Minutus

Hi,
This is a subject I have long found interesting. I once sat on a train and
heard one woman tell another that she had been seeing the same homeopath 6
weekly for two years and intended continuing even though her symptoms were
unimproved. I remember thinking that perhaps I had got it wrong in that I
re-assess cases with the patient after 3 visits and discuss 'options' if
there is no obvious improvement. And then I thought that at least I can
sleep at night even if my wallet is thinner. Some people are charismatic and
can persuade others into continuing with treatment that isn't visibly
working - this also happens in therapies other than homeopathy, of course.
It's the guru sydrome. Ellen's statement that the practitioner to whom she
refers is 'warm and forgiving' rings alarm bells. What exactly does he have
to forgive?

Of course not everything can be sorted out in 3 appointments and some people
'sign up' for long term treatment as a matter of principle and many will be
benefitting from the consultative process. If everyone is upfront about what
actually is happening and what the contract is then I do not have a problem
with this but I do think the majority of people actually want to get better
from the symptoms they came with and it is better to let them go gracefully
if there are no results forthcoming than to run the risk of being accused of
'stringing them along for the fee'. Having a huge waiting list should not be
the benchmark of achievement.
Having said that, steady, visible, improvement in a chronic case may be
hard on the purse but will usually be acceptable to the patient even if
there is no dramatic cure and even if they do sometimes need to be reminded
of what they were like when they came! Not the same as miniscule
improvements in seemingly unrelated areas. The French doctor Gallavardin
used to prefer his free clinic to his private one because he felt his
patients (mainly alcoholics) came longer and gave him more of a chance to
succeed ( not a correlation that I have noticed, however).

Anyway, having thought about these things for years I am now in the throes
of formal research into the structure of my own practice, including why
people come and why they stop coming within the first 6 months if they do.
So far quite a few have said they stopped because they got better, but just
hadn't told me. All but 1 of those who have answered so far have said they
would recommend homeopathy to others, even those who stopped because their
own symptoms were not improving. I feel good about that. Only one person has
mentioned money as a factor so far. (This research will be published in
Homeopathy in Practice (www.a-r-h.org).)

'The unprejudiced observer ........sees in any given case of disease only
the disturbances of body and soul which are perceptible to the senses:
subjective symptoms, incidental symptoms, objective symptoms, i.e.deviations
from the former healthy condition of the indivual now sick which the patient
personally feels, which people around him notice whch the physician sees in
him. The totality of these perceptible signs represents the entire extent of
the sickness; together they constitute its true and only conceivable form
'(org 6)

BW

Theresa

Ellen Madono wrote:

Dear Andy,
People do not walk away after 2 times of disappointing results. They have
to be made to see even the smallest of results.
Also, they have to be lead through the process of cure. In our little
student clinic, our teacher keeps most clients. We
watch him carefully going over each case point by point, sx by sx. People
come back because they see change although we may
be hoping for more. Getting of meds can be really painful. With the
convoluted cases, it is really difficult, but I think
because of the teaching that my teacher does with each patient, they really
do come back. He has a very warm and forgiving
way of dealing with people. That golden touch with people is important
because working through different remedies takes time
and patients on everyone part.

Hi Theresa,

You must not have "shame" or "guilt" or "delusion, he has done wrong" etc.
in your own inner landscape! Any patient who *feels bad* about things they
have done/not done/thought/forgotten, or with doubt about their own
self-worth or etc., will hugely appreciate a "warm and forgiving" attitude.
And yes, sometimes a good therapeutic relationship *will* keep a patient
coming back even if results aren't quick--generally a *good* thing, in my
book!

Cheers,
Shannon

on 1/10/05 5:05 AM, Theresa Partington at
theresa@frogsisland.freeserve.co.uk wrote:

Dear Theresa,

By saying my teacher is forgiving, I am making a commentary on my nature, unforgiving. For example, if a patient suppresses her itch symptoms with steroids for the third time and is calling me at 7 am, I get steely, disgusted etc. I should say "I'll call you later" and finish my morning meditation. Instead I have a hard time hiding my feelings. It is better to just be more forgiving and experience less conflict concerning human weakness. In my heart at that time, I am saying to myself, "I don't care if I never see you again because you keep doing this suppression stuff and undoing it is too much bother....." Without words, the patient feels my emotional outpouring. My teacher is much more accepting of human fragility, more patient. I admire this and wish to be kinder. As for people dangling for months with no improvement, I personally can't stand it. I lose sleep over it and stay up late at night reviewing cases and trying to improve my understanding. After 20 years, my teacher does the same. Again I am unforgiving, this time of myself. For a student, probably a necessary attitude, but not helpful for one's own health. Placid lonely patients say "just talking to you and laying all the cards out on the table is so helpful." Aren't they really expecting a cure?, I ask myself. Others get what they came for and are greedy or curious about what more can be done. I think passing harsh judgments on the weakness of yourself or others is counter-productive. There is obviously a great deal of art and skill to homeopathy, and I as a beginner have not scratched the surface, however, I will quit if I get too judgmental of myself or others. Patients will also quit coming or staying. So work on the spiritual foundation of life is essential to the continued effort both sides, patient and practitioner.

Blessings,
Ellen
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Ellen, that's a lovely meditation in itself on the calling and trials of working in t he healing arts. Thanks. Rosemary

Dear Chris,

Thank you for sharing your struggle. I am sure you are not alone and it is good to know that you have made your peace.
Blessings,
Ellen
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as you state below Theresa "Anyway, having thought about these things for
years I am now in the throes

Chris wrote:

"For a long time I worried that I had "prosperity issues", about not being
particularly ambitious, and especially that my own shortcomings were
preventing me from having a busier practice or a higher success rate. I've
come to the conclusion that if I can readily pay my bills then I don't
really have a prosperity issue, and that I am certainly ambitious in my own
way without being impressed by status, and that I'm acutally pretty happy
that I have enough quality time to devote to family, friends and areas of
study that captivate me."

I'm with you, Chris! Years ago I decided that I could either work my butt
off to maintain the high overhead required by my married life, or I could
leave the marriage and downsize considerably. I chose the latter.

This morning I replayed that decision for my daughter-in-law (after a call
from a particularly annoying patient last night at dinner). Yes, I could
practice with a secretary to screen such calls and an office outside my
home, but that would require upping the overhead. I've no desire to become
a slave to any job, even one I love. There is more to life than homeopathy.
Having the leisure to reflect and write is, for me at least, a major perk.

Peace,
Cinnabar