Tag Archives: Psychiatry

Psychiatric drugs kill 500k+ Western adults annually, few positive benefits – leading scientist

Posted on May 14, 2015 by | Leave a comment

Published time: May 13, 2015 13:46

Edited time: May 14, 2015 06:22

Reuters / Siphiwe Sibeko

Reuters / Siphiwe Sibeko

Psychiatric drugs lead to the deaths of over 500,000 people aged 65 and over annually in the West, a Danish scientist says. He warns the benefits of these drugs are “minimal,” and have been vastly overstated.

Research director at Denmark’s Nordic Cochrane Centre, Professor Peter Gøtzsche, says the use of most antidepressants and dementia drugs could be halted without inflicting harm on patients. The Danish scientist’s views were published in the British Medical Journal on Tuesday.

His scathing analysis will likely prove controversial among traditional medics. However, concern is mounting among doctors and scientists worldwide that psychiatric medication is doing more harm than good. In particular, they say antipsychotic drugs have been overprescribed to many dementia patients in a bid to calm agitated behavior.

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Gøtzsche warns psychiatric drugs kill patients year in year out, and hold few positive benefits. He says in excess of half a million citizens across the Western world aged 65 and over die annually as a result of taking these drugs.

“Their benefits would need to be colossal to justify this, but they are minimal,” he writes.

“Given their lack of benefit, I estimate we could stop almost all psychotropic drugs without causing harm.”

Gøtzsche, who is also a clinical trials expert, says drug trials funded by big pharmaceutical companies tend to produce biased results because many patients took other medication prior to the tests.

He says patients cease taking the old drugs and then experience a phase of withdrawal prior to taking the trial pharmaceuticals, which appear highly beneficial at first.

The Danish professor also warns fatalities from suicides in clinical trials are significantly under-reported.

In the case of antidepressants venlafaxine and fluoxetine, Gøtzsche casts doubt over their efficacy. He said depression lifts in placebo groups given fake tablets almost as promptly as groups who partake in official clinical tests.

He also stressed the results of trials of drugs used to treat schizophrenia are disconcerting, while those for ADHD are ambiguous.

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Commenting on the negative side effects of such pharmaceutical drugs, Gøtzsche argued the “short-term relief” appears to be replaced by “long term harm.”

“Animal studies strongly suggest that these drugs can produce brain damage, which is probably the case for all psychotropic drugs,”he said.

“Given their lack of benefit, I estimate we could stop almost all psychotropic drugs without causing harm – by dropping all antidepressants, ADHD drugs and dementia drugs … and using only a fraction of the antipsychotics and benzodiazepines we currently use.”

“This would lead to healthier and more long-lived populations.”

Gøtzsche says psychotropic drugs are “immensely harmful” if used for prolonged periods.

“They should almost exclusively be used in acute situations and always with a firm plan for tapering off, which can be difficult for many patients,” he adds.

Read more
US spends most on this drug… and no one knows how it works

Gøtzsche’s views are sharply contradicted by many experts in the field of mental health. But others, including a diverse group of medical experts and institutions affiliated with the Nordic Cochrane Centre, argue otherwise. The Nordic Cochrane Centre is an independent research hub dedicated to scrutinizing and monitoring the effects of health care.

The debate on psychiatric drugs has gathered momentum in recent times. In the discussion, published in the British Medical Journal (BMJ), Gøtzsche’s arguments are contradicted by Professor of Mood Disorders Allan Young and John Crace. Crace, himself a psychiatric patient, writes for the Guardian.

Crace and Young say a broad body of research indicates the drugs are effective and that they are just as helpful as drugs for other ailments. They also argue mental health conditions are the fifth most significant contributor to disabilities worldwide.

While Gøtzsche stresses clinical trials bankrolled by pharma giants churn out skewered results, Young and Crace say the efficacy and safety of psychiatric medication continues to be monitored after research trials come to a close.

However, both Young and Crace acknowledge concern over the side effects and effectiveness of psychiatric medication.

“For some critics, the onus often seems to be on the drug needing to prove innocence from causing harm rather than a balanced approach to evaluating the available evidence,” they write.

“Whether concerns are genuine or an expression of prejudice is not clear, but over time many concerns have been found to be overinflated.”

The BMJ discussion is a preamble to the Maudsley debate at Kings College London on Wednesday. The debate takes place three times a year at the university’s Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience (IoPPN).

Wednesday’s debate focuses on the impacts of psychiatric medications, and poses the question of whether they prove more destructive for patients than beneficial.

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Please do the job properly or leave the room.

Posted on July 29, 2013 by | Leave a comment

phrenThere is a great need for humility in the practice of Homoeopathy. So many of our colleagues who are medical Doctors, display an unmerited high estimation of their homoeopathic prowess with very little REAL understanding of the therapy they espouse to believe in. At the same time, many non medical practitioners show disdain for medical knowledge and rely on a faulty school taught methodology that is fraught with inaccuracy and dangerous practices.

This Institute and its entire faculty, would like to offer the following advice to any student or practitioner who practices under the title “homoeopath” today.

  • Do NOT rely on a thematic concept of Materia Medica. This also applies to Essences. Apply all your reasoned intellect to a real study of the symptoms of the Materia Medica as extracted under proper proving conditions by the Masters of Old. If you do this, it will be made clear to you that the essences and themes you so heavily rely on in practice, do not exist as taught to you, and are responsible for a lot of the failures in practice that have been experienced.
  • ·  Keynote prescribing will NOT replace accurate comparison of the patients exhibited Symptoms and the matching of symptoms produced by a medicine.

Many who have been taught and practice Essence prescribing, have little or NO knowledge of the reality of proved Symptoms as recorded in the Materia Medica. In our experience, Essence prescribing is based on very poor psychology which denigrates both Mental Medicine and Homeopathic principles.

  • Ignoring physical symptoms of necessity, and relying on the latest new fad of mentalising the patients problems, is dangerous and borders on criminal behavior when dealing with health issues. A homoeopath cannot ignore the basics of the therapy as outlined in the writings of Hahnemann.
  • If a practitioner uses the title “Homoeopath” and has not studied his medicines, or relies solely a one sided understanding of homoeopathy, it becomes difficult to accept them into the ranks of being a homoeopathic Physician.

To place a person that lays claim to the title homoeopath (who does not have a basic understanding of Hahnemanninan homeopathy) and put them into a local medical clinic, you will witness the actions of an individual who cannot differentiate between Chronic and Acute illness, between a state of pathology and a functional disorder, between a miasmatic (infectious) problem and and a non infectious problem. To compound this, a lack of knowledge of similar and dissimilar disease states, miasmatic merged diseases or one sided disease, a good similar remedy, or a partially indicated remedy, and a total inability to comprehend a medicinal aggravation versus a worsening of the case.

And the most frightening thing of all is that the individual involved will tell you with all sincerity that the fragmented form of bastardized homoeopathy that he or she practices, is of the highest calibre.

I have witnessed individuals looking for a deeply hidden psychological central delusion state to match with a medicine. After noting the type of medicines that are chosen for these core delusion interpretive forms of treatment, it has to be concluded that they are nothing more than an inverted form of the doctrine of signatures, something which Hahnemann exposed as being less that useful or scientifically plausible over 200 years ago!  The main problem with this method, is that it totally overlooks the “full picture of the disease state” by ignoring obvious signs and symptoms on a physical level which are right in front of the physician eyes and do not require anything else but careful observance to see.

Whatever.

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Hahnemann’s concept of Illness. (Background thinking for the Mallorca Seminar)

Posted on June 20, 2013 by | Leave a comment

palma roomHahnemann’s concept of Illness

(Click here for details of the Mallorca Seminar)

Hahnemann believed that the signs and symptoms of a case of illness represented an attempt by the body to heal itself. According to this view, the signs and symptoms do not represent the illness, but rather the reaction of the person to his illness. The illness and the reaction to illness are separate. Therefore Hahnemann reasoned that physician should administer that medicine to the patient which produced in the healthy signs and symptoms similar to those of the patient. In this manner the natural attempt of the body to heal itself would be re­inforced, rather than neutralised or interfered with. Hahne­mann called this treatment of illness with medicines which produced in the healthy symptoms similar to those of the ill>Homoeopathy (Homois: Similar; Pathos: suffering).

Nature of Cure in illness

If an ill person receives no treatment, he either dies, remains chronically ill or recovers. If he recovers, his pattern of re­covery is like that of all sick persons and separate from his particular disease. As people become ill, old symptoms of previous illness often reappear. The symptoms move from non-vital organs, like the nose and throat, to more vital organs, like the kidneys and lungs. Then there is a period of crisis. Following this crisis, one by one and in reverse order of their appearance, the symptoms move from vital to less vital organs until the patient is well again. This natural response is called auto therapy.

Under homoeopathic treatment an identical response usually follows, rather than the abrupt disappearance of symptoms or the introduction of new symptoms which often follows other types of treatment.

Homoeopathy, from its inception has been based on an inclusive, descriptive attitude towards the patient and the medicine and the response of the patient is equally inclusive in relation to the natural course his illness would have taken without treatment. After he has made his initial, descriptive inclusive analysis of the patient and the medicine, the homoeopathic physician may then indulge in analytic specula­tion. Throughout the 19th century until the present time the majority of scientists have been analytically oriented after accepting as relevant only the information which fits within their particular scheme. In contrast to this Hahnemannian approach to science was pre-Newtonian. It was the same, non-mechanical, descriptive manner in which Cuvier described the botanical kingdom or Dana, the mineralogical world. Or at the other end of the time-scale the same manner in which the present-day physicists are following up Anderson’s discovery in 1938 of sub-nuclear particles and of the fourth great revolution in physics of the world of sub-nuclear energies.

An ultra-mechanistic view-point is characterised by the usual mechanistic concepts, and in addition, it also includes at least the acceptance of a causal, unpredictable, unstable phenomena whose wholes are greater than the sum of their parts. The observer must attempt to be completely inclusive and unbiased in his approach to a field of interest. He must accept the totality of the relationships that make it up. This total approach is called “Holism”. As a result of a total or holistic view of all the phenomena in a field, certain data may be found to co-exist with each other. Jung calls the temporal co-existence “synchronicity”.

Let us now consider the application of this ultra-mechanistic view point in the field of modern physics:

The skeleton of the physical universe in the 19th century was considered to consist of six unrelated functions, viz., 1. Space; 2. Time; 3. Matter; 4. Energy; 5. Gravity; 6. Inertia.

Over a period of 50 years Einstein gradually related each of these functions with each other by means of ingeniously derived formula e.g.,

 (a)      Integration of space and time in his conception of fourth dimension.

 (b)      Matter and Energy are interchangeable as evident by the equation: Energy =mass x velocity of light squared (by application of Planck’s Quantum Theory to the transmission of light).

(c)   In Einstein’s special Theory of Relativity he showed that space-time-energy and Matter are interchangeable, e.g., Mass of a body is a function of its motion. At the speed of light a body would have no weight at all. .

[d] In his gravitational field physics theory Einstein showed that all matter is surrounded by a gravitational field and that inertia is a function of this field. From this it follows that the space is curved, since matter travels in response to this curved field pattern.

(e) Shortly before his death Einstein announced his unified field theory in which he attempted to unite all six com­ponents of our universe in one continuum.

The new physics is concerned with specific, discontinuous energies which are basically uncertain and within certain relative areas are woven together in an acausal, unpredictable manner throughout a space-time-matter-energy-gravity-intertia continuum. It views the universe in an ultra-mechanistic, holistic, descriptive manner.

Homoeopathy is also concerned with the specific, discon­tinuous action of dynamized sub-atomic energies whose action is uncertain and statistical rather than analytic.

The homoeopathic approach to the patient and medicine is descriptively inclusive and holistic.

In future, homoeopathy may take its place as a pioneer approach in medicine toward a therapeutic psycho-somatic synthesis.

 

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As it is.

Posted on February 2, 2013 by | Leave a comment

blind_leading_blindSo, from the pages of this blog, you can see all the wonderful stuff going on the world of conventional medicine. You will never hear, “we are sorry” or”We dont know what we are doing”. No, you will just see deception, and lies and self promotion. I am sickened in spirit reading of the deliberate choices made by pharmacies for profit, in the knowledge that the medicines they release into the marketplace (sic) are not good for cure.

And what about Homoeopathy? Does the therapy offer better choices for healthcare?

Sadly for Homoeopathy, the therapy is being reduced to a worthless and ineffective form of treatment, that is of no use to anyone. For the most part, and mainly in the Western world, the tenets and usage of homoeopathy is so far removed from how it should be practiced, that I am surprised when a person gets benefit from treatment at all.

The modern gurus of homoeopathy, have propounded theories,with their own fanciful spiritual leanings and incorporated into the framework of teaching, so much so that Hahnemannian homeopathy, the Therapy, no longer is taught. It is virtually impossible to pass any college exam without knowing the practice methodology of Sankaran and Scholten.

This, in itself, and by itself, has removed any vestige or usefulness of the medical practice. Homoeopathy proper, is not known to the advocates of the methods. People seeking urgent medical aid will need to go elsewhere for treatment. Sankaran has turned a medical practice into a quasi psychological evaluation based on supposition and speculative theories, that are not even very good models to use in any therapy. It has complicated a very sound scientific principle with defined parameters into a search for something that cannot be observed clinically, and is totally dependent upon the practitioners own spiritual belief, comprehension ability, emotional involvement, and speculative diagnosis. No two Sankaran practitioners would come to the same conclusion for a prescription in general.

Homoeopathy was designed to match observable symptoms of disease. The search for the ‘inner’ cause, was addressed by Hahnemann in great detail throughout his writings, and is the very first thing mentioned in his Organon of Medicine.

§ 1
The physician’s high and only mission is to restore the sick to health, to cure, as it is termed. 1

1 His mission is not, however, to construct so-called systems, by interweaving empty speculations and hypotheses concerning the internal essential nature of the vital processes and the mode in which diseases originate in the interior of the organism, (whereon so many physicians have hitherto ambitiously wasted their talents and their time); nor is it to attempt to give countless explanations regarding the phenomena in diseases and their proximate cause (which must ever remain concealed), wrapped in unintelligible words and an inflated abstract mode of expression, which should sound very learned in order to astonish the ignorant – whilst sick humanity sighs in vain for aid. Of such learned reveries (to which the name of theoretic medicine is given, and for which special professorships are instituted) we have had quite enough, and it is now high time that all who call themselves physicians should at length cease to deceive suffering mankind with mere talk, and begin now, instead, for once to act, that is, really to help and to cure.

 Im sure that for those that practice in the manner described above, exception and issue will be taken with these comments. Sadly for them, and for the patients they see, confirmation of Hahnemanns words are evident in the paucity of cures effected. Practitioners of the Sankaran method are NOT effective in treating medical problems of either an acute or deeper illness conditions. There comes a time when success has to be measured by a majority of cured cases in your clinic, not the occasional ‘amazing’ cure, no.. it has to be the coughs colds, traumas, fevers etc etc that leave the clinic with a curative response in evidence. It has to be done QUICKLY both in the evaluation of the disease symptoms and the choice of prescription based on sound reasoning and reality. This is real world medicine, as practiced by Hahnemann and others and there is NO room for anything but sound medical training and analysis. Anything other is Quackery.

Without strict adherence to the methodology of the application of the medicines, Homoeopathy cannot and will not stand up to scrutiny in the public arena. It fails every time simply because the people practicing under the banner of homoeopathy, are misleading themselves and the public. I have watched the decline of the reputation and of the therapy of homoeopathy in the last few years with a sense of acceptance simply because the therapy cannot and will not survive in the absence of clear principles, and in the presence of so much erroneous teaching.

Much of the homoeopathic literature written in modern times, is less than useful. Most of the prominent names in homoeopathy today, have nothing of value or use to offer to the therapy. Whilst enriching themselves, for cult status has its benefits, the progress of homoeopathy proper has been stunted, if not destroyed. Can the blame for the present state of the therapy be placed solely at their feet? No. It takes supporters to elevate an individual to guru like status. People who are too invested in hearing what they want to hear, listening to things that satisfy their spiritual leanings, and who are too indolent to open the writings of Hahnemann and check whether or not the teachers are teaching truth.

How many times has P & W heard from a person giving up the practice of homoeopathy because its is “too difficult”. One person who practiced Sankaranism, recently told Vladimir Polony that she was quitting because she was not getting any results.. he commented that perhaps her methodology was at fault to which he was told ” Oh No! the methodology is fine.. it must be me!” It has reached the point where if success is not achieved by following a fallacious protocol… its the practitioners fault because they must have done something wrong!  Now that is good brainwashing.

The Hahnemann Institute in Sydney, and the P & W Institute have independently studied myriads of original documents in various Institutions from around the world who hold them. It has involved P & W staff traversing the USA from Library to Library, Medical faculties and Museums. The Hahnemann Institute staff has traveled thousands of miles from Australia to Europe in their search for original literature. All this to ascertain truth and certainty as to what Homoeopathy really is and how to practice the therapy as devised by Samuel Hahnemann. Out of this research, has come very clear and precise knowledge with comprehension of WHY homoeopathy (the therapy) has to be practiced in a certain way to achieve success.  If the proper methodology is employed in case taking and case analysis, and adherence to the protocols of giving the medicines, then indeed, the therapy of homoeopathy could replace at least 70% of therapeutic treatments in mainstream medicine today.

The modern homoeopathic self appointed leaders, dont know that they dont know, and furthermore, they dont really care to know. They could know, if they bothered to read the literature. However, that would cramp their style, their status, and their income producing ability. It is better to reach out to peoples emotional and spiritual nature to encourage the belief that medicine can be practiced by anyone on non medical grounds and by a form of interpretive analysis…. sorry people, it doesnt work like that. As a physician, you would last only 5 minutes if you didnt produce results.

I would urge each person in practice, or in training, or indeed contemplating a career in homoeopathic medicine, to just READ the Organon of medicine (Dudgeons edition) without the overlay or interpretation of anyone. Do NOT read it as a Bible. Read it as a medical text book without a spiritual tone. Read it with the knowledge that it is a man searching for a better medical practice based on pathology and understanding of a disease process and how to use more defined signs and symptoms to elicit the problem and effect a cure using medicines.

I have no hopes for the therapy in the West. Governments seemed determined to stamp out all practices that are at odds with allopathy. Sadly homoeopathy cannot put up a defence scientifically as it is practiced today. Sadly, Sankaran et al, have destroyed homoeopathy as a useful mainstream therapy for this generation. It is down to individuals who have taken the time time to study and learn what the real practice is, that will be of localised usefulness to their patients. Sankaran and Scholten et al will merely shake their heads and lament its passing claiming that they enriched the world with their brilliance and comprehension of disease and treatment thereof, and be content.

History will record the story of the demise of the most effective therapy in the world, as being diluted to uselessness for the sake of greed and ego.

It could be solved so easily just by reading the literature. But then, Most people dont let the facts stand in the way of their prejudices.

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Who is to blame for the decline of Homoeopathy?

Posted on September 6, 2012 by | 1 comment

When asked the question, who is to blame for the decline of homoeopathy? one immediate response is: ” The scientists. The scientists because they dare to use science to try to explain homeopathy”. One other response is “The Pharmaceutical industry, and the reason they are against Homoeopathy is because homoeopathic treatment and remedies are cheaper than allopathic drugs”. The final general response is “The Government. They do not believe Homoeopathy is safe”.

While all of these statements contain elements of truth, and truth is what we are searching for, we must examine each and every criticism and see what is valid and what is not factual.

The most common arguments that the profession of Homoeopathy uses in protection of itself, is that:

Allopaths and scientists

Allopaths or scientists cannot fathom the hidden essences of homeopathic remedies because the effects of the remedies are so infinite and subtle that they cannot be measured in conventional testing or be subject to current evaluation methods. The reality and sad truth is, that homeopathy cannot be understood by science simply because homoeopathy, as taught and promoted today by modern teachers is a dysfunctional, subjective and unscientific collection of nonsense. All traces of science have been carefully eliminated and replaced by quasi spiritual and bad psychological evaluation that have no basis for inclusion in the practice of Homoeopathic medicine. Because of this, homoeopathic remedies no longer follows a scientifically repeatable method of application due to unscientific prescriptions that will deliver objective results, even when compared and tested against placebo.

 The Pharmaceutical industry.

While it is a very obvious truth, that pharmaceutical industry is a profit-oriented business, (just like homeopathic teachers have their own profit-oriented business of delivering expensive, captivating, yet completely useless lectures – Rajan Sankaran’s seminars being a shining example), The pharmaceutical industry is subject to some form of accountability in production of a drug. Recent news reports show a shocking trend for circumventing these ‘safeguards’ in the pursuit of profit, and in some cases, apparent government collusion is involved. Be that as it may, each and every drug is sold with a long list of effects produced by taking that product. The prescribing physician is responsible for knowing the tested results and expected outcome of a patient using the drug.  (we can argue about side-effects, long-term efficiency, etc.), but truth be told if you talk to most homeopaths today, even they will usually recommend allopathy for a life threatening condition.

Homoeopathy, the Therapy, under the influence of modern teachers, has become a useless tool that can “heal” you if you believe in it, or if your condition is a psychosomatic problem. What we usually hear from people studying under these teachers is a recommendation to take the allopathics and once the patient is healthy, they give some homeopathic medicine to “clean up” after the allopathics. That’s right, homeopathy has been degraded to a position of a “complementary” treatment that does not work if the patient is actually sick.

 Governments

Governments have assumed the right and obligation to be seen to regulate the pharmaceutical and medicinal field to ensure that sick people get modern scientifically validated drugs according to the protocol of accepted science. Given that this is their stance, (albeit an increasingly corrupt one) it is no surprise that they are on a path to ban the modern practice of homoeopathy as taught today.

Why is this? There is no longer a scientific and repeatable and uniform method of practice in the Therapy. Every current Guru teaches something completely different. The only thing in common they share is the dismissal of the input and research of the founder of the therapy.

Can you blame the governments for attempting to ban this travesty of a therapy trading under the guise of Homoeopathy?
Some examples are Rajan Sankaran teaching meditation techniques, in order to take a case. Years ago, a colleague attending a clinic of Rajan Sankaran, watched him fall asleep during a case taking. It would appear that he has found a method of being able to do so now with no attendant criticism!

The teachers of modern Homoeopathy. have collectively turned the medical practice of Homoeopathy into a dangerous therapy, under the guise of it being a safe alternative in the face of conventional medicine. In not following the guidelines and modus operandi, Homoeopathy fails the patient during an actual sickness

Who is to blame?

We could say, that it is the modern teachers, the modern gurus, that are responsible. This would not be the complete truth. Although they are responsible for the non medical, non scientific, non rational quasi spiritual nonsense that they produce, they can only exist through the support of the community. There has been no concerted effort to study the Therapy or methodology for years. The credibility that these gurus appear to have, would easily be dismissed if people actually studied homoeopathy and not accept the false methodologies that is destroying the profession. Who is then to blame? If you were aware of this problem even before you read this article, simply look into the mirror and you will see the guilty party straight away. The rise of the modern teachers was made possible because of complacency of existing homeopathic teachers and homeopathic community. It was possible because not enough people were willing to stand in a direct opposition and persevere regardless of how popular the modern teachings were. Most of the homeopathic community either ignored the nonsense of modern teachings or simply adopted them because it brought profit. There are only a handful of teachers and homeopaths who actively point out the discrepancy between scientific homeopathy as taught by Hahnemann and “homeopathy-like” teachings of modern teachers.

So, when you see the next wave of seminars taught by the “modern masters”, spend a moment thinking about the effects this is going to have on all of us. Especially think about the patient who is not going to benefit in anyway from attending a homoeopathic consultation. And also reflect on the fact that a lack of application to studying real homoeopathy, will allow the removal of homoeopathy as a therapy in every country.

Francis Bacon “neither man nor his style should be the primary object of the audience’s concentration because ‘doctrines should be such as should make men fall in love with the lesson and not with the teacher’…”

Polony and Weaver. info@homeopathyonline.org

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The untold story

Posted on May 14, 2012 by | Leave a comment

So. Now you Know.

 

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