Tag Archives: Chronic Conditions

Why Homeopathy Isn’t a Quick Fix but a Lasting One

Posted on by under Natural Healing in Action

How does homeopathy work? I often have clients who are surprised when they do not experience immediate results when taking the remedy. They expect homeopathy to act like conventional medicine which fixes the symptoms, often temporarily. In homeopathy we are aiming to eliminate the symptoms as well as treating the root causes or triggers for those symptoms.

Homeopathy will improve your health, mentally, emotionally and physically but you have to understand that it isn’t always a quick fix. It takes time to reach the core of the disturbance to completely change your body or mind’s reactions to those triggers.

Let’s use the analogy of gardening. You wouldn’t expect your seed to grow overnight into a fully grown bush.

Similarly, your health needs regular and consistent care, and by using homeopathy to treat your ailments you are making a long-term investment in your health.

Homeopathy is a gentle mode of healing which aims not only to reduce your symptoms but also to eliminate the triggers that cause the relapses or re-occurrences of your condition.

Having patience with homeopathic treatment in chronic conditions pays off – this from one of my clients, who has several very longstanding conditions. Her main concern was that when she caught a cold, she would invariably end up with a chest infection, be on at least two different antibiotics and be ill for 3 weeks. After several months of regular homeopathic treatment, that winter her cold did not go down to her chest, and she had no need of antibiotics.

Another client, who understood the need for consistent treatment, had a monthly consultation for 8 months until her very irregular and very spaced out periods were in tune with a 28-30 day cycle. She continued to see me to resolve other longstanding emotional issues.

In conclusion, the longer and more severely you have been suffering from a condition, allow more time to completely resolve it with homeopathy. Homeopathy will effect change, layer by layer, just like peeling an onion, all the while aiming to reach the core of your ailment.

Do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions, or wish to book a consultation.

I leave you with this wonderful quote from the philosopher Thomas Carlyle;

He who has health has hope, and he who has hope has everything.

Homeopathy for Depression

Posted on by under Emotional & Mental Wellbeing

Are you feeling low, even depressed? Let homeopathy lift your mood.

Did you know ‘feeling blue’ is not just an expression – the image of a depressed person’s brain scan is mainly blue as shown below in the right image.

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What is depression?

Depression can be a temporary passing experience or a deeply disturbing condition that may lead to suicide. Experiencing severe despondency and dejection, accompanied by feelings of hopelessness and inadequacy, as well as a condition of mental disturbance, typically with lack of energy and difficulty in maintaining concentration or interest in life

Except in cases of minor depressive states, professional attention is generally recommended to help a person go through this emotional experience in a conscious manner.

Symptoms of Depression:

Psychiatrists classify cases as Depression if they have been continually depressed for a period of at least two years and in addition display any three of the following symptoms:

  • Low self-esteem or lack of confidence
  • Pessimism, hopelessness or despair
  • Lack of interest in ordinary pleasures and activities
  • Withdrawal from social activities
  • Fatigue or Lethargy
  • Guilt or ruminating about the past
  • Irritability or excessive anger
  • Lessened productivity
  • Difficulty concentrating or making decisions

Whatever the reasons for suffering, such as not recovering from grief or loss, chemical imbalances, post-natal depression or SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder), homeopathy can reduce the severity of the symptoms in conjunction with lifestyle and dietary changes.

Homeopaths, like modern-day physiologists, understand that symptoms of illness represent the body’s defences in its efforts to adapt to and respond against infection, environmental assault, or stress of some kind. As discomforting as symptoms can be, they still represent the living organism’s best efforts at the time to try to defend and heal him or herself. Such defences are an innate part of our evolutionary efforts to survive.

Why Homeopathy Makes Sense for Depression:

Homeopathic medicines are not prescribed based on the person’s diagnosed disease but on the unique way the person experiences his or her disease. In other words, homeopathic medicines are prescribed based on the totality of various physical and psychological symptoms, not just a single symptom or disease label. Although the selection of the correct homeopathic prescribing is more complex than the use of conventional drugs or even many herbal preparations, the system of prescribing that is individualized to the whole person is intellectually sound… and its results are often significant if not substantial.

Numerous studies have shown benefits in using the herb St. Johns’ wort to treat mild to moderate depression. However, homeopaths generally find that it is preferable to prescribe individualised homeopathic remedies to attain better long-term sustained results without having to take continual doses of any medicine. In fact, a recent study in a medical journal published by Oxford University Press found that individualized homeopathic treatment is as effective and is safer than Prozac in the treatment of people with moderate or severe depression. (Adler UC, Paiva NMP, Cesar AT, Adler MS, Molina A, Padula AE, Calil HM. Homeopathic individualized Q-potencies versus fluoxetine for moderate to severe depression: double-blind, randomized non-inferiority trial. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2009 Aug 17 ) http://ecam.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/full/nep114v1)

Testimonial:

“I am so thankful to Danielle and her homeopathic magic!  I was particularly skeptical about homeopathic remedies but after feeling particularly low and depressed for some time and at my wits end as to how to pull myself out of it I turned to Danielle to see if there is any way that she could help me.  Our first session was a tearful one but I was already feeling a little more optimistic after leaving her and waited patiently for my remedies.  It’s hard to pin point exactly when things began to improve but they certainly did and rapidly!  After our 3rd session I was feeling miles better and together we made the decision that I could try and stop taking the remedy and see if I could keep my mood and optimism high.  As much as it would have been lovely to see her regularly, there really was no need and I was back to my old self again.  For anyone that is skeptical like me I strongly advise just giving it a go as it could be the perfect natural solution.  I’ve heard of homeopathic remedies working for more physical symptoms such as hay fever but really wasn’t sure it could help with something such as depression but I was wrong!  Danielle is such a lovely lady and a wonderful homeopath to see especially if you are feeling very down.  Big thanks Danielle for getting me back smiling again! ;)” CC

A word or two of caution:

There are so many homeopathic med­icines that can be used to treat the numer­ous symptoms of depression and anxiety that it can be difficult to know where to start. It is important to make sure that your symptoms are not due to another illness such as an underactive thyroid or a stomach ulcer, so please talk to your GP first to make sure of the diagnosis before starting homeopathic treatment.

Cases of bipolar, manic-depression, risk of suicide or schizophrenia, require long-term counselling/therapy and psychiatric referral with homeopathy as an adjunctive therapy.

Disclaimer:

As a homeopath I do not diagnose, treat or prescribe for any particular symptom, disease or condition. Instead, I work on increasing the general vitality and constitutional strength of those who seek my advice. I am a professional homeopath and not a medical doctor, and therefore those who work with me must retain the services of a primary care physician for appropriate evaluations and check-ups for themselves and/or their children.

Irritable Bowel Syndrome and Homeopathy

Posted on by under Natural Healing in Action

abdominal pain IBSIt’s ‘only’ IBS, ‘your tests are normal – can be your doctor’s response in finding out what is causing your ‘tummy aches’. As if the tummy aches, constipation and/or diarrhoea weren’t annoying enough. Although it is reassuring to find out that you do not have stomach ulcers, diverticulitis, or colon cancer.

However, Irritable Bowel Syndrome is not managed well or holistically with conventional treatment as it focusses on 1 symptom at a time. (Antispasmodics, anti-acids, dietary exclusion diet)

IBS is a cluster of symptoms; the triggers could be stress, after-effects of a stomach bug, food intolerance or a sudden change of diet.

‘Gut reactions’ are real; the bowel reacts to emotional states of anger or anxiety. These more likely affect people who find it difficult to express or share feelings, thus expressing mental distress through physical symptoms.

Other possible causes of IBS symptoms are food sensitivities (not allergy which occurs very swiftly and intensely after ingesting a small quantity of the allergen), consequences of antibiotic usage that has caused abnormal fermentation in the colon and candida.

It is a fairly common condition that can occur at any age, affecting as much as 20% of the population, with more sufferers in the 20-40 age group and more females than males affected.

It is essential to treat IBS by prescribing on the totality of the patient’s symptoms, including the emotional and mental as well as any other physical symptoms besides the bowel ones.

Some common symptoms of IBS;

  • Abdominal pain associated with defecation.
  • Irregular pattern of defecation for at least two days a week.
  • Three or more of the following: alteration in stool frequency, in form, change in straining or urgency, sense of incomplete evacuation, bloating or abdominal distension, mucous in the stools.

WARNING: Do not ignore the symptoms below; they need investigation:

  • Change in bowel habit.
  • Passing blood via the rectum.
  • Weight loss.
  • Constant abdominal pain.

Homeopathy can treat the root cause of Irritable Bowel Syndrome, resulting in gentle and permanent relief from painful and stressful symptoms.

Homeopathy for the Elderly

Posted on by under Skin & Body Health

I was recently invited to give a talk on homeopathy to a spritely group of elderly people, ranging in age from late 70’s to a very proud 98!  Whilst preparing for the talk, I considered that thanks to better healthcare and living conditions, more and more people are living well past the age of retirement. Many so-called elderly are fairly healthy and lead an active life.This longevity raises the issue of quality of life. We tend to take our health for granted until we don’t have it.Old couple

Many conditions of old age are chronic, due to degeneration of bodily functions and tissues, resulting in a natural slowing down. However, we can enjoy good health at all stages of life, by sticking to a sensible diet, regular exercise and mental stimulation.
Characteristic conditions or illnesses in the over 60’s cause life to flow less smoothly. Symptoms can be alleviated with homeopathy, correctly prescribed by a qualified homeopathic practitioner.
On the physical level, the pain and swelling of arthritic joints can be a barrier to fully enjoying life.

Some of the homeopathic remedies one could could recommend, when a person’s individual symptoms fit, are:
BRYONIA: every movement is painful, though wanting to move, so the person needing Bryonia will try to keep very still, even hold the affected part to gain some relief.

PULSATILLA: here gentle continued movement relieves the pain which is constantly changing from one area of the body to another.

RHUS TOX: is very restless, however the first movement of the affected joint is very painful as it has stiffened up with rest. The pain reduces with continued movement. Rhus Tox is adversely affected by cold and damp.
Elderly couplePlease note that homeopathic medicines cannot stop the wear and tear of the joints, however, by stimulating the body’s natural process of healing, they can ameliorate much of the stiffness and pain.
A second physical issue that prevents you from enjoying life is constipation. Not the most agreeable subject, but the person suffering with chronic constipation feels uncomfortable, to say the least. Constipation means either an inability to open your bowels every day or when doing so, experiencing pain. Drinking enough liquids and incorporating daily exercise (as in going for a short walk) are extremely helpful.

CALCAREA CARBONICA: is commonly recommended as it proves to be quite useful in chronic constipation, most typically by those who are not bothered by it. Further indications are being chilly, usually overweight and doing everything slowly.

SILICA: strain hard to pass a stool, have rectal pain (perhaps and anal fissure). Indicated when there is a deficient metabolism with a tendency for slow healing of cuts, scratches and infections.

ALUMINA: has constipation with anxiety and ineffectual urging. Cannot pass stool or urine if others are within hearing distance.
Isolation: pain and stiffness in one’s joints or having to go frequently to the loo can create a significant impact on one’s life, making it more difficult to leave the house and so becoming isolated and withdrawn. This can then lead to depression which then compounds the cut-off feeling.
A number of remedies might help relieve, as by stimulating a person’s healing system they then cope better with their circumstances.

PULSATILLA: The Pulsatilla-type will feel weepy, abandoned. They long for company and feel better for sympathy.

MAGNESIUM CARBONICUM: can possibly help when the person is feeling very isolated, sensitive to cruelty, sad stories and especially violence on TV. They also complain that their pains are unbearable and can have short flare ups of anger.
Moon elderlySleep problems: as we age, many of us find that sleep is not as good as it used to be. We actually need fewer hours of sleep at night and develop a pattern of catnapping during the day.
COFFEA CRUDA: is recommended for insomnia where the problem is an overactive mind. A continuous flow of thoughts prevents the person from falling asleep.

PASSIFLORA: is particularly good for sleeplessness in someone who is weak but without any other significant problems.

CUPRUM METALLICUM: if waking up because of night cramps, a dose of Cuprum before bedtime can ease.
Obviously, if it is pain that is preventing sleep, then the cause must be addressed directly.

In the later years of life, there can also be prostate problems for men, effects of grief and loss, memory problems and dementia, but they will be addressed in a later blog.

There are positives to growing older, it’s not all about suffering and loss. At all stages of life good health, whether mental or physical, can help us grow.
Homeopathy focusses on improving ones health, it recognises that we are all different and each have our own unique way of coping.
A well chosen homeopathic remedy can help to promote health at any age.