Do you use Homeopathic "remedies"? Do you understand just what it is you are taking?

[Prism]

170. Woo medicine ruins lives

I've seen it happen first hand. The first is when about a dozen different naturopaths and homeopaths convinced a Parkinson's patient he had Lyme and other "co-infections" that were the true cause of his Parkinsonism. They gave him assorted waters, herbs, and supplements as "treatment" and some even intimated his illness was down to "bad personal energy".

He lived as a human statue for ten years until I dragged his ass to a neurologist and made him take sinemet. He is now walking, talking, bathing himself, and attending classes at a local university.

Another woman who swears by naturopaths was convinced herbs and supplements were all she needed for those pesky stomach ailments! This went on for two years.

And then when her sons finally said "Why do you look seven months pregnant?" and dragged her to the doctor did anyone realize she had advanced abdominal cancer.

I live and work around Berkeley. It is rife with this pseudo religious quackery. I see snake oil salesmen taking advantage of the sick and the desperate. And the worst of the lot find ways to game Medicare to pay for their ineffective horseshit.

And none of them feel guilty about this. Do you think any of them are sorry that Parkinson's patient lost ten years of his life while they were driving off in their $50,000 SUVs?

Don't fucking bet on it.

I loathe people who take advantage of others when they are at a low ebb in their lives, either from illness or depression or desperation.

And that's all that ridiculous "industry" does.