8/20/2010
Morning Feature: What Americans Want, Part I – Says Who? | BPI Campus
Morning Feature: What Americans Want, Part I – Says Who?
Posted on August 19th, 2010 by NCrissieB in Morning & Evening Feature
In a July study titled What Americans Want, the Center for American Progress explores our confidence in government and what we want improved. It has bad news and good news for progressives.
The bad news: Americans overall lack confidence in government.
The good news: Younger Americans disagree. (More)
What Americans Want, Part I – Says Who?
This week Morning Feature considers a July report by the Center for American Progress titled What Americans Want. Today we look at Americans’ confidence in government to solve problems. Tomorrow we examine “Doing What Works,” CAP’s strategies for reform. Saturday we discuss how to share these ideas with Fred, our archetypal median voter.
The overall news from the CAP study is challenging. In January, I offered a progressive Democratic platform in three sentences: (1) People matter more than profits; (2) The earth is our home, not our trash can; and, (3) We need good government for #1 and #2. Polls show majority support for all three points, which should mean good news for Democrats. But polls also show Democrats face a difficult time in this year’s midterms, and the sticking point is #3. According to the CAP study, most Americans have little confidence that government can solve problems. Unless you ask younger Americans.
Better, not smaller.
Americans have conflicted views on government. According to this study, 57% of us say “Government is doing too many things better left to businesses and individuals.” Only 39% say “Government should do more to solve problems.” That sounds like good news for Tea Party Republicans, but other findings in the study suggest that answer is more reflexive than reflective. When the study moved from that generic question to specific issues, most Americans wanted more government, not less:
- 61% want more involvement to develop renewable energy sources.
- 60% want more involvement to improve education.
- 60% want more involvement to make college affordable.
- 57% want more involvement to reduce poverty.
- 51% want more involvement to ensure access to affordable health care.
Yet only 33% of Americans have “a lot” or “some” confidence in government to solve problems, 35% have “just a little,” and 31% have “none.” Among independent voters like Fred, only 26% have “a lot” or “some” confidence in government, 40% have “just a little,” and 34% have “none.”
A crisis of confidence.
Our challenge is not that most Americans think government shouldn’t help. It’s that most Americans think government won’t help. When asked to grade government on five indices, Americans were harsh:
- 21% gave an “Excellent” or “Good” on being customer-friendly and providing quality service.
- 19% gave an “Excellent” or “Good” on helping you and your family.
- 16% gave an “Excellent” or “Good” on accomplishing its goals.
- 14% gave an “Excellent” or “Good” on being well-run and effectively managed.
- Only 7% gave an “Excellent” or “Good” on spending money efficiently.
Asked to rate “examples of government waste” from 0 (“not an example”) to 10 (“a perfect example”), Americans gave these averages:
- 8.1 for programs continuing for years even if they have not proven effective and no-bid contracts and contractors overcharging.
- 8.0 for people receiving benefits who do not deserve them.
- 7.9 for tax breaks for corporations with political influence.
- 7.8 for inefficient employees receiving high salaries and generous benefits.
- 7.4 for agencies duplicating efforts of other agencies.
- 6.7 for failing to use new technologies and modern management methods.
- 5.8 for excessive and unnecessary military spending.
Failure of government or of media?
The findings suggest some of the lost confidence stems from media memes. For example, 61% of Americans said they were satisfied with their personal interactions with government agencies over the past year. Those with interacted with an agency often gave it higher marks than those who did not. Americans overall rated Social Security and Medicare 4.7 and 4.6 on a performance scale of 1-10, but seniors rated those two agencies at 5.9 and 5.5. In short, many Americans have bought into the Reagan-era mantra of “government is the problem” … except for the government agencies they deal with …
… and agencies with extensive public relations efforts. Among federal agencies that the CAP survey asked people to rate, the top three were the FBI, the military, and the Department of Homeland Security. Is it mere coincidence that my cable company has three documentary channels devoted to crime, and four channels for the military? Add in almost universally positive news reports – lest a reporter or news network be labeled “soft on crime” or “hating the troops” – and the top marks for security agencies are hardly surprising.
And then there’s race.
CAP’s companion study on Americans aged 18-32 – titled The Generation Gap on Government – showed very different attitudes. Among Millennials, 44% expressed “a lot” or “some” confidence in government, while only 20% had “none.” The generational gap in confidence has almost tripled in the past 10 years. Millennials have a more favorable view of government than older Americans, support a broader agenda, and have much more confidence that government can be more effective.
A key difference may be race. Hispanics make up 19% of Millennials, versus only 8% of non-Millennials, and they view government more favorably. But so do working class white Millennials. While older working class whites have a dim view of government, that has faded or reversed among Millennials, who view government as favorably (or more so) than their college-educated age peers.
The future holds promise for progressives. Tomorrow we’ll discuss strategies to get there.
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Happy Thursday!
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Against holism | The Intention Experiment
Against holism
August 6th, 2010 by admin · 44 Comments
Just occasionally, I come across a medical hero, a doctor willing to break the conspiracy of silence that exists among doctors about the damage caused by their tools.
My hero of the hour is an American psychiatrist called Grace E. Jackson. Dr. Jackson is utterly, refreshingly horrified by psychiatric medicine. In fact, she is horrified by most forms of pharmaceutical medicine, period. She spends her life lecturing and writing about the dangers of drugs and their ability to cause mental illness.
So incensed is she about the current state of affairs that she felt compelled to self-publish a whistle-blower, entitled Drug-induced Dementia, which painstakingly catalogues a vast amount of scientific evidence showing that modern medicine is the primary culprit behind all forms of dementia, one of the most rampant epidemics of our time.
A new use for rocket fuel
One of her more outrageous snippets of information concerns the fact that in the 1950s, when doctors first began to treat psychiatric patients pharmacologically, they discovered that synthetic dye and rocket-fuel derivatives actually had what they considered some sort of medicinal effect. Thorazine (chlorpromazine), the first antipsychotic, was born.There was only one hitch – the drug caused the patient to become so lethargic that his symptoms aped those of sleeping sickness. The doctors also noticed that over time, the drugs caused all the hallmarks of Parkinson’s disease: abnormal gait, tremor, dementia and involuntary movement. They also stupefied the patient, flattening out all feeling or excitation — leaving behind, in effect, a vegetable.
Nevertheless, with a brand of logic peculiar to modern medicine, these debilitating side effects were welcomed, on the premise that they were a damned sight better than a crazed hallucinator.
In fact, doctors began to view the arrival of parkinsonian effects as a benchmark in a patient’s therapeutic progress: proof positive that the drugs were actually working.
Not-so-subtle brain damage
The damage caused by psychiatric medicine is only the tip of the iceberg. I began to look into this issue myself and discovered a good number of the major classes of drugs that doctors give patients as they age bring on dementia.Heart drugs, cholesterol lowering drugs, sleeping pills, antidepressants, narcotics, stimulants, including Ritalin, the ADHD drug given to children, anti-cholinergics, anti-epileptic drugs, to name just a few, all can damage the structure of the brain.
Anti-depressants shrink the hippocampus of the brain, and statins lower crucial fats, or lipids, which compose much of brain tissue.
Beta-blockers and other drugs that aggressively lower blood pressure, such as calcium channel blockers and ACE inhibitors, also lower blood flow to the brain, creating all the hallmarks of Alzheimer’s DiseaseEven good old painkillers – the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory class of drugs – can cause a variety of cognitive changes, from delirium to disturbances in memory and concentration.
Many of these drugs actually shrink brain volume, destroying the crucial fatty structures of brain cells, or causing abnormal accumulation of tissue in vital brain structures.
Drug cocktails
Even though they represent only one-seventh of the population, the over-65s take one-third of all prescription drugs – and usually a cocktail of them. The average senior is on six drugs at a time, many of which can affect the brain.Given the fact that some 90 per cent of Americans from their mid-fifties onward are taking at least one drug regularly, and nearly one-third are taking five or more drugs, it’s small wonder that dementia is one of the world’s fastest growing diseases, now absorbing $90 billion per year, or one-third of America’s entire Medicare bill. It’s now expected that one in four of us will have some form of dementia by the time we reach 80.
To put this cost into perspective, America is now spending about 1 per cent of the US’s entire gross domestic product on a largely iatrogenic (doctor-induced) condition. Medicine has reached the point where it is chasing its own tail, attempting to mop up with yet more drugs and treatments a vast and costly problem it has caused in the first place.
Against nature
I tell you all this not simply to rant against the massive carnage caused by our faulty medical system, but also to illustrate the enormous repercussions that occur whenever we go against our truest nature. The drug-caused dementia epidemic is simply the result of the ongoing refusal of our current medical model to consider the body as a holistic entity.In 1970, a German physicist named Fritz-Albert Popp stumbled upon the fact that human beings emit a tiny current of photons, or light from the DNA of every cell, which he labeled ‘biophoton emissions”.
In his research, Popp discovered something else remarkable. If a medicine was applied to one part of the body, a large change occurred in the number of light emissions not only from where he’d applied the ointment, but also from distant parts of the body. Furthermore, the size of the changes correlated all over the body.
Popp soon recognized that this light was a communication channel within a living organism, a means of instantaneous, or ‘non-local’, global signaling.
Popp’s work affords a glimpse of the body at work – an exquisite, interconnected whole. What affects one small body part affects every other part simultaneously.
Whenever we atomize anything, but most particularly the human body – taking it apart and attempting to treat it in separate pieces – we invite calamity.
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44 responses so far ↓
1 Rob // Aug 6, 2010 at 8:09 pm
thanks so much for writing this … I have someone close to me affected by mental illness and who has been put on zombie inducing drugs but it is an unfashionable illness.
Thank you for bringing it to the light2 Clarice Dankers // Aug 7, 2010 at 12:29 am
Hi Lynn,
I am a strong supporter of natural healing methods and absolutely agree with everything you wrote. But I think there are times when allopathic medicince can help, too.
When I was 34, I suddenly developed epilepsy. I refused to take drugs for 5 years; instead I pursued every natural rememdy I could find–diet, naturopathy, homeopathy and acupuncture. I continued having grand mal seizures every one or two months, however.
I finally decided to get my life back (I was no longer driving by then), and asked my family doctor to prescribe depakote. The seizures subsequently stopped completely. I took the drug for 11 years and then slowly weaned myself off of it. That was 11 years ago, and I have never had another seizure.
I didn’t like taking the drug all those years, but it did give me my life back. I’m just glad I am free of both the drug and the seizures today.
3 Mary // Aug 11, 2010 at 12:30 am
I had a stroke due to what I believe was Doxepin that was given to me for “neurological purposes. I’m living a medical nightmare of what I am calling a :eugenic euthanasia.
Please google gangstalking/salem,ma. to read stories from many people.4 Mari // Aug 13, 2010 at 4:32 pm
I so agree with all of this!
When I was in my sixties (I am 84 now) I almost died from severe asthma attacks. I had had it off and on since my teens. As the medications got stronger and stronger I got worse and worse. I was addicted to the inhalers, using them to “keep going”.
I found some Chinese herbal supplements and took charge of my own health. I have been asthma free for over 20 years.
I am on NO medications. My husband takes a mild blood pressure med.We have mild aches and pains but are pretty healthy overall.
By the way both of my husband’s brothers (one older one younger) died of Alzheimers years ago…he is 85 and played tennis until a few weeks ago.
5 Derry // Aug 14, 2010 at 6:37 am
Recently, we took our 83 year-old Dad off one of three blood pressure medications he was on after several bouts with vertigo, and within three weeks he became a different person. Significant symptoms of senile dementia disappeared, his energy levels increased dramatically. In effect it seemed 15 years had come off his aging behavior.
This was miraculous. Everyone notices how much better he is.6 Amanya Jacobs // Aug 15, 2010 at 7:09 pm
You’ve communicated clearly about a vitally important topic-brain effects from common medications. Can you follow this article with your recommendations for alternatives to prescription drugs? Thank you.
7 The Intentional Sage // Aug 16, 2010 at 10:54 pm
I read a very poignant analogy regarding the current paradigm of mechanistic thinking. Currently, the prevailing belief system (otherwise known as BS) is that the human body can be taken apart like a watch. We can examine the pieces of the watch and put it back together. If there is something wrong with one piece, we can ‘take it out’ and the watch will still work just as fine.
Well, as most people who are drawn to Lynne’s work will know, this way of thinking is not completely accurate.
The second half of the analogy that I find flies in the face of the mechanistic way of thinking is a DIGITAL watch. If we take apart a digital watch, we won’t find the same pieces as we will in a regular mechanical watch.
These two analogies fit with the older way of thinking (mechanistic and relativistic physics) and the newer way of thinking (quantum mechanics). I am not advocating against mechanistic thinking in no way. I think it was quite useful to get us to the point were we are now. However, I do believe that we need to better harmonize the two ways of thinking about science to come to a more cooperative solution.
With Love and Gratitude,
The Intentional Sage
8 bill // Aug 20, 2010 at 5:09 am
As I read Lynne’s blog, I began to wonder how, if everything in our lives is regulated by intention, we as a collective have arrived at such a sorry state. If E Pluribus Unum suggests anything, to me it says, we’ve all had a hand in this(pardon the anti-holistic pun). I know a lot of people who, on acquiring the slightest headache rabidly ransack the cupboards for a pain “killer”, and woe betide the hapless holist who foolishly suggests a slightly more integral assist. Evidence of dementia is becoming cradle to grave. If our plurality is non-locally linked, then so might be the contamination arising spreading from victim to perp…as the road to perdition is paved with “good” intentions. Silly lil’ ol’ me aah thought aah was well on the road ta solvin’ all tha woold’s problems.
9 Janet // Aug 20, 2010 at 9:25 am
ok. Now I’m ready to get off all drugs. I am only 55 and take five drugs a day. What effect will that have in 20 years? I don’t think I want to find out.
10 Ivan // Aug 20, 2010 at 9:30 am
Aaaah your defiance is most refreshing Lynne! Thankyou for another inspiring blog. For what it is worth, I wish to add a comment that we delude ourselves if we believe that these conditons are not already known and premeditated in the minds of Pharmaceutical companies.
11 Rosanna // Aug 20, 2010 at 10:30 am
As a practising homeopath I totally agree with Lynne: medical drugs are dangerous.
As to those who ask what measures should they take if they get off they usual drugs, my suggestion is that they try a good homeopath: a very experienced one, as homeopathic remedies can also be dangerous — if prescribed from an allopathic perspective.
12 René Beresford // Aug 20, 2010 at 10:43 am
To Janet’s comment.
It is no good going of medication “cold turkey”. Watch out, do it gradually or else you may get into trouble.
Hope this helps you.13 Bryn // Aug 20, 2010 at 10:47 am
Thanks for this article, it comes at a time when the UK Greater Manchester medical authority is reported to have banned GPs from offering Homeopathic alternatives to patients
14 Chatham H Forbes Sr // Aug 20, 2010 at 11:08 am
Psychiatrist as drug manipulator seems a sort of cop out from the days of couch and hypnosis, which some still practice. I’ll be 90 in a few weeks, and have no sign of dementia. I take only natural supplements, and Chinese herbs morning and night for bronchitis. I had no idea how extensive is the use of pharmaceuticals (patent medicines), one upon one upon one! I firmly believe also in the sustaining effects of prayer, meditation, journaling a la Julia Cameron, and exercise. I should add that I teach every day, which invigorates my mental faculties.
15 Pauline // Aug 20, 2010 at 11:21 am
Woah! Shocked re Greater Manchester Authority. Live there. Going to find out more.
I was addicted to many drugs (heroin and alcohol big among them) and today don’t even take tea and coffee (choice). My strongest drug is organic chocolate
Like the Chatham and many other contributors to this blog – meditation, healthy food, exercise mean I feel better and better and continually heal.
So simple yet the drug companies complicate and distort it all because their raison d’etre profit. Solutions as well as individual need to address challenging that business raison d’etre and encourage all to move towards more cooperative forms of organising our collective lives.
16 Pauline // Aug 20, 2010 at 11:23 am
Sorry I meant Chatham… not the Chatham (silly typo).. though you sound so amazing Chatham that a ‘the’ before your name would be justified
17 betsycontent // Aug 20, 2010 at 11:27 am
i appreciate your bringing forward this information, but what can we do if we MUST take certain drugs or risk stroke or heart attack (beta blockers, ace inhibitors), or anti-epileptic and anti-migraine drugs such as valprolept? i can tell you that without these, my blood pressure shoots through the roof, and my migraines return, almost daily, making my life a living hell. it’s easy to say, “these drugs are bad,” but the risk of not taking them can be far worse.
18 Ed in WA State // Aug 20, 2010 at 11:32 am
Thank you Lynne,
I have had this same conversation with my VA psychiatrist concerning the medications used to treat PTSD. In general, he agrees with you BUT… (seems there’s always a “but”) because an affective alternative is yet to be found to eliminating the devastating effects of PTSD, he is reluctant to allow me to withdraw (however slowly) from them. My dilemma is that I don’t want to live the rest of my life tethered to pills; yet, I don’t like who I become without them.
I have tried Intention and continue to do so but (another one) as yet I have seen no improvement. Meditation and yoga help and I am at peace while “in the moment” but put me in a crowded room without medication and I become a shivering mess that will explode at the slightest provocation… I hate that and withdraw from the world.
Please recommend another alternative I might explore?19 Daphne // Aug 20, 2010 at 11:44 am
Thanks for publishing this Lynne lets hope the MPs from the EuropeanParliament read it ,as they are in process of making lots of vitamin and herb supplements unavailable perhaps they are all taking handouts from Drug companies like the WHO officials .
20 Sheryl Taylor // Aug 20, 2010 at 12:17 pm
Hi there,
I am so glad to know there are more people out there discovering these things and passing on this valuable and life saving information, as there are a lot of people being treated in this way. I have been through my own experiences and can completely relate to (Dr.) Grace E. Jackson’s expression of feelings towards these findings.
Due to going through a few things in my life such as, becoming overwhelmed about a particular experience at the time and feeling a bit stressed out, (which mostly required understanding), I was taken to several psychiatric hospitals during these times, to be ‘treated’ with psychiatric mediation. I was locked inside the walls of the psychiatric hospitals and ‘treated.’ Even when I felt much better in myself (after recovering from the stress/overwhelmed feeling that I was going through), the doctor Still recommended that I stay on medication (bearing in mind that I was fully well at this time). I was pinned down and forced the medication through injection by several ward staff, following instruction from the doctor. This happened quite a few times!
Another time in the hospital, I was speaking up about being treated in this distressing and completely unnecessary way, only to be threatened by one of the hospital staff that I would be injected with medication if I carried on, basically speaking up to state my (to put it mildly) disapproval of being ‘treated’ in this way.
On another note, I also had to speak up about other people who either weren’t being treated fairly, or kindly.
I would gladly name the hospital which is Talygarn Unit, County Hospital in Pontypool, Torfaen.
The reason I am speaking up about this (again) is that I would never want anyone to go through what I experienced in those walls. Including the doctors and ward staff that caused the unnecessary experience.
There are other things that I could mention and if you would like more information about this, you are very welcome to get in touch with me.
Have a lovely day!
Sheryl Taylor
21 John Kapp // Aug 20, 2010 at 12:50 pm
Well done, Lynne, for exposing this awful state of affairs. I will quote it to my mental health team in Brighton. Keep it up. Yours John
22 kathie // Aug 20, 2010 at 12:55 pm
Well I am on a duietic for controling vertigo, but I don’t know what else to do. I have been diagnosed with mineres ear, and sometimes I just wake up drunk and sick. I can’t go to work like that I can’t even walk. I have been on Meclezene also when it comes up but I don’t even know when it’s coming. I am a single parent, what else is there?
23 Aileen McKenna // Aug 20, 2010 at 1:05 pm
So glad to read this article…I read a book about this issue some 25 years ago which has resonated with me so much, as I somehow knew that when I was being given pharmaceuticals there was some very powerful downside. I had suffered hives as a result of taking penicilin and then given a drug to counteract the penicilin and another to provide the solution that was originally sought. I finally said to just stop giving me all these pills and leave me alone. Over time, I gave in and about 30 years ago I found myself taking a number of very duty prescription drugs. One of these, a diaretic, required that I increase my ingestion of potassium to prevent depletion. I was not given this instruction and eventually had a form of blackout when walking downtown in traffic. It was an elderly relative who helped me to understand the phenomena I was experiencing. That was a huge wakeup call, and when I went home, I flushed all the drugs, and found a book about food allergies that was the beginning of my journey to health and wellness without drugs. I had on more experience when overdoing high mountains and developed bursitis in my hip. I was prescribed an anti-flammatory that caused gastro intestinal bleeding, and 18 sessions of physio which caused increasingly more and more pain. I finally found a medical practitioner who sent me to a cranial osteopath who with a few manipulations resolved the entire issue, drug free and highly effective.
These experiences sent me off to learn how to take care of myself and others with very simple systems. I have been careful in sharing my experiences however, I do have many clients, and increasingly they can reduce their reliance on drug solutions. Their pain levels are reduced to “0″, their sleep patterns improve naturally, they become more flexible and have more physical energy in natural ways.
So, I am very pleased to see this publication, and perhaps spread the word that we have self healing bodies, and we don’t need to poison ourselves to be well…….there are ways to do it as nature intended.
24 Ellen // Aug 20, 2010 at 1:13 pm
@Ed: Many vets have been greatly helped by energy psychology methods like EFT and TAT. Here’s a link to Ingrid Dinter who specializes in working with EFT for vets http://www.eftforvets.com/. The founder of EFT; Gary Craig, has also done tremendous work with vets – a subject very close to his heart. Recently a new documentary on EFT for vets was reliesed. I think you’ll find it on Ingrid Dinters website. There is a large amount of free resources/articles/information available on the net. Another useful link to TAT – a very gentle but powerful method to help reliese trauma tatlife.com. If you find a skilled practitioner to work with, and you feel comfortable with this kind of methods, your life could change in a very good way. The best part is that these techniques are very simple and are invaluable self-help tools as well. I wish you all the best! Blessings from Ellen, Norway
25 jim cranford // Aug 20, 2010 at 1:43 pm
Good job! Is it ignorance or malice or just plain greed that fuels this ongoing outrage? Many of us have known this to be the case for years, and still it persists. It is no wonder that some folks suspect a conspiracy. =-)
26 Grace in Canada // Aug 20, 2010 at 1:45 pm
Hi Ed in WA state:
Hypnotherapists (competent, as in hypnotist trained in medical hypnotism and preferably not a psychiatrist or psychologist) work with PTSD, migraines, IBS, Fibromyalgia, etc. etc. on a regular basis. Root-cause /regression work done by a competent hypnotherapist can usually help you permanently dissolve the root-cause of your issues, thereby freeing you from the symptoms.
I know this because as a certified clinical hypnotherapist, I am regularly referred patients from the local psychiatric hospital…on meds for decades for everything from depression to PTSD, personality ‘disorders’ etc. etc. and they resolve quite nicely, allowing people to become symptom-free and living a wholesome life.
I also finally ’saved’ myself in my 40’s from the ravages of standard treatment for depression and panic attacks when I found an awesome hypnotherapist who did regression work to help me re-frame and overcome the horrors of my childhood.
Just be sure you seek out the very best hypnotherapist and do not settle on a hypnotist who cannot prove they have the medical hypnotism and specifically the regression training. It’s a good idea to avoid stage hypnotists. In my view psychologists and psychiatrists are so invested in dogma and their credentials that they have already made up their minds about ‘what’s wrong with you’ and allowing them to use hypnotism to further push their agenda would not be wise…as proof read Making Monsters by Offshe for the false memory, satanic cult and multiple personality abuses by these professionals.
Homeopathy combined with hypnotherapy is marvelous at returning psychiatric patients to wellness. Hypnotherapy dissolves the emotional root-cause and homeopathy returns the physical body to equilibrium and wellness. The drugs do a great deal of physical damage and careful, staged detox and support of the damaged systems (especially the filtering organs such as kidney and liver) is essential.
I am blessed to have a great medical doctor who treats only with natural remedies to whom to refer my hypnotherapy clients. My clients are soon on their feet, getting back to work and to life, happy and healthy.
27 Linda Hamilton // Aug 20, 2010 at 1:53 pm
To Ed in Wash. St.
EFT (emotional freedom technique)has helped many people with PTSD as Ellen said.I used it myself to release childhood trama and abuse that I had carried for over 60 years.I use it daily now to deal with the recent death of my only child due to the hell she was put through to(so called) cure cancer.Please check it out.28 Dr. Tony Brunelle // Aug 20, 2010 at 1:59 pm
And they call this Modern Medicine. Anyone who dares speak out against anything they do is automatically called a quack. But with the pharaceutical industry behind them, they are a virtually unstoppable juggernaut. But those of us who know the truth must keep on.
Call me a quack for what I do, but there are answers that don’t involve “modern medicine” that are actually based on science. Just ahead of the curve.
29 Luis Fernando // Aug 20, 2010 at 2:33 pm
Hi Lynn:
Chemotherapy also has disastrous side effects for brain health.
30 aliensea // Aug 20, 2010 at 3:29 pm
I’ve take fluoxitine for about 10 years now, and it’s been a miracle drug for me. However, each time I see a new medication advertised on TV, and listen to the awful side-affects they catalog, I truly shudder. I believe the pharmaceutical industry is out to make money — period. They have become (perhaps always were) immoral profiteers. I pray to God every day that I can stay healthy enough to avoid having to take any drug, and any doctor attempting to prescribe one to me will have a tough job! BTW, I am 70 and in reasonably good health.
31 aliensea // Aug 20, 2010 at 3:40 pm
P.S. PLEASE DON’T FLUSH YOUR MEDS!!!! THEY ENTER THE WATER SUPPLY AND AFFECT WILDLIFE!!! Dispose of them as if they are hazardous materials — which they are!
32 Mary Aspinwall // Aug 20, 2010 at 3:55 pm
Hi Lynn
I am a long standing fan of your work. 20 years ago I subscribed to your magazine “What Doctors Don’t Tell You.” Thank goodness for the internet and long live net neutrality. When billions of dollars of Pharma profit are at stake it is hard to get this information out via the mainstream media. What is so heartening about the posts here is that so many people instinctively understand that they need to make a change in the way they approach their symptoms, they are just not sure how to go about it. I, like the other posters here, have had great benefit from hypnotherapy and homeopathy ( so much so that I became a homeopath 16 years ago). I have also had benefit from Traditional Chinese Medicine. Some of your readers may wonder how to choose an experienced, professional practitioner. First ask your friends and neighbors if there is anyone locally they would recommend. If this draws a blank consider working with a homeopath long distance on the telephone. Always check out their testimonials, training and experience. Chat to them before making an appointment to see if you have a good rapport.
Wishing you all well, Mary.33 Virginia // Aug 20, 2010 at 4:11 pm
Great article, thank you so much for this information. I have always known that pharmaceuticals should be avoided and you’ve provided plenty of evidence to support this. When my son was 6, he was diagnosed with ADHD and the psychiatrist immediately wanted to put him on a drug, when I refused she argued with me about it, but I held my ground and researched other ways to help children with attention deficits and now at almost 12, he is a healthy, happy boy with minimal attention issues, no more than most 12 year old boys and no problems with hyper activity.
What I have never understood about modern medicine is that is never treats the “cause” only the “symptoms”. If doctors would study what causes conditions such as high blood pressure and epilepsy and treated the root, so to speak, instead of the fruit, there would be no need for these drugs. For the root of all medical conditions starts with one’s thoughts.34 Judy in Wa State // Aug 20, 2010 at 5:07 pm
Ed in WA State, there are many alternatives to treat PTSD, Trager therapy, EFT, EMDR, acupuncture,Mind/body breathing exercises, physical exercise, yoga, tai chi, self-hypnosis, massage, meditation, guided imagery, and biofeedback are just some of the ways of dealing with PTSD , there are also some herbs that can assist. You can check online for alternative treatments for PTSD and find a number of them. You will have to find the one you are most comfortable with and that works best for you. Good Luck!
35 Ron Eastwood // Aug 20, 2010 at 5:09 pm
Great article. Why do you have it blocked making it impossible to print a copy for reference? Far too much data to memorize.
Sincerely,
Ron Eastwood
Stockton, California36 Food and Chemicals « The Good, Bad and Ludicrous // Aug 20, 2010 at 5:34 pm
[...] Aug Lynne McTaggart’s blog this morning, citing the work of Dr. Grace E. Jackson, highlights the increasing volume of evidence [...]
37 ValerieH // Aug 20, 2010 at 5:35 pm
There are studies from the 1940’s-60’s using high doses of vitamins to cure ailments rather than drugs. I learned from http://www.doctoryourself.com that schizophrenia has been treated with high doses of niacin. What if mental illness is actually a nutritional deficiency?
38 Henry Niese // Aug 20, 2010 at 5:36 pm
Thorazine! Still in the PDR, Still in use!
It was given to my 12 year old daughter
to calm her down, w/o my consent.39 Alan Rayner // Aug 20, 2010 at 5:58 pm
This article highlights the duality of the issue –
with both macro and micro effects. Our most
obvious power is to address the micro (or
personal) by taking decisions about our own
imbibing of drugs aka (in most cases!) as
medicines).Whilst these micro-level decisions will have an
effect at the macro-level, such effect will be
small as the number of people taking into their
bodies allopathic remedies without challenge
far outweighs those declining that course.What can we do about that imbalance?
At a micro level I was treated by UK experts
in Five-Element Acupuncture in 1984. My life
was transformed – and I have suffered from
the symptoms ever since of what has been
diagnosed as idiopathic hypersomnolence.The neurologists suggest Modafinil (Pro-Vigil)
or amphetamines. I have declined those but at
the cost of “living” with the symptoms. To date
I have been unable to locate any antidotal form
of treatment despite consulting a variety of
“alternative” practitioners.The moral dilemma is whether to accept the
drug intake in order to surmount the symptoms
or to live (as I am living) under the shadow of
the symptoms. I am not surprised that so many
people buy in to the “vision” of a life without
the presenting symptoms. What they do not
often identify is the range of side(!) effects.Even acupuncture presents that dilemma. The
acupuncturists in 1984 claimed to have saved
my life. They may have done (I cannot tell)
but such saving was certainly not without any
side effects!==
At a macro level the upcoming challenge is
the opportunity for genetic manipulation
and the possibility of switching on and off
particular DNA markers. As an example
one gene increases substantially our personal
susceptibility to cancer in one position but
in the other position does not allow cancer
to take hold for the same level of onslaught.What should be our response?
Should we welcome the opportunity to get
DNA components switched on/off in order to
improve our quality of life? Are interventions
of this nature liable to side effects in the same
way? Will our moving away from chemical
ingestion as the primary “cure” route remove
the problems or will other effects come to the
fore, posing new, different challenges?A contributor suggests that the root of all
medical conditions starts with one’s thoughts.
Certainly thoughts are a factor – but we would
be foolish to suppose that non-physical
initiatives can, in a physical universe, resolve
all the physical effects that we experience.Indeed, there is some evidence that our
thoughts come AFTER the physical actions
that occur in our bodies (ie my finger moves
and then I think about moving it!). Until we
understand that one, our chances of getting
to the roots of our “illnesses” are slim. We
are inured to the concept of cause-effect
but this may not be the whole truth.As was suggested to me back in the 1970’s,
the universe (in physical form) is constrained
by what preceded it as the last moment of
“now”. It is only in the spaces in between the
moments of “now” that we can make a real
difference. However, every time period can
be bisected into smaller time periods and so
the spaces in between moments of now can
be accessed only outside the confines of the
physical universe.Lynne has identified that under the name of
the “Field”. Our challenge is to recognise
how to respect the Field at the same time as
“existing” in the physical universe.Can we know our own death?
Health as conventionally understood is a
facet of the physical universe – and becomes
totally irrelevant following death (as becomes
clear when we allow postmortem incisions
that would be grievous bodily harm if they
were performed before death!).===
Here in Devon, England I am involved with a
group that promote Memory Cafes to assist
those with Dementia – and their carers.In view of Dr Jackson’s findings, what line
should I be advocating in relation to slowing
the onset of Dementia symptoms?Alan Rayner
EX39 2BA40 Alan Rayner // Aug 20, 2010 at 6:11 pm
> Great article. Why do you have it blocked
> making it impossible to print a copy for
> reference? Far too much data to memorize.
> Sincerely,
> Ron EastwoodWhilst a direct copy may be blocked, there
are ways to extract the text for reference.a) Highlight the whole text with [Ctl-A]
b) Copy to Clipboard using [Ctl-C]
c) Open Notepad
d) Use [Ctl-V] to paste into Notepad
e) Use the editing facilities within Notepad
to remove the extraneous material (by way
of shift highlight and the delete key!).
f) Save the result as a text document – which
is perfectly amenable to printing – or to
being copied into Open Office etc for any
further manipulation.NB: Using Notepad ensures that the focus
is on the text. A direct copy into MS-Word
is likely to introduce distortion effects.The only way to succeed with this is to conduct
an experiment. The clipboard concept was
perhaps the most valuable thing included in the
original Windows product – and the shortcut
keys of [Ctl-A], [Ctl-C],[Ctl-V] etc have made
it so much easier to use.Alan Rayner
EX39 2BA41 Victoria // Aug 20, 2010 at 6:50 pm
Wow. Thanks for the article. I had a very close family member who was treated with Thorazine for mental illness (along with a dizzying array of other drugs) and she only got worse over time. It eventually killed her (her spirit died long before her body did). Her story was very much like Frances Farmer, the actress. Back then (the 60’s) treating mental illness was in the ‘prehistoric era’. No other alternatives in the USA. I’m grateful that I have had the opportunity to utilize a number of natural therapies for any health issues that have come up. I agree with the posts regarding Energy Medicine. It has done wonders in my own life. Remedies are good along with a healthy diet. Many people ignore diet at their peril.However, I don’t think it’s an “either/or” issue in some cases. If you had an accident, heart attack, broken bones, etc., allopathic care has it’s place. There are some good doctors out there, you have to search for them…but they will work with other methods if you insist. I believe the message is to take control of your own health, screen your practitioners vigorously, and take care of any emotional factors that are contributing to the cause.
42 marilyn milam // Aug 20, 2010 at 8:06 pm
For Alan Rayner – Fortunately we do not have to have a conscious thought before each of our bodily movements. We must however have a belief that such action is possible and that it can be freely utilized.
A thought alone will not supersede a belief. When intention fails it is because there is some belief lurking in the background that is interfering. One of the trickiest things in this investigation into intention is reaching the point where we “Know”, in the sense of a deep spiritual knowing, that a belief is not the ‘Truth’ it is just our belief. It was our belief that caused the experiences that confirmed it as true. If we change our belief we change our reality.
The body and its workings is entirely a built up belief system (BS is right on). We have only to look at creatures who are able to regrow limbs they have lost to become suspicious of our belief that it is impossible for us.
Marilyn
43 Sharon // Aug 20, 2010 at 10:01 pm
Dear Ed in WA State
There certainly IS help – and a cure – for PTSD without meds. In my practice, people come to me for help who have been “wiped out” by pharmaceuticals. Just because your doc doesn’t know about an alternative to drugs, does not mean none exists. Google EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques) and other Energy Medicine modalities. Lots of research is successfully being done and war vets are being cured of PTSD with EFT. You might want to check out the annual Energy Psychology Conference at http://www.epccanada.ca. Lynne will be keynoting at this conference in 2011 – for the second time.
As well, google Dr. Norman Shealy – he’s a neurosurgeon in Missouri who calls the drug companies the pharmacomafia.44 Shilpi // Aug 20, 2010 at 11:02 pm
I was diagnosed with stage 3 beginning stage 4 cancer in 2008. I went through the regular treament and then put on pain and neuropathy medicines. I noticed I felt foggy in my brain and I did not want to live anymore. What the doctors did is cure me of cancer but killed my spirit. I had never taken anything until I went through this. It’s so true that about the body rejecting all these poisons that is put in ones body in the name of medicine.
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The Downside of Parental Connection : The Intern Advocate
A little over a week ago, Chicago Tribune reporter Angie Leventis Lourgos wrote an article entitled “Are students, parents too connected?” in which she asserted “advice [is] just a click away, but some say easy access hinders independence.” This could not be more true. And it isn’t such a new phenomena. In fact, a few years ago a colleague of mine, Carol, was meeting with a student – we’ll call her Stephanie – to discuss her course selection for the coming semester. As they discussed some of the options, it was clear that one of the decisions that Stephanie needed to make was to choose from two different sections of a course that she needed to take. Let me be clear here…Stephanie was choosing between two different sections of the same class, taught by the same professor, one offered at 9:15 AM on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and the other offered on the same days of the week at 11:30 AM. Let me be really clear here…the only difference between the two classes was that one ran about two hours before the other. Stephanie was not sure what to do and told Carol that she needed to call her mom. Carol suggested, as I think any reasonable person would suggest in such a situation, that Stephanie make a choice at that time and she could come back later and try to make alterations if she changed her mind. So Stephanie chose a section, they got her registered, and she went on her merry way. One might think it ends here, but the story continues. The next day Stephanie returned and met with Carol again. She had spoken with her mom, and her mom felt that the other section was better. Stephanie asked to change her registration to the other section.
In the end, it’s not the change itself that is imporant. What is important, and is, in fact, a bit worrisome, is that Stephanie was paralyzed in making this relatively minor decision. And Stephanie is not alone; I could go on and on with hundreds of stories from my experiences and that of my colleagues around the nation that illustrate this same point: Millennials are sheltered. They have wonderfully close relationships with their families, and feel truly supported, but they have little experience figuring things out for themselves. And they and their families often perpetuate this arrested development long after they reach young adulthood. We may assume that this is behavior that a young person would grow out of as they leave high school and get adjusted to college, but in fact what we see is that college students are more than willing to cede control or decision-making to their parents (at least around the majority of issues) – and that it doesn’t stop at commencement in May four years later.
Let’s cut to the chase – though there is so much I could say about this (in fact, an entire chapter in my book, MIllennials on Board: The Impact of the Rising Generation on the Workplace, is devoted to Millennials as “The Hovered Generation”) – what does this mean for the companies that employ these folks, and the managers charged with leading them?
For one thing, I have spoken with numerous audiences of employers or career counseling professionals who cite examples of Millennials asking for their offer letters to be sent to their parents instead of to them, parents coming along on job interviews, or networking events at which a parent will be asking question on behalf of their child and through the conversation the recruiter will come to realize that the adult child is actually standing right there. I have serious worries about what this infantilization can do to the development of professional self-esteem and self-efficacy. Secondly, with all of the care and attention to their needs throughout their lives, Millennials have grown to have very high expectations, not just for themselves, but for others as well. The disappointment that they then sometimes experience is not just confined to not getting the salary or promotion that they desire, but also has to do with not having their needs met in the way that they expect. Remember, they are quite accustomed to a focus on their needs from the ultimate authority – their parents – and this sets a pretty high bar for authorities down the road, such as supervisors, with whom they often share a lot about themselves, even personal information. They have very high expectations for others and will lose trust in those who do not live up to those (sometimes quite inappropriate) expectations.
So then, what can organizations do in the age of such significant parental involvement? A major aspect involves sadly accepting the role that parents have to play with the career decisions of their adult children. Here’s a few quick ideas:
- Career development seminars for parents – we have to teach them the limits…for their kids’ sake!
- Parent-Liaison Departments – colleges now do it, maybe businesses should as well.
- Parent Newsletter – a good way to keep them at bay, while still keeping them just a bit connected.
- Enhance training regarding this issue for recruiters and managers – they need to know how to work with potential new employees.
- Mentoring new employees – if parents have not been doing a good job cultivating this kind of self-efficacy, then we have more work to do!
P.S. If you want to read some pretty titillating and extreme examples, read Danielle Sacks’ article “Scenes from the Culture Clash,” published by Fast Company (January 2006)…I PROMISE it is worth the Google search!
Tagged as: Gen-Y, Millennials, parents, Rachel I. Reiser
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Some Facts About Generation Y (Millennials)
Some Facts About Generation Y (Millennials)
Every generation has its own unique experiences as well as a different information base. Generation Y’s are no exception. This article explores some of the differences of this latest generation now entering the work force.
Who is Generation Y?
While Generation Y demonstrates a great diversity of cultural and ethnic background, there are certain characteristics they all share:
- All are born between 1980-2000.
- They are also referred to as Millennials. (This article focuses on the group from 18-29 years of age.)
- There are approximately 80 million.
- School shootings and workplace violence are a regular component of current events
- A significant terrorist attack (9/11) has occurred on United States soil, resulting in massive changes to the legal system, expectations of privacy, and other aspects of life.
Demographics of Generation Y
In her well-documented article, 36 Facts about Generation Y in the Workplace and Beyond, Rosetta Thurman reports on factors that affect Millennials in the workplace, family, school, and more.
College Statistics Trends in Higher Education Current College Affordability Data advocacy.collegeboard.orgMillennials in the Work How to educate and manage a new generation of young workers www.lifecourse.com/workplace
- 40% have a tattoo, with over 65% of those having two or more.
- 40% of Millennials from 18-24 are enrolled in a two or four year college.
- 60% do not expect to stay with their current employer until retirement. 62% of Generation X and 84% of Baby Boomers do. The Baby Boomer number is probably affected by the fact that many Boomers are not planning to leave their current employer this close to retirement.
- Better than one in three are “boomerangs,” currently living at home with parents.
- Generation Y has more racial and ethnic diversity. About 40% of Millennials are non-white. 30% for those 30 years old and older.
- While 42% of their parents were married (at the same age as Generation Y), only 21% of Millennials are married.
Technology and Millennials
The latest technologies are as natural and commonplace to Millennials as electric light switches, flush toilets, and automatic car transmissions were to their parents.
- 75% have a profile on a social network.
- At some point 20% have posted a video of themselves online.
- Over 50% of YouTube users are under 20.
- 21-35 years olds make up 53% of bloggers.
Generation Y Sees Things in a Different Light
While it may be true that many Baby Boomers are not as comfortable with technology as are Millennials, those technologically gifted Millennials have gaps in their knowledge and experience of the time of their parents and grandparents.
During his performance, a comedian made a reference to “a flying squirrel, wearing an aviator cap and goggles, whose best friend is a moose.” Older members of the audience laughed with enthusiasm while the younger audience members sat quietly, obviously not understanding the joke. The comedian’s response to this was, “You do realize anyone under the age of 30 has absolutely no idea what I’m talking about (Rocky the Flying Squirrel and Bullwinkle Moose – popular cartoon characters of the 50s and 60s).” The Beloit College Mindset List of the Class of 2014 provides additional insight.
Read on
- Before Fergie the popular singer, there was Fergie the princess.
- Clint Eastwood is better known for being an award-winning, sensitive director than as Dirty Harry.
- DNA matching has always existed for Generation Y.
- For Millennials, the SYFY channel has always existed.
- Handicapped parking, Braille signs, and ramps were not always commonplace.
- To Millennials, lapel ribbons have always been worn to support a favorite cause.
While it is sometimes amusing to look at the differences in knowledge and experiences of generations, it is important to be aware of these differences. Every generation makes important decisions about lifestyle, job choices, ethical and moral concerns based on their own unique experiences with society, environment, and history. More than ever before it is important for members of all generations to be aware and understanding of these differences.
Additional References
This Won't Be The Year Schools Go Fully Digital But Some Say It's Coming Soon
Veterans, Baby Boomers, Gen X, Gen Y and Gen Z
Copyright Joe Nowak. Contact the author to obtain permission for republication.
What do you think about this article? 
Some Facts About Generation Y (Millennials)
Some Facts About Generation Y (Millennials)
Every generation has its own unique experiences as well as a different information base. Generation Y’s are no exception. This article explores some of the differences of this latest generation now entering the work force.
Who is Generation Y?
While Generation Y demonstrates a great diversity of cultural and ethnic background, there are certain characteristics they all share:
- All are born between 1980-2000.
- They are also referred to as Millennials. (This article focuses on the group from 18-29 years of age.)
- There are approximately 80 million.
- School shootings and workplace violence are a regular component of current events
- A significant terrorist attack (9/11) has occurred on United States soil, resulting in massive changes to the legal system, expectations of privacy, and other aspects of life.
Demographics of Generation Y
In her well-documented article, 36 Facts about Generation Y in the Workplace and Beyond, Rosetta Thurman reports on factors that affect Millennials in the workplace, family, school, and more.
College Statistics Trends in Higher Education Current College Affordability Data advocacy.collegeboard.orgMillennials in the Work How to educate and manage a new generation of young workers www.lifecourse.com/workplace
- 40% have a tattoo, with over 65% of those having two or more.
- 40% of Millennials from 18-24 are enrolled in a two or four year college.
- 60% do not expect to stay with their current employer until retirement. 62% of Generation X and 84% of Baby Boomers do. The Baby Boomer number is probably affected by the fact that many Boomers are not planning to leave their current employer this close to retirement.
- Better than one in three are “boomerangs,” currently living at home with parents.
- Generation Y has more racial and ethnic diversity. About 40% of Millennials are non-white. 30% for those 30 years old and older.
- While 42% of their parents were married (at the same age as Generation Y), only 21% of Millennials are married.
Technology and Millennials
The latest technologies are as natural and commonplace to Millennials as electric light switches, flush toilets, and automatic car transmissions were to their parents.
- 75% have a profile on a social network.
- At some point 20% have posted a video of themselves online.
- Over 50% of YouTube users are under 20.
- 21-35 years olds make up 53% of bloggers.
Generation Y Sees Things in a Different Light
While it may be true that many Baby Boomers are not as comfortable with technology as are Millennials, those technologically gifted Millennials have gaps in their knowledge and experience of the time of their parents and grandparents.
During his performance, a comedian made a reference to “a flying squirrel, wearing an aviator cap and goggles, whose best friend is a moose.” Older members of the audience laughed with enthusiasm while the younger audience members sat quietly, obviously not understanding the joke. The comedian’s response to this was, “You do realize anyone under the age of 30 has absolutely no idea what I’m talking about (Rocky the Flying Squirrel and Bullwinkle Moose – popular cartoon characters of the 50s and 60s).” The Beloit College Mindset List of the Class of 2014 provides additional insight.
Read on
- Before Fergie the popular singer, there was Fergie the princess.
- Clint Eastwood is better known for being an award-winning, sensitive director than as Dirty Harry.
- DNA matching has always existed for Generation Y.
- For Millennials, the SYFY channel has always existed.
- Handicapped parking, Braille signs, and ramps were not always commonplace.
- To Millennials, lapel ribbons have always been worn to support a favorite cause.
While it is sometimes amusing to look at the differences in knowledge and experiences of generations, it is important to be aware of these differences. Every generation makes important decisions about lifestyle, job choices, ethical and moral concerns based on their own unique experiences with society, environment, and history. More than ever before it is important for members of all generations to be aware and understanding of these differences.
Additional References
This Won't Be The Year Schools Go Fully Digital But Some Say It's Coming Soon
Veterans, Baby Boomers, Gen X, Gen Y and Gen Z
Copyright Joe Nowak. Contact the author to obtain permission for republication.