thank you.

t

Check these out sites:

http://vitamind.mercola.com/
(Sign up for the newsletter . . . just for fun.)
http://www.naturalnews.com/
(Again sign up for the newsletter . . . just for fun.)
http://www.lef.org/
(the LEF backs up with lots of research, the type you mentioned above.)
http://www.hippocratesinst.org/ (Again, sign up for the newsletter. Though I have issues with this place because it’s only for the rich and I do come from a country with socialized medicine, so I hate that fact that there’s elite medicine and “capitative” care in the US. But that’s a whole nutter . . .

(Do you take the Hippocratic oath in the UK? Do you remember what Hippocrates said? “Let food be your medicine and medicine be your food.” -What the fuck did that old Greek fart know anyway . . . Fuck, I’m an old Greek fart at that, and besides what The Bleep Do I Know . . .

“Occam’s razor (or Ockham’s razor[1]), entia non sunt multiplicanda praeter necessitatem, is the principle that “entities must not be multiplied beyond necessity” and the conclusion thereof, that the simplest explanation or strategy tends to be the best one. When competing hypotheses are equal in other respects, the principle recommends selection of the hypothesis that introduces the fewest assumptions and postulates the fewest entities while still sufficiently answering the question.That the simplest explanation or strategy tends to be the best one.” (Yeah, I hear the “tends” in there.) But I hear the “simplest explanation . . . best one” too!

Gotta run . . .
ciao

“I’ve got more than my fair share of tragedy in my life, and I have a fucked time coping with the horribleness of it all. But I feel it all, the good, the bad, and the ugly! And I have faith in nature (most of the time, I’m not perfect . . . )”

What are you on about? I don’t think you quite understand what having clinical anxiety/depression is like do you? And in my case, there was no ‘tragedy’ in my life that set it off. Nothing whatsoever. It’s not an appropriate reaction to a sad event, like grief or feeling down for a while. It’s a sustained, inappropriate response. Which is why it’s a *disease*.
And are you suggesting that my capability to experience emotion or function day-to-day is somehow blunted because I’m on 50mg of SSRIs a day? You wouldn’t be able to tell if you spoke to me in the street. Most of my acquaintances don’t have a clue. I’m not a drugged-up zombie. It’s attitudes like yours that contribute to the stigma associated with taking psychiatric medication.

“Can you please keep an open mind especially if you’re going to be treating people in the near future. Can I send you some info? Can I send you my e-mail? contact1420@yahoo.com Will you please not trust big pharma so blindly w/o taking a deeper look? Will you take a step beyond? Will you not conform to the current rancid methods of medicine because it’s the way it’s always been?”

Um… Seeing as I’m a medical student in the UK who will be working for the NHS in the near future, I doubt there’s many people more sceptical of ‘big pharma’ than me.

Repeat after me: well-controlled, fair trials conducted by independent researchers that have been peer-reviewed by independent anonymous reviewers show anti-depressants work. I’m not emailing you. Link me to a study that shows me that ‘herbs’ (I feel ridiculous even typing this) have a similar effect.

“As for the above comment, I thought I made it clear that it was written by a pharmacist. If it wasn’t clear, my apologies. Yes, some people need meds but not all people, not all the time, maybe a lot fewer than are taking them.”

…OK? I agree with you here… Although I’d like to see some kind of evidence to support your last comment.

“Meds all have side effects and you know that as a medical student and as user of an anti-depressant. I didn’t say EVERYONE should be off meds.”

Yes, so? Every single drug (and ‘herb’) has side-effects. Personally, I’d rather have the side-effects than the depression.

” but it shouldn’t be a first line of defense, don’t you agree with that simple premise? As for the flu epidemic again take a closer look. Just because it’s the status quo don’t mean it’s so. ”

Why not? If it’s more effective than any other treatment and freely available then why not? I agree that in the majority of cases, CBT should also be used in conjunction but it’s always possible, at least immediately. Luckily, I can get in on the NHS and at my university for free. But for people in countries without socialised medicine, I doubt it’s feasible. But that’s a critique on healthcare systems rather than what doctors ‘should’ recommend.

And as for the 1918 influenza epidemic… I’m actually doing a virology module at the moment and have written several thousand words on the subject. But go for it- tell me something I don’t know! I guess the world-class tutors and researchers at my university must have forgotten to inform us of the healing powers of ‘herbs’.

“Please Sarah always be skeptical. Follow the advice of Einstein, “Question Authority!” And remember (I love my cliches) “Imagination is more important than knowledge.” Be imaginative when you read something in a “peer review medical journal,” even the greats are bought and sold by Big Pharma. ”

Don’t be so fucking condescending. Questioning and testing the results of studies is engrained into the mind of every self-respecting independent scientist. Why on earth do you think Wakefield got so much shit after the MMR scare? I think you should follow your own advice.

“I’m sure you’ve heard of prestigious doctors being paid to have their names used by ghost writers for medical journals. You have my e-mail you may contact me if you would like further discourse.”

That’s what meta-analyses and independent studies are for. And no, I don’t want your email.

“P.S. I had dinner with a fud (PhD) last weekend who was diagnosed with stage iv (colon, liver, prostrate) cancer 12 years ago, and he cured himself using quantum physics. When he was first diagnosed he was given months to live. He went to the UCLA library and read everything he could find on cancer and then he implemented his knowledge. And his cure was rather simple (Occam’s razor) (I guess quantum physics is simple to those who understand it), so keep a very open mind when it comes to alternative healing, meds, herbs, etc. Don’t pooh pooh it because it doesn’t fit your mindset.”

*facepalm*

Occam’s Razor is the law of parsimony used to guide the development of theoretical models within the scientific method. It has nothing to do with quantum mechanics in particular.

But do explain exactly how your friend managed to cure metastatic cancer… Maybe he should put his brilliant mind to curing HIV/AIDS when he’s got some free time? Or drug-resistant TB? Or maybe he could conjure up a malaria vaccine whilst he’s at it? Those poor sods in Africa could really do with one of those. I guess we’ve just been too lazy to figure it out until now…

“Wishing all the best in Med school and a quick getting off meds and getting on with your life!”

I’m getting on with my life just fine right now, thanks! Good luck with understanding science a little better!

“Jesus”, you are talking complete nonsense, and derailing a fascinating thread. Patni and Sarah are absolutely correct. It comes down to this: if you have a serious accident, do you want someone to come and give you herbal tea? Or do you want an ambulance and drugs?

And frankly, I’m not even going to dignify your comment about the 1918 ‘flu epidemic with a response. Don’t be ridiculous.

Anyway, back on topic. I agree that from a purely external point of view, suicide is selfish. But to classify something as selfish implies that people are making a conscious free-willed choice to do something without caring it will injure others. I don’t believe someone who is clinically depressed (though I’d like to point out that there isn’t any evidence that McQueen was depressed, at least from a clinical, diagnostic view, at the time of his suicide- it might have simply been a reaction to grief) is always capable of complete free-will (if such a thing exists) in a situation like that.
Consequently, to brand all suicide as selfish might perhaps be a little harsh, as a number of people above me have said.

But I agree otherwise- suicide is not something to be romanticised.

And Talisa- it’s actually women who attempt suicide more often than men. It just men succeed more often, probably because they tend towards methods more likely to succeed.