Homeopathy is different from allopathy in that the major EMPHASIS IS ON PATIENT’S VITALITY AND HEALTH..Many homeopaths fail to understand this and concern themselves only with “removal of symptoms”..
This attitude results in a wrong disease centred approach. Which is not truly homeopathic.
In homeopathy the approach is not-“ what is the disease?” but the centre of attention is the diseased individual- that is-“who is the diseased individual?”
Why is this so? Because the goal in homeopathy, is the enhanced well being of the whole person , of the inner organism.for this we have to study the the person involved as he is ……his individual peculiarities….his individuality…..and thus know him as an individual.
To repeat in the short period of the interview the homeopath should be able to relate to the patient and not merely “shake hands with him” but “fall into him” and see the world from “his shoes”.
Now don’t mistake me . this doesn’t mean you have to be a psychologist. And try to do psychoanalysis or give , imaginative analysis of his personality,etc. instead observe objectively the whole person , his manner and tone of speech, his expression,
His emphasis and what he is most concerned or bothered about.
In homeopathy we are not into psychological analysis but what we mean when we say “know the individual” is know what are his “characteristic symptoms”.in other words what is it that characterizes this person…. In yet other words what is it about this person that as a homeopath you cannot afford to forget.
These characteristic symptoms maybe physical, emotional or mental or a combination.
For eg recently there was a patient what was characteristic about him?
The following
· His speech was hasty and slurred and incoherent.
· He had palpitations from 4 oclock onwards to late in the night associated with a sense of panic.
· When falling asleep he got breathless and had to rub some vicks on his chest to go to sleep.
· He is a very warm person
Well you see . these are now, “homeopathic facts” about him that you cannot afford to ignore.
These characteristic symptoms of his are determinative symptoms when they lead us to his remedy-lachesis.here comes our understanding of remedies.
His chief complaint was palpitation and panic on a daily basis but the medicine was not selected on that basis alone.but more on the other general features about him.
Yet another person .. she is a technician in our lab, she is often unhappy and complaining and doesn’t like to be told to do specific tasks , she had pain in her legs/feet while walking… on close observation what is it about her that you cannot afford to ignore.
· The job and continuous activity(occupation) seems very important for her.
· She moves very quickly at work.
· Likes to avoid real work and merely tinker around
· She has no sympathy with patients and is rude and rough sometimes.
· Her contour shows narrow hips .
· she crosses both her legs on the chair often.
She did well with sepia 200 .
Her chief complaint was the persistent leg pain but the medicine selected had little to do with her leg pain and more to do about her generally as a person.
and later she got her sister who also turned out to be a sepia patient Her sister had become very abusive of her children and lost completely all interest in sex. .(her sister suffered from hypothyroidism).
You see that the pathological changes are ultimately effects of a deranged internal management. Which is set right by the personal similimum.
Now let us ask a general question ..how do you know an individual?
The answer is different for different individuals, and different situations .
See the different ways this question maybe answered….
· Really to know a person you have to ask his close friends,colleaguesand family members,
· You may have to go to his home or room and spend time with him.
· He maybe a simple villager who has no qualms about sharing all his intimate details freely
· Sometimes all that is there maybe his peculiar physical symptoms.
· Sometimes he maybe a very highly educated intellectual who will tell you all sorts of imaginative things that are not true.you have to be shrewd
Once I had a case of chikungunya (intermittent fever) and the patient who had been reading some books on modern homeopathy tried his very best to “detect” and “ extract his own mental symptoms”, which was actually only confusing the picture.
Medicine selected on the basis of his physical features relieved him of the acute illness.so you have to be observant
· Sometimes all there is to a case maybe a peculiar physical symptom like restlessly turning from side to side due to a distressing pain, a famous homeopath called Lippe prescribed just on that basis to relieve his patient of death agony.
Do you begin to see the variety of information that a homeopath can use effectively.
You see a homeopath’s effectiveness depends on the information he gets about the person.
Sometimes there is very little information or very vague information,
So you have to be very observant, very shrewd and also very meticulous
Also a homeopath should be patient …often there is nothing to do but wait don’t jump in and try to manufacture imaginary symptoms just to earn a fast buck or become more popular.
Do you think you can do that?.....show restraint and patience?....Am sure you can…. if you have a little genuine concern for a suffering human being whom you really want to help.
But you also have to work hard and study the materia medica and the repertory and also be conversant in allopathic terms and usages so that you may help your patient more carefully and convincingly.
This is not a light and frivolous matter but an important matter especially for the patient who comes to meet you, because the selection of the suitable remedy and the timing and the restraint that you show when necessary determines the total health and happiness possible for the patient.
Let me tell you another story , about my colleague. I observed that he never used to take his breakfast, he was lean, very polite, and controlled, never a harsh word, people trusted him and told him all their personal problems, he also was interested in counseling and had tried to take up psychiatry as a profession.he was very meticulous about his eating always using a spoon even for a dosa , making sure to do things very perfectly and cleanly, in the workplace many exploited his silence and thrust upon him holiday duties which no one wanted to take.his face was so greasy you could take some on your fingers.
On many occasions I saw him coming in from the sun holding his head with a splitting headache. Slowly as I got to know him he felt free enough to tell me his feelings . he missed his father who had died exactly on the day he finished his internship and was ready to be a doctor, he often felt deep sadness even though now it was more than five years since his father passed away. Watching him eat was a revelation he used the salt freely in his food, loved to chew on toffees, and seemed to be always drinking water or rushing to the urinal.He loved to listent to melodious songs by the folk musician Illayaraja on his iPod.
One day he confessed to me that from time to time he felt very sad and felt the whole life to be meaningless.
I could see the full picture of a homeopathic drug called natrum muriaticum, which in repeated 30 potency doses for 3 weeks brought back the smile on his face. His headaches were gone , he started to wear colourful clothes and also started to eat breakfast and put on weight.
Six months later he had an emotional disappointment which responded to ignatia and now he is happy and cheerful and smiling thanks to homeopathy.
Again it bears repetition that a homeopath is a human first and scientist second,
A compassionate man first and a worldly wise shrewd man second,
A practical, physical man first, if need be , and a psychologist second.
I would like to conclude by saying….. AN UNDERSTANDING, COMPASSIONATE , MAN WHO LOVES THE TRUTH AND ACTS IN ACCORDANCE TO HIS CONSCIENCE WILL PERCIEVE THE TRUTH ABOUT HOMEOPATHY.
No comments:
Post a Comment