On Medication

This is a spontaneous thread but what the hell, I was just reading about the swine flu vaccinations and I am against taking it and I think I am right in that opinion.

But then I started thinking in a more broad spectrum relating to all medication and I realized that I have a deep mistrust of practically all medications. I have a tendency to over think things so this has lead me to think that maybe I'm paranoid.

All in all I don't know what to think is it a phobia? (as in an irrational fear). I've never taken any medications in my life, if I'm sick all I'll take is vitamin C and Cold FX. I even have a big reluctance to take advil for hangovers. I keep thinking that my body is built to handle these things and doctors are only there to make money (I'm Canadian with 100% medication coverage but I still refuse).

Some more information about me, I believe that the body is 100% under control from the mind and that perception is reality so maybe I think that needing medication is a display of weakness. Along with that I think the placebo effect is vastly underestimated by modern medicine. I've even considered that if someone told me I was crazy I wouldn't take any medication and I would simply live with their perceived craziness (I under no circumstances can envision myself being violent so I'd just be the crazy but harmless guy). I also think such things as ADD are merely figments of a collective imagination and are indicators of a lack of discipline and will power and should not be treated with medication.

Reading that back to myself I'm not sure what I'm asking but would like some feedback, either with a good reason that medications are good (I'm a philosopher not a scientist so no studies or statistics), or any similar beliefs and rationales.

Thanks in advance

Man I feel ya....though I do partake in a small amount of medications every now and then..on the rare chance when I get a cold and calling off work is not an option
Reiki and will power as you were describing pretty much take care of everything else.
Now true medicines such as herbs or oils or things of that nature..even plants I believe can be usued for unlimited potential though.
The placebo effect is very profound and I find a great number of people even myself at times feeling this effect.
And jhonestly if you consider that if the mind is strong enough to recreate the desired feeling potentially on its own...then it ust be strong enough to elimante illness and disease under the right condition on its own

Your not alone there budy.
And that you have made a desicion on the swineFlu vaccine is also good.
Most people take the vaccine basacly becuase the are told too.

All my life almost, at least since I was pre-teen, I have sufferd from Mygrain, and my good mother said I should take asprin or paracet wich I pfcourse have done, I was told it helps, it did, but I have had the maygrain for 30 years too..

February this year, after been 'woken up' to the real world and got the right information on Meds, I said to my self, NO , I will not take any more paracets and I have stuck with that desision, And I no longer have mygrain attacks... I started in February, and I think I have had two headachs since... There was a week where I had mass headaches, and thinking of it now, it was prolly the Meds kicking in and try to trick to take paracets again...

I won though, still not taking them, still no headaches ..

While I agree with the fact that by and large we are far to reliant on medicine, let us not forget that medicine is also a necessary tool.

As you say, I believe the body is capable of handling and mending a great deal more harassment than we credit it for, and that our (society) addiction to quick relief is weakning us. Added to the trend by large pharmaceutical companies to great armies of health sick people (for instance creating imaginary sick in the form of the prehypertense).

That being said, there is a flipside.

You claim to be a philosopher so I will make my argument in idealistic terms.

1. Sometimes the belief that you are being cured despite the obvious placebo is enough for you to gather enough resolve to actually cure yourself. As you have mentioned sometimes the belief that something is helping you, is what triggers the willpower needed.

2. Our reliance on medicine drives people frequently to the hospital and keeps the threat of epidemics at bay (the flipside obviously is what many would call a form of population control).

3. Some illnesses are curable only with medication. E.G Dialysis, transplantation.

4. Our reliance on medicine has a direct impact on technology expanding our posibilities in the future (again, there's an obvious flipside)






[edit on 29-7-2009 by Oscitate]

I'm with you. The soul (mind, if that makes you feel better) controls the body and its manifestations. Meditation is the only medication you need. Once you can meditate efficiently and effectively, you hold the reins.

reply to post by DJones

Apropos ADD and the likes: I think some spanking will be to the child a lot less dangerous than to give him prescription for legal drugs, making him/her really handicaped person.
By the way there must be something in the "mind over body " thinking!!!!

The kind regards man!!!!

Thanks for the replies, just a few comments.

I agree that there are natural remedies that are much safer for the body than their manufactured counter part. The problem being finding someone knowledgeable on the subject that won't be selling me snake oil.

Regarding the some illnesses require medication/surgery I'll agree again. Recently I remember being surprised that the Dalia Lama, had to go in for nerve damage surgery in his arm or something similar. With my way of thinking though, most things such as cancer and the like are originally created by some sort of imbalance in your life. The resulting necessary medication is more because you truly believe that your body is damaged and you need something more than your will power to fix it.

Do you really believe that going to the hospital more equates to a healthier society? I almost think the opposite, I think epidemics are caused by people not taking care of themselves, and the fear that follows such an event around.

Originally posted by DJones
I have a tendency to over think things so this has lead me to think that maybe I'm paranoid.

you know you can take a pill for that now

i can understand not over doing the chemical dependence and all that but i have to admit, i'm not a gig fan of suffering through a headache.

reply to post by DJones


I've got a story to share. My husband had a boil on his inner thigh, near the prostate but figured it was an ingrown hair and would take care of itself. He did not tell me about it until it burst while he was at work. Despite the pain, he ignored it until then. He called to let me know he was leaving work. When he got home, I asked to see the problem. Once he showed it to me, we were off to the emergency room where he sat for 6 hours in excrutiating pain waiting to be called.

As soon as the emergency room doctor saw the infection his face paled and he ordered a morphine shot for my husband. Long story short...the doc took me aside and told me that unless they operated immediately my husband would die of the massive infection that has spread up his belly and down his leg. They were going to remove his testicles and prostrate to stop the infection.

Under the influence of the morphine injection, my husband listened patiently to the Dr. as he explained what I had been told. My husband's answer was "I'm going to beat this, I'll be fine."

And he was. He refused the surgery until the antibiotics had a chance to work on him. Although he stayed in a stupor from the pain meds, he insisted, despite the medical advice and worry from me, that he would be fine in one week.

He made it happen through the power of his determination. He ended up with all of his parts and was out of the hospital in one week, just like he said. I was amazed and still am.

reply to post by pieman


See that is the funny thing, I don't experience headaches, I don't get heart burn, I've never needed to take antibiotics. I don't even really get sick, I get a runny nose and a cough about once a year. I've learned a few breathing tricks that neutralizes any constant pains from injuries I get so at least they're manageable.

Maybe I'm just lucky

reply to post by Hazelnut


is that a pro medical care story or an anti-medical care story, because i'm left with the impression that if he had gone and sorted himself out some anti-biotics in the first place there wouldn't have been a major issue at any point.

just an observation.

reply to post by DJones


yeah, maybe you are lucky, some people are just built that way.

i don't get sick often and i don't take pain relief for injuries because the pain has a purpose, it tells me not to do the thing that's causing the pain. the thing i don't see any need for is pointless pain, like a head ache. i just don't want to suffer it.

your body is well able to live through it and all, i just don't see why you'ld want to.

reply to post by pieman


It is a mind over matter story. He believed he would be "fine" and out of the hospital in a week. Despite the prognosis and insistence of the doctors that he have emergency surgery to scrape out the invasive infection and remove the testicles and prostate, he refused, insisting that he would be "fine". They gave him antibiotics, 2 days later performed surgery that scraped the infection site only. He was sent home with a pic line on the exact day he said he would be released. Doctors and nurses not assigned to his case were coming to his room in disbelief. It was weird.

Mind over matter! But, yes I agree with you that he should have seen a Doctor before it got to the point of bursting. He didn't even tell me about it until then.

reply to post by Hazelnut


ewww, scraping it out, yuck.

i'm really glad he's okay now. i think there is many a man that would rather take their chances if given the choice of possible death or losing the two veg. mind over matter matter for sure.

I guess I am on the other side of the fence. I really believe that there are a lot of reasons to go to the doctor. My mother just passed away two weeks ago. She had pnuemonia, copd and asthma. Had she had gone to the doctor when she was first sick she might have had a fighting chance. She refused to go to the doctor. The only time you could get her to go is if you literally dragged her there. She always felt that because she took her vitimins daily that that was enough for her. I really wish she got help sooner, then I wouldn't have had to watch her die in a hospital bed.

A lot of medication is there to help you, not hurt you. I am also someone who doesn't take a tylenol for a headache. But when I am ill I have no problems with going to the doctor and getting help and taking what she prescribes me. She answers all my questions about what she has prescribed.

I just really think more and more people feel they can self medicate themselves and in the end hurt themselves. There is no shame in getting a second or third opinion but I think those that don't use medical advice and survive are not the norm. I'm sorry, but very few people could survive on just mind over matter.