by Dr. Judyth Reichenberg-Ullman and Dr. Robert Ullman
Which Natural Therapy to Choose?
When we first dipped our toes into the stream of natural medicine and homeopathy some thirty-plus years ago, options were relatively few. A manageable number of flagstone books had been written on the subject of natural healing and diet. Little formal training was available. Naturopathic medicine, as well as homeopathy, were relatively unfamiliar terms to most people. In fact, when we told folks we were naturopathic doctors in the 80s, they invariably queried, “What is that?” Now natural medicine is a household term, big business, and in great demand worldwide. With so many different options, how do you know which approach to choose?
Admittedly we have a bias towards homeopathy since we’ve seen great success for over 30 years both personally and with our patients. Constitutional homeopathy is an investment in time, money, hope, and trust. We most enjoy helping patients and families who stay with us over time so we can witness the long-term transformation that is possible. Here are some questions to ask yourself in order to assess whether homeopathy is the best match for you.
1. Am I Looking for a Whole-Person Approach to Healing?
Many therapies claim to be holistic and to take the whole of you into account. Yet, they diagnose and make recommendations based on each organ or problem rather than assessing you as one single organism. You can be sure that your homeopath will endeavor to understand all of you.
2. What is My Reaction to Reading About Homeopathy?
The first time each of us read about the philosophy and practice of homeopathy, it was simply rang true. We were on board! We wrote our first book, The Patient’s Guide to Homeopathic Medicine: How to Make the Most of Your Treatment and Care many years ago. It contains information from our monthly free gatherings with new patients and others who were interested or just curious about homeopathy. In our experience, you will know, from reading our book, or another introduction to homeopathy, if it is your cup of tea.
3. Do I Like the Idea of Taking One Medicine for All of Me?
If the remarkable and elegant idea that one medicine can help all of you makes sense, then homeopathy is your best bet. Analyzing a patient’s case using homeopathy is much like s puzzle expert deftly assembling a multi-pieced jigsaw puzzle. Once the entire puzzle is assembled and the image becomes clear, it is recognizable to a skilled homeopath. Although Mt. Rainier, Mt. Everest, and Mt. Kilmanjaro each possess common mountain-like features, each is unique. The same is true with each person. This makes selecting one medicine out of more than three thousand five hundred substances (and more to come) from nature made into homeopathic medicines exciting, challenging, and miraculous! If you are more comfortable consulting a specialist for each of your different health concerns, this one-remedy-for-everything idea may not make sense to you.
4. I Love Machines to Diagnose Me
Classical homeopathy, which means prescribing a single homeopathic medicine for the whole person, engages the patient in an in-depth interview that we call case taking. Many of us prefer to call the process case receiving. Homeopathy is a medical science and an art. You will be trusting your care to a competent, experienced homeopathic practitioner rather than a machine.
5. Do I Like the Idea of Addressing the Mental and Emotional Imbalance at the Same Time as the Physical?
You may be quite surprised at the level of depth, psychological probing, and thoroughness of the initial homeopathic visit. A typical initial visit lasts 90 minutes to two hours. At the conclusion of the interview, they may express amazement that the process revealed one thread that tied everything together in their health and life. If, on the other hand, you are looking for a therapy that only addresses your physical complaints and if you find it objectionable to talk about yourself more deeply, homeopathy may not be for you.
6. Has Homeopathy Helped Me in the Past?
If homeopathy has helped you previously, either with acute or chronic problems, the chances are high that you are a good candidate for repeating your success. If you found the experience worthwhile but your homeopath could not find a medicine that helped you profoundly over time, it may be that you just need another opinion.
7. Do I Have Staying Power or Do I Prefer to Try a Different Approach to Healing Every Few Months?
There is a misconception that it takes a long time to heal with homeopathy. This is simply not true. However, the greatest transformations with homeopathy unfold over months or years, even though you may see dramatic improvements within weeks or months. So, if you are the type of person who loves to try the many new natural approaches that arise, you may not have the temperament for homeopathy. Homeopathy requires patience on the part of the homeopath and the patient.
8. Am I Highly Sensitive? Do I Have Strong Reactions to Medicines, Even Herbs?
If you are highly reactive to just about anything—drugs, herbs, foods—then homeopathy may be wonderful for you. There is no type of medicine that is more safe and gentle, with fewer side effects, than homeopathy. There are certain homeopathic remedies that come to mind for patient with a high degree of sensitivity. Be sure to mention this to your homeopath during your initial case taking. Even though homeopathic medicines are diluted and gentle, there are certain potencies that can be used as well.
9. Do I Dislike Taking Pills Frequently?
Homeopathy is perfect for people who don’t like to swallow pills or to have to remember a complicated medical regimen. Many of our patients take high potency, single-dose homeopathic remedies that last for months.
10. Have Other Family Members or Friends Received Significant Benefit from Homeopathy?
We find that if we have been able to help a number of patients from a particular family or community, we can likely help you as well. So, if someone you highly respect or trust gives you a recommendation for a homeopath, that’s likely a very good indicator that you, too, can be helped.
Healing Comes in Many Forms
The most important thing is that you are happy, healthy and whole, no matter which healing modality you choose. Become informed, trust your intuition, and stick with the process!
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