Should we just be 'anti big pharma' ?

Disease mongering is a term for the practice of widening the diagnostic boundaries of illnesses, and promoting public awareness of such, in order to expand the markets for those who sell and deliver treatments, which may include pharmaceutical companies, physicians, and other professional or consumer organizations.

The worst example is psychiatry.

Any thoughts on this ?

Pharama is dangerous period. They have to much power. They are the reason for the abusive conditions in psych hospitals, the lies psychiatrists believe along with kids popping pills like no 24/7. Along with so many other things I just don't have the strength to go into.

Its one thing to de-stigmatize mental illness its another make people believe they have it and manipulate them into taking drugs.

As I explained on a related thread on this forum, the problem of psychaitry also depends on our culture. We have a "convinience-based" consumer culture as opposed to a "needs-based" consumer culture. Big difference here, and so I think the solution cannot start with those in power, rather with us talking about the truth - about what we actually need for recovery. This is why I'm such a big fan of this forum.

To answer the question, "should we just be anti big pharma" - I say NO, we should also be anti-ignorant patients too, because WE are half the problem and reform must start with us. Big pharma doesn't make money if we don't buy - that's why they care what we think. So this means that we have the real power - not them.

If money motivates things someone should point out how much psych fraud is draining from health insurance systems.

-- Thu Apr 04, 2013 5:12 pm --

Ian Reynir wrote:As I explained on a related thread on this forum, the problem of psychaitry also depends on our culture. We have a "convinience-based" consumer culture as opposed to a "needs-based" consumer culture. Big difference here, and so I think the solution cannot start with those in power, rather with us talking about the truth - about what we actually need for recovery. This is why I'm such a big fan of this forum.

To answer the question, "should we just be anti big pharma" - I say NO, we should also be anti-ignorant patients too, because WE are half the problem and reform must start with us. Big pharma doesn't make money if we don't buy - that's why they care what we think. So this means that we have the real power - not them.

Big pharmas marketing dept is constantly putting out those press releases, online quizes "do you have this mental problem" T.V ads ...

The selling of sickness made me sick !

-- Thu Apr 04, 2013 5:16 pm --

My internet connection is real slow right now, stall and waits ect. Ill be back later.

Copy_Cat wrote:Big pharmas marketing dept is constantly putting out those press releases, online quizes "do you have this mental problem" T.V ads ...

I have never owned a TV and I have only seen a few shows online - no commercials except a few at other people's houses (very rare that I see TV). Thus, I am clearly less inclinded to buy into such TV ads. Like I said earlier, we live in a convenience-based society, might I add a entertainment-driven culture, thus paying much less attention to our actual "needs".

I am almost growing to believe that people who buy into this crap deserve it, but the optimistic part of me wishes more for others. To Cracked_Girl, I may seem like an a$$ hole for my multiple critisisms of medications and the psychiatric system (bad docs), but I am a fan of tough love - emphasis on love. Sensitive, probably not so much, but at least I give a damn about the truth. Sorry to vent so muc, but I'm getting irritated lately about these topics...

No worries - you are entitled to your own opinion. I would say that I also give a damn about the truth much as my interpretation of that is different to yours.

I will leave you guys to your discussion

Cracked

CrackedGirl wrote:No worries - you are entitled to your own opinion. I would say that I also give a damn about the truth much as my interpretation of that is different to yours.

Hi Cracked_Girl - I had no intention of implying that you don't care about the truth - only that I may lack sensitivity, but at least I do care about the truth. I'm in no position to judge you on either, but you seem to have both sensitivity and a clear pursuit of truth. My remark about truth was aimed at myself - at least I thought that's how it read...