The Transit of Venus: Autonomy or Nurture?

May, 10, 2021 | 9 Comments

Comments

  1. The line that has been acceptably crossed (or Vallance and Witty would not be courted by GOV.UK and got on one knee with a sword dangling over them)

    A nice little series to set the spine-tingling
    https://canadafreepress.com/article/the-ghost-writer

    Patrick D Hahn author of Prescription for Sorrow – his earlier work :

    Series:
    Part 1: “I tried killing myself thirty times”
    Part 2: “Remarkable efficacy and safety”
    Part 3: “An effective drug treatment”
    Part 4: The Ghost Writer
    Part 5: It’s shameful”

    I got something I didn’t know I wanted –
    He drew a big circle on an A4 sheet of paper, in a cupboard, in a hospital room – dark green lavatorial green, one small desk, two small chairs, so small our shoulders were almost rubbing.
    This is anxiety at the top of the circle, this is depression at the bottom of the circle, and then swish he drew a line across half-way down the edge of his circle – Seroxat, this will break the cycle.

    So he had become a salesman for a condition I was unaware of having.
    How useful this diagram might have been for me when I was selling and marketing electronic goods in Canada and the US.

    Here is your problem Mr. Customer, you at the top, me at the bottom, let’s draw a line across the line of the circle and voile, you know my product is something you need –

    Shelley Jofre

    This has been described by British psychiatrist Dr. David Healy as “the biggest medical scandal since thalidomide.” Dr. Healy, rather than the regulatory authorities charged with monitoring the safety of medicines, was instrumental in uncovering the evidence at the heart of the scandal. It was a series of U.S. legal actions that led Dr. Healy, as an expert witness, and the legal team with whom he was working, deep into GSK’s secret archives, where they found a series of damning internal documents.

    https://corpwatch.org/article/doctoring-evidence-glaxosmithkline-pushes-depression-drug

    Far better than Drudge…

    Does your Autonomy give Rise to Nurture or even to a bit of – irony…

  2. As someone who worked for years to push for rights to informed consent and the autonomy linked to it I affectionately disagree with some of your points and sincerely hope things won’t go backwards even though there are kickbacks from doctors . The war mongering Tony Blair and co. brought in some control over medics who could until then practice in the way they were taught decades ago without proof of updating knowledge. Hence the norious, amongst campaigners, anger about ‘in my clinical judgement’.They could practice according to their own person value judgments not just clinical judgements whether political; religious; views on family matters ,morals and so on. The idea that people could or can get a second different opinion though is not taking account of the power imbalance wich is still weighed in favour of doctors. I think you over estimate the power of the citizen.Even if just by holding knowledge needed to claim a right – eg in England people were supposed to have the right to choose a service or clinician when mental health was to be treated equitably but studies showed they didn’t inform of that or any other ‘right’.Countless numbers of people have been harmed or died as a result of what is termed ‘poor communication’ rather than more honestly lack of informed consent.. A classic example being a doctor having the right to refuse a termination of pregnancy. They still can refuse to take part as a matter of conscience which few would disagree with.The disagreements about transgender mean one medic can counsel against it ,another prescribe major drugs to teenagers. There doesn’t seem to be an obligation to provide those services or be disciplined if refusing in UK. Affection as akin to caring is not what all doctors feel towards people who consult them though – it’s hard to understand why they go into medicine – maybe affection is too woolly, maybe they can’t stretch the benevolent feeling far enough to want to have a relationship, maybe it’s too much to ask of 10minute consultations . And maybe the public no longer want relationships with doctors as much as before especially when they were part of the same community and known as persons themselves not just doctors It takes two at least to have an affectionate relationship .If the doctors also feel this rlationship is not there any longer the quality of life of a doctor who goes into medicine for the hopefully partnership as well affection with people are likely going to feel angry and confused by the reality of practicing medicine. I guess the next generation won’t change much when they are being led more and more into tech and tele medicine And young people are the ones most into tech and tele – they will understand and accept a different style of practice more easily – Already there are loads of private businesses set up to practice psychiatry mainly by video but also which most of us have no awareness of – in partnership with the NHS. The NHS has already become big business – which has no affection for us

  3. Playing on BBC SOUNDS Anyone who reads the DH Blog will know about the contents of this book Not sure if the author has benefited from what’s already been published but he gave a comprehensive account of the issues So another book and a spot of the radio has alerted more of the public But whether the producer would take it further and interview some who have been harmed is another thing.
    Search the BBC
    BBC Radio 4
    Start the Week
    Listen now
    The opioid crisis and erosion of trust
    Start the Week

    The Sackler name is more often associated with philanthropy and lavish donations in the arts and sciences. But the investigative reporter Patrick Radden Keefe tells another story in Empire of Pain. He questions how much of the Sackler wealth was made from the making and aggressive marketing of the painkiller, Oxycontin. He tells Amol Rajan of the misery that has unfolded in today’s opioid crisis – an epidemic of drug addiction which has killed nearly half a million people in the US.

    The direct marketing to GPs and advertising campaigns in the US helped to make Oxycontin a hugely popular drug. But in the UK too there are concerns about the over-prescribing of painkillers for long periods of time. Dr Zoe Williams is a GP in South London and presenter of the BBC show, Trust Me I’m a Doctor. As a founding member of the British Society of Lifestyle Medicine she’s pioneering changes to reduce dependency on drugs, and increase take-up of alternative treatments, like exercise.

    What happens when people start to mistrust medical authorities is at the heart of Heidi Larson’s work as Director of the Vaccine Confidence Project at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine. In her latest book, Stuck, she looks at how vaccine reluctance and refusal is no longer limited to the margins of society. As mistrust of the official message and messenger grows so does rumour, conflict and hesitancy.

    Producer: Katy Hickman

  4. We’ll Never Walk Alone. Too many of us did. We’ve come far but too many are still walking alone.
    Mental Health System: Open Letter to the Media
    We, a group of people with first-hand experience of the mental health system, write to express our concern about what we see as one-sided coverage of this system in the media and to draw the attention of civil rights organizations to the systemic discrimination that we witnessed and experienced. We, our loved ones, or inmates in the facilities where we worked, were exploited for monetary gain and victimized in various other ways. We saw how abuse, corruption, and exploitation were covered up, while victims and critics of the system were silenced and marginalized.

    EVERYONE WHO BELIEVES THAT THE PROBLEMATIC ASPECTS OF THE MENTAL HEALTH SYSTEM ARE NOT ADEQUATELY REPRESENTED IN THE MEDIA, ARE INVITED TO SIGN THIS LETTER.

    Journalists or human-rights activists wishing to confirm the stories reported below are invited to email the contact person listed at the end of this letter. To achieve a balance between protecting our privacy and providing evidence for our statements, we designated this person to serve as mediator. In the text below, we will use initials marked with asterisks to refer to the letter signatories. The contact person will help the interested parties to meet with the relevant people and to procure the documentation supporting our allegations.

    Some of us had the rare fortune to encounter a psychiatrist who treated us or our loved ones with kindness, respect, and integrity; some of us saw patients who were helped, not harmed, by the mental health care they received. However, our experiences led us to believe that such cases are exceptions rather than the norm. We believe that the mental health services suffer from deep, systemic problems, and we want to draw public attention to them, to break the wall of silence, and to initiate a discussion as a step towards creating a humane and efficient system.

    WE INVITE THE MEDIA, CIVIL RIGHTS ORGANIZATIONS, SUPPORTERS AND CRITICS OF THE CURRENT PSYCHIATRIC SYSTEM, AND THE GENERAL PUBLIC TO DISCUSS THE FOLLOWING POINTS.

    Read the entire letter:
    https://drive.google.com/file/d/1y8T1tUOax7zdF6Y57e0_kgwq8L4veavs/view?usp=sharing

    There’s a bigish list of international signatories with comments already and growing

  5. I went along the second vaccine conyer belt up at Lister House which is the new healthcare center they have put up at Staple Tye here in Harlow Town. I tried to give my books away or at least the ones I own to do with this issue, Pharmaggedon, Anatomy of an Epidemic and others. The doctor fella just took some pictures of said books and gave them back to me in the Coop bag. I’ve read them once I don’t need them any more you can have them I said but they gave them back to me. I mentioned RxISK and Medicating Normal a bit to those present in the building who appeared to have some semblance of medical authority. That’s enough work for me today I hope this second jab doesn’t make me really tired again next week. It’s time for your lunch time supplements Mr. Oxley.

  6. ‘Jigsaw Identification’ –

    ‘The Paroxetine Investigation Case’ – Page …

    Michael Grenfell, the CMA’s Executive Director of Enforcement, said:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/news/cat-upholds-infringement-decision-for-pay-for-delay-pharma-deals

    We welcome the Tribunal’s findings that GSK and a number of generic suppliers broke competition law. These agreements can cost the NHS and taxpayers millions of pounds. Today’s judgment sends out a strong message that agreements between pharmaceutical companies aimed at delaying generic entry are unlawful and won’t be tolerated.

    We note that the Tribunal recognises that significant fines were warranted, but are disappointed that it has reduced the fines imposed by the CMA for these serious breaches of competition law. We will now take stock of today’s judgment and carefully consider next steps.

    More information on this investigation can be found on the Paroxetine investigation case page.

    Ethics Unwrapped

    Scandals Illustrated

    https://ethicsunwrapped.utexas.edu/video/curbing-corruption

    How many ‘Paroxetine Pages’ would they like …

  7. It is surely a noble aim to ‘Nurture’ Doctors –  “why did they kill themselves?”

    https://blogs.bmj.com/bmj/2021/05/10/clare-gerada-suicide-and-the-myth-of-sisyphus/?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_term=hootsuite&utm_content=sme&utm_campaign=usage

    “Some doctors seem to have killed themselves impulsively—made arrangements to meet friends for Sunday lunch, booked courses or holidays, yet instead suddenly changed plans and taken their own lives.”

    “ Working as a doctor provides meaning akin to a religious vocation, as emphasised in the Hippocratic oath where doctors pledge to dedicate their life to the service of humanity.”

    “often lurking in the background is a trigger  –

    Medicating Normal was aired last night followed by a Panel Discussion. Miranda Levy, journalist, suffered so badly she has written a book about it, Stevie Lewis, suffered so badly she is an ardent campaigner, Mark Horowitz, suffered so badly he went the extra-mile and mentioned “Pill-Shaming” exposing it as a ‘cheap shot’.

    David Healy was a Panel Member.

    I’ve never come across a Doctor who needed nurturing, but then again I’ve never come across a Doctor who didn’t play around with deadly drugs.

    I don’t think we can even meet in the middle with this when it is the medical profession who have created the current SSRI Epidemic and go about their business as a business without any form of protection for their patients:

    People need to be called out when there is a ‘Transit of Venus’ …

    James Moore @jf_moore

    Join us on May 14 for the next in @Mad_In_America’s series of discussions on psychiatric drug withdrawal. We will be discussing protracted post-withdrawal experiences and our panel is Adele Framer, Will Hall, David Healy and Nicole Lamberson. Register

    • Certainly did James and it was well worth joining. I think you’ll need a two hour slot next time! Thanks for all your work in this area.

  8. Professor/Dr Healy, you have been on fire, even more than usual these last few weeks. Your writing, and panel discussions have been hard hitting, passionate, shocking. You tell the truth with very little sugar coating.
    Watching Dr Healy, Mark Horowitz, Miranda Levy and Stevie Lewis the other night was like watching ‘The Four Muskateers’ all fighting for Justice. There was a unity of purpose which conveyed ‘All for one and one for all. A point was made by’ Maddie’ that Frankie, from the Saturdays, told her 2 million Instagram followers not to miss an AD dose, detailing how awful she felt when she did. Frankie has also publically stated that ADs cause sexual dysfunction. But as she sees the pills as ‘Life saving’ and depression as a life long condition does this infer this is a price worth paying to remain on them?. Also at 30, what might happen should Frankie want children? Will she risk a pregnancy by continuing to stay on theses ‘Life saving Medications…?
    Many of us stuck on these pills for 5+,10+15+even 20+years have been enduring sex less relationships, we no absolute hope that if we are brave enough to endure the brutality and uncertainty of withdrawal we can get our libido back. For many of us we were told we had a chemical imbalance, if Insulin caused sexual dysfunction would one still take it to control diabetes? In 2005, a year after I was prescribed Sertraline, having experied complete genital numbing and numbness in my previously sensitive nipples, I asked my young female GP if this feeling of the machine having no battery was down to the Sertraline? I was assured not, it was either my depression or my relationship or both. No amount of mindfulness, date nights, even sex toys could alter a physical deficiency. The Vibrators battery worked, but not yours, your partner doesn:t understand why you dread oral stimulation. You feel totally humiliated and confused as everything, including by now your heart feels numb.dead as a dodo. You can manage sexual intercouse, but it hurts and is pleasure less and your partner feels bad.. He can’t win.. If he makes advances you don’t want sex, if he doesn’t you feel rejected. This goes on week in month in, year in. Until you both stop trying……
    Thank you David for calling out the stench of deceit, corruption and greed pervading all areas of ‘The Medical Profession’ and beyond. Once one might have expected honesty, co-operation and benevolence. ‘The poisoners have to Try to have a semblance of a relationship with the poisoned, How true is that… He or she that dares wins… Thank you for being determined to do what is just, and fair… X

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