One of the most critical aspects of Homeopathy is the emphasis on the healing power of expression - and how suppression can negatively impact our health. Presently, one of the major healing modalities in the world (allopathy) operates on treating dis-ease by use of opposing forces (anti-). As such, many of us have grown up with a certain understanding of health and disease - as well as how to treat it.
As chronic disease reaches all time high levels and the general population is growing sicker and sicker, many folks are asking questions. Why are we so sick? How can we do this differently? How can we ensure our kids live better?
In this blog post, we're going to explore the natural path of healing through the Homeopathic lens and how suppression of simple acute symptoms really halts our overall chronic health.
The Natural Healing Path
All symptoms follow a clear healing path that when well supported leads to ideal healing, the general overview of this is:
CONFLICT
INFLAMMATION
DISCHARGE
REPAIR
Think of a symptom or ailment and see if you can notice this pattern. It doesn't matter if the symptoms you're thinking of are mental, emotional, or physical. Or if it's a sniffly nose, a fracture, or a tantrum. Your body responds to CONFLICT with INFLAMMATION and DISCHARGE, to make space for REPAIR. This transcends all levels of health - emotional conflict can trigger physical symptoms, physical symptoms can trigger emotional symptoms.
CONFLICT
The CONFLICT can be anything that triggers the body to respond: an emotional shock or a bad steak or a bad fall. Something that makes the body say, "hey! something's not right, we gotta act!". The bigger the conflict, the bigger the response - and sometimes conflicts aren't clear until their in hindsight!
INFLAMMATION
The INFLAMMATION serves to promote blood flow, increase cellular activity, and create a fluid environment for healing to happen. It is not a failure of function, it is the natural response to conflict.
DISCHARGE
The DISCHARGE clears out the excess energy, foreign cells, cells whose role is complete, damaged tissue, and anything else the body no longer needs. Again, not a failure to function, just as pooping is vital to daily release so is the expulsion of mucous, pus, words, or tears.
REPAIR
Then the body REPAIRS - hopefully stronger than ever because the inflammation did all the work it needed to do and the discharge released all that needed to release.
Key Steps
The two most vital steps: INFLAMMATION and DISCHARGE are often where suppression happens most. We don't want these two to run in excess! Too much inflammation can cause stagnation or overwhelm, prolonged or unsupported discharge becomes weakening to the system.
But mindlessly suppressing (ie: without cause or intention) these vital processes causes a major roadblock in healing.
CONFLICT
INFLAMMATION
DISCHARGE
REPAIR
Without inflammation and discharge, we cannot move from conflict to repair.
Suppression
Suppression is defined as a stoppage of a discharge or expression. This is the primary action of many medications as well as supplements (yes even though they're natural, they can suppress). When we suppress the inflammation and discharge stages of healing, this tells the body that it is not capable of healing itself.
Over time, the body learns that it doesn't have to do the work for itself, a pill will (sort of) do it - this is what leads to insufficient immune function and frequent infections.
But suppression only removes the messengers of dis-ease, not the dis-ease itself. It doesn't resolve the underlying susceptibility to the dis-ease in the first place AND doesn't allow the body to move through to the repair stage, so there is a "hanging healing" within the body. The body still needs to find a way to express symptoms so that it can find balance. This is what leads to chronic symptoms and recurrent infections.
Over time, the more suppression we enforce on the body, the deeper and more chronic the ailment is forced to run. The easy, external, discharge routes are blocked so the body finds another way. What started as a minor fever, turns into a rash, then bronchitis, then seasonal allergies, then asthma, then COPD. It may also leak into the mental and emotional layers - leading to anxiety, depression, brain fog, chronic fatigue.
The body doesn't want this - it wants to protect your most vital organs so that you stay alive! But when all the easy outlets like rashes and snot and stool are suppressed - the body has to go deeper. To the more vital organs, the mind and the soul.
You may even reach a point where you "never get sick" - which is really often a sign of immune system dysfunction rather than an achievement of health. Never getting sick and always getting sick are just two ends of the spectrum. We don't want it to over-react or under-react. We want the body to respond to conflict, we want it to flex it's healing muscles when needed, we want it to move through acute ailments with ease!
Getting sick and recovering is health. Navigating conflict and coming out stronger is health. Moving through this cycle with ease is health:
CONFLICT
INFLAMMATION
DISCHARGE
REPAIR
Homeopathy
Homeopathy helps nurture the body's natural path towards repair if needed.
If there's stagnation...
If there's weakening of the system...
If rest is being inhibited by symptoms...
Homeopathy is a great tool to help nudge it along without suppression so that your body can reach repair. By gently nudging the body's vital force (life force, energy, qi, prana), Homeopathic remedies remind the body how to heal and then the body does the rest. They don't interrupt, stop, or halt anything - Homeopathy catalyzes healing.
But if snot is flowing, rest is easeful, fluids are being maintained and pain is limited? Get out of the way. Let the body work. Repair will come naturally.
And know that the body will tell you when it needs help. It will speak to you clearly the more you listen. This takes practice and patience, but it's worth the effort.
Because when you allow the natural healing path to unfold, you learn how to heal yourself. You return to a place where your body uses rashes and colds and fevers to discharge dis-ease - but your lungs and liver and soul are protected and health and strong.
Your body knows exactly what to do - just as it always has. It's time to engage in remembering that process. Homeopathy can help.
Next time you get a cut or a scrape or your toddler has a tantrum or you feel the sniffles brewing - watch for the healing path. Notice the conflict, the inflammation, the discharge, the repair.
Notice how clever the whole thing is...and watch how trust unfolds.
To learn more about using Homeopathy at Home, click here.
To work 1:1 with Paula to navigate and heal chronic health issues, click here.
