Originally, I planned this to be a two-part series, but I discovered that it required more. My goal is to give you as much on this subject as possible; hence this is Part 2 of a three-part series.
Last week in Part 1, I wrote about the kind of results one should look for when using homeopathy to address acute situations, such as fever, otitis media, sore throat, bee stings, etc.
Acute problems are relatively straightforward compared with what to expect when dealing with chronic conditions.
Nonetheless, when using homeopathy for chronics, there are also signs along the road that we can look for to reassure us that we are on the correct path or to redirect us if we are on the wrong path.
First, when addressing a chronic illness, the length of time that we need to stick with a protocol is generally about 8 weeks.
Some people actually will obtain very good results sooner than this, but this is generally dependent on the age of the individual, the number of drugs that they have been subjected to in the past and the length of time that the illness has been present.
Let’s take sleeplessness as a very common example.
A four-year-old who has never had any drugs or vaccines and who has only been suffering from insomnia for a year will almost always show improvement within a much shorter time frame than a forty-year-old adult who has been suffering from this on and off since the age of three and using psychotropic drugs for decades.
In general, it’s usually best to observe a chronic protocol for about two months before a serious assessment. To give you an idea of what this means, for a four-year-old, I’d expect sleep to be reestablished within a few weeks.
This is where I stress how important, how crucial, it is to take notes at the onset of taking the case, along with numerical values (more on this later) and comparing them to a two-month outcome.
We are so prone to forgetfulness and inaccuracy when it comes to illness. This is particularly so when dealing with the sufferings of loved ones.
“Mommy, do something!” or “Honey, isn’t there something you can do NOW?” are only a few of the pressures that can be relieved by adhering to diligent record-keeping to help us gain an objective view of how the wellness is progressing (or not).
Interestingly, I encounter folks who, at the follow-up appointment, declare that they’ve seen no improvement. I actually believe that we humans are blind to certain improvements unless they are striking.
The problem is that expectations are unrealistic, particularly for conditions that have been around for years. Some, who are familiar with homeopathy’s swift results in an acute condition, expect the same for a chronic one.
Take my cousin Maria, for example. She’s suffered from anxiety, insomnia and hot flashes for approximately ten years.
When asked to give me a number as to how severe she’d rate her insomnia now on a scale of 0-10, with 10 being horrible (referring to my notes because I asked her the same question two months earlier), she responds, “It’s about a 4, and I was hoping it would be gone by now because I’ll be in a play next week and need it to be gone.”
My notes, however, reveal that she rated it a 10 last time. When I ask her how often she is sleepless, she reports that she’s able to fall asleep most nights now, with the exception of the night before dress rehearsals. (“Great!” I’m thinking).
And the anxiety? “Oh! I forgot about that! I guess I haven’t had any since the first week of using the remedies.”
My job is to put things into perspective, remembering that I might have to face that things are indeed not improved and that the obligation is on me to get back to the drawing board and reconstruct the plan. (More on this next week.)
There’s no doubt that folks are impatient to feel well, but dates and goals are not likely to be met in the same fashion as financial goals. The nature of the human body simply doesn’t work that way.
We‘re going for the gold. Hence, our standards are solid, and they may take a little longer to achieve. Meanwhile, we can enjoy knowing that improvement has been shown and more will come. This means we continue with the remedy choices. No veering, mind you. If you get impatient, you may spoil your results.
SLOW and STEADY is a good, conservative way to achieve genuine health.
Having said this, interestingly, there are plenty of others who tell me that they’re very much improved after two months of taking their remedies.
For example, they may report that their anxiety has melted away, sleep has been restored, and their bloating from bread only happens occasionally now. Even the arthritis that they’ve had for years now only presents when they overexert themselves.
It’s the job of the homeopath to assess the problem, choose the remedy and its application, keep notes and gently remind the sufferer how things have improved and make adjustments as needed.
Here’s a tip for determining whether improvement is ensuing. Generally, it is seen first within the spheres of the emotions and the generalities – things like energy, mood and overall vitality. In other words, watch for improved mental acuity, fewer emotional discords and less need for naps, for example.
Then there are my three solid ways of measuring these improvements. I call them my Magic Markers of Improvement, and the presence of any one of these indicates that we’re on the right track and have chosen the correct protocol.
The Magic Markers of Improvement
The first marker is that the symptoms are now appearing with less intensity. Let’s say the problem is chronic migraines that occur weekly. It may be the case that after 8 weeks, the migraines are still occurring weekly, but they are much less intense. Whereas before, they were a 10 on a 1-10 pain scale, now they seem to be a 6 from time to time.
The second marker is shorter duration of the event. In this scenario, the migraines are still occurring weekly, and they are still a 10 on the pain scale, but instead of lasting for several hours each attack, they are only lasting an hour.
The third marker is longer periods between events. In this scenario, the migraines still last several hours and may still present as a 10 on the pain scale, but instead of occurring weekly, they are occurring every fortnight or monthly.
It’s as though we’re placing our hands on the person’s shoulders and turning him in the direction from whence he came. Each step brings him closer to the previous state of wellness before the chronic illness presented.
Mind you, these are examples of what might occur, so don’t hold these degrees to specific scrutiny.
It can take time, perhaps months, but it is a march in the direction of wholeness. Along the way, you must see improvement prompting you to continue with your remedies in the same fashion. When they are apparently working, we must not tinker with success. Get as much from the remedy as possible. Once the remedy no longer acts, that is, improvement is no longer realized, then and only then is it time to abandon it and move on.
Undeniably, three steps forward with a step or two back, followed by greater and greater strides over this time holds vital evidence. But if this information is not realized simply because the information wasn’t logged properly and referred to with accuracy, it will toss the prescriber and the sufferer about like a schooner without a rudder.
So while any of the above three scenarios shows clear improvement, it also shows why observation and record-keeping are so important.
When we have clear proof in the form of our case notes, showing us that, yes, things are getting better, not only does it let us know that we are on the right track and should stick with it, but it reignites our hope for the future.
Hence, when taking notes for your case records, the questions to ask and then compare every two months need to include:
On a scale of 1-10, what is the intensity of the symptoms?
How often do the symptoms occur?
How long do the symptoms last?
So dear reader, look to Part 3 to be published next week for a further fleshing out of these concepts and feel free to join in a discussion below.
Then plan for a year of learning here and in as many of my other forums (CDs, systems and courses) as you find manageable in your busy life.
When we put ambition into motion, accomplishment is the result.
What a great way to bring in a new year!
May yours be a triumphant 2015.
I am a homeopath with a worldwide practice working with families and individuals via Zoom. I'm also a teacher and most importantly, a mom who raised my now-adult children depending on homeopathy over the last 31 years. I lived decades of my life with food intolerances, allergies, and chemical sensitivities until I was cured with homeopathy, so I understand pain, anxiety, and suffering. You may feel that your issues are more severe or different than anyone else’s, but I have seen it all in my practice and in my work in India. My opinion is that nothing has come close to the reproducible, safe and effective results that my clients, students and I have achieved with homeopathy.
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Joette is not a physician and the relationship between Joette and her clients is not of prescriber and patient, but as educator and client. It is fully the client's choice whether or not to take advantage of the information Joette presents. Homeopathy doesn't "treat" an illness; it addresses the entire person as a matter of wholeness that is an educational process, not a medical one. Joette believes that the advice and diagnosis of a physician is often in order.
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Thanks for the assessment tips! I will include in my evaluation notes.
Looking forward to #3!
Thank you, thank you, thank you! I appreciate you and your willingness to share your hard earned knowledge with everyone, truly you are one of a kind. You have a gift of explaining things in a straight forward way that makes it very easy to understand and apply. Bless you Joette!
Thanks, this helps. 🙂
Thank you for this article! We are working with a homeopath here in WNY for my son’s Reactive Airway Disease (RAD). I, too, being “familiar with homeopathy’s swift results in an acute condition, expect[ed] the same for a chronic one.” The slow part is the hard part, especially when trying something new. And, I swear, half of the healing is support for the parent!!
We are now three months into his healing and it still seems slow going especially working through an episode just yesterday. On a scale of 1-10, the intensity of his symptoms were an 8-9 yesterday and, unfortunately, seem to be getting more intense (more wheezing, more labored breathing, needing albuterol more often now, along with fevers & vomiting that didn’t happen before) with each episode.
BUT, the symptoms don’t seem to be lasting as long. He actually slept through the night last night without waking to cough, which is a first. Before homeopathy we were using Traditional Chinese Medicinal herbs. With the herbs, the illness would last 5 days from start to finish. Our first time using carc two months ago, the illness lasted over two weeks, last month was 10 days, and we’ll see how long this one goes.
As far as how often the symptoms occur – With the Chinese herbs he could last 2 weeks between illnesses. Once we started the homeopathy, the first time there were 4 days between illnesses, then 12 days, and this time 21 days. I definitely appreciate that!
I’m really hoping we are truly on the road to recovery. It was difficult yesterday constantly wondering if I should give in and call the pediatrician as well as waiting until he was truly uncomfortable breathing to administer the albuterol.
I know this is an old post, but I am really desperate to find a protocol for reactive airway disease for my son as well. It only occurs when he has a cold or sometimes when he is running very hard. So, every 2 weeks to 3 months, which doesn’t sound bad, except for it’s horrible for the 24-48 hours when he is affected. I have to administer albuterol every 2-4 hours. He doesn’t get sick as often when he hasn’t had sugar and when he’s on vitamin D supplements. Ipecacuanha gives some relief, but I have done a lot of research and not found much info on curing the chronic underlying problem. So if you could possibly tell me what you have come up with I will appreciate it. Thanks!
The reason I don’t offer specific information on this condition is that, in my estimation, it requires taking the full case. Should you be interested in discussing this with me, feel free to contact my office 8:30-4:30 M-F EST, (716) 941-1045 and my assistant will set up time.
Wow, thanks! This is very useful information to have. I’m terrible at keeping records but I can see how important this is for keeping a clear perspective and gauging results.
Thank you Joette for taking the time to put this informative write-up together. I wish this was available to me as a “hand out” when I first started working with homeopaths several years ago. It would have made things easier for both of us in terms of determining if the right remedy was chosen. Interestingly, I did not give my son his remedy for one day over the weekend — my oversight — and the behaviors he exhibited before he started his remedies returned very quickly the very day I did not give him his dose. I found I needed to read this write-up a few times just to fully absorb all of the information. The “magic markers of improvement” is a fantastic synopsis of what to really focus on. You should consider writing a book…you are very gifted. All the best in 2015!
I so enjoyed our chat this morning and reading through your blog posts. Thank you for giving so freely of information that can be so helpful. You are a blessing and you give me hope!
Hi Joette, I have a follow-up question. What happens when you have chosen the right remedy for a chronic condition, but there are obstacles to the cure? Does the homeopathic treatment basically become palliative vs. curative?
If there is an improvement, I’d not consider it palliative. Instead, I’d consider it a well chosen remedy that is acting. There’s really no way to know if there is an obstacle to cure until you’ve given a good many tries with no improvement or improvement that doesn’t hold and you recognize a big, fat obstacle. In my experience, there are not as many obstacles as you might think. Especially, when using the Banerji Protocol that is pathology specific, improvement usually ensues.
Thank you Joette for another wonderful article! It has helped me to see more clearly what to look for to assess if the correct remedy/protocol has been chosen. I have two follow up questions:
1. If all symptoms clear up before eight weeks have passed would you still continue the protocol for a minimum of eight weeks?
2. If all symptoms clear and the protocol is stopped but symptoms return several weeks after the protocol is discontinued, would you restart the original protocol or try something different?
Thank you for sharing your knowledge with your readers so we are able to help our families! It is greatly appreciated!
Sometimes it takes longer for older conditions to completely go; months even years, especially those that have been suppressed by years of drugs. But 8 weeks is a good length of time to determine whether the correct protocol has been employed. It allows you to observe what has been accomplished and to either continue or stop based on the results.
I just want to say a huge thank you! This information was so timely. I needed to be taught this process and now it’s time to put it into action.
I have five daughters and feel like God is calling me to study Homeopathy. I try to feed them as clean as possible and yet I deal with illness regularly.
Your blog has been a godsend for me. I am considering the skin course as several kiddos have eczema, but the finances have to be in order first. please keep sharing all this valuable information, it is not going to waste in our household. I do share much of what you teach with friends and family as well.
God bless you and your efforts,
Deborah
‘So happy to hear this helps you and your family. Stick with it. You’ll be a pro in no time!
Joette,
I really appreciate this method of learning. You are generous to make this happen and an inspiration! Sincerely,
Cindy
Thanks Joette for all the info you share. I have a follow up question as well. What if you see improvement initially and then there is an extended plateau in improvement? i.e. my son’s eczema cleared up 90% in about 4 months and then stalled completely and we’ve seen no improvement in the last 3 months.
It may need another protocol to finish it. BUT before making any changes, it’s always best to be faithful to a protocol that offered improvement. This may take many months but given a 90% improvement, it shouldn’t be difficult to do this.
Thank you as always for the information. What if you are taking a remedy for a chronic condition or following one of the protocols, and another problem arises, either acute or chronic? Is it wise to stop the first remedy until the second condition subsides, or add another remedy to take at a different time? I have read that some remedies have the potential to antidote each other.
It depends on the conditions. If a chronic condition is improving, this might be the time to eliminate its protocol and replace with the acute one. If the chronic condition is very serious whether its improving or not, its often better to leave in place and simply add in the acute protocol. Regardless of these factors however, I find that the remedies that usually cancel each other out, don’t do so using the Banerji Protocols. I believe this to be so because their protocols are repeated so frequently; often twice daily or at least twice per week. In classical homeopathy, there’s more of a concern for antidotes because a large spread of time between dose is the method of posology.
The last little tidbit, concerning antidoting being more of a concern because of the time spread, is very helpful piece of information. Thank you for putting your heart and head into your responses! This is such an encouragement for those of us with chronic cases.
‘Happy to hear that this is of help to you!
I understand how frightening and lonely chronic illness can be. I used to have it.
So you’re saying to continue a remedy for two full months – even if no longer responding to it – before considering changing potency or switching remedies?
That is the usual amount of time but of course, we must adjust accordingly. Without taking a case fully, it’s difficult to comment.
I am a homeschooled 16 year old hoping to become a homeopathic doctor. Reading your series and listening to your podcasts have helped me a lot with the guidelines and proper procedures to healing. I have been reading many books on homeopath and have been learning so much! I have even practiced some remedies (with my mother’s overwatch of course). Thank you for all the information that you have given on this website it really is wonderful!
That’s wonderful, Amelia!
Do you know that I offer an online course for teens? go to Joetteslearningcenter and scroll down to The Cool Kids Guide to Homeopathy.
I designed it with kids like you in mind.
Thank you so much! I will definitely check that out!
As always, thank you for you valuable information.