Homeopathy Q+A: On treating chronic conditions

I thought I'd do a little homeopathy Q & A to address some common questions that I get.

Can I use homeopathy to self-treat my chronic condition at home?

I mean, you CAN. You CAN do all sorts of things. But if you're really looking to get the best results, why not work with a trained homeopath who knows what they're doing? I mean, you wouldn't self-treat using acupuncture, right? Why is homeopathy any different?

But what about all the remedies at the natural foods store? And the books telling me how to use them? I thought homeopathy was meant to be used at home?

So here's where we need to make the distinction between what someone with little to no training can safely treat at home, vs. what is out of their element.

This distinction is between self-limiting conditions (things that come on quickly and leave quickly, such as injuries, colds, first-aid type of stuff, flus, etc, and more chronic issues.

And even then, there are nuances. Not all acute conditions are treatable with homeopathy. Some things need to be deferred out to the ER!

Understanding what can and cannot safely be treated at home using homeopathy is crucial. If you have chronic issues going on, DIY is not the way to go.

But what about that person on the internet who has all of those homeopathic treatment protocols for treating chronic conditions at home?

So here's the straight-talk on that. The halls of my practice, as well as many of my colleagues, are lined with people who have tried these DIY approaches and didn't get the results they desired. In fact, many of them became worse for the wear.

Look, I get how seductive it is to hear about possibilities for treating yourself. 

Here in the US, many of us have such a lack of trust in our medical practitioners, on top of a mistrust of "alternative" practitioners. We're a country that values rugged individualism. We have a culture of mistrust of authority. I know this. I've lived this. I get it 100%. 

AND, I'm here to tell you that I was able to make so much more healing headway once I was able to get over myself, cultivate some humility, and find people that I could trust to work with.

You can absolutely cause harm with trying to treat yourself if you don't know what you are doing. And even if you DO know what you're doing, you'll get much better results if you defer to someone else.

But I thought you couldn't screw up with homeopathy? Aren't the remedies supposed to be safe and nontoxic?

Okay. This is the biggest myth that I want to dispel. 

So many people, myself included, get fed this line that you can't go wrong with remedies, that there are zero consequences to taking the "wrong" remedy. 

The truth is, if remedies are powerful enough to heal you, why wouldn't they be equally powerful enough to cause harm? 

There is absolutely the potential for making things worse from misuse. No, homeopathic remedies won't kill you, and sure, a healthy person might have less of a risk of serious consequences from a one-time misstep. But if you've got chronic things going on, it's really not worth it to play around with them.

Homeopathy is a paradigm shift from Western Medicine. It operates by a completely different mechanism from conventional drugs, herbal remedies, or supplements. Understanding how to use homeopathy is crucial. If you don't, you're just playing with fire.

Homeopaths are trained in how to use remedies safely. For chronic conditions, you need to work with someone who can take a thorough health history, understand your sensitivity level and not give you more than you can handle, and who can evaluate any reactions.

What are your questions about homeopathy? Reach out, and I will do my best to answer them!