What if my doctor will not discuss reducing any treatments?
You might in this case consider to seek an opinion with another doctor.
Will a Homeopath tell me what is wrong with my body?
No. A Homeopath is not trained in diagnosis.
Can I go to a Homeopath instead of a doctor if I become ill?
No. If you become seriously ill, you must obtain a diagnosis
from a medical doctor (D.O. or M.D.). In some states a doctor
of Natural Medicine (N.D.) can do this for you.
Then,
after you know what is wrong, if it is not life threatening
and demanding immediate address, you might want to use
an alternative form of treatment, instead of the drugs, surgery,
and other treatments that are used by conventional physicians.
Do people get well under Homeopathic care?
Yes. Often. But not everyone. One of the very appealing aspects
of proper Homeopathic care is that it usually is very gentle.
And a person can evaluate, usually within a month or two,
whether they have begun to improve, and decide for themselves
whether Homeopathy has the capacity to help them.
How long does treatment last?
For long standing conditions, one may expect it can take up to three
years, possibly but not usually longer,
to achieve the full benefit that Homeopathy can provide,
although often very satisfying results have been seen to occur
sooner than this.
When someone has been ailing for many years, if they experience
that Homeopathic treatment does help them, this length of time
for slow gentle healing often is not objectionable.
Can I get Homeopathic medicines myself without consulting with a
practitioner?
Yes. Many health food stores carry Homeopathic
medicines. And there are mail order sources also. You do not need
a prescription for these. Many suppliers impose on themselves
a requirement of a recommendation from a practitioner for higher
potencies, but no one restricts the acquisition of the lower potencies,
which are perfectly appropriate for self-treatment, and in fact are
widely used by many Certified Classical Homeopaths.
[ See the Recommended Readings page for books which discuss which remedies to use in these instances.]
Is it safe to try by myself before consulting with a classical
Homeopath?
For health problems that are recent in onset, and are
known usually to clear up by themselves eventually, it is safe to use low
potency Homeopathic medicines by yourself, but only for a few days,
and not more frequently than recommended on the label.
For any serious condition, and certainly any emergency,
see a medical doctor immediately.
For a chronic condition, most
knowledgeable people recommend consulting with a properly certified
Classical Homeopath.
What will I experience at the consultation?
If your Homeopath is not also a medical doctor or a Naturopath, (I am not),
there will be no physical examination apart possibly from looking at your tongue & throat,
feeling the pulse at your wrist or neck, or showing any rash on your arms, feet, or face.
He might study your face or hands briefly. And if under 8 years old, he may want to see the child's back.
What mostly is of interest is your story. And almost no detail is too much.
Ideally he would like to know about you as your best friends do.
In fact you may wish to tell him details even your best friends do not know.
The selection of the best Homeopathic remedy for you relies on knowing as much as possible about you,
and exactly how you experience living, especially precise details about your suffering since the trouble began.
What if I would prefer not to talk about everything?
That in itself would be helpful, that you would tell the Homeopath that you feel that way.
Many times the initial consultation is not absolutely complete, and usually, if not too much is missing,
then the correct remedy still may be determined.
Perhaps at a later meeting, especially if the initial remedy begins to bring an improvement,
and you feel more confidence in your Homeopath, then you may be willing to talk about things more intimate to you.
All the little quirky details are important, too. Things that are strange, or peculiar, even if these are not bothersome to you. All of these details are very helpful to the Homeopath to find the best remedy for you.
This is why the initial consultation usually lasts about one and a half hours. Clients usually enjoy the consultation. And not uncommonly they comment that they have learned some things about themselves that they had never noticed before.