Everyday Miracles
One of the great joys of being a Family Doctor is that I see patients of all ages with a variety of common and rare conditions. My day gets brighter and my heart opens a little wider when a child comes in to see me. Don’t get me wrong—not all kids have halos hovering over them—some carry pitchforks. But by and large, kids spice up my day with their spontaneity, intelligence, unbounded energy and endearing nature.
Classical Homeopathy, which I specialize in, is an effective, sometimes dramatic treatment modality which has helped many of my pediatric patients recover from both chronic and acute problems. My first homeopathic teacher, Linda Johnston, M. D. , has written a book entitled “Everyday Miracles”, which eloquently describes some of homeopathy’s amazing successes. Usually I only have to give a single (! ) dose of a particular homeopathic remedy which subtly but powerfully triggers a patient’s innate healing capacities to heal themselves on ALL levels—body, mind, emotions and spirit. The dose may need to be repeated in a few weeks or months (sometimes years) depending on a number of factors, and often additional remedies will be needed down the road to further the healing process. For children on pharmaceutical medications, the remedy is given daily and the medication dosage can often be safely reduced or eliminated over several months.
A few months ago a teenage Mom I’ll call Heather, who lives several hours away, consulted me for the first time. She greeted me with the unmistakable voice and mannerisms of a 3 year old child. Her foster Mom soon informed me that Heather suffers from both recurrent seizures and dissociative disorder, a condition which causes her to regress to a 3 year old during times of stress. Heather had been severely abused by her adoptive parents during her early childhood years, and had spent much of her life in foster homes. The abuse was so horrific, that she left her body in order to survive. Now in her late teens, undue stress rekindled the memory of her abuse and sent her back in time. Heather’s seizures were so frequent that they prevented her from living a normal life. She was unable to go to school, hold a job or do any number of group activities most of us take for granted. For the last two years, despite being on Trileptal, an anti-seizure drug and Lexapro, an antidepressant, her seizures were occurring on average 3-5 times a week. Her foster Mom told me Heather’s seizures usually lasted from a few minutes up to twenty minutes, and that upon regaining consciousness she would assume her 3 year old personality for anywhere between 1 to 3 hours on average, up to a maximum of 4 days. Needless to say, this condition interfered with Heather’s ability to take care of her baby, so the father had sole custody which was a source of great pain and anguish to Heather. During our initial consultation, while Heather was describing the morbid details of the abuse she suffered, her eyes suddenly rolled back, she lost consciousness and began to seize. While her foster Mom laid her on the carpeted floor of the office, I quickly fetched a bottle of Baryta muriatica, a homeopathic remedy that is useful for both seizures and extreme childish behavior. Having read that homeopathic remedies are effective when administered via olfaction ( by smelling the contents of the bottle) but having only once given a remedy that way in 12 years of practice, I opened the tiny vial and placed it up against her nostril, since it is not safe to place anything in the mouth of an unconscious patient as they may aspirate it. In 15 seconds, her 3 year old regained consciousness and started to speak. 15 seconds later, she was her teenage self again.
A couple of months after our initial consultation, Heather’s foster Mom called me because Heather was experiencing a great deal of anger. Although troublesome, homeopaths understand that anger and even rage are normal responses to the vicious abuse Heather was subjected to. After precisely determining the exact nuances of Heather’s behavior, I prescribed a different remedy, Nux vomica in very high potency.
It has now been 3 months since Heather had her last seizure. She is off all pharmaceutical medications. Her dissociation and anger, although not yet 100% cured, are markedly improved. She has been able to study for her GED, and is now holding a job. To quote Heather’s foster Mom: “Homeopathy has changed her life.”
Infants and children respond quickly to the properly chosen, individualized homeopathic remedy. I have helped many over the years, with such diverse conditions as eczema, ADD/ADHD, recurrent ear infections, recurrent sinusitis, pneumonia, chronic abdominal pain, behavior disorders, insomnia, Strep throat, asthma, kleptomania, failure to thrive/underweight, phobias and nightmares, tinea capitis (fungal infection of the scalp), colds, coughs..... and the list goes on and on. Some people have described homeopathy as magic, and in a way homeopathy is very magical. And yet, it is based on the practical application of eternal, unchanging laws of nature. Since we don’t understand exactly how it works, it is part of the Great Mystery we call Life. I invite you to experience this magic first-hand for your kids and for your entire family. It may change your life forever.
Stephen Weiss, M. D. , specializes in Holistic/Integrative Medicine at his private practice in Albuquerque. A Board Certified Family Physician, he is the former owner and Medical, Director of the Treehouse Center of Integrative Medicine Dr. Weiss has appeared on local and national TV and radio and has lectured at U. S. Medical Schools on Integrative Medicine.