January 28th, 2025

Homeopath Edel Bolger O’Hora
In my recent articles I spoke about the definition of health from Dr Samuel Hahnemann’s view point and the action of the homeopathic remedy on the ‘life force’. It is good to review our belief’s at the beginning of the year and adjust them where it is not serving us well. New Year’s Resolutions are all about that good and bad. In this article I will look at some of our own self defeating behaviours that need correcting before a well placed homeopathic remedy can work at all. 
Aphorism 208
The age of the patient, his mode of living and diet, his occupation, his domestic position, his social relation and so forth, must next be taken into consideration, in order to ascertain whether these things have tended to increase his malady, or in how far they may favour or hinder the treatment. In like manner the state of his disposition and mind must be attended to, to learn whether that presents any obstacles to the treatment, or requires to be directed encouraged or modified.

People complain, very often,  about feeling unwell whilst not being able to recognize that their complaints are self-inflicted.  Take for example the heavy smoker, who has a chronic cough or the person with a myriad of digestive issues, who insists on eating fast food most of the time.  
 
Other examples include people that are not even aware that their habits cause distress to their body.  The person who is underweight, with no energy and chronic health problems for instance. The homeopath will ask about diet and receive the answer that the diet consisted of nothing fresh, all pre-packaged food with low nutritional value resulting in too low an energy level to cope with a busy  young family. A result of this self-neglect leads to the prescription of pharmaceutical medications that can often exacerbate the condition in the long term, whilst possibly giving short term relief. 
 
Self-medications  with supplements can cause new illnesses, knows as ‘iatrogenic’ disease.  As Dr Hahnemann, says in Aphorism 74
‘Among chronic diseases, we must unfortunately include all those widespread illnesses artificially created by allopathic treatments.’
 
So, the removal of what Hahnemann referred to as ‘causa occasionalis’ (maintaining causes) must surely make sense and pave the way for true healing to begin. Whatever medication, in whatever medical discipline, will not be fully effective until this is done.
In Aphorism 77, Hahnemann states
‘Diseases engendered by prolonged exposure to avoidable noxious influence should not be called chronic, they include diseases brought about by:

• The habitual indulgence of harmful food and drink
• All kinds of excesses that undermine health
• Prolonged deprivation of things necessary to life
• Unhealthy places, especially swampy regions
• Dwelling only in cellars, damp places or other close quarters
• Lack of exercise or fresh air
• Physical or mental over exertion
• Continuing emotional stress etc.

These self-inflicted disturbances go away on their own with improved living conditions if no chronic miasm is present, they cannot be called chronic diseases.’ 
 
What can you do if you feel as though you are engaging in self-destructive behaviors?

• Start by identifying the behaviors in your life that you feel are getting in the way of reaching your goals. Insight is an integral part of changing your behavior. 
• Get real. Find ways to stop minimizing these unhealthy behaviors and rationalizing their presence. Examine how a behavior really impacts your life.
• Don’t get down on yourself. Being overly critical of yourself or thinking that you are “weak” creates a worse self-concept, often leading lower self-esteem and confidence. 
• Make it harder to act impulsively. Do you find that you overeat when you are stressed? Keep foods that you tend to binge on out of the house. Do you overspend when you are sad? Only withdraw enough cash for your weekly expenses and make access to your debit/credit cards more difficult.
• Practice mindfulness. Focusing on the present can help you to more readily identify your emotions and the behaviors that are getting in the way of your goals. 
• Start to self-reflect. Journaling or keeping a daily log of healthy habits can be a great way to build positive patterns of behavior.
• Seek professional help. Meeting with a counselor or psychologist can be an important part of reducing unhealthy behaviors. A psychologist can help you to identify triggers that lead to your self-defeating behaviors and provide tools to help you replace them with healthier options. 
• Voluntary groups are also a source of support such as the AA, Aware, Pieta House, Samaritans, Console, Men’s shed, Women’s shed

 
What is important to recognize is that through individualization and the identification of circumstances peculiar to a patient, obstacles to cure can be removed; only then can true individualized homeopathic treatment begin. Although the language in the Organon of the Medical Art could possibly benefit from being updated, it is clear that the underlying message is to enjoy a healthy lifestyle suited to your unique constitution, which is balanced on every level.
 
Reference
https://www.findahomeopath.org/news/2016-07-10-getting-to-the-route-of-sickness-by-removing-maintaining-causes-and-obstacles-to-cure
https://organonofmedicine.com/aphorism-208/

Homeopathy Consultation is a process tailored on a case by case basis. It identifies the individuals reaction to the world they live in and provides homeopathic medicines to give a longer, more natural and positive approach to your health and well-being.
THIS WEBSITE IS INFORMATION ONLY. The information on this website is based on the opinion and beliefs of Edel Bolger O’Hora. Edel would love to hear from you. To book a consultation, please use the  “Contact Me Form ‘on my website www.rhs.ie