Dear Friends, I have been joining the discussion for about a month. Some of you may be familiar with the fact that my daughter, a junior at college suffers from obsessive compulsive disorder. It was diagnosed while she was in high school. It was also discovered to have existed clandestinely since she was about 6 yrs. old. Persons with this disorder can conceal symptoms. This problem is accompanied by low self esteem and depression. Her case was severe enough for her psychiatist to put her on luvox.(I did not know about homeopathy at the time, having only discovered it two months ago when I asked the health food store clerk for something to treat my poison ivy.) Even though the medication seems to work, My daughter has periodic flare ups, especially when under stress. She called me tonight upset, afraid that she will fail at school examenations etc. She hates her situation and says she may never have children because she doesn't want to pass the gene along. (I have this ocd also, but not as bad as her. Both my daughter and I are actually successful persons, I am a teacher, writer and exhibiting artist. She was an honor student in high school, won many awards for singing opera, and produces a T.V. and internet radio show at her college. Thus I am saddened that she feels so. But do hope this can be surmounted. Here is where your knowledge and good will is sorely needed. Do you know if Obsessive Compulsive Disorder can benefit from homeopathy? May I add that my sister, who suffers from depression, was on medication which she stopped by herself when feeling better. She crashed, had to go into an institution, had shock treatments, lost enough of her memory to lose her job, her house and had to take her son out of his private school. In short, her and her husband have lost most of their money. Sometimes my daughter forgets to take her medicine. I wish I could find a way to wean her off safely with a M.D. and homeopathic Dr. working together. What do you think? Have any of you had any experience with this?

May I add that I consider it a remarkable blessing to communicate with all of you. Who would have thought this would be possible 30 yrs ago? May these energies multiply as they fill the world with hope. Sincerely, Mselle

Mselle - could you tell us where you live? USA, Canada, UK, Australia, etc.....Someone might be a close neighbor and be able to direct you to a Homeopath that has experience with your type of problem and that of your daughter. Here, in the USA, it is very hard to find a Homeopath. But, I have found, if you go to a good size Health Food Store, they usually have the name of Holistic Health Centers and Homeopaths.
I found this out by using this BB. Someone suggested it and I said "why didn't I think of that?" Sometimes we can't think when there is a crisis and that's what's good about talking about it to other people. I think you will find willing help on the BB - but if this is a problem that has gone down through the family - a local Homeopath might be a good choice. Remember, you can always ask for additional advice on the BB - Not every Homeopath is a good one and you might want to double check the advice given by your local Dr with the Homeopaths on this page. Good Luck!

Double check can be very confusing!
A relationship between a person and a homeopath must be a trustful one!!!
When you insinue a doubt about the treatment it's better to stop it! Otherwise you will not know what you are doing, or who follows.
Better to listen to your own feelings...

There are remedies for OCD, but you must find a professional classical homeopath to take a full case history and prescibe a remedy based on her as an individual rather than a disease name. Never let her have ECT. I have a patient who did, for this condition and I really think she is incurable by homeopathy now but I won't give up while she is still willing. She lost her memory as well.

[This message has been edited by Ricky (edited 19 November 1999).]

Yes ECT is electro-convulsive therapy.
I would agree entirely with Ricky, that homoeopathy can very possibly help, but you need to find a good classical prescriber who will take the whole case and who understands constitutional treatment.
I have seen several cases where patients have been successfully weaned-off psychoactive medication under the joint supervision of the doctor and the homoeopath. In my experience, this must be done gradually over several months, at the end of which the remedy can be given. I have found that improving the patient's diet, by reducing meat and dairy products and increasing wholefoods, vegetables and fruits, can help during the weaning process.
Like Ricky, I would say avoid ECT. I have seen many patients whose lives have been irrevocably destroyed by such treatment. Some have been rendered virtual zombies, and I too have seen no success with efforts to restore these patients to any semblance of completeness.
Unfortunately I don't know any classical prescribers in Long Island, North Carolina would be my nearest.
All the best,

I use a really good homeopathic MD in Woodstock, CT. , who is closer than Cambridge. But, I still think you can get closer. Check out www.homeopath.org under "about NCH" for listings closer to you. Best to you. -K

Dear Friends, thanks for the prompt replies. Martha, would you know if it would be possible for my daughter to take a homeopathic remedy for stress while she is taking the allopathic medicine, luvox, for her OCD? She will be coming home next week for Thanksgiving break from college. During our phone conversation last evening I told her about homeopathy, and that maybe she could be helped by it. I am hoping that this will give her something positive to look forward to, and thus help get her mind off her hopelessness and onto her school work so things don't get even worse for her. She has been through so much with this OCD. during high school she was part of a study on luvox. Between going for therapy, blood and heart tests, and having such bad acne that she was on acutane, and having to take birth control inorder to be on acutane, and having to get all sorts of blood tests for that therapy, we were in either the psychatrist's, behavior therapists, gynocologist's,and M.D.'s offices just about every day of the week. Now, and I can't say that I blame her, she is sick of going to doctors. I wish I knew about homeopathy back then. I also wish I had known in time to maybe influence my sister, but that probably would have been impossible as she was an assistant to the Dean of a very major medical college before her shock treatments prevented her from returning. That's what allopathy did for her. Narrows the mind, narrows the options. Once again, thank you, your caring actually helps me fend off my own tendency to depression under stress. I try to set an example for my daughter. Maybe something homeopathic will be found to help us both. Sincerely, Mselle

Mselle - Before your daughter comes home for her college break, do you think you could go to your local library and borrow a few books on Homeopathy so your daughter will have a little knowledge of what she is getting into. She will be able to learn the basics of Homeopathy and how it can help her. If she is going into this blind, it can be very confusing....She needs to know basic principles, antidotes, etc. Maybe someone here can help you to guide her.....

A very good book to start with is: Gerhard Koeler, Handbook of Homeopathy. It's principles and Practise, Thorson pub.
It isn't a Materia medica, so you will not find remedies and antidotes, but you can understand better how homeopathy works (and in the end of the book there are some followed cases).
I hope it can help to help you in choosing a good homeopath.
All the best
Dany

The author is a homeopathic phisician in Freiburg. He as lectured at Freiburg Univ. and at the advanced training center at Bad Bruckenau. He is a classical homeopath.

[This message has been edited by Dany (edited 20 November 1999).]

Dear Mselle,
i think that it will be possible for your daughter to take homeopathic remedies for stress while she is taking the allopathic medicine: usually homeopath don't cut down medicines from the beginning, they try to gradually reduce them.
My sister as a similar problem and she is following an homeopatic treatment: her homeopath acted this way.
Homeopathy can really help, but you must know that it can be a long trip.
If your daughter is still jung - as i think -, she has a very good opportunity to be helped.

P.S.: if you like check this link: http://www.healthy.net/nch/

[This message has been edited by Dany (edited 20 November 1999).]