Editorial

Homeopathy for Teens and Young Adults: Facing the Challenges of Life

This issue of Homoeopathic Links is focussing on a topic which I think you will agree is an important one in the present day. It has probably always been difficult to be young but perhaps never as hard as it is now. Young people are not only facing great pressures financially and socially but are also doing it at a time of social breakdown and so the structures which could help them are weak or lacking.

As an illustration of the difficulties they are facing, in the United Kingdom we currently have nearly one million “NEETS” – young people of between 16 and 24 years of age who are basically doing nothing: Not in Education, Employment or Training. NEET is a politically correct term – we used to call them dropouts. Whether we call them NEETS or dropouts the shocking truth is that one in seven of them will be dead within ten years – being a NEET is bad for you.

It is informative to look at the statistics relating to a disturbing behavioural pathology in young people – self-harming. A recent report stated that the National Health Service in the UK treated 22,000 young people between the age of 10 and 19 for self-mutilation in 2012. This was an 11 % increase on the previous year and a nearly 30 % increase in the 10 to 14-year-old age group. The childrenʼs charity Young Minds says it believes a number of factors have caused this disturbing increase: including bullying, exam pressures and family breakdown.

Homeopathy of course has a big role to play in helping children suffering with this very sad condition, and all kinds of psychological problems which prevent them from growing into healthy, happy adults who can enjoy their lives and make a positive contribution to their communities.

A number of other statistics to do with young people are also cause for concern. For example in the UK 95 % of imprisoned young offenders have a mental health disorder. Many of them are struggling with more than one disorder. More than half of all adults with mental health problems were originally diagnosed in childhood. Appropriate homeopathic treatment for these children could make all the difference, helping them to have happy lives and to make a positive contribution to society.

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder responds wonderfully well to the correct homeopathic treatment. Untreated children and adolescents with this condition are more likely than their peers to go on to have psychological problems as adults and are more likely to become users of illicit drugs, indulge in delinquent activity and ultimately to descend into criminality. Treated successfully as youngsters their life stories can be very different and the financial savings to the wider community are likely to be enormous.

Sexual behaviour in young people also shows there are problems. In the UK nearly a third of men and a quarter of women currently begin sexual behaviour before the legal age of consent. However 20 % of young men and nearly half of young women say they wish they had waited longer before starting to have sex. Issues to do with self-esteem, confidence levels and peer pressure impact greatly on the choices young people make about their sexual activity and again homeopathy can help to strengthen a young personʼs ability to make decisions they will be happy with.

This issue demonstrates how wonderfully homeopathy can relieve the suffering caused by a range of debilitating mental health problems.

Many thanks to my colleagues who have submitted their inspiring cases which show how homeopathy has turned around the lives of young people who are struggling to make their way.

Dr Jonathan Hardy, Guest-editor
E-mail: [e-mail]
Website: www.drjonathanhardy.co.uk