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If you've suffered from nocturnal enuresis (bed wetting) or supported someone who does then you will know what a scourge it is.

Charlie, a 12 year old boy came to see me when his anxiety levels related to bedwetting was becoming too much to bear. He was starting secondary school in a few months and couldn't cope with the thought that he would still be wetting. He was taking Desmopressin medication and had been for years but he really wanted to come off it. 6 months into homeopathic treatment his wish came true - no more meds and no more wet nights.

So how did homeopathy effect such long-lasting improvement when medication and psychotherapy failed to resolve his nocturnal enuresis over years of treatment?.

Homeopathy has a radically different approach. Firstly we look at the whole picture. Charlie suffered from a lot of anxiety and consistent worries for a boy his age. He struggled with anticipatory anxiety before events and worried about his family and school work. He also really didn't like to be separated from his mom for any length of time. Charlie was known to be very kind, sensitive and gentle. Sensitive to criticism, ambitious and overly responsible. He suffered with tummy aches, recurrent ear infections and eczema. All of the above was considered alongside nocturnal enuresis and all improved with homeopathic treatment.

Secondly we figure out what the underlying cause is and address it. Possible root causes include hormonal imbalance, gut issues e.g. chronic constipation, and trauma. It is not uncommon for children to start bedwetting when undergoing some form of psychological stress e.g. moving home, insecurity, domestic discord, separation anxiety. Charlie's mother said his birth was very traumatic, and mom and son had suffered a serious accident in the first year of his life.

Elizabeth Adalian author of the book 'Touching base with Trauma' has found in her practice that 'bedwetting is often a vicarious symptom - a vent, perhaps - for an unexpressed trauma in the family'. She says 'the symbiosis between parent and child should never be overlooked'. She gives an example of a case of a 5 year old girl who only recovered after her mother received Natrum muriaticum for suppressed grief over the death of a close friend.

There is often a link made between family history and nocturnal enuresis. If one or both of a child's parents wet the bed as children, their child has a significant chance of wetting the bed, too. Perhaps this is down to epigenetics. Adalian states - 'if there is an inherited pattern to nocturnal enuresis, it could be that a similar dynamic operated in the previous generation which is being replayed'. In my experience this is something constitutional homeopathic treatment can address.

Nocturnal enuresis is about three times more common in kids who have ADHD. According to pediatrician Elizabeth Harstad this may be because both conditions are associated with a delay in the development of the central nervous system, or possibly because children with ADHD have a more difficult time paying attention to their bodily cues.

Treatment approaches include behavioural modification therapy and positive reinforcement. A doctor may prescribe desmopressin but long term use is not recommended unless all other methods have been tried and failed. There is a risk to a child taking this medication, they could become overloaded with fluid and developing hyponatraemia (dangerously low level of sodium (salt) in the blood), close monitoring and careful management is required if a long-term course of desmopressin is prescribed.

Current treatment strategies are rarely effective and parents and kids are told they will grow out of it eventually. Not much of a consolation to an isolated child who is avoiding sleep overs with friends and is suffering from a severe loss of self-esteem, or too his distressed family who are desperate to find help. Homeopathic treatment offers a safe, effective and gentle option for them.

Charlie and his family never looked back. Resolving his nocturnal enuresis made a massive difference to his quality of life, boosted his confidence and relieved his anxiety. Following is a brief synopsis of Charlies treatment regarding nocturnal enuresis and related anxiety. As mentioned above Charlie experienced other improvements in his health alongside the changes below.

Sources:

Elizabeth Adalian. Touching Base with Trauma - Reaching across the generation: A three dimensional homeopathic perspective.

https://www.understood.org/en/learning-attention-issues/child-learning-disabilities/add-adhd/adhd-and-bedwetting

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/bed-wetting/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20366711

Disclaimer: This article is for educational purposes only and not intended to replace the advice of your physician or health care provider. First aid situations may require medical or hospital care. Do not use this article as a means to diagnose a health condition. Speak to your doctor if you think that your condition may be serious, before discontinuing any medication that has been prescribed for you, or before starting any new treatment.