What is Homeopathy?

Homeopathy is a system of medicine that respects the fact that everyone is unique and individual, and is holistic, as it treats the whole person and not just the disease or symptoms. Homeopathy uses natural medicines (remedies) to prevent and alleviate disease and symptoms by finding the route cause of the problem. For example a person with a recurring cough may take a cough suppressant and although this may stop the cough it does not cure the virus or emotional factor that causes it. In homeopathy the cause of this cough would be established, which leads to an ultimate alleviation of the symptom and not purely a masking of the persons symptoms.

Homeopathy bolsters the body's natural healing system by encouraging symptoms and diseases to run their course in an accelerated manner. Homeopathy helps the body to fight the disease more effectively rather than just masking the symptoms. It works very deeply and can have lasting benefits on all levels both physically and emotionally.  

The main principle of Homeopathy states that any substance that can make you ill can also cure you, i.e. anything that is capable of producing symptoms of disease in a healthy person can cure those symptoms in a sick person. This is called the 'Law of Similars' in Homeopathy. Although this might sound strange, similar examples of this principle can also be seen in orthodox medicine. For example -

• Radiation - This is known to cause cancer, yet it is also one of the main treatments used to treat and cure cancer
• Digitalis - This is an extract from the dried leaves of foxgloves and is used in many orthodox heart medications to treat heart problems such as heart failure. However if taken in its raw form and in excess, it actually causes heart problems.
• Ritalin - This is an amphetamine like drug that is commonly used to treat hyperactive children and reduce their hyperactivity. However Amphetamines usually cause hyperactivity.

The examples above show that this main principle of Homeopathy can be seen in orthodox medicine and it is a useful way to show that substances that cause diseases and symptoms can also be used to treat them, as this can be a difficult concept to grasp. However other principles of Homeopathy do not correspond with other practices of orthodox medicine.