Caring for the carers

Don’t get me wrong - caring for other people can be great, but compassion fatigue amongst carers is a serious issue. I have a very helpful GP, but if I visit him for a diagnosis, I invariably end up hearing about his heavy caseload of seriously sick or unhappy patients, and the piles of paperwork he’s required to do. As I sit there, sympathetically nodding, I sometimes wonder who’s the patient and who’s the doctor, and I do wonder who’s looking after him.

People who are looking after loved ones often call the Phoenix Homeopathy clinic, asking whether we can help their ill friend or relative, and in these situations, before the call ends I try to ask whether the caller has any support. I was trained to do this by a voluntary organisation I used to help at – we were taught that the ostensible reason for the call – “can you help my friend?” might in fact carry an unacknowledged subtext of “please can you help me cope?” Often, carers who call up seem surprised and touched that someone is asking how they’re coping, but anyone who supports others needs support in turn.

The job of a good homeopath is to walk alongside each patient for a while on their self-healing journey, and to be an extra tool in their self-repairing tool-kit, providing guidance, support, individualised non-toxic homeopathic remedies, and suggestions to encourage natural healing. It’s a huge and humbling privilege to do this, but as anyone with a demanding friend will know, listening to a catalogue of woes all day long without proper self-care can take its toll on the chirpiest of personalities. This is because practising as a homeopath requires caring for patients at a deep and profound level. The homeopath needs to understand each individual patient’s experience in detail – what each person’s symptoms really feel like, and what life in general is like for that person – in order to prescribe the closest possible remedy match. To connect and care for others like this on a daily basis, I’ve found that I need to receive care, too.

After clinic ended on Saturday, in this spirit of looking after myself, I had my first-ever facial rejuvenation massage with Cathy at Brighton & Hove Therapies (www.brightonandhovetherapies.com). The idea of this anti-ageing facial massage for men or women, Cathy told me, is to improve lymphatic drainage and blood supply, and thereby improve skin tone and elasticity, and I was keen to try it because Cathy and I have considered teaming up to offer her holistic face lift massage alongside the homeopathic anti-ageing protocol I offer patients.

Cathy used to work at Covent Garden’s famous Sanctuary spa, and has treated plenty of celebrities in her time, and her experience certainly showed in her warm and confident approach. The facial, neck, head and shoulder massage with uplifting orange oil was so relaxing that I dropped off to sleep, so in terms of unwinding, I’d say that was a result. I definitely felt more relaxed and revived than usual that evening, and although I didn’t expect to see a difference in my skin tone after one treatment (an initial course of four is recommended), I’m amazed to see that my laughter lines seem fainter this morning, and my skin is so clear, soft and smooth that I’m giving it a make-up free day, today. Given that attention to self-care is a requirement for practising professional homeopathy, perhaps I should ask my accountant whether a course of facial rejuvenation massages might be tax deductible!

For more information about homeopathy and natural approaches to healthcare, visit www.phoenixhomeopathy.com, and if you’re in need of some relaxation or facial rejuvenation, visit www.brightonandhovetherapies.com.