Unlocking Serenity: Using Homeopathy for Mental Wellness

Although homeopathy is the second most widely practiced form of medicine in the world, it wouldn’t be surprising if you’ve never heard of it. Homeopathy is a natural system of medicine that takes into account an individual’s symptoms as opposed to a diagnosis. Each individual expresses an illness in their own unique way.  For example, people express depression in different ways. Some people mask depression and people are shocked to hear of their struggles (think Robin Williams), while others can’t get out of bed and openly express how down they are. Each symptom serves as a clue, pointing to the most suitable remedy for that individual. Homeopaths ask questions about physical, mental and emotional health to find the remedy most closely matched with that individual’s presenting symptoms.

If you have heard of homeopathy, you’re likely to know about Arnica for bruises and falls or maybe Belladonna for fever. However, not so commonly known is how effective homeopathy is in improving mental health. Particularly for those who have a diagnosis of depression, anxiety, PTSD and bipolar disorder, who are seeking a more natural option to improve their mental well being.

The homeopathic perspective is that dis-ease occurs when the body is out of balance. When this happens, the body calls for help by expressing symptoms, whether it’s physical indicators such as a rash or inflammation, or mental symptoms such as depression and anxiety. The longer we ignore or suppress these cries for help, the worse and louder they become. 

A homeopath is like a health detective, investigating what the body is saying it needs in order to regain its balance. Amongst other things, they will ask when the mental health issues started and what was happening in the client’s life around that time. There are many causes for mental health issues, such as traumatic events, divorce, loss of a loved one through death or relationship ending, drug and alcohol use, side effects of medications, hormonal imbalance, thyroid issues, familial history of mental illness or unresolved childhood trauma. 

So how can homeopathy help? When a person is at dis-ease whether it is physically or mentally, the body is fighting to return to its original state of health. With the intention of feeling better, we sometimes cover up issues and end up causing more imbalance. For example, many people with anxiety and depression drink alcohol to relax or because they feel happy when drinking. It is well known that abuse of alcohol can lead to other health problems. Alcohol functions as a depressant, meaning it slows down the Central Nervous System and all of those important neurotransmitters we need to feel stable, thereby exacerbating the problem.   

Homeopathy has the opposite effect. The remedy is matched to the root cause of the issue and the symptoms, relieving the body of its constant struggle to find wellness. This triggers a natural healing response in the body and once the client feels better, the remedy has completed its task and can be discontinued.

Homeopathy has no side effects. Clients using homeopathy for mental health have reported emotional releases, greater self-reflection, and thinking of past events they had forgotten. They are able to do so in the role of observer, rather than being overwhelmed by the chaotic and irrational thought patterns often associated with mental illness.  This helps clients process unresolved painful events and they feel their depression, anxiety or mania diminish.

Engaging in homeopathy is a collaborative journey with the homeopath providing support along the way. Results can sometimes be quick depending on the cause of the issue, but most likely it will take some time and various remedies to regain mental wellness.  Although not required, homeopathy is most effective when used with other modalities, such as EMDR (eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing), somatic therapies, meditation and nutritional support.

Those taking prescription medicines for their mental illness can still use homeopathy, especially if they are considering tapering off their medications in the future. However, weaning off pharmaceutical medication is the responsibility of the prescribing Doctor and NOT the homeopath.  Many side effects can occur if a patient suddenly stops their prescribed medication.

If you would like to know more information or speak about how homeopathy can help you or someone you love, please book a free 20 minute initial chat with me.