I just finished reading a wonderful resource on homeopathy whose broad content spans the gamut of homeopathic history, philosophy, principles, science, and application, full of inspiring case examples of our beloved healing system. If you are interested to read it yourself or are looking for a good resource to recommend for friends or family, who you want to turn on to homeopathy, this book definitely would be one of the top on my list. It is called, The Impossible Cure: The Promise of Homeopathy, by Amy Lansky.

Reading this highly informative and comprehensive book got me to thinking about all the comparisons and contrasts between the homeopathic approach to healing and the methods and ideology of conventional allopathic medicine. It got me to thinking about the common expression that arises from time to time in our allopathic medical culture: “a bitter pill to swallow?” Admittedly, the expression is more metaphorical than literal, yet there is truth to it.

Many modern drugs are, in fact, quite bitter to the taste. In contrast, all homeopathic remedies in pill form taste sweet. But more to the point, I have encountered many individuals who carry a certain bitterness from their experiences with conventional allopathic medicine. This is rarely the case with people under homeopathic care.

Is there something behind the collective consciousness from which this “bitter pill” expression was created, that could elucidate the fundamental differences between allopathic medicine and homeopathy? I’ve compiled two lists below that outline the differences and contrasts between the allopathic medical model and the homeopathic healing approach.

Allopathic Medicine:

* Principles and practices are eclectic and frequently changing with time
* Defines disease by its physical and material attributes
* Uses powerful drugs to suppress symptoms, which can lead to new diseases or problems
* Drugs and physical interventions usually have side effects, risks and potential toxicity.
* Procedures can be unpleasant, at times frightening, and are often invasive
* Manages or removes symptoms without necessarily curing disease
* Is far too often very expensive
* Frequently leaves patients feeling dissatisfied or frustrated
* Health and well-being tend to decline over time, increasing the need for drugs long term and an ongoing need for interventions to manage suffering

Homeopathic Medicine:

* Principles and practices are uniform, holistic, consistent, reliable, time-tested, and unchanging
* Recognizes disease as a dynamic disturbance to the life force, which thereby creates a unique, individual pattern of symptoms on the physical, mental and emotional levels altogether
* Uses highly effective, ultra-dilute potencies to stimulate the life force to overcome symptoms according to a universal law of healing, namely, the “Law of Similars” or “Like Cures Like”
* Homeopathic remedies generally are completely safe, have no side effects or toxicity, and carry virtually no risk
* Taking a remedy is uniformly easy and pleasant, even for children who enjoy their sweet taste!
* Eventually removes entirely the disease at is source, allowing symptoms and suffering to fade and ultimately disappear for good
* Is very affordable and low cost
* Usually results in a high level of patient satisfaction
* Health and well-being actually improve over time, leading to real cures of both acute and chronic illness across all categories, decreasing or eliminating the need for drugs and future interventions, and greatly relieving short or long-term suffering

When I read these two lists and consult my heart, I feel uplifted and enlivened by the facts of homeopathy. The allopathic world feels more dense, harder in some way. Between the two, conventional medicine does seem to be more like “the bitter pill to swallow.”

While clearly there is a role for conventional allopathic medicine in the larger scheme of things–at times it can certainly be lifesaving and provide valuable aid to suffering humanity, homeopathy has yet to be afforded its rightful place and the respect it truly deserves in the broader field of medicine and healing.

Homeopathy is powerful medicine, with a sweetness that knows few rivals. In our world today, so full of sorrow and suffering, a sweet pill to swallow may be just what is needed. Spread the word so that others can partake of this sweetness too.

In peace and good health,

Dr. Doug