Thanks everyone for your replies and opinions.
Still abit unsure of what I am actually going to do but will make up my mind in time i am sure!
Running back to the allopaths was really a last resort, he had been experiencing withdrawal for a week, and only let me ring the doc when he was going so nuts he thought god had abandoned him, he was going to hell, and he was dying... What else could I do, my homeopath only takes calls for half an hour 4 days a week. And to be perfectly honest I didn't know that homeopathy could offer a remedy in a crisis of this sort, we weren't told...
Looking after a person going through this isn't easy. The decisions you have to make for them are difficult, not least because you have to decide when to take over and start making decisions for them without their consent, and also I had lost my major support system and the person I usually discuss issues with - my partner, as it was him that was ill.
In retrospect he should have continued on a steady dose, seen the homeopath then tried to withdraw when he was feeling better. Or else when he first felt withdrawal we should have called her. But hindsight is a wonderful thing! but we will have learnt for another time.
Thanks again for all your input.

I would certainly hope that your homeopath would phone you back if you left a message.If not they are not offering an adequate service.

__________________
RSHom - Registered Homeopath

Bless your heart, Eliz, I completely sympathise!! My post wasn't meant to chastise in any way - I hope you understand that.

What is the status now, with your boyfriend??

I'm hoping you'll be able to encourage him to go back and try to get off the a/d's (assuming he is still on them?) while the homeopath is treating him.....

It is all a learning curve, isn't it? That is why I posted to say...don't worry too much about the emotion (your homeopath's response..and your own reaction, etc) - because really, the main thing is to try and help your boyfriend...
And to resume your relationship with your homeopath would be nice for you, since you said you had had good progress in the past. Just hang in there...cuz in the end, you'll be happier for having worked through a bit of discomfort, rather than walking away.

I agree with Ricky ...your Homeopath should ring you back - and I can't imagine why one wouldn't if a patient left a message saying "HELP!!!!! We're in a bit of a crisis and need to know what to do". It sounded to me - by her response, that perhaps she'd have much rather have heard from you, than been left out of the loop. And, again, I sympathise and understand that you took him in to the doc as a last resort, with what you knew then . Hopefully now, you'll be able to patch things up and move forward with your homeopath.

Please do let us know how things are now...and if you have spoken with your Homeoapth since then and how it went for you. I'm wishing you the best on this ..it's never easy when one is feeling unsure of the other's reaction. But, again, I think you might be surprised (fingers crossed for you) by her reaction when you do talk to her again....I'm sure she wants nothing more than to help him get on the path to getting off those a/d's and healing. And, I bet she's learned a thing or two for herself....
all a learning curve

Sincerest regards,
Lisa

Hi, in reply to Lisa,
Thanks for the encouragement! I think I was feeling pretty down last night!
I am still wimping out of phoning my homeopath, I have an appointment on 24/7, but as I said earlier i really hate confrontation, i can be such a wimp with some things!
Alistair is now taking just Librium (25mg/day), hes been off the anti depressants for over a year, the antipsycotics they gave him (chlorpromazine) he only actually took for 5 days, the side effects are so awful that he couldn't wait to get off them. Hes had a couple of days of depression this week, partly because I had to go back to work so he didn't have any company (this all happened for our summer hols, lucky us!)
But, today he is feeling alot better, lets hope tommorrow is good too. Hes taking more interest in things, seems to be able to concentrate abit more (he's reading a guitar mag at the mo')
i do hope that he will consider homeopathy again, there are underlying things that he will have to sort out at sometime, his main concern is getting off the drugs at the mo' he hates what they do to him. but I don't want to push anything as I don't want to cause additional worries for him, when he's ready...
Umm err i am procrastinating over this! I can ring the homeopath on Monday, so maybe I'll do that as she'd changed my dose and i was supposed to tell her how I was getting on, that'll perhaps help clear the air abit.
Thanks once again, I'll let you know how I get on....

Dear Elly,

I reread your original post, and it occurred to me that the prescription the homeopath sent you in the mail for your partner to take probably would have been inapropos by the time he started going through withdrawl and was delusional and suicidal. Despite everything Lisa said, I have to say, I would have been quite taken aback myself if I had told my homeopath the aforementioned sad news and was met with a scolding instead of understanding. I have experienced this also, and I have to tell you, it's something you don't easily get over. A dentist once "scolded" me for declining to take antibiotics while I was nursing. A homeopath once attacked me for treating my daughter's cough after he had given her a constitutional remedy. A "friend" yelled at me for not having my daughter vaccinated. (Now an ex-friend.) The truth is, you really don't recover from these things. They pretty much make a relationship from thence-foward impossible.
It's like, someone breaks the rules of civility, and there's no way to go on after that without demeaning yourself.

Miranda Castro--famous homeopath--tells the story about how she was having a very bad day, had missed lunch, was behind schedule, and just then a mother with 2 badly behaved boys walked in to her consulting room and the mom just sat there as the boys walked on the furniture, made a big mess, and finally Miranda erupted with, "These are the worst-
behaved little children that I have ever seen!"
Well, later that night, she called and apologized, explaining that she had missed lunch, blah blah blah. But she knew it was incumbent upon her or the relationship would be over. And most people, I think, would be more inclined to believe that Miranda shouldn't have apologized! Clearly, Elly's case is much less complicated. I can't or don't want to tell Elly what to do, maybe I'm just trying to place the incident into some sort of perspective as I see it, but maybe when Elly talks to her homeopath again on the phone, it may all get resolved, it may all just come together, so I don't want to try to prejudice her, just offer an observation from my vantage point.

Snoopy

Hi Snoopy,
Its interesting what you say...
I think alot of how an individual acts in circumstances like this has to do with how they view professionality.
as i perhaps mentioned before I am an optician, I finished my training last september, the last year of training is in practise supervised by a experienced practitioner. Occasionally patients come for advise and don't like what you have to say, to begin with I took this personally and (after the patient had gone) would discuss the case with my supervisor and be frustrated that the patient wouldn't take my advice. Being the kind calm sort of person he is, he guided me through this to an understanding.
Patients come to ask us our professional opinion, we can only advise them of our professional opinion, they do not have to agree with what we say, nor do they have to take our advise. This philosophy would work for many proffesions I am sure. to me getting cross with a patient and pushing my view is not constructive, patients will argue, for example, that they do not require spectacles for driving, and so on, but to me if I explain WHY I feel this or that course of action is appropriate, show them the improvement in their vision (not always possible in homeopathy to demonstrate so clearly I would imagine!) then let them make up their own mind in their own time, they have at least made a educated decision. But this takes time and often patience, which is why I guess some people wouldn't be bothered.
So far as I am concerned a professional is a 'learned advisor' whose advise I take, wholly, partially, or not at all, depending upon my own views.
I would totally agree that scolding, telling off, or chastising an adult is a counterproductive thing to do, where a child may respect an older (and presumably wiser) person, an adult will feel patronised, and it shows a lack of respect on the part of the practitioner. as someone said earlier, it is YOUR decision.
I suppose being in a professional position makes me more critical. But if some homeopaths have what i call a 'god complex' unfortunately they may find themselves widely criticised by the general public in the way allopathic doctors are increasing in this country. (this is true for all professions! Opticians who think of themselves as the all knowing will come unstuck too!) Isn't it a shame that an arrogant attitude of a profession can lead to widespread dissolution of it s clientelle, so much so that they go in search of and are willing to pay a small fortune for alternatives? (Allopathy is pretty good at patching us up when we meet with sharp or large objects, with abit of force, we all have to admit that!)
OK I'll get off my probably not particually well informed soap box now!!!!
Alistair is feeling stronger,and is going to speak to our homeopath on Monday, and if he gets an unplesant response, it'll make up our minds to go else where, if not I'll have a chat and give her another chance. That helps me with the confrontation thing abit too!! Will let you know how we go.

PS what does 'inpropros' mean (thickie here!)
inapropriate?

Dear Elly,

As for your P.S., yes, you guessed right. I felt that your partner was in a new state at that point and his case would have needed to be retaken.

You mentioned professionalism. The funny thing is, Hahnemann, the founder of homeopathy, was very clear in his writings about how homeopaths are to behave with their patients, that they are to be nonjudgemental, unprejudiced, and to keep quiet as much as possible so that the patient can do all the talking he feels is necessary; you're not even supposed to interrupt. In section 98 of
THE ORGANON by Samuel Hahnemann, he writes:

"Since the physician must pay particular attention to what the patient himself says about his complaints and sensations, and especially the exact expressions the patient uses to describe them--because in the mouths of relatives and attendants they often become altered and distorted--uncovering the true, complete detailed picture of any disease, but especially of a chronic one, requires a high degree of tact, consideration, knowledge of human nature, care in questioning, and patience."

He's saying, if you yell at people you're not gonna get the case!

So, there's no excuse, very unprofessional, as I said before.

Snoopy

I don't necessarily disagree with Snoops - not about the aim in case-taking, etc...as pointed out above.

But, it is a bit extreme to think that every practitioner is going to be 100% - 100% of the time.....not only that, but to say - "Oh, I have to switch to a new Homeopath now, because my practitioner was 'disapproving with me - or a bit harsh and annoyed once'" is also a knee-jerk reaction.

All I was saying above, was to think it through with some logic, practicality and yes, even a bit of the old gut-feeling/instinct.

It would be a pity to walk away having judged one's practitioner from ONE instance of frustration (and understandably, imo...and that isn't to say that she couldn't have just kept her frustration to herself, so don't think I approve of those who are abusive to patients..no way!...). Anyhow, I hope you do take that wee step and speak with her rather than running away from the whole thing.

It's far easier to dump-n-run, than it is to work things out.....and that goes for all avenues in life. 'Course, if she has a pattern of treating patients this way when she is frustrated...well, I'd find another practioner, then.

But, if this was a one-off - and I got the impression it was....then really, you owe it to yourself to talk with her - if only to re-establish your boundaries and maybe even a wee bit of dignity for yourself ...not to mention - resuming your good treatment you said you received before this .

I do wish you the best...and if it's meant to work out...I'm sure all will go fine when you speak with her...

I'm hoping Alistair is hanging in there....

I won't be online much until later in the summer...but I hope to see he's making some progress when I'm able to get back online.

Take care,
Lisa

Hi
Just to let you know, I was feeling brave, so I rang the homeopath myself!!!
She seemed unaware that she may have upset, me and chatted quite aimiably. I spoke to her about Alistair and she seemed alot more sympathetic this time. I think I will mention that she upset me at my next appointment, but give her a chance first. It was possibly the situation that I was in that made me abit over sensitive too. If I get a bad feeling, or am not happy again though I'll be off!!!
Thanks for all your help and advice, I'll let you know how alistair gets on.