Homeopathy
and the universal laws of healing
There are incontrovertible laws of
healing that need to be understood and respected by any system of medicine in
order for it to be capable of promoting true healing. Modern medicine unfortunately has a poor understanding of
these laws—despite its brilliant and undeniable technical achievement—and its
treatments often subvert them by suppressing symptoms even when the situation
is not life-threatening and suffering is not unbearable.
Dora’s case example is not unique
but is very typical of patients with chronic illness: conventional medical
treatments that are considered successful — here an often-chronic skin
condition was defeated with short-term medication use — cause more extensive
illness and suffering down the road. This holds true not only with the
treatment of eczema, but of many other conditions including asthma, allergies,
recurrent respiratory infections, arthritis, thyroid and other hormonal
problems, depression, ADHD, and more.
Homeopathic
treatment requires patience and perseverance
Because homeopathy acts on the
deepest level of the organism, it doesn’t always alleviate suffering as quickly
as desired. It may take patience and perseverance to experience relief from
bothersome symptoms. In addition, in chronic situations where the patient is
already on conventional medications at the beginning of treatment, medications
may have to be used concurrently for a long while before they can be
discontinued. Both homeopath and patient must therefore be patient and not
expect overnight relief of chronic conditions.
The rewards of diligently pursued
homeopathic treatment are eventual freedom from medications, the permanent
restoration of true health, and the opportunity of growing beyond lifelong
physical, psychological, or spiritual limitations so that, in Hahnemann’s
words, “our indwelling, rational spirit can avail itself of this living,
healthy instrument for the higher purposes of our existence.”
Homeopathic treatment is thus not
for the faint-hearted but is intended for those willing to sacrifice short-term
comfort for the rewards of long-term health and fulfillment.
One of the most important
contributions of homeopathy to the theory of health and disease is the concept
of suppression of symptoms.
Both in conventional and in some
alternative forms of medicine reduction of symptoms and alleviation of
suffering are viewed as the towering goals of treatment.
The clinical philosophy shared by
naturopathic and homeopathic medicine holds, in contrast, that a symptom is an expression
of inner disharmony rather than a problematic thing in itself, and that the
disappearance of a symptom may or may not be an indication of cure when health
is considered holistically.
In homeopathy it is very important
to distinguish between a curative and a suppressive effect because the goal of
treatment is healing of the entire person at the deepest possible level. To achieve this the homeopath first needs to know the
patient’s medical history in order to determine whether any past treatments
have been suppressive; second, the homeopath needs to evaluate the response of
the patient to homeopathic treatment, in order to determine whether or not the
patient is progressing in the desired direction toward greater health.
Some common treatments that
unnecessarily lead to suppression of symptoms include:
- Antibiotics
- Anti-inflammatory medications (especially corticosteroids)
- Surgeries (tonsillectomies, nasal polypectomies, removal of benign skin lesions, and more)
- Anti-fever medications
- High doses of certain supplements
- Homeopathic remedies used symptomatically (these include remedies prescribed with the help of machines, muscle testing, and complex formulations (mixtures) made by Heel, Dr. Reckeweg, and UNDA).
- Improper long-term administration of single homeopathic remedies.
At best the symptoms thus ‘cured’
recur at some point in the future following such treatments (indicating a
healthy vital force), and at worst they are seemingly cured but at a
cost to overall long-term health — as I and other homeopaths routinely observe
in the clinic. In addition, the use of these treatments during homeopathic
treatment frequently slows down or completely stalls progress.
Such treatments may of course be
necessary in cases of immediate danger to life or great suffering (as a last
resort in intractable chronic situations): their availability is a blessing and
not at all to be derided. But given alternatives such as homeopathy,
suppressive forms of treatment should be avoided to the greatest possible
degree.
