Electrically sensitive?
We missed M’s last homeopath appointment because I got mixed up about dates and times, so in the end we just spoke on the phone and rearranged his appointment for this week. M hadn’t really changed or improved after his last visit, there was nothing noticeable after taking his remedies like there was after his first visit. The homeopath said she was wondering if he might be sensitive to emissions from the computer etc because his meltdowns are closely related (but not exclusive to) computer use so she sent a remedy to try that through the post.
This weekend I thought I’d better start considering how he’s been since our last visit so I can make relevant comments at the appointment. I have to say the whole electrical sensitivity thing makes me think “oh FFS” but you know, anything is worth a try. And anyway, lots of things I now think of as obvious and important in our family were things I had a similar reaction to initially 
Thinking back, I realised that M hasn’t had a major meltdown in the last few weeks since he had the remedy. He has had some partial ones, but not to the screaming and throwing things extent of previously. So perhaps there is something in it.
I had a bit of an internet trawl to read more about “electrical sensitivity” and I still have to say about 80% of me is in the “oh FFS” camp, especially when at least half the sites I found were either trying to sell you protective crystals or all about ghost hunting. The other 20% of me is wondering if I should be taking it a bit more seriously given he goes bright red in the face when he’s been on the PC long and getting to meltdown (thought it was an adrenaline thing but it’s listed as an effect of being sensitive to EMR) and the remedy seems to have had a positive effect. Also, other forms of EMR are bad for us in too high amounts - UV light, microwaves for instance. But it is so hard to work out which people are talking complete rubbish about it and keep things in proportion.
Then there’s the question of how do you meaningfully measure the amount of EMF exposure around the house and know what level is too high? How do you make a hassle/potential benefit analysis. Is it sensible to reduce exposure just in case? There is electrical equipment and presumeably EM fields everywhere in the house, we’re surrounded by electrical equipment. And the amounts are only increasing what with the 3 phone handsets, wireless router, baby monitor, computers. We have a substation across the playing area at the bottom of the garden, but A says he thinks that’s too far away to be having an effect in the house. Are some things much worse emitters than others? Shall we just go live in the middle of nowhere and have done with it??!
One site suggested unplugging absolutely everything in the house from the sockets at night (they radiate even when plugged in) and seeing if you sleep better - now if it is really the cause of M sleeping poorly that would be great to find out, so we’ll probably try that (except for the fridge, washing machine, fish tank that can’t be easily turned off). I think we’re supposed to do that anyway from an environmental POV. But after that I’m not sure how far we can sensibly go. Maybe the remedy will put him right and we don’t need to change anything. Maybe I can stick my fingers in my ears and go la la la and forget about it. Or maybe all this technology is just making us ill.
I wonder about unplugging things from an environmental viewpoint - we have a ludicrous number of electrical bits and pieces littering the place that never get turned off.
Will be interested to see how it goes.
Comment by jax — July 24, 2006 @ 11:09 am
Well I’m in the freak camp - point blank refuse to have anything wireless in the house because I KNOW it affects me. I can’t use a mobile phone because as soon as I hold it to my head it makes the side of face hurt, and I get a terrible headache. The same thing happens with cordless digital phones - have an article about those somewhere if you’re interested. I get irritated by low level electrical humming, which is frustrating because our radio alarm (which has a CD player which I suspect is the culprit) does this, drives me mad but Dave rearely hears it.
I feel better when I am away from the computer, but it’s addictive so that’s hard, except when we’re away
I don’t actually think that crystals are a daft idea because they vibrate at different frequencies (that’s how quartz crystals make watches/clocks work) so could, IMO, alter electrical fields, affect ions etc. Anyway, it’s one of my pet rants, so will stop, as also have a small child climbing all over me which is making typing somewhat difficult!
Comment by Tech — July 24, 2006 @ 11:13 am
http://www.campaignfortruth.com/Eclub/060306/CTM%20-%20cordlessphonedanger.htm
Comment by Tech — July 24, 2006 @ 11:26 am
and this one.. http://www.tetrawatch.net/science/dect.php
Comment by Tech — July 24, 2006 @ 11:28 am
Thanks for the links Tech, still reading through them. The Tetra website is much clearer than a lot I found. Bloody hell, if I hide will it all just go away? Please?
Comment by Administrator — July 24, 2006 @ 8:47 pm
yeah, course it will
Comment by Tech — July 25, 2006 @ 1:15 pm
hi Kath,
can I have the password for that post if it’s ok??
Comment by Kirsty — July 27, 2006 @ 8:51 pm
Just emailed it to you, happy for anyone who I know IRL to have it.
Comment by Administrator — July 28, 2006 @ 7:13 am
i read so infrequently, but always love your blog.
i also have problem wirh mobile 4 more than a few mins and being on comp makes me restless and irritable. my ds cannot tolerate much comp at all either without melt downs and same with tv - we dont have tv and his comp time is virtually non existent, so see diff in behaviour very clearly.
sorry text type language one handed rushing. .. i would say make changes slowly so they stick more easily, unless of course *need*to cut out something in particular straight away
have you seen christopherus? might be useful when bringing these kind of changes whilst homeschooling? should come up on a google. sorry not to link.
take care.
Comment by khadijah — July 28, 2006 @ 8:05 pm