Articles / Bedwetting

Homeopathy for Bedwetting
as published in the May 2004 issue of Human Spirit Magazine

Nocturnal Enuresis, commonly known as bedwetting, is a relatively common disorder fraught with physical, emotional and social implications. By the age of three approximately 60% of children will be dry through the night. Usually mostly boys will continue to experience bed wetting at this point and about 85% of them will sleep dry by the age of five. Of the remaining 15% some will sleep dry part of the time but will experience periods of bed wetting even into early adulthood (1% at age 18).
The causes of bedwetting are myriad and often difficult to pinpoint. Bedwetting can be exacerbated by psychological problems, fear or emotional stress. It can involve poor muscle control or crossed signals in the communication between the nervous system and the brain. Fear and/or a nervous disposition can place enormous stress on the kidney and bladder. Sufferers may be anemic, or poorly nourished children with weak nerves and nervous temperaments. A dream may suggest the idea of urination, resulting in consequent wetting of the bed. With some children, bedwetting is merely a habit. There is also evidence that if both parents of a child wet the bed, that child has a 77% chance of being a bed wetter too. If only one of the child's parents wet the bed the probability drops to about 44%. It tends to disappear as the child grows older, but for some parents, the wait can seem endless.
Your child is not at fault. Reprimanding a child who wets the bed does more harm than good, since your bedwetting child will already be feeling insecure, embarrassed and completely alone. Bedwetting occurs at a very important time in a child's life; a time when they are learning to develop social skills and make new friends. Children need reassurance and support during this period. Parents, on the other hand, need to be understanding and have lots of patience.
Homeopathy is a powerful yet gentle system of medicine that can help. Homeopathy treats the person as a whole, taking into consideration the physical, mental and emotional aspects of each person seeking help. The smallest detail about someone's medical history, sleep patterns, dreams, appetite, digestion, temperament and personality, offers clues, guiding the homeopath to the correct remedy. Regardless of the triggering cause of your child's bedwetting, homeopathy has a solution. A homeopathic remedy is prescribed for the cause, the weak bladder or the emotional factor, rather than the bedwetting, which is a mere symptom. Homeopaths believe that the connection between the body and emotions is so strong, that physical ailments cannot be healed without addressing the emotions involved.

Case #1: One mother brought her 8-year-old boy to me 6 months ago. Jason would web his bed on most nights, sometime after 4:00 a.m. Efforts to wake him up before this time, to use the washroom, had been futile most of the time. Jason was a very deep sleeper. His urgency to urinate, his predisposition to diarrhea, frequent throat disorders coupled with his capricious personality led me to the remedy Krosotum. With 2 doses of this remedy over a period of 2 months, Jason was dry most of the time. According to his father, Jason was happier and showed more interest in engaging in social activities.

Case #2: Seth, a 6-year-old boy, had been toilet trained at the age of 3, only to regress to bedwetting after the birth of his baby sister. Seth was a healthy and highly active boy. His only issue was extreme jealousy towards his sister. He had been known to strike her and was heard saying "I hate you" on several occasions. After two doses of the remedy Hyoscyamus (over a 6 week period) Seth was much more tolerant of his sister and his bedwetting was reduced by 50%. After the 3rd dose and a period of 6 more weeks, Seth had only had one episode of wetting his bed. He was calmer, happier and enjoyed playing with his sister.

Other bedwetting cases similar to Seth's, where the child had regressed after being dry for a period, included the triggering events of parent's divorcing, severe reprimand at school, sudden fear of the dark or being alone, and nightmares. Each child was unique in his/her sleep patterns, bedwetting habits, medical history and personality. As a result each required a different homeopathic remedy. In all cases, not only did the carefully prescribed homeopathic remedy help with the bedwetting, each child experienced improvement in other areas of health.

Case #3: Last fall I saw a 9-year-old girl who had never stopped bedwetting. In addition, Amy would sometimes lose small amounts of urine upon coughing, sneezing or laughing. Amy suffered with recurrent colds and throat infections, frequency and urgency to urinate, and some numbness in her limbs. She was easily chilled and preferred warm weather and wearing layers of clothing. Amy looked sad, and according to her mother, did not make much effort to socialize with friends. Her extreme sensitivity and over-sympathetic nature towards people and animals, along with her physical ailments led me to the remedy Causticum. I saw Amy 3 more times during the winter. To date, her mother says, Amy is much happier, more social and has only suffered with one cold this past winter. She is no longer losing urine while laughing or sneezing and her bedwetting only occurs once every few weeks. Amy is scheduled to see me again next week, and I'm certain that with continued treatment her condition will further improve.

Whether your child's bedwetting is a result of physical weakness, emotional stress, or mere habit, homeopathy offers a unique and individualized solution. As an added bonus, homeopathic treatment will also improve other health problems your child may be experiencing. ...pretty good prospect.

Tamara Der-Ohanian is a Classical Homeopath practicing and teaching in Toronto and Bolton. She can be reached at 416-385-1001.

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