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Physician, heal thyself
Feb. 28th, 2008 11:03 pm[cute poochies, because it'd be nice to have one to cuddle up to right now]
Well, I've finally gotten around to going to see a homeopath myself, for the first time in years. While after doing 4 years of study in homeopathy (and actually qualifying), I should probably be able to diagnose myself, if I'm suffering from something or other, I find it quite tricky. It's hard to see what a pathology is when you're right in the middle of it.
I drove for two hours to see the homeopath (in Mittagong), since she's a graduate of a very reputable homeopathy school in Sydney (which is a branch of a NZ school, which is how I know of it). Of course, she promptly told me of a homeopath here in Canberra whom she recommends... and whose name I've just found now on the HomeopathyOz website. I think what puts me off that site is the fact their qualifications aren't listed. I'm afraid I have a prejudice against someone with a qualification in naturopathy practising as a homeopath (since it generally won't be "classical" homeopathy). I also wasn't too sure about the role of the Australian Homeopathic Society, but it appears they're not a grab-bag of randomly qualified practitioners - so now I know where to look in future!
Of course, the annoying thing is that once I made the appointment, my brain promptly kicked into gear, and I thought of a potion that I could have taken about umpteen years ago. And that's what she ended up prescribing to me today - go me! (I was very careful not to cast the interview in the direction of the potion I was thinking of. I hope.)
So, why a potion? Of late, I've been getting increasingly irritable, and it's starting to bug me. I'm definitely one of those people of whom it is said "her bark is worse than her bite", but there is a limit to how much snappishness - which I don't normally express at targets, actually - I can put up with in myself. It's kind of a defensive mechanism for when I'm feeling oversensitive/stressed - I'm much worse if I'm disturbed in some way after having done nice relaxing things like tai chi, osteopathy or sex - but there are probably more constructive ways of filtering trivial aggravations rather than just reacting.
The homeopath seemed quite challenged (in a good way) by the fact that I have been impatient and irritable my entire life. Homeopathy will never get rid of that kind of thing altogether, but it should hopefully be mitigated and the energy directed more constructively. If the remedy works.
At the same time, my general inertia and procrastination has been bugging me no end, so hopefully something will kick that into gear as well. She also pounced on the fact that I got knocked back for a blood donation last time and pointed out that while I'm not exactly anaemic, I'm obviously not great on the iron count. And she found the tremor in my hands quite entertaining (in that sick homeopath kind of way - the more distinctive the symptoms, the more we love it). So she pointed out that some of the lack of energy and so on could be due to simple mineral deficiency, so I need to get tested for my general iron and magnesium levels (among others). It seemed like a balanced approach.
I hate pill-popping, including vitamin supplements (being of the school that reckons if your system is working properly, you'll absorb it from your diet), but she did point out - sensibly enough - that some of us require more of this and that, and the iron thing is a clinical effect that's been made obvious already ...essentially I need to suck up the fact that I might need to take a supplement if I'm not going to guzzle red meat. Bleah. (Hah, according to that blood type diet "theory" - which seems like bollocks to me, btw, I require some degree of evidence (yes, I know, I know, I am into homeopathy) - I should be scoffing as much red meat as I can find. *snortle*)
Anyways, I took the potion, which is simply rock salt, prepared homeopathically, and called "natrum muriaticum". You know all that stuff about homeopaths shaking remedies up in a special way that makes them active? No, actually, it's when we use the Latin names for the substances - that is the magic. :-D
Anyways, I'm officially wiped out - whether by the potion or the 4 hour drive - and we will see what happens. Possibly an all-day workshop at work tomorrow about a topic I feel very cynical about is not the best timing, but I will endeavour to keep my mouth shut. Of course, we only got informed about it earlier this week - a whole day out of my schedule! - and I'm not that enamoured of the 8:30 start time. I can sense it will be fun fun already.
Well, I've finally gotten around to going to see a homeopath myself, for the first time in years. While after doing 4 years of study in homeopathy (and actually qualifying), I should probably be able to diagnose myself, if I'm suffering from something or other, I find it quite tricky. It's hard to see what a pathology is when you're right in the middle of it.
I drove for two hours to see the homeopath (in Mittagong), since she's a graduate of a very reputable homeopathy school in Sydney (which is a branch of a NZ school, which is how I know of it). Of course, she promptly told me of a homeopath here in Canberra whom she recommends... and whose name I've just found now on the HomeopathyOz website. I think what puts me off that site is the fact their qualifications aren't listed. I'm afraid I have a prejudice against someone with a qualification in naturopathy practising as a homeopath (since it generally won't be "classical" homeopathy). I also wasn't too sure about the role of the Australian Homeopathic Society, but it appears they're not a grab-bag of randomly qualified practitioners - so now I know where to look in future!
Of course, the annoying thing is that once I made the appointment, my brain promptly kicked into gear, and I thought of a potion that I could have taken about umpteen years ago. And that's what she ended up prescribing to me today - go me! (I was very careful not to cast the interview in the direction of the potion I was thinking of. I hope.)
So, why a potion? Of late, I've been getting increasingly irritable, and it's starting to bug me. I'm definitely one of those people of whom it is said "her bark is worse than her bite", but there is a limit to how much snappishness - which I don't normally express at targets, actually - I can put up with in myself. It's kind of a defensive mechanism for when I'm feeling oversensitive/stressed - I'm much worse if I'm disturbed in some way after having done nice relaxing things like tai chi, osteopathy or sex - but there are probably more constructive ways of filtering trivial aggravations rather than just reacting.
The homeopath seemed quite challenged (in a good way) by the fact that I have been impatient and irritable my entire life. Homeopathy will never get rid of that kind of thing altogether, but it should hopefully be mitigated and the energy directed more constructively. If the remedy works.
At the same time, my general inertia and procrastination has been bugging me no end, so hopefully something will kick that into gear as well. She also pounced on the fact that I got knocked back for a blood donation last time and pointed out that while I'm not exactly anaemic, I'm obviously not great on the iron count. And she found the tremor in my hands quite entertaining (in that sick homeopath kind of way - the more distinctive the symptoms, the more we love it). So she pointed out that some of the lack of energy and so on could be due to simple mineral deficiency, so I need to get tested for my general iron and magnesium levels (among others). It seemed like a balanced approach.
I hate pill-popping, including vitamin supplements (being of the school that reckons if your system is working properly, you'll absorb it from your diet), but she did point out - sensibly enough - that some of us require more of this and that, and the iron thing is a clinical effect that's been made obvious already ...essentially I need to suck up the fact that I might need to take a supplement if I'm not going to guzzle red meat. Bleah. (Hah, according to that blood type diet "theory" - which seems like bollocks to me, btw, I require some degree of evidence (yes, I know, I know, I am into homeopathy) - I should be scoffing as much red meat as I can find. *snortle*)
Anyways, I took the potion, which is simply rock salt, prepared homeopathically, and called "natrum muriaticum". You know all that stuff about homeopaths shaking remedies up in a special way that makes them active? No, actually, it's when we use the Latin names for the substances - that is the magic. :-D
Anyways, I'm officially wiped out - whether by the potion or the 4 hour drive - and we will see what happens. Possibly an all-day workshop at work tomorrow about a topic I feel very cynical about is not the best timing, but I will endeavour to keep my mouth shut. Of course, we only got informed about it earlier this week - a whole day out of my schedule! - and I'm not that enamoured of the 8:30 start time. I can sense it will be fun fun already.
