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This is the French translation of what was said at a lecture in Grenoble on October 14th and in the Lyon the following day. The numbers below should correspond closely with the slides. The english is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LFgTFXXChi0&pbjreload=10 1/ Sur cette radiographie, vous voyez une épaule cassée. Je suis tombé dans la douche un vendredi matin. … [Read more...] about Sex Antidepressants and Neo-Liberalism

Study 329 is the most famous clinical trial of all time - see Study329.org.  The only trial with two diametrically competing versions of what happened in print at the same time. 329 (March 29) was the date Britain was supposed to leave the European Union - but didn't - with close to GUBU consequences. And its 329 years since the Battle of the Boyne, which effectively … [Read more...] about 329 Deja Vu; We’re all Northern Irish now

Recap When it comes to assessing the benefits of drugs randomised controlled trials (RCTs) are over-rated, rarely if ever objective, and easily gamed.  If you don’t know what you are doing to begin with, RCTs won’t find an answer and in practice will make the situation worse.  The operationalism of RCTs helped tee up a Neo-Medicalism.  Neo-liberalism is another word for … [Read more...] about Decernimus Ergo Summus: Citizen’s Assemblies

This continues a Something Happened Series, A Western moral order fractured between Luther’s nailing of his Credo Ergo Sum, I believe therefore I am, to the door of Wittenberg Cathedral in 1517, and Descartes’ Cogito Ergo Sum, I reason therefore I am, in 1649 the year of Charles I’s decapitation. Justice Justice and benevolence were central to the moral order monarchs held … [Read more...] about Something Happened: Neo-Medicalism

Editorial Note: This post will be an easy and obvious read if you're Irish.  If you're not, with Google or whatever it should be accessible and indeed the little bit of extra effort may make it a more rewarding read.  There is a warning below in respect of one item you might choose to Google. There is also one made up word that won't appear in Google - until after this post is … [Read more...] about 329: A Study in What?

The picture shows Franz Mesmer magnetising a patient.  In between his hands and her head and heart there is a set of little slivers of  metal, capable of being magnetised - shown by the fact they are all lined up the same way.  The therapist was able to influence magnetic fields and could realign bits inside her similarly, undoing whatever blockages were causing her problem - … [Read more...] about Something Stupid This Way Comes

Jose Mario Bergoglio in Chile 2018: To believe in us you have to have Faith, but for me to believe in you you have to bring me proof Over 150 years ago, describing most of the medicines then available as junk, Oliver Wendell Holmes came up with one of the most famous phrases about medical practice, when he said that: If all the materia medica (drugs) could be sunk to the … [Read more...] about All the Better for the Fishes

January 28 2019. Open letter to David Haslam, NICE Dear David, Our paths nearly crossed at an IAPT meeting in London in 2016 but you opted not to speak in a session that had me covering “Some Questions for NICE” – a lecture covering issues that have given rise to this letter. We brushed by each other in May 2018 when Chris Van Tulleken, in The Doctor who gave up … [Read more...] about DH 2 DH

The recent moral panic around the Death of MR and the involvement of Instagram and Facebook in her death and maybe that of others is intriguing. Worthy of John Le Carre - at his Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy best. This may be a cynical attempt by the old media – the BBC or NBC, the New York Times or the Guardian to put pressure on new media like Facebook and Google. There are … [Read more...] about Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Surveillor

Dead Contact Following last week's post Are Old or New Media to Blame for Suicide, I had the following email from papyrus: Ged.Flynn@papyrus.co.uk David I’d be happy to have a discussion with you. Perhaps you could contact me. Many thanks Ged Ged is apparently a little more senior within the organisation than Chris. Ged you can get me on the phone number … [Read more...] about The Bridgend Suicide Mystery