By Deborah D.

Every time I read in the paper that there’s no
cure for the common cold, or how terrible the flu season is going to
be, I feel sad – for it feels like I have a secret, a secret I wish
everyone knew.

There are cures for all these illnesses and more!

Homeopathy is an entirely different form of medicine that can cure a cold and does stop the flu dead in its tracks. span  Homeopathy can cure serious illnesses and chronic conditions.span  As
a mother who has chosen homeopathy for our family’s health care, I feel
fully empowered and equipped to handle the normal (and not so normal)
childhood illnesses and accidents that might come our way.span  And I feel terribly sad and frustrated because I wish more parents knew more about it.span 

span 

Why not more folks?

I have often wondered why more folks don’t use homeopathy.span   There are several reasons, from my point of view.span 

One is that remedies are not patentable and are
therefore inexpensive, therefore there is no financial incentive to
promote them.span  Another is that homeopathy requires an expansive view of the world and the acceptance of the energetic nature of things.span  Homeopathy
is in direct conflict with the Western medical model and it takes
courage to figure out how to integrate homeopathy into other medical
practices.span  Finally, homeopathy takes time to learn and apply.span  Sometimes it is quite easy to identify a remedy, sometimes it is more complicated.span  But the results are impressive and worth the effort.span 

Homeopathy is so important because the body heals itself with no side effects

To me, the benefits of homeopathy over allopathic medicine are several:

it works – we get quick relief from acute illnesses and we see long-term improvement in chronic conditions.span 

There is no rebound effect.span  When I would use a nasal decongestant, I got worse when I stopped.span  That
doesn’t happen with homeopathy – because homeopathy works with the
principle "like cures like", and it stimulates the body to address the
symptoms itself rather than have a drug address them.span 

There are no side effects.span  Sometimes a symptom will get worse before it gets better, but that’s part of the healing process.span  Now,
it is important to use the right remedy and the right dosing schedule
as new symptoms can develop from taking the wrong remedy for an
extended period of time.span  But generally, if the wrong remedy is taken a few times, there is no effect.span 

Homeopathy helps the body get stronger over time.span   I believe that allopathic medicine weakens the body over time.span

No guilt, no guarantees

As I was writing this article, I read about a young child who died from the flu.span  I realized that there are no guarantees in life.span  I
also know that homeopathy had much better success rates with the
Spanish flu in the 1800’s than allopathic medicine (see Note 1).span  I would never want any parents to feel guilty for what they did or did not do for their children.span  And I realize that people still get sick and die – but I do believe there are more choices than we know. span If homeopathy doesn’t fit into your life right now, that’s fine.span  We all have our life paths.span  All I ask is that we are kind to ourselves as parents and continue learning.

Five years ago, I knew nothing about homeopathy

In the past five years, I have moved from knowing nothing about homeopathy to using homeopathy for all our medical needs.span  I treat our family for acute illnesses and when I need help, I call my homeopath.span  I first started using homeopathy to treat my morning sickness under the guidance of a professional homeopath.span  I wanted to use it because I didn’t want to use any drugs during pregnancy.span  Then my son started showing signs of allergy-driven behavior problems.span  While
addressing his issues, I found other mothers who had treated their
children using homeopathy with wonderful, long-term changes.

Finally, I read two books that
resulted in my embracing homeopathy, with hope for a cure for my son
and the decision to reject allopathic medicine as a regular form of
medicine.span  (In certain emergency situations, I know that allopathic medicine might be the right choice.span  But I also know that in many cases, homeopathy is just as effective – if the right remedies are available and chosen.)

What is homeopathy?

Homeopathy is a form of medicine based on several principles. One is that "Like Cures Like".span  Professional
homeopaths will probably object to this example, but if you remember
ever having a hangover, often having a small drink the next moring
would help move the hangover on. span 

Homeopathic remedies are made from a
wide variety of substances that are diluted and succussed according to
very specific guidelines.span  Each remedy has a set of symptoms that it will cure.span  There are thousands of remedies.span  For exposure to poison ivy, one remedy that is often used is made from poison ivy.span  (Like cures like ...)span  However, there are also other remedies used to treat poison ivy.span  It all depends on the particular symptoms that the person is showing.span  I don’t have the space here to explain it further.span  The
main thing to know is that there are no side effects, homeopathy uses
the body’s own vital force to heal itself, and a remedy is like a
signal to the body telling it how to heal itself.span  Also, homeopathy is not herbs; it is a specific way of looking at illness and cure.span  

See http://www.homeopathic.org/whatis.htm for a nice introduction.

Two ways to get started with homeopathy

1)span  Read.span  Buy a home remedy kit.span  And start treating minor illnesses at home yourself.span 

or

2)span  Find a professional homeopath and start treatment to improve your overall health and to address any chronic conditions.

To treat acute conditions yourself, you need a good book and access to remedies

Acute conditions, defined as conditions that are
typically short-lasting such as colds, injuries, ear infections,
stomach bugs, etc., are an excellent place to begin learning about and
applying homeopathy at home.span  The top three books I use are:

Homeopathic Self-Care : The Quick & Easy Guide for the Whole Family

by Robert Ullman, Judyth Reichenberg-Ullman

Homeopathic Medicine for Children and Infants by Dana Ullman

 My favorite online sources for remedy kits
 

homeopathycures@tesco.net