Homeopathy is a great treatment for autism and lots of other problems. This is another intervention that we have have tried and that we currently employ.
- What it involves:
First, you need to know that homeopathy is a different approach to healing than traditional Western medicine, which employs allopathy. That method uses interventions such as pharmaceuticals to treat a disease. These treatments often only address symptoms rather than root causes and, in homeopathy, this is called “suppression.” For example, a fever serves an important step in processing a virus and reducing a non-life threatening fever with OTC drugs suppresses the natural reaction of the body to heal the illness. Homeopathy, on the other hand, is not suppressive. According to Hpathy.com, this science developed in the 1700s, “is based on the principle that ‘like cures like.'” In other words, a tiny dosage of the substances that causes symptoms can cure those symptoms that it caused in large doses. This is called the “law of similars.” Patients get the least dose of medicine possible, as little as a single dose. Treatments come in a variety of forms, from tiny pellets to liquids. We have treated our kids with homeopathy with small amounts of pellets or drops per day. Treatments are usually derived from natural plants and go through a process that involves dilution and shaking to formulate a pellet. You then are given a treatment plan of when and how to take your dosages, usually a few times a day for several months, for treating disabilities and neurological issues. - How to do it or get it:
You’ll need to find a homeopath, homeotoxicologist (what we use), or a holistic doctor to help you find these kind of treatments. Our practitioners is Amy Hull Brown who is also a nutritionist and can work virtually. I highly recommend her but you need to find the best person for your family. You should research providers and ask friends who are using homeopaths, both locally and around. Our daughter’s teacher, for example, has a good one she uses for herself roughly an hour away. You might need to do digging or research to make the best choice. - Costs:
I WON’T lie to you: it is costly and it can be a long term commitment. (We’ve been with Amy for over a year, because my daughter doesn’t react well to fast/aggressive approach.) It is also not covered on any insurance plans to date, so we are talking about all out-of-pocket costs, to the tune of a few hundred dollars per month. - Benefits:
Now, the good news. Of all the treatments I’ve heard about from the various approaches to autism, homeopathy is one that I hear the greatest success about. I don’t know many people who have not had some kind of success in pursuing it. Some have even had complete regression of complications and behaviors caused by autism. And it’s relatively easy, once you have determined a path to follow for your child. - Effectiveness:
For us, this has had great benefits at times, at others, not so much. It depends on many factors. - Downside:
So if you’re one of those people who needs concrete science pointing to absolute evidence, you’re not going to find it here. (To be frank, you won’t find the CDC or CHOP doing trials to treat anything other than pharma any time soon, and the same is true for MOST studies and most of the therapies I’ll cover in this blog.) Homeopathy is far more subtle but studies are being attempted. Read more on the evidence for homeopathy here.
Another down side is that treating symptoms this way can spark symptoms, which may even worsen. That’s been our experience but in staying with it, they have eventually disappeared. The other trick to homeopathy is determining which path to follow or pursue. While it’s easy for me as a customer to follow my provider’s advice, it’s more complicated for her to select a path and it requires discussion together to figure out where we’d like to head next. - Controversy:
Because homeopathy is done in such small doses, it’s impossible to scientifically test it the we test pharmaceuticals for example. So there aren’t any double blind studies for the effect of this. Additionally, I personally feel there are two ways to approach homeopathy. One is more scientific, where the application is based on things that are going on in molecular or subatomic levels. The other has more to do with energy healing and/or intuition. I’m less inclined to use a practitioner like that because of my beliefs. I do feel that while some homeopathy can be solid (I use Boiron’s homeopathic remedies for colds, sinuses attack and other maladies), at times it can feel occultish. It really is in the hands of the provider as to how they handle it. - Risk assessment:
Dana Ullman, MPH, and leading advocate for homeopathy writes that one of the risks involved come with what’s called “proving.” This is the point at which the patient is reliving those symptoms from the remedy. He claims that this can actually lead to an overdose, as evidenced by a case reported in the New England Journal of medicine, where too much of a treatment resulted in pancreatitis. It’s definitely something to be aware of. Make sure that your practitioner is qualified, recommended and is asking you key questions about your child. - Benefits for other disabilities:
Homeopathy is good for not just disabilities, but illnesses as well. We use Boiron quite a lot for regular maladies (headaches, colds, rashes, muscle aches), but we also treat Amelia who has does not have autism. She has improved GREATLY in the last few months, with aggression activities completely disappearing this year. - Overall opinion:
I recommend investigating this treatment for autism. One of the first symptoms that disappeared when we started our journey on homeopathy were my daughter’s constant loose stools. It felt like nothing less than a miracle to me when she started to have regular solid poop all those years ago! Worth a full investigation in my opinion. You can learn more at hpathy.com.
Bliss Naturae says
Good article about autism, and how it could be cured with homeopathy treatment. I really appreciate your effort to aware people by posting this type of blog.