As I said in the last newsletter, in "Impossible Cure: The Promise of Homeopathy," author Amy Lansky tells the incredible story of how she used homeopathy to cure her son of autism. Although Lansky is not a medical professional, she has a Ph.D. from Stanford and worked for NASA as a researcher. She has more than enough scientific training to provide a compelling and easy to understand description of how homeopathy can be used to treat "incurable conditions" like autism.
Along with this compelling testimonial, Lansky provides an in-depth account on the history, philosophy and practice of homeopathy, as well as dozens of other testimonials on the power of homeopathy in curing various health problems.
The following is from an e-interview we recently had with Amy Lansky, PhD:
Who should read "Impossible Cure" and why?
"Impossible Cure" was written for a general audience. Anyone interested in learning more about homeopathy will enjoy it--and will learn a great deal about the history, philosophy and practice of homeopathy. There is also an extensive chapter on scientific studies and theories of how homeopathy works. The one thing that this book is not, however, is a self-treatment book. It does not explain how to treat specific ailments nor does it describe specific remedies in detail.
Basically, the book is a general introduction to homeopathy and its view of health, disease and cure. Its coverage is so broad and deep that many homeopathic training programs are adopting it as a text for their students. At the same time, even more homeopaths are adopting it as their primary patient education book. Because the book also includes dozens of first-person testimonials of cure, for a wide variety of ailments, people from all backgrounds--from complete novice to seasoned practitioner--have found it quite entertaining. One of these testimonials is a chapter on my son's cure from autism--creating another important audience for this book: parents of autistic children.
Overall, I can promise you that "Impossible Cure" is not a dry, boring book on homeopathy. It takes a rather intense, personal look at how the traditional medical system has failed us and how homeopathy may be the answer to many people's health problems.
What do you hope to achieve with its message?
My primary motive for writing this book was to let everyone know about homeopathy--to provide them with enough information so that they too can find a cure. Given my own experiences, I find it completely unacceptable that homeopathy is probably the least-understood form of alternative medicine today.
Of course, I am especially motivated to reach other parents with autistic children. My son's cure was a miracle, and I want other children to be saved as well. It's not simple though. Homeopathic treatment of something as serious as autism (or any other form of chronic disease) cannot be done through self-treatment. People need to learn a lot about homeopathy to find a well-trained practitioner and stick with it. A well-educated patient is crucial in homeopathy because patients must be active participants in their treatment. Happily, I can report that I personally know of several families who have pursued homeopathic treatment of their autistic children because of my book. Many of these children are already showing great improvement.
What was it that first gave you the idea of using homeopathy to treat your son?
I read an article about homeopathy in Mothering magazine. It was focused on the treatment of ADHD but also on other kinds of behavioral problems in children. It really struck a chord with me; I found a homeopath the next day. The rest is history!
What did homeopathy have to offer that traditional medicine did not?
In our son's case, traditional medicine had nothing to offer. We were using speech and language therapy, but aside from these kinds of behavioral therapies, traditional medicine had nothing to offer us. I already had a leaning toward alternative medicine and was open to new ideas. For example, I was trying various kinds of food elimination with my son. But when I read about homeopathy, I somehow knew it was a dramatically different approach--something that could be truly curative, rather than something that simply "maintained" a person to make things more manageable.
Aside from reading your book, what other resources do you recommend for people struggling with autism?
There is so much out there, it is hard to answer! I would say that the Internet is your best resource. There are so many alternative approaches to autism, and you can find out about all of them on the Internet. Another resource is a book that has just been published by the Autism Research Institute called "Treating Autism." I also found Barry Neil Kaufman's book about his son--"Son Rise"--very helpful, especially with respect to the importance of parental attitude and the power of intentionality.
Obviously, though, I believe that homeopathic treatment provides the best hope for a true cure of autism, especially if it is pursued when a child is fairly young--ideally before age 5 or 6. Even after, though, great improvement can be achieved. Because we began homeopathic treatment of our son when he was only 3 1/2 years, we never pursued other treatments such as secretin, chelation and various supplements. We never needed that! So I never became an expert on these treatments and, for the most part, remained outside of the "autism community." Homeopathy was enough and it carried us the whole way.
People often contact me because they have heard about my son's cure. I always tell them these things:
Those interested in reading more should also check out my book Web site: http://www.impossiblecure.com. In the future I plan to update it with more information and recommendations.
For those who have never experienced homeopathic medicine, what can they expect to experience when they first try it out?
The most important thing is to find an experienced classical practitioner. Two good referral lists are: http://www.homeopathy-cures.com/referral.htm and http://www.homeopathicdirectory.com. Unfortunately, there are not enough well-trained classical practitioners out there.
When you go, expect your appointment to be something that's a cross between visiting a psychologist and a physician. Chapter Eight of my book provides a comprehensive guide to prepare you for an appointment. A practitioner will usually take a one- or two-hour interview. It will cover all of your physical, mental, emotional and behavioral symptoms. All of this information is crucial, so it's helpful to think about your symptoms in advance and mark things down.
For example, a homeopath will want to know about the exact nature of your symptoms--when they began, what makes them worse or better (e.g., times of day, foods, clothing, body positions, situations, weather), what times they occur, etc. They will want to know your food cravings and aversions, what your personality is like, what your hobbies are--really anything and everything about you that makes you a unique individual. The more peculiar the better! Things like lab tests are almost completely irrelevant to a homeopath. What's important are the symptoms you experience.
Interestingly, each homeopathic remedy is associated with a vast list of symptoms as well--physical, emotional, behavioral, etc. The job of the homeopath is to find the remedy whose symptoms best match yours. It's really all about matching the symptom pattern of the patient to the symptom pattern of a remedy. The closer the match, the more truly curative a remedy can be. That's why peculiar symptoms are really important in homeopathy--because they can lead to a remedy that's just right for you.
What would you say to people who are skeptical about homeopathy?
I would say: Try it! What do you have to lose? If you believe that a homeopathic remedy is simply a little sugar pill, then it can't hurt you, right?
I would also say, read Chapter Seven of my book. It includes pointers to many clinical trials and a discussion of how homeopathy might work. People who say that homeopathy has not withstood rigorous scientific trials are simply ignorant of what's out there.
Do you have plans to write another book?
Not in the near term. I've been incredibly busy keeping up with the promotion and distribution of "Impossible Cure," and it's really just beginning to take off. I do have ideas about another potential book though. "Impossible Cure" has dozens of testimonial stories in it--they help to make the book quite engaging. My idea is a follow-on book containing more testimonial stories, annotated by my own comments and explanations. I've set up a facility at my Web site to collect these stories and to make them available online. Go to www.impossiblecure.com to find out more and to make your own contribution.