POLISH YOUR SKILLS: How to avoid 5 Common Mistakes when Self Prescribing in an Acute Scenario
- Anjum Rahmatulla
- Jun 17
- 3 min read
Do you get frustrated when you can't find a remedy?
Do you find it difficult to understand how to go about finding an accurate remedy?
Do you want to understand the mistakes you might be making, so you can avoid them in the future?
This blog will help you to be more accurate when you are prescribing a homeopathic remedy for a first aid or acute scenario.
These are what I consider the top 5 mistakes to be:
1. Do NOT assume there is one remedy for a specific complaint eg thinking of Belladonna for a high fever.
This is prescribing for a diagnosis, whereas in homeopathy, observing the patient is key. Think instead about:
What do they look like?
How do they feel?
What has changed from normal for them?
2. Think about the potential cause or reason as to why an acute has happened.. If you can identify the cause of a problem, eg the fever came on after getting chilled in the cold air, or a toothache started after a lot of dental work; it makes it easier to find a close-fitting remedy.
3. Modalities are essential to any type of prescribing. So find out about modalities. These are what makes the complaint better AND worse OR what makes the person feel better OR worse. Eg. My sore throat is better for sucking ice; my headache is worse for any movement. Why? Because that is how you can differentiate between close remedies.
4. Dosage is tricky if you are unfamiliar with homeopathy. But fear not. I was there once, and like everyone else, I learned, as you will too.
Giving one dose of a remedy and expecting it to bring about change immediately is unrealistic. Though it can and does happen. I usually give or take one pillule/pellet as one dose, though you can take more.
In an acute situation, you can give upto 4 doses of a chosen remedy before you can decide if it has helped or not. The gaps between doses will depend on the intensity of the symptoms experienced. The more intense, the shorter the gaps between doses. If the remedy has not helped by the time you get to dose no.4, then stop. Rethink. Find another remedy.
5. Giving too much of a remedy is also problematic.
Once you find a remedy is helping, it is best to lengthen the gap between doses as the vital force, our healing capacity, has now sprung into action.
Repeat a dose when you feel the symptoms are coming back. You do NOT keep repeating the remedy without observation of whether changes are taking place in the patient.
Let the body adjust and adapt. Observe if symptoms are getting better. If yes, then stay your hand. If symptoms return, then dose again. Lengthen the gap between doses.
If you give too much of a remedy, it can bring back the same symptoms you were trying to heal!
Thank you for reading my blog.
I hope you have found this blog useful. If you have any questions about it, get in touch. I would love to hear from you. Also, if you know anyone who might benefit from reading this, please do pass it on.
If you are still unsure, please feel free to contact me. I offer coaching sessions for many different issues and I tailor them to what you need.
I also offer acute consultations if you feel under confident about prescribing for first aid/acute scenarios. Full consultations are also available for those wanting or needing a whole person approach for longer term issues or recurring issues.
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