Homeopathy is a system that attempts
to stimulate the body to heal itself.
All symptoms, no matter how uncomfortable they are, represent the
body's attempt to restore itself to health. So instead of trying
to dry up the runny nose from a cold with antihistamines, a homeopath
would use a remedy that will stimulate the body to move in the direction
it is already going, and, in the process, clear the runny nose!
It is a system that looks at individuals and not at diseases.
Each of us suffers a cold in his or her unique way. Yet conventional
medicine makes the assumption that all colds are alike and offers
a common series of drugs; something to dry the nose, something to
bring down the fever, something to suppress the cough, something
to ease the headache.
Homeopathy, on the other hand, looks for substances that will address
the individual case. The person with a beginning cold, characterized
by slow onset, aching, loss of appetite, chills, and a desire to
be left alone will need a different remedy than the person whose
cold comes on a bit quicker and is characterized by intense sneezing,
a runny nose that burns the upper lip, a desire for hot drinks, a
bone chilling coldness, and a desire not to be left alone. We characterize
both as colds, but they are expressed differently, and, therefore,
are in need of different homeopathic remedies.
How does the concept of homeopathy differ from that of conventional
medicine?
Very simply, homeopathy attempts to stimulate the body to recover
itself.
In conventional medical thought, health is seen simply as the absence
of disease. You assume that you are healthy if there is nothing wrong
with you.
To a person versed in homeopathy, health is much more than that.
A healthy person is a person who is free on all levels: physical,
emotional, and mental. Obviously, a person with a broken leg is not
free, on the physical level, to move around. But on a more subtle
level, a person who cannot eat certain foods or is allergic to certain
materials is also experiencing a lack of freedom. It is a good emotional
release to cry at a "tear jerker" movie, but someone who
continues to cry for several weeks afterwards is experiencing a lack
of freedom on the emotional level. Likewise, a person who cannot
absorb what he has read or cannot remember day to day appointments
is experiencing a restriction on the mental level.
The homeopath recognizes such limitations and attempts, through
the use of the properly selected remedies, to restore the person
to health and freedom.
An important basic difference exists between conventional medical
therapy and homeopathy.
In conventional therapy, the aim often is to control the illness
through regular use of medical substances, even if the medication
is nothing more than vitamins. If the medication is withdrawn, however,
the person returns to illness. There has been no cure. A person who
takes a pill for high blood pressure every day is not undergoing
a cure but is only controlling the symptoms.
Homeopathy's aim is the cure:
"The
complete restoration of perfect health." |