Homoeopathy In The Treatment of ADD
by Dr David R. Sim
In cases of mild to moderate ADD it might be profitable to consider the homoeopathic approach as an adjunct to specialised teaching.
Homoeopathy is essentially a wholistic discipline and the prescription is individualised and based on the totality of symptoms presented by the particular patient at the time of examination. Thus it is the child who is treated and not the condition.
The homoeopathic doctor takes particular note of those symptoms peculiar to the individual, as well as those common to the 5 – 10% of children with problems associated with ADD. For example, inattention and poor academic skills can exist with or without hyperactivity. Also the child’s adjustment to social demands is idiosyncratic and widely different patterns of response to the same external stimulus will be found in different children. The extent of the delay in motor development and attention span will also vary, not only between individuals, but with the same child at different ages at the time of assessment.
In taking the case, the homoeopathic doctor will list all symptoms peculiar to the patient together with medical history and family history. He will also pay attention to modalities such as reaction to changes in weather, temperature, posture, preferences in diet and mental attitudes and their particular manifestation.
At the conclusion of the examination the case would have been systematically detailed under such headings as: Mind, Head, Eyes, Nose, Mouth, Throat, respiratory etc. including extremities, modalities, sleep and so on. Upon completion there finally emerges a Symptom Profile peculiar to that patient alone.
The choice of prescription from the great variety of possible homoeopathic medicines ( thousands) depends upon the skill of the doctor who seeks to match the total symptom picture of the patient to that of the drug which, when administered in crude form (undiluted) to a healthy person, would cause the same or similar symptoms as those presented by the patient. This method was first popularised by Samuel Hahnemann (1755) and expressed succinctly by the adage “Similia Similibus Curentur” (Like Cures Like). Thus the law of similars is the foundation upon which the whole homoeopathic edifice stands.
The medicine is diluted according to a specific process whereby the mother tincture is reduced in strength according to either the decimal or centesimal scale of reduction. In the decimal scale the proportion used is one part tincture to nine parts rectified spirits of the selected strength. In the first centesimal potency scale one part tincture to ninety nine parts spirit is used. The substance is then vigorously shaken for a specific number of times. One part of the new mixture is put with ninety nine drops of spirits and the shaking process repeated to make the second centesimal potency. This process is repeated until the selected potency is reached. The dynamic effect of the medicine is increased by the ascending potency and final choice of the right potency is arrived at by the doctor depending upon the consideration of such variables as the chronic or acute nature of the case and the relative importance of physical to mental symptoms.
The homoeopathic approach is essentially a gentle one free of side effects and personalised to the individual. However, to conclude, I must emphasise that the decision to treat homoeopathically must rest with the doctor rather than parental preference because some cases are better advised to follow the conventional route.
By Dr David R. Sim
October 2005
Copyright © 2005 Dr David R. Sim