In recent years there has been a dramatic increase in the number of
American school children diagnosed with ADHD (Attention Deficit and
Hyperactivity Disorder), and treated with medications like Ritalin or
Adderall. In some cases, parents are reporting that school
administrators are telling them that their child may not attend school
unless the child is placed on psychostimulant drugs.


Government benefits should not be conditioned on the use or nonuse of
a psychotropic medicine," says Richard Glen Boire, legal counsel for
the Center for Cognitive Liberty & Ethics (CCLE), a nonprofit policy
center devoted to protecting freedom of thought.


The CCLE today launches "Making Choices for Children," a national
campaign designed to call attention to this issue, and to educate
parents on their legal right to make medication decisions for their
children, free of coercion by school authorities.


While pro-Ritalin and anti-Ritalin groups have garnered most of the
attention in this debate, the CCLE hopes to bring a new perspective to
the problem, one that focuses on parental choice rather than on the
drugs themselves.


"Parents need to know that they are the ones vested with the legal
power to make medication decisions in the best interest of their
children," says CCLE legal counsel Boire. "Some parents may decide to
place their children on Ritalin, and others may decide not to. Our
campaign aims to support a parent's free and informed decision either
way."


To that end the CCLE plans to publish a free Parent's Rights Kit, which
will contain plain-language information on informed consent rights and
additional resources for parents facing coercive school medication
practices in their communities.


The CCLE is also working to educate policymakers on the problem, and
supports legislation such as the Child Medication Safety Act (HR 1170),
a bill currently before Congress that would block federal education
funds from going to schools that condition a child's attendance on the
use of a medication like Ritalin.


To learn more, obtain helpful resources, or to get involved in
returning medication decisions to parents, visit the campaign's
website.

"In some cases, parents are reporting that school
administrators are telling them that their child may not attend school
unless the child is placed on psychostimulant drugs."

Hmm. Interesting use of this myth, popular amongst those who feel no shame in lying to support their beliefs.

What was that "E" for in "CCLE"?

The staff of CCLE appears to be mainly lawyers. I wonder if the people on the board know they're releasing this kind of trash...

One woman was thrown in jail for refusing to allow her child to take Ritalin (Utah). Ritalin causes heart disease according to a Michigan Pathologist.
Government pays local school boards per student diagnosed with ADHD and thus there have been huge increases of the diagnoses and therefore treatment by use of Ritalin (a gateway drug).

Some governments are paying parents who have said children on Ritalin.

There are valid and effective alternatives to help focus the attention and many cases where the boredom is generated by the lack of true teaching going on. Teachers are not taught how to teach (see Kaoru Yamamoto of the University of Colorado) they are taught how to test.

Jeeze, dude, this stuff is nuts. The only thing close to an actual source is the reference to Kaoru Yamamoto, and that doesn’t have much to do with what we’re writing about here. Doesn’t have a thing to do with Ritalin at all. I think he might appreciate getting a copy of the thread.

The rest of this is just tripe. I doubt you can find an original source for anything you’re quoting; even if you find a news story, I’ll bet it just refers to another story, and so on until the actual source disappears in the mist.

I chase this kind of stuff down all the time. If you really think you’re saying something real, you do it. I don’t have the time for it right now. Just give us a url for a story with an actual person’s name, in a form that’s verifiable. You know the drill, I suppose: high quality news source, not a press release or story about a story, preferably a name that matches a listing in the local phone book. You ought to be able to nail the pathologist if it isn’t made up.

His claim about Ritalin is sure made up, though. And I really regret this:

“There are valid and effective alternatives to help focus the attention and many cases where the boredom is generated by the lack of true teaching going on.�

You’ve not a clue about this subject, do you? None of what you’re saying or implying has anything to do with why Ritalin is prescribed. You could do a little research first, hey?

It kind of frosts my butt that this sort of mean-spirited misinformation persists. Ritalin isn’t the enemy, this stuff is.

Good luck tracking down your sources.

I have numerous sources. I have studied this subject for over 25 years. You are a fool.

yeah, Stabile. RTB is a bloody Bruce for god's sake. Surely he need not actually disclose his sources, as he has been doing this for 25 years and probably forgets them anyway

If you would like I can refer you to a few sites where Ritalin and the Pharm-phucks have been thoroughly discussed with many links, reports and other things pertinent to the reality you live in but are unaware of.

Maybe you misread my post. I did ask you to post a URL.

I just re-read it myself. It doesn't say a thing about boasting that you have the ability. Maybe your computer's broken, eh? That was a p, not a b.

My Mama didn't raise no fools, though, and I've been doing this longer than 25 years, as if that ever meant anything. You're still wrong about why doctors prescribe Ritalin, and what they expect. You still don't have a clue about what happens when it's used.

But I already said that, didn't I? Sorry. I meant you to understand that I do have a clue, and I have a perfectly good resume of experience and training to back that up. Plus, I have ADD, and I don't find that it's a problem at all. It appears that it’s actually an evolutionary advantage, and I sure like it. The problem with Ritalin and ADD/ADHD is you, or people like you, just like I said before. People that have a problem with us.

And once we figure that out, it stops being a problem. I thought you might actually look at an ADD source or two, trying to back up that urban legend you were going on about, but I guess not.

So I'll just say it right out. Dude: you have it, flaming. Classic case, too. Is that why you're so down on Ritalin? The things you've written elsewhere have caught my attention the same way this did, and that's a dead giveaway. Anytime I feel that flared-nostril, snort-and-bang-heads thing go off, the person on the other side always has it just as bad as I do, or even better.

Why else would you think you understand the stuff in the Matrix? If you can turn your head around a bit, look in the mirror a minute, and calm down, you'll be able to see all of this stuff in a much simpler and elegant way.

The world's not really in an uproar. It just seems that way to anyone that doesn't like what's happening, or is afraid of it.

Fear not, dude. It’s all OK.

The pot has admitted it has ADD and obviously takes the drugs rather than explore the causes and alternatives. The kettle wonders if the pot has looked up the clinical definition of projection under aranoia.

Hmm, the royal third person. It must be a mite miffed.

One wonders if one has perhaps checked the definition of admitted recently, or ever, one supposes.

One could profit, one could, from

http://www.plainenglish.co.uk/index.html

and

http://athena.english.vt.edu/~hagedorn/tec...ng/gobbled.html

and also

http://www.plainenglish.co.uk/generator.html

from which one gleans this wisdom:

"Only geeks stuck in the 90s still go for 21st Century incremental consulting."

as well as 39,999 other random phrases one could use to avoid the effort of having to think of an intelligent reply.

Oh, by the way, did I mention taking drugs anywhere? Thought not. I just said you don’t know anything about Ritalin. And you don’t.

Maybe one should also avail oneself of some screaming demon pills, guaranteed to calm one enough to actually read posts...

No you did not say you took the drugs though you are supporting taking them and you said this.

I have ADD, and I don't find that it's a problem at all. It appears that it’s actually an evolutionary advantage, and I sure like it. The problem with Ritalin and ADD/ADHD is you, or people like you, just like I said before. People that have a problem with us.


That evolutionary advantage you IMAGINE you have is most intriguing - have you looked up the clinical nosology of paranoia for projection? When you do look also at hypermania (or the old term - megalomania).

One of many alternatives that should be examined and a reason why Hillary Clinton and others in the Senate are concerned enough to investigate the over-prescription of Ritalin is here too.

Chiropractors Offer Hope for Kids with ADHD
http://www.hunterdonhealthonline.org/healt...ils.cfm?id=1933
In the past decade, prescriptions for Ritalin, a stimulant medication commonly used for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), increased five-fold, with 90 percent of all prescriptions worldwide consumed in the United States. As many parents grow leery of the traditional medical approach to ADHD, doctors of chiropractic are offering promising results with non-drug treatments that focus on postural muscles, nutrition and lifestyle changes that affect brain activity.

Some children may simply have difficulty learning certain subjects, but the current system - in a sense - prompts school officials to encourage their parents to have the children diagnosed with ADHD, says Dr. Scott Bautch, past president of the American Chiropractic Association (ACA) Council on Occupational Health. "The higher the number of disabled kids in the school, the more funding the school can apply for," says Dr. Bautch.

Some teachers might also have difficulty with students who have a different style of learning, according to Dr. Bautch. If the child is a visual learner, and the teacher is not, perhaps the child is not being taught in a way he or she can learn. Before diagnosing the child with ADHD, Dr. Bautch recommends doctors talk to the child and the parents: "Is the child too active? Bored? Has dyslexia or a different learning pattern? It can be a behavior problem, problems at home, or frustrations with the teacher's style," explains Dr. Bautch. "If we went to a conference where the speakers taught in a way we can't learn, we would be frustrated and would misbehave - we'd get up and leave or chat to the person sitting next to us."

The traditional medical model, however, seems to follow the cookie-cutter principle. The diagnosis of ADHD is based on a questionnaire. But this is not enough, says Dr. Robert Melillo, a chiropractic neurologist. "True ADHD patients have other signs - tics, tremors, balance or postural problems, or unusual sensitivity to touch, movement, sights, or sounds." Unfortunately, although medications can keep ADHD under control, they don't cure it. Eighty percent of patients have ADHD features in adolescence, and up to 65 percent maintain them in adulthood.

Doctors of chiropractic and chiropractic neurologists offer a non-drug and non-invasive treatment alternative for ADHD patients that targets the underlying problems, not just symptoms. "Motor activity - especially development of the postural muscles - is the baseline function of brain activity. Anything affecting postural muscles will influence brain development. Musculoskeletal imbalance will create imbalance of brain activity, and one part of the brain will develop faster than the other, and that's what's happening in ADHD patients," says Dr. Melillo.

Chiropractic neurologists are trained to identify the underfunctioning part of the brain and find treatments to correct the problem, to help that hemisphere grow. "On every patient, we perform a brain function exam," says Dr. Frederick Carrick, president of the ACA Council on Neurology. "We test visual and auditory reflexes through, for example, flashing light in the eye, or asking patients to listen to music in one or the other ear."

When the problem is identified, patients are placed on a treatment program - and most of the therapies can be done at home. "Patients are asked to smell certain things several times a day ... or wear special glasses," says Dr. Mark S. Smith, a chiropractic neurologist. "We also focus on their individual problems. Some children, for example, have difficulty with planning, organization, and coordination - so they benefit from timing therapies. They learn to clap or tap to the metronome, perform spinning and balancing exercises."

Although currently no studies comparing chiropractic neurological and medical treatment for ADHD are available, chiropractic neurologists are compiling the data. "We test children before they start the treatment and then every three months," says Dr. Melillo. "Within the first three months, the children get a two-grade-level increase on average - which is pretty dramatic. With children on medications, the improvement in academic performance is short term and lasts only as long as they take the medication. Our programs change the brain function and the improvement doesn't go away."

While chiropractic neurologists have found success in treating ADHD and learning disabilities by providing the necessary brain stimulation, they also recommend nutrition and lifestyle changes that may help correct or prevent biochemical imbalances that cause ADHD.

Parents are encouraged to:

1. Remove as many food dyes, sugar, preservatives, and additives from the diet as possible.

2. Focus on natural, mostly organic foods with as few pesticides or herbicides as possible.

3. Determine if there is an allergy - usually starting with dairy and gluten and try elimination diets.

4. Stop using pesticide sprays in the house.

5. Avoid taking medications, nicotine, alcohol, and other drugs in pregnancy that may harm the fetus.

6. Find ways to relax during pregnancy. Stress on the job may affect the unborn baby's health, as well.

7. Breastfeed. The first months and years of a child's life are critical to physical and psychological development. Breastfeeding mothers' diets are important as well.

Chiropractic Care Can Help...

If you or your loved one is diagnosed with ADHD or has the symptoms, ask your doctor of chiropractic if he or she has experience treating patients with the condition. Doctors of chiropractic are trained to identify neurological problems and find individual non-invasive treatment modalities. They can also assess your nutritional status and help you find the diet that will help you manage your condition.

OK, let’s see…

So far, I’ve supported honesty, in particular about Ritalin, it’s effects, and why it’s prescribed.

I’ve attacked the sloppy use of language, keeping urban legends alive, and the use of innuendo to advance a hidden agenda. Oh, yeah, and the way innocent people get caught up in advancing that agenda, long after the perpetrators have moved on.

The statements being made attacking the use of Ritalin aren’t based in fact, or on experience, either. I’ve never met a parent angry about the use of Ritalin that actually has a child using it.

The people I’ve met that are the most passionate about it are angry simply because they’re convinced it’s wrong. It seems obvious to them, and their opinions are usually a response to some intentionally inflammatory description, idiotic statements like “They’re drugging kids!�

As far as I can determine, the trail back to the source of the bogus Ritalin information leads right to one or two right wing conservative religious organizations. Judging by similarities in style, all of the original press releases may have been taken from one document.

There are some people who have genuine and deep personal convictions that the use of Ritalin is wrong, almost a religious thing. Their unshakable faith that they are right is usually accompanied by equally strong feelings that they are obligated and empowered to act unilaterally on their beliefs. They want to save us, even (especially) if we don’t want saving.

That could be the case here, but I doubt it. I think RTB is just a little caught up in the hype, and no one likes to feel manipulated. A little innocence can sometimes be charming, though, and that’s exactly what it‘s beginning to look like to me.

Like this: I ask for a URL, and you give us a whole web page. (grin)

I really believe it would never occur to you that it’s better to let us go hit the page ourselves. Why? I don’t think you have it in you to imagine we might think you edited the text before you posted it. That’s not ego, it’s innocence, and the reason for the standard practice of just posting the URL escaped you entirely.

So I’m certain that you posted the whole thing more or less intact, and good thing, too, because the funky BB software that runs this forum tends to eat pieces of long URLs. And yours is broken, just like some that I tried to post earlier. I tested mine before I posted, and deleted the stuff I couldn’t get to work.

But I was able to track the web page down without too much trouble, and it certainly looks the same as what you posted. I didn’t count the words or anything, but I really am sure it would never occur to you to change anything. I sent an email off to the “editor� of the website (you do know it’s a commercial website, not a news organization, right?) asking him to identify the source of the text; I think it’s a scream that he spelled “chiropractor� wrong in the title: “Chiropactors Offer Hope for Kids with ADHD�.

And yeah, I noticed that you corrected it, or your software did. But it just seemed like one more innocent thing to me, even if you never noticed it at all. Jeeze, it’s possible that by the time this gets posted, the BB software will have fixed it behind my back. Which is why I included it, of course, exactly as I snarfed it from the web page. CTRL C, CTRL V, and lets see what shows up on line.

About the chiropractic thing, though, don’t you think it would be better to use a source a little closer to the medical and philosophical mainstream to bolster your argument? I mean no disrespect for any fans of chiropractic out there, and this doesn’t reflect any opinion of it.

I just mean, this anti-Ritalin stuff can be found in sources that don’t bring along the burden of being medically controversial in their own right. It just clouds the issue, y’ know?

That’s also innocence. It’s OK, dude, and you might as well give in and grin a little yourself. I’m not sure what you think I’m imagining about how my mind and brain work, but I’m pretty certain about most of it, and none of it’s cast in stone. Right now our formal theory is kind of cruising along in that place where it’s difficult to prove some aspects, but nobody has been able to propose a test that breaks it. In that respect, it’s in pretty good company.

And as far as looking up your definitions, I got to say it’s been a few years, probably about the time that MPD was refined into DID. That was the last time I had a reason to look at that stuff, and I’m a little curious about your reasons for hanging out there. It’s a peculiar neighborhood, don’t you think? I certainly hope you don’t feel a personal association, because based on this interaction, I’m sure you’ve got nothing to worry about.

I told you, dude, people find real innocence charming. Cut yourself a break and smile a little, OK?

If I ever hear from the “editor� of the chiropractic website, I’ll let you know what he said.

Peace. --TR

To call the Michigan pathologist or myself a keeper of hidden agendas or to characterize us and the thousands of real people who are concerned about Ritalin as keepers of urban legends is your stock in trade. It reflects on your state of mind which I have given you clues to understand but you continue to harrangue and harass me - this is the last time I will respond to your tripe.

Oh, yeah, the Michigan pathologist. What was his name again?

The web site you gave us seems like a standard commercial front. I didn't look too far into it, but I expect that it's hosted by some chiropractic professional organization. Or maybe it's smarmier than that. I sent email to both addresses listed, and both were bounced by chiroviewpresents.com as unknown.

So the article was, umm, Pablum. Shameless pandering. An opportunistic fishing expedition, looking to snare parents scared by your brand of tripe.

One doesn't keep urban legends, dude. What I said was that you were unwitting dupes of a group that does have a hidden agenda. Unwitting means you didn't know, like not realizing that you should let us hit a web page ourselves. Or not editing the text you post. It makes people question your sincerity.

My stock in trade is logic, philosophy, and computer science. I come from a family steeped in the conventional medical tradition. I don't remember you mentioning yours, but thanks for asking.

And this isn't harassment. Spreading lies about Ritalin is harassment, even if you're unwitting. I have a particular bug about that, and I make it a point to respond when I see it.

Call it my personal contribution to putting the whole thing back in balance. Everybody has a social responsibility, and currently I've chosen to speak out about this, something I know and have the expertise to comment on.

I assume you've chosen yours, and your posts are part of it. If not, it's just sad. You did have a point beyond just engaging me, right?

It’s harangue, not harrangue. We finished now?

You and I are indeed finished. You are not able to do a simple browser check by putting Ritalin - Michigan Pathologist in to the browser and you are raving. But just in case there are naive people who think your bluster is based on facts here is the link.

http://www.ritalindeath.com/

excellent site, Robert. Very informative. It will be interesting to hear what Stabile thinks of it, assuming he doesn't dismiss it out of hand as myth-making. Here is a little intro to the site I found:




Why are millions of children being drugged into control, with dangerous stimulant medications, that are comparable to Cocaine? Why is the health of millions of children in the U.S. being put at risk just because psychiatry believes they all have some kind of brain disorder?

I am a Father from the State of Michigan. My Wife and I were pressured into medicating our son for ADHD by the school Social Worker, with the threat of child protected services if we didn't comply with their psychiatric diagnosis, and recommendation for Ritalin.

As a result, our fourteen year old son Matthew suddenly died on March 21, 2000. The chief medical examiner has concluded that his death was caused from long-term (age 7-14) use of Ritalin.

This tragedy has forced me to research the diagnosis of Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. The more I learned the more shocked I became.

I've learned that parent's informed consent is being violated, As was mine. The school social worker, Monica, explained ADHD as an objective brain disorder, I have sense found this to be false.

I am on a crusade with hundreds of other parents to inform parents others on the subjective diagnosis, (ADHD) and the dangers of psychotropic stimulant drugs, used as treatment.

I have launched the website ritalindeath.com as a tool to inform parents as they should be. I have received thank you letters from doctors from around the country, that don't like giving out these types of medications. Some doctors are telling parents about ritalindeath.com in hopes that they will be enlightened and make an educated decision regarding medication.

I have testified on Michigan Bill 5085, Oct 11, 2001. House Bill 5085 prohibits school personnel from recommending that children use psychotropic drugs such as Ritalin.

We have all been working together to inform State, and Federal Government on the fact that these psychiatric brain disorders have no scientific validity, the Dopamine theory and others are nothing more than wishful thinking on the part of the psychiatric industry there is no proof of any organic brain abnormality based on sound science.

The lives of millions of children are being put at risk with dangerous, addictive drugs that have been publicly known to cause death, suicide, cardio vascular damage, chemical dependency, depression, tics, weight loss, appetite loss, school shootings, ineligibility to join the armed forces, and many other things for something that can't even be proven.

I am all for additional state and federal funding for schools and students that need tools for educating, But not additional money with no accountability, just because a child has been diagnosed, labeled and drugged.

Methylphenidate (Ritalin) is very similar to both amphetamines and cocaine, a drug used to treat (ADD) attention deficit-disorder, and (ADHD) attention deficit hyper-activity disorder, in mostly children. Children are being diagnosed with a list of behaviors that In 1987 was literally voted into existence by the American Psychiatric Association and inserted in the DSM-IV, Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Within one year 500,000 children in the U.S. were diagnosed with the disorder.

In 1998 at the National Institutes of Health Consensus Conference on ADHD The NIH issued the following statement regarding ADHD: "We do not have an independent, valid test for ADHD, and there is no data to indicate that ADHD is due to a brain malfunction" About seven million children in this country are treated with addictive, dangerous, and potentially deadly drugs without demonstration of abnormality of disease.

School administrators are coercing parents into drugging their children for disorders that have no scientific and organic validity of disease.

If they don't drug as requested by school officials, Child Protective services may and have been called, therefore involving still another government agency in fraudulent cases.

There are absolutely no positive long-term effects of these medications on learning, academic standards, performances, and social behavior. Between the years of 1990-2000 over 569 children were hospitalized, 38 of them were life threatening hospitalizations, and 186 died from Ritalin.

You mention that informed consent is being violated. I am sorry to tell you this, but that's very old news. True, proper, and medically ethical informed consent is a thing of the past. When was the last time you went to a doctor and they actually ASKED you for your consent to proceed with an assessment? They're required to, but if you have a doctor who actually does, he/she is one in a million. I have never, in my natural life, had a doctor explain thoroughly what a drug they are prescribing does and ask if I had questions.

This is not to condemn doctors everywhere, far from it. But the truth of the matter is that informed consent is dead. Should it be? I don't think so - personally, I always go through an entire consent procedure before even producing a plan of care, and I have had very few clients complain at the time I take.

I don't think I'll enter into Ritalin, Luvox, Prozac, Paxil, or any of the other SSRIs. There are too many honest arguements for both sides, and as I'm a health care practitioner in a field that quietly condemns the use of psychotropic drugs, my opinion is too biased.

you brought up some good points, ExodusNights. Thanks.

Incidentally, I just caught this. "Doctors of chiropractic are trained to identify neurological problems". Not to cast doubt upon chiropractic care, which I use and appreciate, due to a recurring subluxation of several cervical facet joints (layman says: bad neck), but that's untrue. Chiropractors are NOT trained in neurology - beyond the general knowledge imparted to many alternative modalities - unless they take it upon themselves to learn. Advanced neurology, such as the knowledge needed to diagnose and treat conditions such as excessive serotonin reuptake disorders, is not a required part of a chiropractors education. Chiropractic is a health profession concerned with the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of mechanical disorders of the musculoskeletal system, and the effects of these disorders on the function of the nervous system and general health. (taken from the Canadian Chiropractic Association code of ethics, standards of practice, and positional statements) Mechanical disorders of the musculoskeletal system, and assuredly NOT of the nervous system, beyond what is affected by the spine or other bone structures. Any flashing light or sound pulse tests give only partially useable results, as chiropractors can do even less to affect the brain than cranio-sacral therapists. A "chiropractic neurologist" is not far different from an ordinary chiropractor - the difference is the longer titled practitioner has built a practice around neurological conditions rather than all conditions, and HAS made an effort to study neurology beyond the basic, general level. They still can't directly affect the brain.

I only intend to point out a fallacy in the aforementioned website. Incidentally, I have worked with chiropractors, and enjoyed much success in treating clients with serotonin reuptake disorders, not limited to depression and ADD. I have much respect for chiropractic care - but much less for a website that seemingly deliberately misleads the reader.

Dear E

I hasten to point out your interpretation of the language is not appropriate. To be trained in neurology is to buy into things different than they are into - it is true. But they said "trained to identify neurological problems" which does NOT mean what you interpret it to mean.

I see your point, but would you care to explain what it does mean, then? The chiropractors I know are trained to identify orthopedic, or musculoskeletal problems, not neurological ones. (Barring, of course, musculoskeletal neurologic problems, such as spastic or flaccid paralysis, or nerve impingement, which is still not what was mentioned in the article.)

Dear E

The skeletal structure is certainly their forte in what they are used for by people like you. In Canada they are even allowed to get $400 a year from medical insurors per person when last I checked. As if that will help anyone in real trouble and it is only a smaller percentage per visit. There is a very real political control of the medical care system and I have many stories about chiropractry and the system including my nephew who broke his neck and our family friend chiropractor was able to get the professor who taught the esteemed top othopedic surgeons who wanted to put pins in his neck to tell them they read the X-rays wrong and were wrong. He requirede nothing though the halo they had put on his head and drilled holes in his scalp (when he refused pain killers) had been screwed up by them and many other horror stories.


As to what Chiropractors are taught and the further area of ayurvedic and acupuncture and nutrition that they often learn leading to a degree in Naturopathy - it includes treament for all neurological disorders and many other diseases as well.

These sciences have been useful and preventively helpful for thousands of years and the recent blip in government backed drug use is most troubling to me - it may end up being the subject of my next book.

I highly recommend - The Pill May be Your Problem by Breggins and Cohen or 1976's Limits to Medicine by Ivan Illich.

Government backed drug use is disgusting, I know. What worries me even more is DOCTOR backed drug use - doctors that recieve a commission every time they prescribe a certain drug - drug companies that literally pay doctors to hand out their medicines. The authority that doctors have is partially necessary, but people tend to accept blindly what their MD tells them, and that is not a safe thing to do. I have seen several undertested and misdiagnosed conditions in even my schools clinic - and yes, misquoting a bursitis as a tendinitis isn't overly dangerous, but it's the tip of the iceberg.

I've had a client on seven different medications, who consistantly stated that they "weren't doing anything", and massage, for instance was "the only thing that works". But a doctor told this person to take these meds, and take them they did. I won't get into the myriad of side-effects this poor person had to deal with every day, for questionable relief. But this is the way our western medicine works.

You might like reeading the book Stopping Valium which details the naive and utterly greedy relationship that doctors have with drug companies. It is also true that massage helps and there was a University of Toronto study a couple of years ago that showed acupuncture works better than drugs PLUS the so-called Psychotherapy of the best psychiatrists.