“Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.”

—World Health Organization, 1948

Question: When is an illness not an illness?

Answer: When it’s a remedy.

“Huh? How can that be?” You may ask. “Certainly an illness is something to be dealt with, knocked out with good ol’ prescription drugs, gotten rid of in one fell swoop. Why let it hang around more than it needs to?”

Well, that’s the idea. Consider our old nemesis, the fever. The poor, misunderstood fever is actually your body’s way of getting rid of a virus, by heating it up and essentially burning it off. Zap! The virus is gone. Your fever goes down. Magic? No, indeed. It’s just the natural way of things—your body working for you.

Such is the homeopathic method. The philosophy, if you will. The idea is that your body naturally heals itself, using its own reliable system to get rid of illness—enter coughing, sniffling, sneezing, fever, etc.—along with homeopathic medicines that stimulate these naturally occurring symptoms.

So what exactly are homeopathic medicines? Well, back in 1796, a doctor named Samuel Hahnemann developed a principle of similia similibus curentur, or “Let likes cure likes.” This medical system ensures the body will heal simply and gently, by diluting to the greatest degree possible a natural substance that produces the very symptoms that are making you sick in the first place. In this way, the homeopathic medicine oh-so-tenderly pushes your body back to health effectively and efficiently. And because the remedies are made from naturally occurring materials found in plants, animals, and minerals, they are safe beyond belief.

In conventional medicine, the symptom is targeted and brought to its knees by a simple swallow of a pill (side effects notwithstanding). And conventional medications don’t address the cure, particularly—only the symptoms themselves. So, essentially one has to take medication indefinitely, because to stop means the symptoms come back in their pesky, unrelenting way. In contrast, homeopathic medicine looks at the cause of the problem, pays attention to the totality of the illness, and so cures, rather than placates, the illness or disease.

Hearts and Minds

The homeopath is also concerned with matters of heart and mind, as well as the physical realm of the illness. The practitioner realizes that one cannot separate these factors when considering a patient’s well-being. Think of a nurse providing a good bedside manner, and the difference it makes in terms of a patient’s recovery. So, too, does the homeopath focus on how a patient is feeling mentally and emotionally. Conventional medicine assumes that, if nothing is wrong with a person physically, that person is healthy and free of illness. Homeopathy recognizes the importance of looking at the wholeness of a person, and understands that every aspect of the healing process is vital for total and complete health.

Just think about it. A whole, thoughtful, natural process for good health, administered gently and safely, with no side effects. What more could you ask for?