What is Homeotherapy?
HomeoTherapy is a term that I have devised to acknowledge my experience of the last few years that, working with the Sensation Method (see the ABOUT page) has taken the consultation process itself to a deeper level, such that the patient can gain a great deal of understanding of their own illness/imbalance from that alone. In the past I regarded my role solely as the prescriber, but now I see that there is more possibility for the patient to be an active participant in their own process towards health. Remedy work goes hand in hand with the patient’s understanding of their own process.
What is Homeopathy?
In 1796, a German doctor, Samuel Hahnemann, discovered a different approach to the cure of the sick, which he called Homeopathy (derived from the Greek words meaning ’similar suffering’). Like Hippocrates two thousand years earlier, he realised that there were two ways of treating ill-health, the way of ‘opposites’ and the way of ’similars’. In the latter, the Homeopathic way, a minute dose of a substance, which in large doses causes symptoms in a healthy person, is given to a patient presenting the same symptoms. Following the principle of ‘Like Cures Like’, this stimulates the body’s own healing mechanism to begin to correct the imbalance. It is for this reason that single (as opposed to repeat doses) are often used, although there are also circumstances in which the practitioner will judge it better to give repeat doses.
What are Homeopathic remedies?
Homeopathic remedies are made from a variety of sources – animal, vegetable and mineral, complex and simple substances. The source material is ground or diluted in water-alcohol to produce a tincture. This tincture is then subjected to a process of potentisation, by sequential dilution and succussion (a specific form of agitation), which produces a solution with no physical molecule of the substance remaining, but none the less retaining an ‘energetic blueprint’. Carrier substances in the form of pillules or tablets may be used to convey the remedy in prescription to the patient, or liquid doses may be used. Sometimes even a single ’sniff’ of a well chosen remedy will be sufficient to stimulate a response – a truly minimal dose.
How does Homeopathy work?
Homeopathic remedies work by stimulating the body’s own healing power. This natural power is very great and many complaints heal themselves unaided, but when the healing process is faulty, blocked or slow, an appropriate homeopathic remedy will act as a stimulus to the curative powers of the body. To provide this stimulus, the homeopath must prescribe the right remedy in the right dosage for each individual, assessed on information received in consultation.
Who and what can be treated?
Homeopathic remedies are prescribed to match the person as well as the disease. For example, there are many remedies which may address asthma, and different individuals with this same condition will need different remedies depending on their ‘constitution’. Similarly, the same remedy will usually help to correct several apparently different disorders in the same person, if it is constitutionally prescribed. The homeopathic ‘constitution’ refers to the totality of the person: characteristics or symptoms on all levels, physical, mental and emotional. It is often possible to assess an individual’s constitutional predisposition with minimal disease symptoms present, and thus homeopathic help can be given at a very early stage, even before conventional diagnosis is made, based on the individual’s experience eg. “I just don’t feel right!” Thus homeopathy could be said to potentially help any individual, but it could not be said always to ‘cure’. The extent to which any ‘disease’ can be ‘cured’ will depend on many factors which the practitioner is trained to assess. If cure is not possible, homeopathic help can often give symptomatic relief, and minimise the use of conventional medication with its side effects.
Children frequently respond well to homeopathic help, whether for chronic or acute disorders, or even the just ‘off-colour’ scenario. Homeopathic treatment in pregnant and nursing women can be very valuable for mother and baby.
What will the homeopath need to know?
Different people react in different ways to the same illness and in order to find the correct remedy the homeopath will need to know not only your physical symptoms, but also as much as possible about yourself and how your symptoms affect you. You will be asked questions about your illness, your life, about the health of the family past and present. The homeopathic process is a co-operative effort, and the homeopath depends on accurate and detailed information to determine the correct remedy for you. Do not be afraid to mention something you think is unusual or unimportant, and anything you say is treated in the strictest confidence.
What does treatment involve?
Usually the remedy will not be given at the time of the interview, but will be posted to you some days later. This may be in the form of pillules, tablets or liquid dose, and may be prescribed as single, split or repeat doses depending on the individual case. The homeopath will spend time examining the information closely, to determine the best remedy for you. At the time of the interview you will receive instructions about the taking of the remedy, and the few substances to avoid which may affect the remedy action. Please tell the homeopath about any medicines that you are already taking, or any dental treatment you are undertaking. Because other treatments may affect the outcome of your homeopathic treatment you should not start any other form of medication without first consulting your homeopath – even for headaches, coughs or colds. At the follow up consultations the homeopath will be interested in any changes you experience following the remedy, and the sequence of events
What can I expect to happen?
The remedy stimulates the body’s own healing mechanisms, and thus there are a number of possible changes. It occasionally happens that the symptoms appear worse for a short time, after which a period of recovery should begin. Alternatively patients often experience an initial period of exceptional wellbeing and optimism. Your homeopath is able to assess your progress towards healing through this process.
How quickly will I be cured?
This depends on what sort of illness you have. A very slowly developing complaint will not disappear overnight, but other complaints can get better quickly. Complicated cases are cured from the inside, working outwards. This means that superficial, outer symptoms, such as skin disorders are often the last to go. Be patient, it is much better for you to be cured of both the cause of your illness and its symptoms, rather than merely to relieve the symptoms. EVERY CASE IS DIFFERENT, JUST AS NO TWO PATIENTS ARE ALIKE.