What is Health
Physical health is well recognised in western medicine, indeed, it is very often the only sphere of health that is examined. The homeopathic approach recognises four spheres of health, all interconnected, all affecting the health of the individual. It is easy to offer sympathy to someone suffering the effects of grief and bereavement, are we so quick to tolerate and understand the effects and causes of anger, guilt and fear? All are equally potent, and all can cause a disruption of our health at the very root of our being.
My passion for homeopathy comes from the understanding that we need to treat the whole person, to understand their suffering on a physical, mental, emotional and spiritual level. Briefly, these are the categories explained a little further.
Physical Health
Good balanced diet, good water intake, recreation and relaxation, adequate exercise, reduce stimulants and toxins
Emotional Health
Support and companionship from friends, family and partners, opportunity for expression of emotions, recognition of our needs, trust and love
Mental Health
A pattern of positive thoughts, stimulation for the mind in memory, logic, analysis and imagination. To recognise and act on negative patterns of thought.
Spiritual Health
A sense of belonging, a sense of fairness and reason, a sense of purpose.
How does Homeopathy work?
Homeopathic remedies work by stimulating the body’s own healing power. The remedies are derived from animal, plant and mineral sources. ‘Homo’ means ‘like’ and in homeopathy we select the remedy that best mimics the presenting symptoms, both physical and emotional. In this way the remedy ‘reminds’ the body’s healing power to restore health. During ill-health, the body is not at ease, it is at ‘dis’-ease.
All remedies are safe and proven with either clinical or anecdotal evidence. No remedy has ever been withdrawn from use. Remedies take the form of small sucrose pillules which dissolve in the mouth and are easy to administer. Remedies are not addictive and there are no side effects.
A well-indicated remedy strengthens the immune system leading to a true cure rather than suppressing or masking the symptoms of ill health. Homeopathy is particularly effective in cases where other forms of medicine find the symptoms too vague to treat, but the person knows that something is not right.
What happens during a consultation?
Your homeopath will listen to you as you describe your symptoms. She needs to develop a complete understanding of you, so she will need to ask you about every aspect of your health, physical, emotional, mental, past and present. Even small details are significant.
Homeopathy is not a ‘one size fits all’ approach. Prescriptions are tailor-made to address the specific issues of each individual. This is why the case-taking is so detailed.
The first consultation will last about an hour and a half for adults, a little less for children. Follow-up consultations will be booked as appropriate to the progress of your treatment programme.
Having identified the details of the complaint that you require to be treated, a full case history will be sought, going back through childhood health and experiences, adult health and the individual interpretations of the effects of life choices and relationships.
All information taken during consultation is kept in the strictest confidence
What happens after taking the remedy?
I always start treatment gently, I need to see how individuals respond to remedies and potency. Occasionally people experience a slight worsening of symptoms for a short while. Following this you will notice changes and improvements in your condition. During this time, I will ask you to note any changes – ‘watch and wait’ as they occur and report back at your next consultation. This gives the me essential feedback on how the symptom picture is changing.
Recovery will progress at different rates depending on the nature of the problems, the length of time they have caused suffering, and the general health of the individual. Recovery will also be supported by following advice on diet, activity levels, rest and relaxation.
Conventional Medicine
Our son is diabetic, without insulin he would be dead. I fully recognise the need for allopathic medicine in the right context. Homeopathy can be used alongside conventional medical treatment, although conventional drugs may inhibit the action of homeopathic remedies. The homeopath will make allowance for this in the treatment plan. As your health improves, it may be possible in some cases for conventional drugs to be reduced or stopped with the full co-operation of your GP.