Homeopathy eases a child’s distress

There has been a spate of teen suicides recently. Blame it on pressure from parents and peers. Moody blues in children are different from adult depression. Many depressed children act as if they’re ill so they don’t have to go to school. They also emote that they are scared of a strict teacher, a bully in class, or academic outcomes. As a result, their grades decline dramatically. These children start getting into problems at school, In course of time, they become bad-tempered and pessimistic. They feel they’re misunderstood. To reverse the slide, they may pick up bad habits — smoking, alcohol, etc. This only heightens their depression and dependence.

Parents have a huge responsibility. They should pay attention to sudden, unusual changes in their child’s mood and behaviour. Examples are sadness or feelings of guilt for no reason, loss of confidence 'as if nothing good is going to happen', loss of interest in hobbies, music, sports, or being with friends, and going out. The child also prefers to be left alone. If this is not managed appropriately, there may be an emotional debacle. If parents feel that their child is depressed, they should act quickly. If there’s any suspicion of a suicidal tendency, immediate professional help is a must.

Homeopathy is certainly useful for children going through depression. It would be best for the child to receive homeopathic treatment early, along with counselling — because in our hectic world, it’s not uncommon to see even twelve-year-old kids talk about death. Many parents come to me because their children have either shown no progress, or because they’ve experienced major side effects with anti-depressants. Homeopathy is gentle. It is free of side effects. What’s more, children love those sweet, little pills.

Homeopathy is individualised medicine — it takes special care to look into each child’s problems as being unique, more than the illness alone. No two children are the same — by way of temperament, sensitivities, likings or dislikes. For example, a child having feelings of separation or constant brooding feels withdrawn, isolated and greatly depressed;he/she may feel better with the homeopathic Natrum Muriaticum. Homeopathy also treats children at deeper levels to bring balanced, positive behavioural changes.

Article by Dr Mukesh Batra
L.C.E.H., F.H.M.A. (U.K.), F.R.S.H. (Med) P.(Lon), M.D.H. (U.S.A.), F.B.I.H.(U.K.)
Published in Times of India on 25 January 2010