called. The lower potencies have been subjected
to less dilution and
succussion than the higher ones and are not, broadly speaking,
as powerful and
long-lasting in their effects. It is the low potencies such
as the sixth (e.g. Arnica 6)
which are to be found on sale in many chemists and health
food shops. High
potency remedies are usually prescribed by experienced qualified
homeopaths.
Remedies can be prescribed in different ways. Sometimes
they are given as a single
dose (probably in a high potency) when it is likely that
homeopath and patient will
wait for a period of weeks to see the patient’s response.
A remedy can also be
given in a lower potency, singly or repeated daily or more
frequently.
The homeopath will choose the method to suit the patient
and the nature of the
illess. For instance, a person who has been ill for a long
time and whose body has
been physically damaged may need repeated doses of a remedy
to stimulate the re-
cuperative powers, whereas a young and basically healthy
person may respond very
quickly to a single high potency remedy. Individual patients
also respond better to
some methods than others; understanding this is part of
the skill of the
homeopath and explains why attempts to prescribe for oneself
may prove
ineffective.
People who have had homeopathic treatment generally find
that their state of
Health and well-being has improved. They are better able
to resist infection and
have a greater sense of stability and individual purpose
in life. These improvements
surely are steps towards real health.
People suffering from all kinds of illness, from depression
to arthritis, migraine to
ulcers, and now the more ‘modern’ illnesses
including AIDS and ME (myalgic
encephalomyelitis), can be helped by homeopathy to regain
their health.
Good homoeopathy will not just drive away the symptoms but
help the patient deal
with the cause of the illness and regain good health.
There are a number of good books available such
as:
Homeopathy, Medicine for the New Man
by George Vithoulkas
Thorsons.
Homeopathy ,Natural Medicine for the Whole Person
by Peter Adams
Element.
Practical Homeopathy, A Complete Guide to Home Treatment
by Beth MacEoin,
Bloomsbury.
The Complete Homeopathy Handbook
by Miranda Castro,
Macmillan.
Information Courtesy of
:
The Society of Homeopaths
4a Artizan Road
Northampton
NN1 4HU
Tel: 01604 621400
Fax: 01604 622622
Email: info@homeopathy-soh.org
For Further information visit the website
www.homeopathy-soh.org
How do I find a good homeopath?
To find a good homeopath consult the Register of the Society
of Homeopaths.
All homeopaths registered with the Society practise in accordance
with a Code of Ethics and Practice, have professional insurance,
and have passed stringent academic and clinical assessments
before being admitted to the Register.
