Words: Tracy D KOLENCHUK
Love your homeopath because your homeopath is a rebel like you, supporting medicines that work.
- For love. Love your family, love thy neighbour, and love your homeopath. Even if you don’t need a homeopath now, your aunt, your grandmother, or grandchild might. The decision to love your homeopath expands your future options — and, the future of your friends and family. Your health includes the health of those you love and your community.
- For saving money. Homeopathic remedies are generally less expensive than patent medicines, which have prices driven by profit, not by cost, or benefit. Also, many homeopathic medicines are designed to cure disease — while many patent medicines only treat symptoms by ongoing, expensive prescriptions. Mahatma Gandhi once said, “Homeopathy cures a larger percentage of cases than any other method of treatment and is beyond doubt safer and more economical and the most complete medical science.”
- For your body, mind, spirit and community. Homeopathy works. Sometimes it works after other medicines have failed. Take a look around. Most of us have no difficulty finding a friend who swears by a homeopath in their past, or in their family. How is it possible that everyone can find instances where a homeopathic doctor was able to solve a problem, one that other doctors could not solve, while others claim that homeopathic medicines can’t work? There are some who claim that homeopathic medicines should be banned because they work “no better than a placebo [dummy pill].” They don’t remember that a placebo is defined as ‘a lie from your doctor,’ or that lies from your doctor actually work too. Of course, they don’t mention that placebos often work so well that they embarrass medical researchers. No medicine works all of the time. Even a null medicine works some of the time. Patent medicines, homeopathic medicines, placebos, and even simple empathy, have each been tested in clinical studies — with some positive results and some negative results. Do those who suggest banning homeopathic medicines also suggest banning doctor’s empathy, or a patient’s positivity, and their family’s prayers?
- Because you are royalty. Kings and queens have historically used homeopathy with positive effects. The Queen of England, Queen Elizabeth II, had a personal physician — a homeopath. She used homeopathic medicines for her pets as well. If it’s good enough for royalty, it’s good enough for you.
- Because someday you might need an alternative practitioner. Someday, you may need a chiropractor, a Traditional Chinese Medicine [TCM] practitioner, acupuncturist, an osteopathic doctor, an Ayurveda, or any other ‘alternative’ practitioner too. Remember the famous speech by Martin Niemöller: “When the Nazis came for the communists, I remained silent; I was not a communist. When they locked up the social democrats, I remained silent; I was not a social democrat. When they came for the trade unionists, I did not speak out; I was not a trade unionist. When they came for the Jews, I remained silent; I wasn’t a Jew. When they came for me, there was no one left to speak out.” Attacking homeopathy, suggesting that it be banned, is a first step in the wrong direction. Many medical disciplines are attacked independently, with a goal to remove them all from the market — thus removing your freedom to choose. If we ‘ban’ homeopaths, ask yourself — who’s next?
- For your freedom. Freedom to choose homeopathy. Freedom to choose your medicines, and your treatment for your body. There are many who might prefer that you have less freedom to choose, especially those with something to sell. There are several claptrap restrictions on your freedom to choose, and little to no freedom on certain medical treatments. But, it’s your body, your mind, your spirit, and your life. You have the right to choose. Love your homeopath to maintain your freedom of choice.
- For your symptoms. The medical model classifies all symptoms as indications of illness. It does not recognise that symptoms can be indications of healing, or fighting illness. Homeopathy looks at symptoms from a completely different viewpoint. When we have more viewpoints, we see farther and find more effective treatments.
- For your health. In the United States today [and, many other Western countries], it is illegal to market a product that claims to ‘improve your health,’ without making specific references to illness. All health claims must reference ‘a disease, or health-related condition.’ It is illegal to sell a ‘health product’ without a reference to scientific studies of ‘illness.’ According to the FDA [US]: A ‘health claim’ by definition has two essential components: [1] a substance [whether a food, food component, or dietary ingredient], and [2] a disease, or health-related condition. A statement lacking either one of the components does not meet the regulatory definition of a health claim. Medicine is blind to health. Many products may improve your health regardless of the existence of an illness, but cannot be marketed as such. Homeopathy challenges many medical dogmas, opening the door to a more comprehensive, broader, clearer view of healthiness — not just illness.
- For your doctor. Whether your doctor is a homeopath or not, they might need access to homeopathic ideas and medicines. Homeopathy is practiced by many doctors, dentists, naturopaths, chiropractors, acupuncturists, physician assistants, nurses, even veterinarians, and more. If homeopathy is banned, these medical professionals will be limited, or forced to hide, or curb, their beliefs and complementary activities.
- For science. Some argue that homeopathy cannot pass the tests of science. These are people who do not understand science. Science does not find truth; it asks questions and seeks answers. The answers it finds, if they are useful, raise higher and more important questions. When science is stifled — when science becomes illegal — we all lose. The science of clinical studies is a valuable tool for medicine, but it is a limited tool. Homeopathy challenges the limitations of clinical studies which ignore individual cases and rely instead on statistical models. Complete understanding of medical issues, including homeopathy, cannot be found solely through the science of clinical studies and statistics. [Note: If it could, our communities would be getting healthier, not sicker].
- Because we don’t know. We know that homeopathic medicines work, but we don’t know how they work, or why. We don’t know why acupuncture works. We don’t know why empathy, hope, positivity, or prayer works, but we know they can work. We need to accept that which we do not know, and work to understand, not ignore, dismiss, or reject it.
- Why stop at ten? Science doesn’t stop counting when it runs out of toes. Listing ten reasons limits our ability to explore, to know, and to understand. There are many more reasons to love your homeopath, because we know homeopathy works, and it’s the right thing to do. You will find more reasons yourself, if you look for them with an open mind.
- For your fears. These days we are surrounded by fear mongers. Sadly, this is nothing new. Fear has long been used to manipulate people. Dictators rely on fear to maintain power. Fear is used to enforce conformance. We fear terrorists, criminals, drug cartels, and ‘those who don’t believe what we believe.’ There are people who would prefer that you fear your homeopath, your chiropractor, your acupuncturist, your Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioner, and others… so, they can control you and your choices. Fight back. Love yourself, your family, your ability to choose — without fear — for those who provide your medical and health services.
- Because your homeopathic doctor cares about you and your health. Too much medicine today is profit-based, achieving only corporate goals of growth and profit. Your homeopathic doctor is not interested in getting rich at your expense. Homeopaths don’t get rich [some are] — it’s that simple. Homeopathic doctors want to make you better, to make you healthier, to serve your family, and your community. Many conventional doctors also want to make you healthier, but they can be trapped by a system of commercial pharmaceutical medicine that pursues profit at all cost.
- Love the rebel in you. Love your homeopath, because your homeopath is a rebel like you, supporting medicines that work. A rebel against the limitations associated with mainstream medicine’s ‘clinical studies,’ which are mostly about prescribing patented drugs for the long-term treatment of symptoms associated with chronic illness.
- Because you are smart. There is a long history of people who are not-so-smart dismissing, or even banning what they don’t understand. It’s a history of darkness, of extended intentional unknowing. Smart people are not afraid of ‘not understanding.’ It’s okay to know homeopathy works, without understanding how. “God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference” and, the right to make my own choices.
The modern medical paradigm is failing. We need to embrace what we understand with courage, and accept what we don’t understand, without fear,or rejection, if we are to move forward.
Love homeopathy.
