Too Many Meds!

[luna99]

I work in a Nursing Home doing medical transcription and man.. it saddens me to read and type about all the medications these people are on!

it's insane really.. some people are on up to 20 or 30 medications at any given time!

I personally sometimes get tired of taking my birth control! haha.

Sometimes I sit here and wonder if these people had eaten better during their life maybe they wouldn't need all this medication. I wish I could go talk to them all and see how they ate or start talking to the nutrtionists about giving them more greens or green smoothies..but it's not my place.

[Linda1970]

I share your feelings. It saddens me to see how much medication and how many people are on them. The # of drug commercials are just too sad...

[Ariannah]

Recently on the radio, I heard that a) In Nova Scotia, ritalin is apparently UNDER-prescribed. Can you believe it? and b) Anti-psychotic meds are apparently OVER-prescribed, and c) Mammograms are probably not necessary.

But I was groggy when I heard this on the radio about ritalin. Like What the Fabric?

[RawVee]

Remember the good ol days when we didn't put kids on anti-hyper meds? My mom put us outside, we played ALL day in the woods and sunshine, and worked out our energy. Now kids are babysat by TV and video games.

And overmedicating? Forgive me for saying so, especially if anyone is in the pharmaceutical or health industry, but it seems that doctors have gotten so lazy, or so restricted by HMO codes and limits that they dispense meds like candy. Meanwhile, all the meds do is mask symptoms and create other problems. Instead of suppressing the issues, why not TREAT them?

*stepping off of soapbox before I'm put on meds*

[luna99]

Remember the good ol days when we didn't put kids on anti-hyper meds? My mom put us outside, we played ALL day in the woods and sunshine, and worked out our energy. Now kids are babysat by TV and video games.

oh my gosh yes! I used to play outside for hours.. riding my bike.. playing in creeks... I remember eating my food quickly at dinner so I could go back out and play with my friends...it's crazy how kids just want to play video games all day now.


And overmedicating? Forgive me for saying so, especially if anyone is in the pharmaceutical or health industry, but it seems that doctors have gotten so lazy, or so restricted by HMO codes and limits that they dispense meds like candy. Meanwhile, all the meds do is mask symptoms and create other problems. Instead of suppressing the issues, why not TREAT them?

*stepping off of soapbox before I'm put on meds*

amen!

[lafsalot]

Recently on the radio, I heard that a) In Nova Scotia, ritalin is apparently UNDER-prescribed. Can you believe it? and b) Anti-psychotic meds are apparently OVER-prescribed, and c) Mammograms are probably not necessary.

But I was groggy when I heard this on the radio about ritalin. Like What the Fabric?

Ritalin under-prescribed - my a$$!!!! It seems like every young mother you talk to these days has a child (or knows someone who has had) a child labeled as "hyperactive" by the school system. It happened to my grandchild, and in spite of the school's insistence that we put him on meds, we opted for a Feingold-type diet instead, and I am so glad we did. You wouldn't believe the transformation in him after we eliminated processed foods, etc from his diet.

Also, a lot of these senior patients end up on a ton of meds not only because of improper diet, but once one med is started, it starts what I refer to as a "ripple" effect. Simply put, they end up having to take other meds and supplements just to counteract the side effects of the med they started on, and so on and on....

Yep, totally agree that diet has a lot to do with it ~ Cathy

[Ariannah]

Exactly! I know nobody personally, with an "extremist" lifestyle, who has any complaints about "attention deficit" children.

The comment from the person on the radio, "We have all these people who are not getting the treatment they need...."

Like, hello? UGH, our society is a bunch of medicated zombies.

I wonder when "Ritalin Deficient" will become a medical term! :/

[JennaLynne]

My mom is on so many medications. She carries a huge cosmetic bag around with her all day and takes tons of medicine a day. Probably 20 or so pills with each meal! She takes medicine to counter the side effects of other medicine. It's ridiculous. I know that if she ate better she wouldn't need so much. It's so sad...:(

[Veganforlife]

Oh, I can so relate. I have felt that way for years. Especially the older folks. AND do all the meds they take "blend" well w/each other? I mean is it safe? I think not.
Another amazing fact is that the United States is the ONLY country that shows drug commercials on TV. I heard New Zealand does but is soon banning those commercials. Why are we that ignorant that we allow this?
Think about this. Every week there is another drug out there (tv land)for ailments. How many folks do nothing but watch TV all day and then think they have the problem that is being described and then call or go see their doc who they trust (mistake) and then get put on these meds? UGH! It's awful.
I'm not really proud to be an American at times. I think we are a nation that has lost a lot and allowed too much.

[Veganforlife]

Side note: I had a friend here at work who is almost proud of the fact that she takes about 4-5 pills daily. She's 53 for crissakes! I went out to eat w/her and another couple and they all got their pill cases out and laughed and compared and joked and it sickened me.

[lafsalot]

Exactly! I know nobody personally, with an "extremist" lifestyle, who has any complaints about "attention deficit" children.

The comment from the person on the radio, "We have all these people who are not getting the treatment they need...."

Like, hello? UGH, our society is a bunch of medicated zombies.

I wonder when "Ritalin Deficient" will become a medical term! :/

"Ritalin Deficient"?!! I wouldn't put anything past the drug companies - after all, I think they often create a disorder (eg adult adhd) that isn't there just in order to sell pharmacopeia to the so called sufferers of this disorder. They then offer monetary incentives to physicians who prescribe it.

Just my opinion ~ Cathy

[Veganforlife]

You've hit the nail on the head Cathy. I read (somewhere) that there are panels of folks that actually sit around and come up with these ailments and then the big pharma companies get in on it and they all pat each other's fat behinds while walking to the banks - at our EXPENSE!!! Awful, just awful!!!
I saw some doctor on Oprah yesterday I think it was talking about meds and how they don't get kickbacks from the pharma companies.
I said, "LIAR" out loud. My dogs looked up at me cuz they knew I was upset! I guess they think we are stupid. Ha! Guess again!

[luckitri]

I am so glad to see you realizing this. Many medical conditions are Rx induced. Unwanted side effects. My discovery yesterday of my own severe Vitamin D deficiency can have many causes including my rhabdomyolosis from cholesterol medication. This is a very severe condition that can mimic everything from shcizophrenia to major sleep disorders and even my restless legs and tingling hands and feet are calming down since starting vitamin D supplementation yesterday! This is a very dangerous condition because supplementing vitamin D can easily overload the kidneys irreparably. Constant blood monitoring is required.

[luna99]

=Veganforlife;256107]Think about this. Every week there is another drug out there (tv land)for ailments. How many folks do nothing but watch TV all day and then think they have the problem that is being described and then call or go see their doc who they trust (mistake) and then get put on these meds? UGH! It's awful.

wow, you know Veganforlife... I never even thought about it this way but you're totally right. I mean, WHAT ON EARTH do we really need medication commercials for anyway? It's not like you can just go out and buy them yourself at the store...

and I would think if you had a problem or medical condition then you'd know it and you'd go to your doctor and figure out what was wrong... not the other way around (seeing the medication on tv and thinking "maybe I need that").

What PURPOSE do these prescription medication commericals have really besides SCARING people into thinking they have something and then requesting it from their doctors... it's FEAR TACTICS is what it is!

Now I'm curious as to when all these medication commercials really started.. i don't remember seeing them as a kid in the 70's/80's.

[Lay-Lay]

yes it's sad. Since going raw I proudly declare I am medication free. I remember growing up always taking medication for this and that. If something is wrong, don't fix it, take a pill. Forget to cause, how retarded!

[Ariannah]

What PURPOSE do these prescription medication commericals have really besides SCARING people into thinking they have something and then requesting it from their doctors... it's FEAR TACTICS is what it is!


I completely agree. That's why I've stopped going to the doctor now. Last time I went I got lectured for not having paps, and told that it's almost time to start annual mammograms (I'm nearly 40).

[Stina]

Memorable doctor's visit: I mentioned that when I stopped eating wheat, my digestive problems cleared up, the strange skin rashes went away, and my thinking was clearer. The last part got the doctor's attention. She said, "Oh, but it's not normal to not eat wheat. I'll just write you out a prescription for Prozac." What the fruit?

[RawVee]

What I love is in the drug commercials on TV, when they show a happy couple, running through a field, living life to the fullest because of the prescription miracle they've taken.

Quietly in the background, an announcer does a VO describing the many side effects that may happen: nausea, internal bleeding, organ failure...

When I've talked to doctors about that, they've said things like "those rarely happen. It's just a legal thing to put in there."

HELLO?!!! Rare or not (and really, I don't believe that), it HAPPENS. And if a med makes you hemmorhage or lose your skin or whatever, that's bad, right? :eek:

[lafsalot]

What I love is in the drug commercials on TV, when they show a happy couple, running through a field, living life to the fullest because of the prescription miracle they've taken.

Quietly in the background, an announcer does a VO describing the many side effects that may happen: nausea, internal bleeding, organ failure...

When I've talked to doctors about that, they've said things like "those rarely happen. It's just a legal thing to put in there."

HELLO?!!! Rare or not (and really, I don't believe that), it HAPPENS. And if a med makes you hemmorhage or lose your skin or whatever, that's bad, right? :eek:

Don't forget "frequent bowel and urinary incontinence":eek: ~ Cathy

[luna99]

Memorable doctor's visit: I mentioned that when I stopped eating wheat, my digestive problems cleared up, the strange skin rashes went away, and my thinking was clearer. The last part got the doctor's attention. She said, "Oh, but it's not normal to not eat wheat. I'll just write you out a prescription for Prozac." What the fruit?

oh my gosh! what a wacko!

honestly, I'm not 100% against all doctors because I think some of them do know some things and some of them are open enough to admit that diet and exercise can really help your health.... but then again there are those doctors who just want to give out meds like candy.

just like with anything in life.. it's not absolute.. you just have to be really careful about how you choose your doctor.. which is a weird thing too because I know right now I moved to a new city and the women I work with told me where to go so I did and that's how I chose. I do like my doctor though, just not the bills and my insurance doesn't cover HARDLY ANYTHING!!! But that's another story all together!!! *HUMPH!* :mad:

[rawhjdmom23]

My son was dx'ed with many things over the years including bipolar and adhd.(I now don't believe he has either) I medicated him for about 2 years before I knew better:eek: I got frusterated because his psyciatrist would just offer a new med if I told her about the most minute little symptom. At the end of last school year I made the decision to homeschool and take him off all meds. Unfortunatly he has now developed tourettes like tics that are probably a side effect from meds taken over a year ago. Luckily the chiropracter has been able to help with that some. I just wish I had been giving more info then just here's a pill and if that doesn't work we will try another!:rolleyes:

[Eva]

Man, how true! I was actually diagnosed with ADD in high school. I went from good grades and no trouble to not concentrating and failing some classes. At the SAME time as the change, I had gotten a job at 15, my parents had just gotten a divorce, I moved to a new place, and my mom was working full-time all of the sudden. Now, thinking back, I wonder how they didn't connect my life to the reason for my grade slip!? My guidance counselor actually had suggested I go to the doctor and ask him about ADD. I went, and he just had me fill out a questionnaire, then that was that, I was taking Ritalin!

I depended on it for years, and I truly think that it prevented me from learning coping strategies for concentrating and working hard through difficult times.

NOW, in Massachusetts, they are actually requiring people to have insurance! We'll get fined big time if we don't comply supposedly! I don't ever go to the doctor if I feel under the weather, I just use nature's remedies. Why should my family pay $1000 or more a month if we don't want to go to the doctor? I'd be happy to pay for catastrophy insurance, but regular health insurance? No, thanks.

I think I forgot to mention that my stepson (the 12-year-old) has a hard time in school, but I truly believe it is as simple as him skipping 2 1/2 grades when we got custody of him and moved to the US. His mom actually had the audacity to not take him to school or read with him regularly! His teachers and the principal specifically have asked me over and over to see if I can take him to a doctor to have some Ritalin prescribed for him. I actually complained in writing that I would like it if the principal of the school would refrain from requesting that my stepson be put on drugs because she persisted so much! He gets no one-on-one attention even though he went from 2nd to 5th grade in a different language, but he needs to start taking drugs? What?!

I'm soooo tired of doctors and the rest of the SAD clan thinking people need more drugs!

::taking breath from typing now::

[hippiechick704]

Okay, I would like to write from the doctor's viewpoint.

I work in a rural community -- very underserved. Vegans here are considered "total weirdos" so you can imagine raw foodists. Most people eat crap for food. The couple of people I spoke with about their diets today thought they were eating very healthy "I eat good, casseroles and things like that. Chips and candy between meals." Another said she was dieting and just eating pasta and such. Neither were eating fruits and vegetables and didn't want to begin now. This just gives you an idea of the mentality.

I have yet to "prescribe" exercise and have someone follow through. It's really unreal to me.

These people just want a "quick fix" and will demand medication for their overactive kids. They will not make dietary changes or cut down the number of HOURS these kids play video games. They blame the doctor when the medications are not "curing" the behavior. I agree these kids need exercise, but I need parental cooperation which I don't get here.

Occasionally I have people come in who are very health conscious -- but as you can imagine they don't really need to see a doctor and actually make suggested health changes on their own.

My dream is to work in an entirely holistic clinic with proper dietary consultation, yoga, acupuncture, massage therapy, etc. I want to work with people who will make changes. People like YOU!

Please remember that not everyone is like us and most never will be no matter how much education we give.

Oh, and about the pharmaceutical advertising...I hate this too. Everybody wants what is on TV. Marketing is a billion dollar business -- which gets passed on to the consumer with higher drugs costs -- in turn the insurance companies have "tiers" for medication and "preferred" drug lists. Insurance rates go up -- healthcare gets worse all around.

We can teach preventive medicine, but just as in any teaching if the pupil is not willing to learn it doesn't help.

Sorry if this is not a popular view.

[vwinters]

I work in a Nursing Home doing medical transcription and man.. it saddens me to read and type about all the medications these people are on!

it's insane really.. some people are on up to 20 or 30 medications at any given time!

I personally sometimes get tired of taking my birth control! haha.

Sometimes I sit here and wonder if these people had eaten better during their life maybe they wouldn't need all this medication. I wish I could go talk to them all and see how they ate or start talking to the nutrtionists about giving them more greens or green smoothies..but it's not my place.

Yes, yes, yes, I want to go to all the nursing homes and make green smoothies for everyone. Out with the macaroni and cheese and the gravy covered mystery meat.
VW
http://www.tagworldresources.com/Tagworld-Graphics/Animated-Emoticons/bc4bbfa42aedac90618f0f638eb9f161.gif (http://www.tagworldresources.com/TagWorld-Graphics/Tagworld-Animated-Emoticons/TagWorld-Image-1245.aspx)


http://www.ketoforum.de/diet-ticker/pic/weight_loss/11398/.png (http://www.diaet-ticker.de)

[JennaLynne]

These people just want a "quick fix" and will demand medication for their overactive kids. They will not make dietary changes or cut down the number of HOURS these kids play video games. They blame the doctor when the medications are not "curing" the behavior. I agree these kids need exercise, but I need parental cooperation which I don't get here.



I totally agree with that. I am a nursing student and a CNA and hear that all the time. Plus, I see it in my own mother, which is really sad. I guess I harbor some resentment becasause she complains all the time about how awful she feels and yet she eats terrible and is severly overweight with no intention to change.

Not all doctor's are crooks and pill pushers :D I appreciate people like you that do want to make a difference in telling people to eat right and excersize.

Can I ask you a question though? Have you heard of Doctor's getting extra money for promoting a specific medication? I know there's a lot of controversy on that... so I am just curious if it's true or not. Thanks

[magglepie]

hippiechick, I am glad that there are doctors like you who take a different approach when trying to change the health of their patients. But unfortunately there are so many doctors in the world who think that the only way to solve problems is to follow the SAD and to pile on more and more medications as a person gets "sicker and sicker." People never stop to realize that the way they eat can have a HUGE impact on other areas of their lives. My grandpa, for instance, was a very unhealthy eater, and he was also a very heavy smoker and had hypoglycemia. In the last year before he died, he was taking blood thinners, diuretics, two different medicines for high cholesterol and about 5 to 6 other pills a day depending on the day. He had days right before he died where he was in so much pain that he couldn't even get out of bed, literally couldn't get out of bed. He had congestive heart failure, which is what he died from, but I can't help wondering, how much of that could have been prevented if he had chosed to lead a healthier life in terms of what he ate and how much he exercised. I just really think that people underestimate the power of healthy eating.

I also agree that a lot of diseases sound like they are really made up just to make a profit for people in that line of work. Take a look at Social Anxiety Disorder and Restless Leg Syndrome. When I was in a Developmental Psychology class 2 years ago, the professor was talking about the Social Anxiety Disorder and she said "Before, we used to just call it being shy." it's true. These doctors and pharm. reps, etc, are trying to turn something like shyness into a disease and "cure it" like people can take a drug to get over being shy. And personally, the Restless leg Symndrome, when I first saw a commercial for it, sounded like the people promoting drugs for it were almost just trying to promote laziness. Anyway, that is my take on it. Hopefully more people in the medical world will wake up and realize that many times, medication just is not the answer.

[hippiechick704]

I don't get any money for prescribing certain medication. However, the reps will bring us lunch sometimes. I don't always attend because I don't want their food nor do I want to sit and listen to their sales pitch on my noon hour.

I do have colleagues that are "trained speakers" for certain (or several) pharmaceutical companies. I think they pay around $500 and up per talk -- which usually lasts an hour and includes a fancy dinner. Whether these doctors really believe that much in a medication -- I have no idea.

I remember in residency the reps could take you to hockey games, Disney World, even to a spa, just for a second of your time. That all changed in 2001. Now it's just food and education. Also, no one outside "the profession" can attend -- such as a spouse at a dinner function.

[luckitri]

We also have to fight the brainwashing our kids get. My son is so brainwashed with the bad food and wanting to be like the other kids and what they eat. He will live in front of the TV and only the enticements of other kids can get him to budge. He is just so stubborn, so brainwashed and short of physical force I cannot do anything. It is a little after 6 p.m. and he has been on myspace and the couch since school. A friend came over and suddenly the kid is next to me sighing while I type. Why? Because my son fell asleep on him. My son is not all that healthy either. Just nothing major has manifested. But he sure is stubborn.

[So Delightedly Raw]

Ritalin under-prescribed - my a$$!!!! It seems like every young mother you talk to these days has a child (or knows someone who has had) a child labeled as "hyperactive" by the school system.

When my son was in second grade his teacher tried to tell me that he was hyperactive, and that I should medicate him. I told her that he sat for hours on end at home trying to figure something out, so I KNEW he wasn't hyperactive. He's now a successful environmental engineer, having earned his Master's degree. Hyperactive -- yeah, sure.:rolleyes:

Almost everyone is looking for the quick fix with some pharmaceutical. It's not that difficult to eat healthily, is it?

I'm the only person of my age that I know who doesn't take any doctor prescribed pill, and I plan to keep it that way.;)

[lori ann]

Hey everyone!

I am a medical assistant at at doctor's office-4 doctors and one nurse practioner. We see lots of people for lots of different reasons. It is so sad to see these people and knowing that they do not have to be sick if they would only change their diet. It is also amazing how many medications people are on. I also see how frusterated people get because of the money they have to spent on meds and again I would love to tell them to change diet and exercise they would not have to be on so many meds. Also it is amazing that I am the only one who really eats healthy. Lots of times I catch people like staring at me at lunch always wondering what is she going to eat today, which I do not mind it is fun

[dreamrawalwz]

I also agree that a lot of diseases sound like they are really made up just to make a profit for people in that line of work. Take a look at Social Anxiety Disorder and Restless Leg Syndrome. When I was in a Developmental Psychology class 2 years ago, the professor was talking about the Social Anxiety Disorder and she said "Before, we used to just call it being shy." it's true. These doctors and pharm. reps, etc, are trying to turn something like shyness into a disease and "cure it" like people can take a drug to get over being shy. And personally, the Restless leg Symndrome, when I first saw a commercial for it, sounded like the people promoting drugs for it were almost just trying to promote laziness.

I don't want to cause any hype over this, but I have personally experienced each of these BEFORE meds came out and the two were made public. Social anxiety is MUCH more than being shy. People considered me shy, but on the inside I was screaming and going into complete panic. It's having panic attacks thinking about going into public or while in public. Each person is different so I wont' go into my individual thoughts and reasons, but for me it was a very real thing before I was even "labeled."

As for restless leg syndrome, my mom has it, my grandmother did, and two of my aunts do. I have it as well. Now, diet DOES impact it though. The less raw I am the more it acts up. It doesn't matter how much or little I exercise, but how clean I am on the inside.

Now, I don't agree with the commercials or meds. for these "diseases" or any other ones. I havn't taken one med, as I alread stated. I hate that these things are on TV and people are now coming to doctors saying what their problems are. Oh, I have a scratchy throat, MUST be strep, or....I get indigestion when I eat greasy foods, I must have acid reflux disease! Sheesh! Yes, most of these "disease" seem to be made up or even switching names. Like heartburn is now acide reflux disease. I'm sure there are other examples, but I can't think of any at the moment. It's all about money and laziness. It's quite sad, actually.

[dreamrawalwz]

Oh also...iIt's not "back in the days" lol, t was just 8 years ago I was even playing outside all the time. Riding my bike, roller blading, climbing trees, digging holes, playing in the woods, etc. It was around that time that video games became more popular, at least in my neck of the woods. How quickly things change!

[JennaLynne]

I think the disorders could be very real, or a symptom of something else that is a problem, but when people see the commercials and hear of them, and the medicines that will fix them, they think it must be what they have and so they go to the doctor and tell the doctor what's wrong with them and get medications. Probably less than half the people on medicine for RLS or Depression, or ADD actually have it.

[tweety]

Remember the good ol days when we didn't put kids on anti-hyper meds? My mom put us outside, we played ALL day in the woods and sunshine, and worked out our energy. Now kids are babysat by TV and video games.


Hi RawVee,
It is my assumption that TV and the internet and all this technological stimulation on kids is a big contributor to their ADD/ADHD.
On a cellular level, i believe the major poison is MSG. I havent been doing much reading on the topic until the past week.

http://www.dorway.com/blayenn.html

I saw a commercial about an Oprah show upcoming about all these people coming out of the woodwork with kids with Autism.
That's pretty freakin scary!!! It is ALL tied together.

Do a search on the internet on contaminants in baby formula. Its quite alarming. If i ever have kids I will breast feed them until they can eat (in fact i think its quite normal for a human to breast feed up to 2 or 3 years by looking at ancestry, ie. native tribes) or get them on green juice.

http://www.naba-breastfeeding.org/images/Contaminants.pdf

I bet your bottom dollar this is why there are more mental-health issues in children today than ever before. Not to mention also the many years of gene mutations from chemicals we have endured over the past century.

Peas and Nut Loaves
Tweety

[tweety]

I saw some doctor on Oprah yesterday I think it was talking about meds and how they don't get kickbacks from the pharma companies.
I said, "LIAR" out loud. My dogs looked up at me cuz they knew I was upset! I guess they think we are stupid. Ha! Guess again!

Hey Vegan,
I saw that same thing!! it was that one woman who was told about her osteoporosis or something. and she was a weight lifting-wood-choppin machine!

That doctor actually told the truth :D because if he wasnt lying, he never would have said what he said!!!!!!!!!! :rolleyes:

[tweety]

What I love is in the drug commercials on TV, when they show a happy couple, running through a field, living life to the fullest because of the prescription miracle they've taken.



yeah... and they are usually young, slim and sexy or old, slim and sexy

[AICgem]

I have social anxiety disorder...I'm 39. I remember in 9th grade science stealing one of my mom's valiums so I could stand up in front of the class and give an oral report!!
When I went to art school I handed in a History of Art term paper with a note saying I could not stand up in front of the class for the oral part and if the teacher had to flunk me I would take an F.
Fast forward 10 yrs to my sons Tae Kwon Do class, I was the mom in the back with my nose in a magazine so as not to deal with new people!!
I finally started taking Paxil because I wanted to take Tae Kwon Do too, but would never be able to!!
I took Paxil for about 3 months, long enough to know it worked for me and to meet some great new friends, but I don't like being dependant on pills for anything so I'm back to being quiet in the corner!!
I do wonder how my life would be different if I had had the choice of Paxil when I was younger (not all that happy with my life now, work at home, just a few friends, not thrilled with my marriage, but love my son to death!!)

Anyway, sorry to ramble...just letting you all know that Social Anxiety Disorder is quite real!! :)

[RawVee]

AICgem,

I have no doubt that social anxiety is a real issue. I sincerely feel for you, as I used to be quite shy, and now I'm one of those people who can talk to anyone about anything and I'd probably freak you out. :)

Is it possible, though, to approach the healing of this disorder (and I don't mean that word in a negative way, rather as that your energy is not flowing in the order that makes you feel comfortable around others) with a more med-free tact?

Getting to the root of social anxiety, it's fear. For whatever personal reasons, you have fear about interaction with others. Imagine, if you will, having that be replaced by pure, unquestionable love. Fear's opposite. How? It starts within. The fear in you comes from you, and so must the love.

I highly recommend "The Dragon Doesn't Live Here Anymore" by Alan Cohen, an older but classic book. And "The Four Agreements" by Don Miguel Ruiz. And I see the initial benefits of Paxil, but I also have a very firm belief that we are self-healing beings. Are you 100% raw? Have you found a difference with that? Being raw has brought me an inner peace unlike any other.

Best of luck and big hug to you!!!!!

xo
RawVee

[Veganforlife]

Taken from: http://www.newstarget.com/001298.html

Here's a must-read article for anyone interested in learning how the pharmaceutical industry really operates. It's a case of aggressive marketing gone bad, with a mixture of corrupt physicians, underhanded payola and a near-total disregard for patient health. And yet it's business as usual in the pharmaceutical industry: drug maker Schering-Plough, one of the largest drug companies in the world, has been outright bribing physicians to prescribe drugs and operate sham clinical trials.

Here's how it would work: doctors who prescribed the drug company's products and avoided competing drugs were paid "consulting fees" of tens of thousands of dollars. And what kind of consulting did these doctors do? The kind of consulting that requires nothing more than signing a blank sheet of paper and cashing the check, of course. And thousands of doctors participated in this criminal scam, collecting untold sums of money in exchange for hyping Schering-Plough's pharmaceuticals to patients. (Medical ethics, anyone?)

Doctors were paid even more money to conduct fraudulent clinical trials that would require patients to take the drugs for twelve months at a time, which of course rang up even more drug profits for the manufacturer and resulted in more kickbacks to the doctors. That's right: they're literally playing doctor with your life while pocketing the drug money.

If all this sounds outrageous, think again: this is precisely the kind of criminal activity that now typifies the pharmaceutical industry and organized medicine in general. These companies will do anything to make a buck, including outright bribing doctors with lavish meals, free gifts and even trips to Hawaii and other exotic destinations, all under the guise of "continuing medical education" (CME) courses. It's all a scam, and the vast majority of physicians just go right along with it, pocketing the benefits and dosing up their patients with whatever drug they've been told to prescribe.

I've seen it myself: a room-full of doctors in Hawaii, ditching a drug company sponsored "education" event, where airfare and hotels were provided for free. Why were the doctors ditching the class? Because they wanted to have fun in Hawaii, and attendance wasn't required after the first hour. It's basically just a paid vacation scam, courtesy of the pharmaceutical company. And it's happening every day, right now.

Prescription drugs are so profitable -- some drugs are now sold at more than 500,000% markup over the actual cost of their raw ingredients -- that drug companies will do practically anything to sell more pills. They invent fictitious diseases and urge doctors and parents to dose their children with powerful narcotics. They conduct fraudulent clinical trials, making sure to bury any negative results that would show how dangerous their drugs really are. They buy the favor of the media by pumping hundreds of millions of dollars into magazine, television, newspaper and online advertising. They pressure the FDA into delaying the ban on extremely dangerous drugs in order to squeeze out another twelve months of profits even while patients are dying from drug-induced liver failure.

And the scam works: drug profits are up. Way up. Meanwhile, the American people are sicker than ever. Drugs aren't helping the population at large, all they're doing is turning the United States into a nation of chemical zombies who suffer from the extremely toxic side effects of taking dozens of prescriptions in combination.

It's the greatest con in American history. It's the racket of the millennium. The drug companies are running the show, cutting off drugs from Canada, monopolizing the U.S. market, running the FDA, bribing doctors and killing patients all the while. Even based on statistics from conventional medicine, prescription drugs are right now killing 100,000 Americans each year and injuring another two million. And that doesn't count the tens of thousands of additional deaths caused by NSAIDs and over-the-counter painkillers.

It's not an exaggeration to call this a medical holocaust. These drug companies seem determined to dose the entire population with as many simultaneous prescriptions as possible, as long as it generates profits for their shareholders. Business ethics are nowhere to be found in the pharmaceutical industry these days: it's all about money, profits, power and control.

And the funny part about all this is that these drugs are almost entirely unnecessary. There's not a single chronic disease that's actually cured or reversed from any prescription drug in existence. All these drugs do is treat symptoms and barely keep the patients alive long enough to write another check to cover their growing medical debt. Chemotherapy is a sham and has absolutely no scientific merit whatsoever. (Yes, it shrinks tumors, but it adds nothing to a patient's lifespan.) Statin drugs are a con, and yet they're being over-prescribed for all sorts of chronic disorders that actually need to be treated with nutrition and exercise, not drugs. And over-the-counter drugs are both extremely dangerous and highly ineffective. NSAIDs kill some 40,000 patients each year from intestinal bleeding -- and yet offer no real benefit to patients that couldn't be achieved from simple changes in diet and exercise.

The FDA, meanwhile, watches all this and focuses its own efforts on discrediting herbal supplements like ephedra. The agency seems determined to outlaw or regulate all nutritional supplements, thereby making vitamins illegal and practically guaranteeing another decade of outrageous profits for drug companies. It's no surprise: most FDA employees used to work for drug companies (or plan to in the near future). Many FDA employees maintain strong financial ties to the pharmaceutical industry. They're simply out to crush the natural health industry and thereby boost their own personal profits from pharmaceuticals.

Modern medicine is in shambles, folks. It's a train wreck. We're sicker, fatter and more depressed than ever. And the really good advice that people need isn't reaching them. Good health is really simple, it turns out. Get lots of natural sunlight on your skin daily. Eat superfoods like chlorella and spirulina. Avoid all refined carbohydrates and processed foods. Ban soft drinks from your life. Never touch cigarettes. Pick up strength training, yoga, pilates, cycling, jogging or some other physical exercise activity. And breathe, people. Breathe consciously. Your body needs oxygen. Learn how to put yourself in control of your own health: read Take Back Your Health Power!

In a way, the massive fraud now being exposed in western medicine is a blessing in disguise. Big Medicine has gone so far over the top with aggressive marketing and downright evil (if not criminal) tactics that the whole profiteering orgy is going to come crashing down on them. Big Medicine will soon be history -- remembered as just a moment of insanity in the history of modern civilization. Some day, people will say, "Do you remember when the whole country was dosed up on chemicals?" They'll shudder with the thought of it -- how we were all duped by the drug companies, by our family doctors, and by the Bush Administration's complicity in the whole scheme. They'll ask, "How could an entire country go mad like this?"

And the answer, of course, is that the whole country was doped up on prescription drugs that alter brain chemistry, cloud the mind, and turn ordinary consumers into pill-popping zombies.

It was a brilliant scam. It generated billions of dollars in profits. And now the truth is starting to come out: Big Medicine is about to become another sad chapter in the history of human deception. Good riddance.

Highly recommended reading: Death By Medicine by Gary Null, Ph.D.

[luna99]

man, that sounds like a hollywood suspence/horror flick! :eek:

[luckitri]

It is so true. The problem is when you get really really sick you no longer have what it takes to do the research on alternatives and are vulnerable to quackery and if you have been ill a long time you no longer have the financial resources to pay for alternative. Its a huge mess. Few care to study the negative possibilities in advance of it happening to them. It seems to be a negative and morbid pursuit. Also, as we see here, so many just want to eat raw and be happy and that works for them. We seekers have been occasionally negatively judged here even. We do look like a bunch of hypochondriac neurotics to outsiders that are not suffering personally. But the truth is that this is not a board for neurotic hypochondriacs and we are mostly not that (personally I think none of us are.) I just try to take the other perspective once in a while.

I have learned alot here. I still have much more to learn.

I am a very good example of suffering from Rx. repeatedly for many years.

[Nichola]

I know what you mean veganforlife. I am from the UK, but live in scandinavia, and have just returned from a trip to NY. I had to ask some of my US friends who live in scandinavia why there were so many advertisments for medications on the TV and so many TV shows talking about disease and depression etc..

I also read an article in a US magazine and was shocked to see that children were being diagnosed as being bi.polar from being toddlers. How can anyone diagnose a child with this?

My US friends in scandinavia are really knowledgeable about all diff kinds of diseases and medications and they all have a big cabinet at home full of tablets. If I have a sniffle, they always try and diagnose me.

In scandinavia you are lucky to get an asprin if your head is falling off. Doctors are very reluctant to give out meds. Although they do sometimes take it to the extreme by wanting to see if you 'naturally heal' first. Birth pains are often treated with a paracetamol!!!

As for young kids, no medicine exists for the under one year old. When my baby had flu or a cough, they said 'just keep her warm and give her some fresh air'........

[Mishka]

It's called :
"Give me your money, while I make you sicker and send you to your grave."

And ultimately in two words : Population control


Have any of you heard the statistics of what's suppose to be going on by the year 2030-50??? No food to feed all the people here. Check it out on the internet.

And the powerful elite, have found a way to line their pockets as so many people will blindly follow any authority.

It is so important to think for yourself. As you have mentioned with TV ...it starts with " programming".

I'm so glad we have raw, which stabilizes our health, and opens the brain to clear thoughts.

[magglepie]

I certainly didn't mean to ruffle any feathers. Another example of how people should think before speaking (or typing). HOWEVER, I believe that a lot of people could get misdiagnosed and have symptoms that could be causing doctors to believe they have something they might not have. I also believe that there are so many diseases that could be at least somewhat dissolved or could disappear with proper diet. Sorry if I offended anyone with my previous post on the subject!

[lafsalot]

that data-mining companies keep detailed records on exactly what drugs are prescribed by nearly every doctor in the US and that these databases, updated weekly, are then sold to drug companies?!! The data is then cross-referenced with information bought from the AMA on doctors (eg areas of specialty, where they went to school, how their patients pay, their attitudes, beliefs, etc). This is how they determine who will be more receptive totheir sale pitches. This information is also shared with other researchers and federal agencies.

You can read more of the article, "States Cracking Down On Drug Marketing" at

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070412/ap_on_re_us/prescription_privacy

[kellijean]

"Ritalin Deficient"?!! I wouldn't put anything past the drug companies - after all, I think they often create a disorder (eg adult adhd) that isn't there just in order to sell pharmacopeia to the so called sufferers of this disorder. They then offer monetary incentives to physicians who prescribe it.

Just my opinion ~ Cathy

As a person diagnosed with ADHD I can tell you that this is an absolutely legitimate medical issue. There have been brain scans done that show a difference in the function of a person's brain with ADHD/ADD versus an "average" person. It is not to say that those of us that suffer from ADHD/ADD have a disability but rather that our brains function differently...BUT it is most certainly NOT a "made up" thing. I believe that some things are over simplified by people in an effort to make certain issues a more comfortable "black or white" thing. Only someone who has never suffered from ADHD would attempt to pass it off as something that is dreamed up by the medical community to sell medications and it is so frustrating for people like me to hear that people just think we are making this up. It is a REAL struggle for us. We need support, not criticism.

[GlimR]

I completely believe that ADHD is a real condition, my own daughter who is now 22 had Attention deficit/inattentive disorder and dealing with it can be heartbreaking. BUT...the fact remains that it is so seriously over diagnosed and I would venture to say that MOST kids diagnosed with it do not have it. I took care of one little boy for years who is now in grade school. I had no problems with him at all except for the fact that he was full of energy and he was in a preschool program setting with me. As soon as he got into school he became a "distraction" to the teacher and quite frankly I think the teachers are so overloaded they just can't deal with children in the ways they used to..they have to "teach" material for state mandated testing and it leaves no room for any kind of individual or creative education...but that's a whole issue unto itself!!

As for meds...I have a chronic structural back problem from an injury and when it flares up I am in serious pain. When it first happened they put me on all kinds of serious meds and I tooke them for about two weeks and then had a serious allergic/systemic reaction involving my liver and said the hell with that!! I take willowbark now...it's not great but it takes the edge off.

My mother is 88 and grew up on a working farm. She has always had very healthy eating habits compared to most SAD eaters. She is on NO medications..NONE. Years ago she was on many and she felt awful..she visited me and after reading several books I had she went home and weaned herself off all of them...that was about 9 years ago. She lives alone (my two sisters are 5 minutes away) drives herself all over the place and is doing great!

Are we as a nation overmedicated?? Don't even get me started!!!!:mad:

[lafsalot]

As a person diagnosed with ADHD I can tell you that this is an absolutely legitimate medical issue. There have been brain scans done that show a difference in the function of a person's brain with ADHD/ADD versus an "average" person. It is not to say that those of us that suffer from ADHD/ADD have a disability but rather that our brains function differently...BUT it is most certainly NOT a "made up" thing. I believe that some things are over simplified by people in an effort to make certain issues a more comfortable "black or white" thing. Only someone who has never suffered from ADHD would attempt to pass it off as something that is dreamed up by the medical community to sell medications and it is so frustrating for people like me to hear that people just think we are making this up. It is a REAL struggle for us. We need support, not criticism.

Have you read all my posts in this thread? If you have, then you know that my own gs was dx w ADHD, and saw immediate improvement after following a feingold-type, high raw diet, as have many others who have changed their food program.

My intent was NOT to criticise you, but rather the schools for labeling and their reluctance to work w these kids; and physicians who overdiagnose/prescribe. I also still stand by what I said about the pharmaceutical companies ~ Cathy

[Cabosun]

Have you read all my posts in this thread? If you have, then you know that my own gs was dx w ADHD, and saw immediate improvement after following a feingold-type, high raw diet, as have many others who have changed their food program.

My intent was NOT to criticise you, but rather the schools for labeling and their reluctance to work w these kids; and physicians who overdiagnose/prescribe. I also still stand by what I said about the pharmaceutical companies ~ Cathy


And the reason being that the schools are so reluctant to work with the children is because the schools get $500.00 per month from the state for each child that is diagnosed with this "disorder" Nice to know huh? More of your tax $$$$$ at work!