Harold, aged 47, came to see me with multiple complaints.

He suffered from chronic insomnia (waking after 2am or 3am and unable to sleep), recurrent indigestion aggravated by salty and spicy foods (although he enjoyed them) and a recurrent upper respiratory infection characterised by an irritating dry cough. He also had an abhorrence of making decisions, regarding both major (career) and minor (grocery shopping) things. He worked in real estate but was immensely dissatisfied and didn’t know what he most wanted to do. Being single (never married and having no children), he lived alone. He had a craving for coffee (consuming 15-20 cups per day).

The first prescription was to be taken morning and evening. I didn’t venture to offer any other advice at this stage, having found that most men only make lifestyle changes very slowly.

He returned to see me three weeks later. He had developed an aversion to coffee (‘I can only drink two or three cups per day now’); his sleep had improved (he had woken after 2am only twice) and he no longer experienced cough or cold symptoms. Most importantly, for him, he had made a significant decision regarding a career change.

Having begun to develop a confidence in our therapeutic relationship, Harold is still a regular patient and pleased with the improvements in his health with the aid of homeopathy.

DAVID LEVY, AHA professional member, Five Dock, NSW