Philosophy
1. What is homeopathy?
2. Who discovered homeopathy, and when?
3. What is classical homeopathy?
4. How does homeopathy work?
Remedies
5. What are homeopathic remedies made of?
6. What’s the difference between homeopathic remedies and herbs?
7. How do you obtain the energy from the original substance?
8. Doesn’t the remedy get weaker with each dilution?
9. What do remedies look like and how many are there?
10. Are homeopathic remedies safe?
11. Can remedies be taken together with other medicines?
Practice
12. What can homeopathy treat?
13. What happens during a homeopathic consultation?
14. How long will treatment take?
15. Do remedies have to be taken lifelong?
16. What can you expect after taking a remedy?
17. Why do healing symptoms and old symptoms appear?
18. How often do you need to see the homeopath?
19. Can you use other therapies at the same time?
20. Who can benefit from homeopathic treatment?
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Philosophy
1. What is Homeopathy?
The word comes from the Greek ‘homois’ which means like or similar, and ‘pathos’ which means feeling or suffering.
___It is a holistic system of medicine which treats by the Law of Similars - like cures like, ie, a substance which can produce symptoms can also cure similar symptoms. For example: a bee sting causes bright red swelling and smarting better from cold applications. Hence, Apis, the homeopathic remedy made from the bee, is used to treat any skin condition that has bright red swelling and smarting better from cold applications.
___Homeopathy is based on universal and natural principles such as the Law of Similars which remain unchanged with time. It is recognised by the World Health Organisation as a therapeutic science.
2. Who discovered homeopathy, and when?
It was discovered by a German doctor and chemist, Samuel Hahnemann (1755-1843) when he tested cinchona bark (from which quinine is derived) on himself.
___After taking cinchona, Hahnemann developed symptoms of malaria. When he stopped taking it, the symptoms went away. He hypothesised that a substance that can produce symptoms can also cure similar symptoms (like cures like).
___Hahnemann continued to test about one hundred substances and his hypothesis was verified in every case. In 1810, he published the philosophy and principles of homeopathy in the Organon of the Medical Art.
3. What is classical homeopathy?
Classical means traditional, authoritative. Classical homeopathy refers to homeopathy that is practised according to the principles laid down by the founder, Samuel Hahnemann. This essentially means prescribing only one remedy at a time for the whole patient, as opposed to symptomatic prescribing, ie, a different remedy for each symptom.
| In homeopathy – the only true and simple, the only natural medical art – it is absolutely prohibited to administer to the patient, at one time, two different medicinal substances. |
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§273 Organon
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4. How does homeopathy work?
Homeopathy is based on a completely different paradigm from conventional western medicine (allopathy). It is based on the laws of quantum physics whereas allopathy is based on the laws of chemistry. In allopathy, the body is made up of discrete, unrelated physical parts. In homeopathy, the body is made up of interrelated, dynamic parts governed by an invisible life force; the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.
___Disease is not something separate from the living whole but a morbid mistunement of the life force, expressed via symptoms. Symptoms can be mental, emotional or physical. However, they are not the disease, only manifestations of the mistuned life force. Hence, mere removal of symptoms only leads to suppression as the life force remains mistuned. Since disease is dynamic, the remedy should also be dynamic so that it can act directly on it. The remedy creates a stronger, similar, artificial disease which impinges on the natural disease and annihilates it. Health is thus restored.
Remedies
5. What are homeopathic remedies made of?
Homeopathic medicines are called remedies to distinguish them from other types of medicines. They are made from animal, vegetable and mineral substances. The majority, though, are from plants.
___Examples of remedies:
______animal - Formica (ants), Sepia (ink of cuttlefish);
______vegetable - Bryonia (wild hops), Pulsatilla (windflower);
______mineral - Aurum (gold), Natrum muriaticum (salt).
6. What’s the difference between homeopathic remedies and herbs?
Homeopathic remedies are potentised, ie, only the energy of the original substance is in the remedy. They are subtle medicines, effecting dynamic, energetic changes in both mind and body, whereas herbs are crude (material) medicines which work on the biochemical level.
7. How do you obtain the energy from the original substance?
Homeopathic remedies are prepared in homeopathic pharmacies by a process called potentisation: one part of the original substance is diluted with 9 or 99 parts alcohol and succussed (shaken) to obtain the first decimal (1x) or centesimal (1c) potency.
___One part of 1x/1c is again diluted with 9/99 parts alcohol and succussed to obtain 2x/2c. This process is continued many times to obtain high potencies like 30c, 200c, 1000c and so on. In this way, the original crude substance is transformed into subtle, healing energy.
8. Doesn’t the remedy get weaker with each dilution?
Above 12c, no trace of the original substance can be found. This is known as Avogadro’s law in chemistry. However, the remedy gets increasingly powerful with each potency because of the succussion which increases the forcefields of the subatomic particles in the solution.
9. What do remedies look like and how many are there?
They all look the same! They come in two forms: liquid – preserved in alcohol, and solid – preserved in small, round sugar pills.
___The homeopathic pharmacopoeia contains more than 2000 remedies and the list is still expanding. About 500 remedies are in common use.
10. Are homeopathic remedies safe?
Absolutely. Remedies above 12c are only energy; no material medicinal substance is present. Hence, there is no danger of toxicity or allergy, unlike herbs, drugs or nutritional supplements. Remedies are also non-addictive and without side effects. They can safely be taken by all, including newborns, children, pregnant women and the elderly.
___In the 200 years since homeopathy was discovered, not a single remedy has been recalled from use.
11. Can remedies be taken together with other medicines?
Yes, there are no contraindications. However, certain drugs and substances like camphor, aromatic oils and coffee may antidote remedies and are best avoided during homeopathic treatment.
Practice
12. What can homeopathy treat?
Homeopathy treats the whole individual. Hence, almost any type of ailment can be treated. Examples:
___Physical conditions - injuries, acute problems like allergies, cystitis, infectious diseases like cholera, typhoid, and chronic diseases like eczema, gout, hormonal imbalances.
___Emotional conditions - anger, grief, guilt, post-traumatic stress disorder, shock.
___Mental conditions - anxiety, behavioural and dependency problems, delusions, fears, low self-esteem, nightmares.
___Female conditions - fertility issues, menstrual and menopausal problems, pregnancy and postpartum problems.
___Paediatric conditions - arrested and delayed development, behavioural problems, childhood diseases, fears, vaccine damage, worms.
13. What happens during a homeopathic consultation?
Homeopathy treats the person, not the disease. Hence, simply telling the homeopath, “I have eczema”, for example, is not enough. The homeopath needs to know your medical history, your life situation around the time the illness developed, the cause, if any, what makes the condition better or worse, your sleeping habits, food desires and aversions, how you react to weather changes and stress, your likes and dislikes, habits, fears and any issues that bother you.
___This information is gathered during the initial consultation, which lasts about 1½ hours. Subsequent consultations are shorter, about 20-30 minutes, unless there has been a long interval since the last vist.
___After obtaining the information, the homeopath analyses the case and selects a single remedy that fits the whole patient, not just the disease.
14. How long will treatment take?
Homeopathy is not a quickfix. It does not suppress symptoms but goes to the root of the problem. Being energy medicine, it bypasses the digestive system and works almost instantly in acute ailments. Chronic ailments do not develop overnight and, naturally, cannot vanish overnight. Under homeopathic treatment, the chronically ill patient is gradually restored to health. How long treatment is required varies – from weeks to years - depending on the patient’s medical history and constitution.
15. Do remedies have to be taken lifelong?
Most patients with chronic conditions do not have to take remedies for the rest of their lives unless the patient is incurable, in which case palliative treatment will be undertaken. Generally, once the patient is stable, it is not necessary to continue taking remedies in order to remain well. Naturally, no one remains well indefinitely; a new condition may arise from new stresses and a remedy may be required then.
16. What can you expect after taking a remedy?
You should feel better in some way soon after a remedy. As you improve, apart from the disappearance of symptoms, you will also have a greater sense of self and well-being: you feel happier, more energetic, focused and creative. At the end of the treatment, you will have a stronger constitution, eg, if you are a chilly person, you will feel much less sensitive to cold or even not at all. And, depending on the case, there may also be positive changes at the genetic level.
___Initially, some people may experience the following ‘healing symptoms’ after a remedy, but they go away naturally without any treatment, usually after one or several days.
______a) fever – the healing process has begun and is accelerated, hence
______heat is produced from the increased metabolic rate;
______b) drowsiness – your body is using a lot of energy for healing, so just listen
______to your body and rest;
______c) discharges - diarrhoea, vomiting, a runny nose, skin eruptions –
______these are toxins which have to be expelled;
______d) one or more of your old symptoms return.
___In all these cases, do not do anything to get rid of the symptoms as you will be interrupting the healing process and suppressing your illness. You should rest as much as you can, drink more water and take a simple, meat-free diet. You may also take vitamin C. If certain symptoms persist, this may indicate that a new remedy is required.
17. Why do healing symptoms and old symptoms appear?
Healing symptoms do not appear in every case, only when the body deems it necessary. Old symptoms appear because they were not properly treated in the past, ie, suppressed. Homeopathy works with the laws of Nature. In Nature, healing is a process, not a state. This process was observed by Hahnemann and later became known as Hering’s Law, named after a great homeopath, Constantine Hering.
___According to Hering’s Law, healing takes place from inside out, from top down, from the more important to less important organs, and in the reverse order of appearance. Hence, if you really wish to root out your problems, you’ll have to abide by the laws of Nature. There are no shortcuts or quickfixes.
18. How often do you need to see the homeopath?
Generally, once every 4-8 weeks. Acute or advanced illnesses will require more frequent visits.
19. Can you use other therapies at the same time?
Certain therapies like acupuncture, aromatherapy and magnet therapy (eg magnetised water) are contraindicated as they may interfere with homeopathic treatment. Apart from these, you may continue with existing treatments. Generally, it is not recommended that you start another therapy at the same time as homeopathy as it will be difficult to assess the action of the remedy.
20. Who can benefit from homeopathic treatment?
Today, homeopathy has spread to almost every country in the world. It is currently the leading alternative medicine in Europe. Its popularity is growing as people seek safer and more effective forms of healthcare.
___Below is a list of several historical figures who have used homeopathy for various conditions:
______Ludwig van Beethoven - colitis
______Benjamin Disraeli - asthma and gout
______Harold Griffith, MD - diphtheria
______Washington Irving - asthma and chronic headaches
______General George B. McClellan - typhoid
______George Bernard Shaw - hydrocele
______Alfred Tennyson - petit mal seizures and a nervous breakdown
______Richard Wagner - typhoid
___Everyone can benefit from homeopathic treatment as perfect health does not exist. Indeed, as the pace and complexity of life increase, more diseases will surface unless we take steps to maintain parallelism between our inner and outer lives. Homeopathy, with its power to act profoundly on all levels, can help each of us find this equipoise.
___Aude sapere. (Dare to know, Hahnemann)
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Information on this site is for eductional purposes only. It is not intended for purposes of self-diagnosis, self-treatment or replacing the services of a health professional.
© 2007-2010 Chua Ching Yee, Classical Homeopathy Centre