HOMEOPATHY and the TREATMENT of TRAUMA
Trauma is part of the human experience. How we experience trauma, and the reaction each of us has to it can vary widely, but the fact is we have all been injured and frightened many times in our lives. Until quite recently much of our culture operated in denial of the effects of trauma. If we fell down and broke a leg it was assumed that once the bone healed the injury was gone. In this scenario only the physical experience is seen as valid or real. Unfortunately this same attitude of denial also transferred to much greater traumatic events such as natural disasters and war. The fact of our human vulnerability is something that is hard to reckon with.
The truth of the human experience of trauma is finally beginning to be understood. Slowly the idea of trauma as a purely physical experience is being replaced with a body of evidence that shows us that the body, mind and spirit (or soul) are deeply connected. It is much more widely understood that traumatic events can have lasting impact on both physical, as well as mental/emotional health. Recent studies show there is a significant number of people in the U.S. suffering from post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). It is estimated that the number is close to the percentage of people who suffer from diabetes and coronary heart disease. According to neurologist Dr. Robert Scaer in his book ‘The Trauma Spectrum’ there is a, “cumulative experience of life’s “little traumas” that shape virtually every aspect of our existence – our personality, choice of mates, profession, clothes… and, most specifically, our state of mental health and disease.” He spent much of his 34 year career working in a rehabilitation center treating people recovering from car accidents or patients with chronic pain originating from a variety of causes. Out of this experience he began to see that many chronic illnesses, such as chronic fatigue syndrome, endrocrine disorders, autoimmune diseases, irritable bowel and fibromialgia were actually byproducts of trauma. He also began to see that simply treating these chronic illnesses with medications was not effective in bringing about any kind of significant healing. He was able to trace a pattern of somatic responses that connected back to a place of trauma. For healing to begin the traumatic event(s) had to come into the treatment picture. Therapeutic healing modalities such as EMDR and Somatic Experiencing (SE) became part of his recommended course of treatment.
Homeopathy is another very powerful tool that can address the complexity of trauma. It’s origin’s can be traced back 2,500 years to Hippocrates, ‘the father of medicine’. He was the first to offer two distinct ways of practicing medicine. The one most familiar to us is the foundation of allopathic medicine and is based on contraries, meaning to oppose or eliminate symptoms. The foundation of homeopathy represents the other way of practicing medicine. It is based upon the concept of similars and works in harmony with the body to bring about health. Samuel Hahnemann, a German doctor and chemist, founded the practice of homeopathy more than 200 hundred years ago. At this time the practice of medicine was particularly harsh. Bloodletting was common and the use of Mercury in large crude doses for the treatment of Syphilis was the norm. The suffering he witnessed from these treatments inspired him to experiment with Hippocrates theory of similars. From Hahnemann’s determined research came the theory of ‘the law of similars’ which states: that which causes a set of symptoms to appear could also, in a small enough dose, bring about a cure. Or, put another way, like cures like.
Homeopathic remedies are made from plant, animal and mineral substances. Each remedy takes one substance and dilutes and potentizes it so that the energetic essence of the substance is strong without the harmful aspects being present. Thus Mercury, which is a known poison in crude form, can be used homeopathically to treat things like sore throats (on an acute level) or deep states of anxiety on the deeper levels of illness. Homeopathic remedies can be extremely effective in the treatment of both acute and chronic illness without being toxic in any way to the body. They can touch root causes of illness, like trauma, and help the body, mind and soul to begin to release itself. The body wants to heal and it uses physical symptoms to express the language of its dis-ease. When we have physical pain and illness the body is attempting to draw our attention to places where we have became frozen in our response to hurt so that we may heal.
Homeopathic remedies can be used for the treatment of everyday trauma’s like cuts, bruises, burns and broken bones as well as the larger life trauma’s such as car accidents, falls, catastrophic events, violence, sexual abuse and the effects of poverty and war. There are specific remedies used right after a trauma that can help the body to release from the effects without setting up a long lasting response pattern. The remedy most often used in this way is Arnica Montana. Arnica is a plant source remedy that not only helps with swelling and bruising after an injury but also helps with the symptoms of traumatic shock by helping the person to return to their body where they can then manifest a healing response. The power of arnica in these moments has turned even the greatest skeptic of homeopathy into a believer. Other important first aid remedies include Ledum Palustre for puncture wounds and insect stings and bites, Sympytum (or bone-set) for broken bones and Cantharis for burns.
In my homeopathic practice I have had the experience of successfully treating these everyday trauma’s as well as the deeper ones. Because homeopathy always works with the individual in a holistic way that takes into account all of their major life events and symptoms it can get to the root cause of illness and help healing to begin. A homeopathic consultation offers a chance for an in depth exploration of all aspects of ones life and health. Many clients have said that the consultation itself is healing because they feel supported in bringing their attention to difficult parts of their life. I believe that there is a powerful source of healing in the awareness we bring to ourselves and, in the case of homeopathy, the remedy that is most similar to the pattern of our illness. Homeopathy is a wonderful complimentary medicine that can be used alongside any modality including allopathic treatments. I have had personal experience of processing significant aspects of trauma in therapy that have been profoundly supported by a homeopathic remedy. I find that combining therapeutic healing modalities like EMDR, Somatic Sensing or mindfulness practice with homeopathic treatment offers the best support for healing.
We are living in a time when there is an increasing array of chronic, debilitating illnesses that defy traditional medical treatment. The growing number of people in our country addicted to narcotic pain medicine tells us that there is an extreme amount of pain out there that needs our attention. I think most of us know from experience that we can only succeed at escaping from our pain for so long before the consequences outweigh any possible benefit. Fortunately, we do have a growing body of healing modalities that work with the body and aid in unleashing its own innate ability to heal. Homeopathy has much to offer in this way. The large and small trauma’s of life set us up into patterns of living that keep us stuck in physical, emotional and spiritual pain. Homeopathy seeks to reveal the specifics of these patterns and meet them with a remedy that has the power to assist the body in healing. The process of healing at this level is an amazing gift that I feel privileged to engage in.
My Bio: Carrie Stearns PDHom. practices classical homeopathy at the Padma Center for Natural Therapies in Ithaca N.Y. She holds a practitioner diploma from The School of Homeopathy, Devon, England. In addition to her homeopathic studies she has participated in spiritual study and practice of mindfulness meditation. She has found that combining mindfulness practices with homeopathy has greatly supported her in her own healing process as well as her work as a practitioner of homeopathy. She is available for consults at her office in Ithaca as well as remotely via Skype. To learn more about her practice visit her website at carriestearnshomeopath.blogspot.com .
