What is homeopathy?
Homeopathy is an established system of healing which aims to cure diseases, provide relief from the symptoms of chronic illness while eliminating mental conditions that may be hampering the healing process.
In stark contrast to mainstream medicine it is a holistic discipline that treats the whole individual which includes considering all mental, emotional and physical stressors. Mainstream medicine tends to focus on singular disease states without wondering why they occurred in the first place.
What are the characteristic benefits of homeopathy?
● Safe to use – it may be used safely and effectively by a large section of the population in contrast to many prescribed pharmaceuticals that may compromise the ability to function
● Does not conflict with other treatments
● Inherently holistic – the individual is seen in his/her entirety and is treated as such. Being holistic there is a focus on understanding the underlying causes of any particular condition and does not merely treat a cluster of symptoms
● Misdiagnoses are not harmful – professionals are only human and mistakes can happen. Given the gentle nature of homeopathy these are inconsequential unlike mainstream medicine where such mistakes may be catastrophic
● Inexpensive – homeopathic remedies are extremely cost-effective in stark contrast to the cost of conventional medicines which is often dictated by the greed of pharmaceutical companies whose overriding concern is profit
● Non-invasive – homeopathy is a gentle therapy and inherently non-invasive therefore never restricting what you can or cannot do or restricting your mobility
● It is extremely effective – this applies no matter how severe the condition is and is irrespective of the age, gender or sensitivities of the individual
Homeopathy and conventional medicine – a direct comparison
Is the treatment holistic?
Conventional medicine – the treatment is clearly not holistic, focusing very much on the condition or disease itself and not the individual.
Homeopathy – very much holistic as it addresses the patients’ mental and psychological needs as well as their physical.
Which is more expensive?
Conventional medicine – can be exceedingly expensive, pharmaceutical costs being dictated by pharmaceutical companies.
Homeopathy – is a lot cheaper as remedies are entirely natural without expensive added chemicals and fillers. Additionally, the well-being of patients is the prime concern of homeopathic practitioners and not the motive of profit.
Management vs Cure
Conventional medicine – management of symptoms is a preoccupation of medical industry leading to the long-term use of specific pharmaceuticals to the detriment of the individual. But hey – great for profit!
Homeopathy – the intention of homeopathy is to find a cure for the patient’s condition as quickly as possible – there is no focus on long-term management.
Is the treatment symptomatic?
Conventional medicine – this modality treats symptoms rather than the disease and if clusters of symptoms are present it will treat these individually
Homeopathy – the focus is on identifying underlying causes
Severity of medicine side effects
Conventional medicine – given the often unpredictable nature of chemicals within pharmaceuticals, side effects can be surprising and may be severe
Homeopathy – as homeopathic medicines are greatly diluted giving a mixture of potency and gentleness, side effects are non-existent.
Do the medicines create dependence?
Conventional medicine – yes – many conventional pharmaceuticals create an increasing level of dependence which is, once again, great for profit!
Homeopathy – no – as the intention is to reach a cure quickly, patients are actively encouraged to cease using homeopathic medicines when they are symptom-free.
Are treatments natural?
Conventional medicine – no – pharmaceuticals are manufactured using harsh chemicals and synthetic fillers often leading to many negative and adverse reactions.
Homeopathy – yes – homeopathic medicines are made using natural ingredients, often using herbs and plants.