Etat des lieux de l'homéopathie en Belgique - KCE
Etat des lieux de l'homéopathie en Belgique - KCE
Etat des lieux de l'homéopathie en Belgique - KCE
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<strong>KCE</strong> Reports 154 Homeopathy 39<br />
3.3.5.3 Homeopathy or allopathy?<br />
Users visit their homeopath just as they would a conv<strong>en</strong>tional g<strong>en</strong>eral practitioner, that<br />
is to say, they consult the homeopath on all the ordinary problems that arise<br />
throughout the year, according to the seasons and circumstances. The comm<strong>en</strong>ts of<br />
User 1 illustrate this organisation of homeopathy use (and its perceived powers):<br />
“ Aussi bi<strong>en</strong> moi que mes <strong>en</strong>fants, on se fait soigner par homéopathie pour <strong><strong>de</strong>s</strong> choses<br />
relativem<strong>en</strong>t bénignes, pour les petits bobos que l’on peut avoir tout au long <strong>de</strong> l’année: pour<br />
un rhume <strong>de</strong> foins, une angine, une pharyngite, une diarrhée, une gastro, <strong><strong>de</strong>s</strong> petits boutons sur<br />
le corps… là on s’adresse à l’homéopathe, uniquem<strong>en</strong>t, et cela marche très bi<strong>en</strong>… Mais il n’y<br />
a jamais ri<strong>en</strong> eu <strong>de</strong> grave…” (User 1)<br />
“Ik heb e<strong>en</strong> huisarts, bijvoorbeeld voor mijn hart <strong>en</strong> bloeddruk. Ik moet pill<strong>en</strong> nem<strong>en</strong><br />
teg<strong>en</strong> <strong>de</strong> bloeddruk <strong>en</strong> hartritmestoorniss<strong>en</strong>. Ik heb dat voorgelegd aan <strong>de</strong> homeopaat <strong>en</strong> die<br />
heeft gezegd “sommige medicam<strong>en</strong>t<strong>en</strong> moet ge volledig nem<strong>en</strong> zoals <strong>de</strong> huisarts heeft gezegd,<br />
maar an<strong>de</strong>re kunt ge wat min<strong>de</strong>r innem<strong>en</strong>”. In plaats van alle dag<strong>en</strong>, om <strong>de</strong> 2 of 3 dag<strong>en</strong>. Hij<br />
heeft ook gezegd “die medicam<strong>en</strong>t<strong>en</strong> van <strong>de</strong> huisarts moet ge alle dag<strong>en</strong> nem<strong>en</strong>”. Dat is het<br />
voor<strong>de</strong>el dat <strong>de</strong> homeopaat ook e<strong>en</strong> gewone arts is.” (User 9)<br />
It is only wh<strong>en</strong> things become complicated that users consult an allopathic physician.<br />
In<strong>de</strong>ed, they make a distinction betwe<strong>en</strong> ordinary ailm<strong>en</strong>ts that they personally consi<strong>de</strong>r<br />
to come within the jurisdiction of homeopathy and problems they themselves <strong><strong>de</strong>s</strong>cribe<br />
as “more serious” or requiring “mechanical” interv<strong>en</strong>tion, for which they prefer to use<br />
conv<strong>en</strong>tional medicine.<br />
“La mé<strong>de</strong>cine ‘classique’ est vraim<strong>en</strong>t intéressante pour les actes plus ‘mécaniques’ et<br />
pour <strong><strong>de</strong>s</strong> maladies plus graves aussi, je dirais…” (User 1)<br />
“Ma plus petite fille avait une inversion <strong><strong>de</strong>s</strong> vaisseaux cardiaques à la naissance, ce qui<br />
veut dire interv<strong>en</strong>tion chirurgicale directe, sans quoi je n’aurais pas <strong>de</strong> petite fille. Maint<strong>en</strong>ant,<br />
elle est soignée par homéopathie, les <strong>de</strong>ux sont toujours liées, elle aura toujours une relation<br />
avec l’hôpital…” (User 4)<br />
The <strong>de</strong>cision to use a homeopath rather than a conv<strong>en</strong>tional therapist is always a matter<br />
of users weighing up the situation, <strong>de</strong>p<strong>en</strong>ding on their perception of the gravity of the<br />
problem and their experi<strong>en</strong>ce of the differ<strong>en</strong>t treatm<strong>en</strong>t alternatives.<br />
• The <strong>de</strong>cision to use homeopathy is set in the context of a variety of<br />
circumstances prompting users to switch from conv<strong>en</strong>tional medicine to a<br />
differ<strong>en</strong>t type of medicine.<br />
• Homeopathy is <strong><strong>de</strong>s</strong>cribed as an i<strong>de</strong>al choice for treating childr<strong>en</strong>.<br />
• Another reason for turning to a homeopath is the onset of certain chronic<br />
health problems for which no solutions have be<strong>en</strong> found in conv<strong>en</strong>tional<br />
medicine.<br />
• In some cases the family background and habits, which implies some form of<br />
transmission of healthcare choices, play a <strong>de</strong>cisive role in the use of<br />
homeopathy.<br />
• Users make a distinction betwe<strong>en</strong> ordinary ailm<strong>en</strong>ts, which they refer to<br />
their homeopath, and problems that are “more serious” or requiring<br />
mechanical interv<strong>en</strong>tion, for which they prefer to use conv<strong>en</strong>tional medicine.