The following information was originally published by The British Homeopathic Association at www.britishhomeopathic.org
Testimonials:
Charlotte Jackson, British journalist and television presenter
I’m totally accident-prone and after numerous bumps and bruises, my Dad, a doctor, suggested I visit a homeopath for neck pains and migraines. I immediately noticed a huge difference and from that day on I’ve relied on homeopathy for a whole range of health issues and for general wellbeing too.
Louise Hazel, athlete
As a professional Athlete I believe it’s incredibly important to carefully consider what you are putting into your body. That is why I take a natural approach to my health and well-being. As an Olympic Athlete, I have used homeopathy countless times to assist with the various bumps and bruises that I have suffered from hitting hurdles. My favourite homeopathic remedy is arnica and I wouldn’t dream of using anything else. Homeopathy offers a range of natural remedies. The snake (Lachesis) which is depicted in this image represents the remedy which is often used to help treat several menopausal symptoms such as hot flushes.
Stacey Dooley, television presenter and investigative journalist
It might seem odd that I choose to do a job which involves a LOT of long haul flights when I’m a very nervous flyer! I first discovered homeopathy when a friend suggested trying it to overcome my phobia of flying and I haven’t looked back since — it really has worked! As part of the Homeopathy Works For Me campaign, I had Gelsemium painted onto me — this is a fantastic remedy that helps to ease anticipatory anxiety or nervousness, and it’s also a really good remedy for flu.
Amal Fashanu, equality campaigner and designer
I try really hard to lead a healthy and more importantly, natural lifestyle. I’ve used homeopathy for a wide range of health issues and it’s never let me down. It’s also great for general wellbeing, as remedies are very affordable and the effect they have on me is really noticeable. As part of the campaign, I had lilies (Lilium Tigrinum) painted onto my back. This beautiful remedy is sometimes used to treat women with gynaecological issues.
Janey Lee Grace, singer, author, television presenter and radio disc jockey
I’m passionate about 100% natural health and wellbeing, and believe that it’s so valuable for people to take responsibility for their health, and to try a natural approach. I was first introduced to homeopathy 15 years ago when I was pregnant with my first child. I gave birth in a fabulous hospital where the midwives prescribed homeopathy during labour. Later I used homeopaths to sort all manner of the kids’ illnesses. For the campaign, I’ve had diamonds (Adamas) painted onto my neck — the remedy is used by homeopaths to treat severe depression, and also can help women in the menopause.
Alice Barlow, actress and singer
I’m relatively new to the world of homeopathy but have already seen noticeable results. As an actress and singer I suffer from stage fright and find homeopathic remedies really help to calm my nerves. It’s so important for people to have a choice when it comes to their wellbeing and I’m pleased I’ve discovered a natural way of keeping myself healthy. The foxglove (Digitalis) on my leg is well known for treating heart irregularities, amongst other things.
Annabel Croft, TV presenter
I use homeopathy to treat everything from early signs of coughs and colds to sports injuries, for myself and my family. I embrace homeopathy as a way of life, visit my homeopath every few months and use a whole host of remedies. Homeopathy has worked wonders for me personally and I cannot deny its effectiveness. As a mother to three teenagers, I have raised my children on homeopathy, using remedies whenever they have been unwell as well as for their general wellbeing. Taking a leaf out of their mother’s book, my children have even been known to lecture the school doctor on the benefits of homeopathy as opposed to traditional medicines such as antibiotics.
Jenny Lyall, patient
Six to eight weeks into the treatment I became aware that I was no longer suffering the violent allergic reactions that had been such a distressing part of my life. I was still experiencing very mild symptoms but these were easy to live with compared to what I endured in the past. After three months even the mild symptoms began to clear up. It was incredible – just like a miracle!
Debbie Moore, founder of the Pineapple Dance Studio
I was fortunate enough to find homeopathy following the breakdown of my marriage, I’d started to gain weight and was diagnosed with an underactive thyroid. As a result of this I was prescribed thyroxine tablets which are meant to be taken for life. Wanting to avoid this, on the advice of a friend I turned to Dr Sharma, a well-known homeopathic doctor, who was able to provide me with a cure. Since then I have followed a holistic approach to medicine and to everyday life.
Alison Francis Black, patient
I am really angry about the way some of the press ridicules homeopathy. Choosing your treatment is a personal thing and the right kind of treatment is different for different sorts of people, so different treatments need to be on offer so that you can make that choice. All I know is without my wonderful son, the love and support of my family and friends, and the homeopathic treatment – I don’t think I could have done it.
Gaby Roslin, TV presenter
I find homeopathy incredibly useful for keeping me and my family healthy. I depend on it and have a kit of homeopathic medicines ready for what day-to-day life might bring. Homeopathy works extremely well on children. When my daughter was about 18 months old she had lingering cough that would not go away no matter what we did. I took her to see a homeopath and within days of taking the homeopathic medicine prescribed my daughter’s cough cleared. This and many other visits to the homeopath with excellent outcomes have convinced me of the effectiveness of homeopathy. Homeopathy has a tremendous amount to offer everyone in Britain. I use many complementary medicines and therapies and I believe they should be used alongside traditional medicine.
Lauren Vaknine, patient
I was diagnosed with Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) at the age of two and the only treatment that was available in 1986 was steroids. My parents had never heard of homeopathy, but after extensive research, decided that it was a better option than chemical drugs which would have long-term side-effects. Thankfully, they were right. Autoimmune diseases like RA mean your immune system is very low and cannot fight illness. Conventional drugs bring the immune system down even more and along with that, some of them have very strong side-effects. But homeopathy built my immune system back up so that my body could fight the disease. At the age of 17 I came off the homeopathy and tried conventional treatments to beat a bad flare-up. The conventional medicine made the arthritis spread to all my joints and left me in a wheelchair. I went back to homeopathy and eventually got myself walking again. Now, at the age of 28 I’m healthier than ever and I put that down to homeopathy.
Louise Jameson, actress
My two sons and I have taken homeopathic remedies for 26 years. Tom, when he was two, was the first with a Pulsatilla, for a really snotty cold and he has not had an antibiotic from that day to this. Harry was next with Phospherous, for a bad chesty cough. I then joined with a Cal carb, which I used for ‘worn out mother syndrome’! Homeopathy has seen me through coughs, colds, operations, emotional and physical problems both acute and constitutional. But most recently it has eased me through the menopause without having to even think about more toxic medicines. Bless Hahnemann and all that pioneering work he did 200 years ago.
Helen Llewellyn, patient
The doctors had managed to fix the visible part of my disease with surgery, which means I hardly ever have a day off work now, but living the last 17 years of my life in pain I developed many other issues, mainly mental, that ‘traditional’ doctors were unable/unwilling to help with. The mental issues are as debilitating as the pain, and homeopathy has significantly improved these within a few months and continues to help today: my friends and relatives can confirm I have lost my anger, am more calm and less inclined to fly off the handle. It was amazing … for the first time in my disease’s history someone understood, someone actually ‘got’ what I was experiencing, other than the visible abnormalities in my body.
Susan Hampshire, actress
I started using homeopathy over 40 years ago and have relied on it to treat myself and my family ever since. I keep a wide selection of homeopathic remedies on hand at home and use them to treat anything from bruises to throat complaints. Treatments I’ve used over the years, and continue to use, include Arnica, Bryonia, Rhus tox, Aconite, Hypericum, Hepar sulph, Ruta grav, Argent nit and Arum triph. As well as this, I always carry my reference book of homeopathic remedies with me everywhere I go. One treatment which I have found particularly effective is Hypericum and Calendula, which I use regularly to treat my skin.
Melody Baker, mother of patient
I feel so lucky we were able to get a referral from our GP to the homeopathic doctor. The treatment really does seem to be helping Drew’s eczema and I feel reassured that there are no side-effects and there will be no long-term damage to his skin.
Drew Baker, patient
I like having the homeopathic medication because it’s natural and since taking it it has made me feel better on the inside as well as the outside. I would describe it as feeling fresh inside. My skin is not as dry and doesn’t feel tight anymore. The eczema has totally cleared from my chest and stomach area and improved from other places.
Dr David Bellamy, botanist and environmental campaigner
I support the use of homeopathy. It is safe, cheap compared to usual drugs and can be very effective. Many homeopathic medicines are derived from natural things like the lovely cowslip I am holding which can be used for a number of health complaints including eczema. More and more people around the world are using homeopathy and realising the benefits of a more natural approach to healthcare which uses homeopathy alongside conventional care. Homeopathy can and should be an important part of our healthcare system.
Patricia Nelson, patient
I had Hashimoto’s disease – an underactive thyroid – there were lots of symptoms. I didn’t feel well and had loss of hair and joint pain. It got worse over two or three years and I was referred to the homeopathy clinic in Dalkeith. Within three months the results were almost back to normal, and within six months they were normal. It has remained normal for the last seven years.
Peter Hain, MP
I’ve used homeopathy for many years and am convinced of its therapeutic value. I first came to know about homeopathy through my son who as a baby suffered from eczema. He had it a couple of years but with conventional treatment the eczema was getting progressively worse and at the age of four he also developed asthma. We turned to homeopathy then out of desperation and were stunned with the positive results. Since then I have used homeopathy for a wide variety of illnesses, but I rely on Arnica as it’s excellent for treating the everyday bruises and shocks to the system we face. My view is that homeopathy and conventional medicines must remain side by side under the NHS to offer the best to patients.
Clare Wade, patient
I believe that homeopathy should definitely be more widely available on the NHS. In my own experience it has helped when conventional medication hasn’t worked and has been better for me because I react to strong medicines, so I much prefer a more natural, gentler approach.
Professor Luc Montagnier, French virologist and Nobel laureate
What I can say now is that high dilutions are right. High dilutions of something are not nothing. They are water structures that mimic the original molecules. It’s not pseudo-science. It’s not quackery. These are real phenomena which deserve further study.