Wikileaks may be against conventional medicine

Travis

Misanthrope of the Mountains
Travis
Joined
Mar 31, 2007
Messages
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This popped up on the Wikileaks G+ feed this evening.


So are they going to embrace this new political direction?



 
I'll have to admit that not getting fat is better than having high blood pressure because of it... so they sort of might have a point in there somewhere. However, that doesn't mean that big pharma is out to get you.
 
Turns out I'm not so hot at creating my own health. Time to consult the professionals.
 
I suppose Ben Goldacre would say "it's a bit more complicated than that". There have been cases where the pharmaceutical industry has invented or exaggerated conditions (halitosis, restless leg syndrome) in order to sell a cure or treatment but in the vast, vast majority of cases they are responding as best they can to demand.

Looking at friends and relatives in the US and comparing them to friends and relatives of similar ages in the UK I'm struck by the fact that in general those in the US are on a lot more medication both prescribed and OTC. Whether this is a reflection of the different health challenges being faced in the two countries (my US friends and relatives are a lot fatter on average than my UK friends and relatives and seem to have a lot more chronic and allergic conditions) or whether it's more to do with access to healthcare (my US friends and relatives generally have excellent health insurance so they can have access to a much broader range of treatments than my UK friends and relatives) but I can understand how someone in the US could come to the (IMO mistaken) opinion that the pharmaceutical companies view them as cash cows.
 
The Don said:
I suppose Ben Goldacre would say "it's a bit more complicated than that". There have been cases where the pharmaceutical industry has invented or exaggerated conditions (halitosis, restless leg syndrome) in order to sell a cure or treatment but in the vast, vast majority of cases they are responding as best they can to demand.

Looking at friends and relatives in the US and comparing them to friends and relatives of similar ages in the UK I'm struck by the fact that in general those in the US are on a lot more medication both prescribed and OTC. Whether this is a reflection of the different health challenges being faced in the two countries (my US friends and relatives are a lot fatter on average than my UK friends and relatives and seem to have a lot more chronic and allergic conditions) or whether it's more to do with access to healthcare (my US friends and relatives generally have excellent health insurance so they can have access to a much broader range of treatments than my UK friends and relatives) but I can understand how someone in the US could come to the (IMO mistaken) opinion that the pharmaceutical companies view them as cash cows.
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I spent the better part of my life almost unable to sleep (seriously, I was lucky to get 20 hours a week) because of restless legs syndrome. I went to numerous clinics and tried just about every medication under the sun before I found one that mediates it to a good degree.

Are you saying that the pharmaceutical industry somehow invented my condition? :mad:
 
Travis said:
I spent the better part of my life almost unable to sleep (seriously, I was lucky to get 20 hours a week) because of restless legs syndrome. I went to numerous clinics and tried just about every medication under the sun before I found one that mediates it to a good degree.

Are you saying that the pharmaceutical industry somehow invented my condition? :mad:
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I apologise, I was speaking from a position of ignorance. I was basing my misjudged opinion on the adverts for RLS treatments I've seen on US TV, on my own biases and on studies like this one which allege that advertising has driven diagnosis.

I withdraw my allegation regarding RLS and apologise to those people whose life is blighted by this disease.
 
Well even that article admits that some people do suffer from it.

I'm sorry but I've run into people on the net that think it is a fictitious condition and that just ticks me off.
 
Travis said:
This popped up on the Wikileaks G+ feed this evening.


So are they going to embrace this new political direction?



[qimg]http://www.internationalskeptics.com/forums/imagehosting/thum_160965302ef080ad24.jpg[/qimg]
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I don't know what it means for Wikileaks, or even what a G+ feed does, but I followed the address at the bottom of the picture to some blog written by a guy who tells his visitors to "BE AWESOME" and allegedly contains "inspiration, humor, art and photography" in daily doses.

I think whatever popped up on the "Wikileaks G+" feed is of less significance than you fear.
 
G+ is Google+.

The Google version of facebook.
 
I was just listening to a podcast from the "Big Ideas" series about the new DSM 5 and pharmaceutical companies shady business practices:

It's called "Allen J. Frances on the overdiagnosis of mental illness" from the "Big Ideas" series. It originally broadcast on 5/11/12.

Description: "Psychiatrist and author, Allen J. Frances, believes that mental illnesses are being over-diagnosed. In his lecture, Diagnostic Inflation: Does Everyone Have a Mental Illness?, Dr. Frances will outline why he thinks the DSM-V will lead to millions of people being mislabeled" -- sorry it cuts off there.

I assume Frances is NOT a quack, however I have not read his books. It was an interesting listen, and makes me think we REALLY need to focus on basic mental healthcare in this country, as well as teaching people coping skills for everyday life stresses.
 
I have a feeling Wikileaks is going to become Whale.to level in being a repository of Woo before too long.
 
There is no Wikileaks Google+ page. That post is on a page that's called "Unofficial Wikileaks" which means that they have nothing to do with the page. Kind of like an Unnoficial Fan Club. This thread is a waste of space. Get new hobby...

Personally I do not support Wikileaks.
 
Travis said:
Well even that article admits that some people do suffer from it.

I'm sorry but I've run into people on the net that think it is a fictitious condition and that just ticks me off.
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.
I see RLS on many people at the Mall.
ISTR having it way back when... Dunno..
 
AmandaM said:
I was just listening to a podcast from the "Big Ideas" series about the new DSM 5 and pharmaceutical companies shady business practices:

It's called "Allen J. Frances on the overdiagnosis of mental illness" from the "Big Ideas" series. It originally broadcast on 5/11/12.

Description: "Psychiatrist and author, Allen J. Frances, believes that mental illnesses are being over-diagnosed. In his lecture, Diagnostic Inflation: Does Everyone Have a Mental Illness?, Dr. Frances will outline why he thinks the DSM-V will lead to millions of people being mislabeled" -- sorry it cuts off there.

I assume Frances is NOT a quack, however I have not read his books. It was an interesting listen, and makes me think we REALLY need to focus on basic mental healthcare in this country, as well as teaching people coping skills for everyday life stresses.
Click to expand...
.
Hey!
The DSM is the script for Sheldon's phobias, fears and noias.... He has them all!
 
Travis said:
Well even that article admits that some people do suffer from it.

I'm sorry but I've run into people on the net that think it is a fictitious condition and that just ticks me off.
Click to expand...
My better half has it. While I understand that it's very difficult for her, and means that she finds things like coach journeys very difficult, I have to say it can be difficult for me too (because I'm selfish). There is little more shocking than when I'm lying in bed, just nodding off, and she silently (and unconsciously) slowly raises one leg and then slams it down on the mattress, setting all the springs vibrating.
 
AmandaM said:
I was just listening to a podcast from the "Big Ideas" series about the new DSM 5 and pharmaceutical companies shady business practices:

It's called "Allen J. Frances on the overdiagnosis of mental illness" from the "Big Ideas" series. It originally broadcast on 5/11/12.

Description: "Psychiatrist and author, Allen J. Frances, believes that mental illnesses are being over-diagnosed. In his lecture, Diagnostic Inflation: Does Everyone Have a Mental Illness?, Dr. Frances will outline why he thinks the DSM-V will lead to millions of people being mislabeled" -- sorry it cuts off there.

I assume Frances is NOT a quack, however I have not read his books. It was an interesting listen, and makes me think we REALLY need to focus on basic mental healthcare in this country, as well as teaching people coping skills for everyday life stresses.
Click to expand...

I think we'd need context to understand what Frances meant.

My wife has talked about the impacts of changes to the DSM in this edition, and the main influence for potential overdiagnosis has more to do with HMOs than the pharmaceutical suppliers. Specifically, the HMOs underprovide non-pharmaceutical treatments such as group therapy because they're more expensive than drugs. MDs can extend the treatment period (to what they think is the correct duration) and avoid medicating by portraying the diagnosis at the most severe possible while still being honest about the presentment.

So, the trend has been to have more inclusive diagnostic categories that can include patients on a wider spectrum of impact, in order to ensure eligibility for proper care. In this way, 'overdiagnosis' actually means less medication, not more.
 
Travis said:
This popped up on the Wikileaks G+ feed this evening.


So are they going to embrace this new political direction?



[qimg]http://www.internationalskeptics.com/forums/imagehosting/thum_160965302ef080ad24.jpg[/qimg]
Click to expand...

If G+ is based on AdSense, there is no connection between the feed and what you're seeing - when you log into G+ the ads are shaped by your profile - IOW, AdSense is all about your browsing history.

It's produced many anomalies, since I read a lot of quack blogs and do a lot of comparison shopping for my parents. It's not surprising my AdSense ads are filled with Dr. Oz and discounts for hearing aid batteries.

What I can't figure out is why I keep seeing Ron Jeremy and his dickpills. What did I do to give Google the impression I have 'instrument failure'?
 
Joey McGee said:
There is no Wikileaks Google+ page. That post is on a page that's called "Unofficial Wikileaks" which means that they have nothing to do with the page. Kind of like an Unnoficial Fan Club. This thread is a waste of space. Get new hobby...

Personally I do not support Wikileaks.
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My goodness. Such antagonism.

Perhaps we should talk about why a fan club of wikileaks is promoting this garbage?
 
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