Psychiatry Interview
Vergleich: Siehe: Krankheiten + Anthroposophie and Psychiatrie +
Krankheiten
+ Sensation/Empfindung
Comparison Bell. + Hyos + Stram in Psycho-somatic Illness.
VS = Vatsala Sperling: As a homeopath, how do you see psychiatry?
Psychotherapy and psychiatric analysis are time consuming. Before the
1950s psychiatry was not a mainstream medical field. Since the 1950s, drug
based treatments have been giving quicker results. This progress has come at a
price. Allopathy and psychiatry focus on the disease
and lose sight of the patient as an individual. For every diagnosis there
is a drug. When the root cause is not treated, the drug-based solution
is temporary. Symptoms of anxiety, depression etc. can be improved with drugs
but if there is no inner
change, the outcome is short lived. Drug and lab-test based treatments
are okay for acute infections and deficiency states but for chronic illnesses,
people must explore other
options for their well-being instead of becoming drug-dependent. The
suppressive nature of allopathy and psychiatry upset
people who want a drug-free and holistic approach
to health. In homeopathy, patients are understood as individuals,
listened to and they feel a general sense of well-being.
VS: What are the various mental
health issues you encounter in your practice?
paranoia, anorexia and bulimia, addictive tendencies, children’s
problems, bedwetting, behavioral disorders, ADHD,
autism, mental retardation, geriatric and sexual problems.
With homeopathy, all these conditions respond beautifully. For some
issues, homeopathy is best as the first line treatment. I advise parents to see a homeopath before
drugging
their kids. With drugs, kids will get better only for a short time and
the problem never goes away fully. Pharmaceutical companies bring out more and
more drugs for younger
and younger kids. It is a very risky and scary situation.
VS: What is the general awareness of people about homeopathy and its
place in mental illness?
They don’t want to take drugs for life and experience the side-effects.
People want holistic approaches, and in India homeopathy is the first choice
for over 100 million people.
VS: Can grief, loss and abandonment be treated with homeopathy?
case taking, I explored all areas of his life, his personality and
relationships but I didn’t give him antidepressants. With a remedy that matches
his state of grief, now he remembers his wife with a happy smile.
VS: As a homeopath, do you engage
with patients in an empathetic manner or are you just a doctor? Mainstream
medicine is all about detachment, distance and impersonal treatment.
like a mother. When a patient comes to us, we care and listen with empathy. The whole process might
appear to be quite feminine. Allopathy is about
logic, problem solving, rigid protocols and routines. Homeopathy deals with
emotions and feelings. There is a human touch. That is what a patient in pain
and suffering needs, the touch of a mother. They feel our empathy even when we
do not use words full of kindness and compassion. We can be good homeopaths and
great human being at the same time.
VS: Can homeopathy help people traumatized by sexual, familial and
communal violence?
my life is more important. If I let this crazy man finish his misdeed
and go away, I will get over it and move on with my life.’ In this case, this
patient’s personal attitude helped
her get over what could otherwise be described a highly traumatic event.
When people come to me with various traumas in their background, I always check
into their feelings
and thoughts at the time when the event was happening. This gives me a
clue whether they are stuck or they have moved on. Assessing an individual’s
response and reaction to
a situation allows us to understand them as an individual. At that point
we can provide an individualized remedy to help them. Throughout the process,
we must function without prejudice, stay clear of our own sensitivity and
listen to the patient without interfering. We must stay positive, have a
genuine desire to help, remain non-judgmental and see things
as they are. In that way homeopathy is a very humanistic healing
modality.
VS: How can homeopathy help patients with substance dependence and
addictions? In the USA alone, 65,000
people die every year because of addiction to painkillers.
As homeopaths, we work to calm down the habits of self- medication by
exploring the root cause that enables the patient to become dependent on the
substance. Once the
vital force is balanced, the habits go way. People don’t need crutches
because their fundamental issues are treated with remedies.
VS: Do people with gender related trauma find help with homeopathy? In
the West, gays, lesbians and transgender people are making headlines with their
choices.
and sad due to this familial pressure. I talk to the boy. If he is okay
with his attraction for men, I respect his individuality and don’t treat him.
Not everyone feels okay with their inclinations and choices. Some feel guilty
for having attraction to the same sex. They want to change. These are the
candidates for treatment with homeopathy. In the end a person has to feel happy
with himself, irrespective of whether he spends his life with a woman or a man.
I am not going to tell him if his choice is right or wrong, or what choices he
should make but I will help him become comfortable and happy with his choice.
To that end homeopathy can help because homeopathy is totally patient-centered. They are not judged on the basis of morality,
good and bad, right and wrong, social standards, stigmas and religious dogma.
Sometimes a patient likes to know if I can change him as a person? My answer is
no. Homeopathy does not turn a tiger into a cat and a cat into a horse. It just
facilitates him to be a better version of himself. That is the beauty of
homeopathy.
VS: Is there any similarity
between Ayurveda and homeopathy? After all, Ayurveda originated in India and India has become the world
leader in homeopathy.
We homeopaths think that the problem is neither in the body nor in the
mind, it is in fact, in the pranamaya kosha, the Vital Force. Disturbances in the Vital Force
affect the body and mind and bring about changes that are perceived
subjectively and objectively as symptoms. Homeopathic treatment is directed at
correcting the imbalance of the Vital Force.
Symptoms are the language of the Vital Force that is in need of help.
VS: Can allopathic and homeopathic medicine work alongside each other?
VS: What is your approach to
patients who want to stop medications and rely on homeopathy completely?
VS: Do you advise about lifestyle, diet and exercise? Most ancient
modalities like Ayurveda and traditional Chinese
medicine, as well as homeopathy recognize the role of diet and lifestyle in
wellness.
VS: Many old cultures believe that possession by malevolent entities
results in mental illness.
of the mind that creates delusions and illusions. It is maya. Homeopathy has a way of understanding these
conditions and alleviating them.
VS: How can homeopaths give a hint to their patients about the side
effects of drugs without picking a fight with the pharmaceuticals?
VS: Do you have any message for
people who might have family members with mental health disease?
Vorwort/Suchen Zeichen/Abkürzungen Impressum