Medicine and Mind in 21ST Century (Part 1)

Swami Vijnananand Vision

In series of Blogs under “Disease Cure”, we saw in details the relation of Health with Emotions directly and Mind indirectly. The theory of ‘Recipropathy’ is also explained in details. The advice of Swami Vijnananand to “add peace to the prescription” is seen to be acceptable as per the latest findings in the field of human health. Some of these are listed below. 

Swamiji often mentioned while he put forward his analysis fifty and odd years earlier, that “I am telling the facts which shall be appreciated in 21^st century”.

While the mental stress related reasons have assumed major base for the ill-health and as depression has become the second largest disease of 21^st century, thinkers in the field are required to go into the details of remedies and peruse the  policy makers to evolve suitable policies for implementation.

We shall see some of the latest development in the field of health in light of the information provided under the articles in this series. (Source - Daily Science News)

1 Even mild stress is linked to long-term disability, study finds.

2 How our bodies interact with our minds in response to fear and other emotions.

3 Negative emotions in response to daily stress take a toll on long-term mental health

4 Emotions adjust not only our mental, but also our bodily states.

5 Our feelings and beliefs impact our every cell.

We shall see details in brief.

1 Even mild stress is linked to long-term disability, study findsMarch 24, 2011, BMJ-British Medical Journal

Even relatively mild stress can lead to long term disability and an inability to work, reveals a large population based study published online in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health.

It is well known that mental health problems are associated with long term disability, but the impact of milder forms of psychological stress is likely to have been underestimated, say the authors. Between 2002 and 2007, the authors tracked the health of more than 17,000 working adults up to the age of 64, who had been randomly selected from the population in the Stockholm area.

All participants completed a validated questionnaire (GHQ-12) at the start of the study to measure their mental health and stress levels, as well as other aspects of health and wellbeing.

During the monitoring period, 649 people started receiving disability benefit -- 203 for a mental health problem and the remainder for physical ill health. Higher levels of stress at the start of the study were associated with a significantly greater likelihood of subsequently being awarded long term disability benefits.

But even those with mild stress were up to 70% more likely to receive disability benefits, after taking account of other factors likely to influence the results, such as lifestyle and alcohol intake. One in four of these benefits awarded for a physical illness, such as high blood pressure, angina, and stroke, and almost two thirds awarded for a mental illness, were attributable to stress.

2 How our bodies interact with our minds in response to fear and other emotions
April 7, 2013, British Neuroscience Association

New research has shown that the way our minds react to and process emotions such as fear can vary according to what is happening in other parts of our bodies.

In two different presentations on April 8 at the British Neuroscience Association Festival of Neuroscience (BNA2013) in London, researchers have shown for the first time that the heart's cycle affects the way we process fear, and that a part of the brain that responds to stimuli, such as touch, felt by other parts of the body also plays a role.

Dr Garfinkel and her colleagues hooked up 20 healthy volunteers to heart monitors, which were linked to computers. "Our results show that if we see a fearful face during systole (when the heart is pumping) then we judge this fearful face as more intense than if we see the very same fearful face during diastole (when the heart is relaxed). To look at neural activity underlying this effect, we performed this experiment in an MRI [magnetic resonance imaging] scanner and demonstrated that a part of the brain called the amygdala influences how our heart changes our perception of fear.

"Lastly, we have demonstrated that the degree to which our hearts can change the way we see and process fear is influenced by how anxious we are. The anxiety level of our individual subjects altered the extent their hearts could change the way they perceived emotional faces and also altered neural circuitry underlying heart modulation”

In a second presentation, Dr Alejandra Sel, a postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Psychology at City University (London, UK), investigated a part of the brain called the somatosensory cortex -- the area that perceives bodily sensations, such as touch, pain, body temperature and the perception of the body's place in space, and which is activated when we observe emotional expressions in the faces of other people.

"In order to understand other's people emotions we need to experience the same observed emotions in our body. Specifically, observing an emotional face, as opposed to a neutral face, is associated with an increased activity in the somatosensory cortex as if we were expressing and experiencing our own emotions. It is also known that people with damage to the somatosensory cortex find it difficult to recognize emotion in other people's faces," Dr Sel told the news briefing.

However, until now, it has not been clear whether activity in the somatosensory cortex was simply a by-product of the way we process visual information, or whether it reacts independently to emotions expressed in other people's faces, actively contributing to how we perceive emotions in others.

The researchers found that there was enhanced activity in the somatosensory cortex in response to fearful faces in comparison to neutral faces, independent of any visual processes. Importantly, this activity was focused in the primary and secondary somatosensory areas; the primary area receives sensory information directly from the body, while the secondary area combines sensory information from the body with information related to body movement and other information, such as memories of previous, sensitive experiences.

"Our experimental approach allows us to isolate and show for the first time (as far as we are aware) changes in somatosensory activity when seeing emotional faces after taking away all visual information in the brain. We have shown the crucial role of the somatosensory cortex in the way our minds and bodies perceive human emotions. These findings can serve as starting point for developing interventions tailored for people with problems in recognizing other's emotions, such as autistic children," said Dr Sel.

3 Negative emotions in response to daily stress take a toll on long-term mental health
April 2, 2013, Association for Psychological Science

Our emotional responses to the stresses of daily life may predict our long-term mental health, according to a new study published in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science.

Psychological scientist Susan Charles of the University of California, Irvine and colleagues conducted the study in order to answer a long-standing question: Do daily emotional experiences add up to make the straw that breaks the camel's back, or do these experiences make us stronger and provide an inoculation against later distress?

Using data from two national surveys, the researchers examined the relationship between daily negative emotions and mental health outcomes ten years later. Participants' overall levels of negative emotions predicted psychological distress (e.g., feeling worthless, hopeless, nervous, and/or restless) and diagnosis of an emotional disorder like anxiety or depression a full decade later.

The results were based on data from 711 participants, both men and women, who ranged in age from 25 to 74. They were all participants in two national, longitudinal survey studies: Midlife Development in the United States (MIDUS) and National Study of Daily Experiences (NSDE).

According to Charles and her colleagues, these findings show that mental health outcomes aren't only affected by major life events -- they also bear the impact of seemingly minor emotional experiences. The study suggests that chronic nature of these negative emotions in response to daily stressors can take a toll on long-term mental health.

4 "Emotions adjust not only our mental, but also our bodily states."
December 31, 2013, Aalto University

Researchers found that the most common emotions trigger strong bodily sensations, and the bodily maps of these sensations were topographically different for different emotions. The sensation patterns were, however, consistent across different West European and East Asian cultures, highlighting that emotions and their corresponding bodily sensation patterns have a biological basis.

The findings have major implications for our understanding of the functions of emotions and their bodily basis. On the other hand, the results help us to understand different emotional disorders and provide novel tools for their diagnosis."

The research was carried out on line, and over 700 individuals from Finland, Sweden and Taiwan took part in the study. The researchers induced different emotional states in their Finnish and Taiwanese participants. Subsequently the participants were shown with pictures of human bodies on a computer, and asked to color the bodily regions whose activity they felt increasing or decreasing.

The results were published on 31 December, 2013 in the scientific journal Proceedings of The National Academy of Sciences.

Healing of body through Mind.

In the words of one of the leading thinkers in health care of this century:

“We have forgotten the inner ability of the body for self-cure and we are so much engrossed on the technology, we have lost touch with one of the most important things what body knows to do. Every empowered patient and every conscious health care provider should start to think this way about the health. It is the healers’ job to give calming influence to the amygdala, to remember the healing power of love, show support to nurturing, caring. I am not suggesting to ditch the power of   modern medicine and technology. It has its place of importance. But that alone is not enough! Even the good diet, exercise and taking vitamins is not enough!! We have to take next step to see how do we deal with the stress response and develop relaxation response so that we help the body to heal itself.”

(To be continued)

Vijay R. Joshi.

DISEASE - CURE (Cure without Medicine - 7)

Emotion and Truth – Some Experiments 

(Excerpts from book “Cure without Medicine”)

1.   ‘Inter-relation between emotions and truth’.  

We have so far brought about the clear-cut causal relationship between emotions and disease. This discussion so far, leads us straight to the question of the ‘inter-relation between emotions and truth’. While the physiological relationship is established, one has only to recall how the pulse rate of any person varies on every occasion he is under emotional duress (forcible control).

2. Emotions effect keep individual away from Truth 

We now proceed to establish an equally important proposition. During the time an individual is under emotional stress, he is also away from truth knowingly or otherwise. Everyone knows in his mind (consciousness) ‘what is truth’. Using an analogy (within its limits), we may imagine that the psychic energy an individual possesses has (as if) two components. (a) Truth and (b) Untruth – This is the form of emotions. It is enough to assert that when we speak the truth, emotional balance maintains itself completely (to a relative extent). Conversely, when the emotional balance is lost (i.e. one particular emotion or group of emotions prevails upon the mind) then, it is likely that mind is guided by some untruth (to a relative extent).

(Note – A detailed analysis on the above point appears in the volumes of the New Way Series).

3. Illustration w.r.t. one kind of emotion (Affection)

As true with any emotion, ‘affection’ itself incorporates untruths and partiality.  How? Let us see.

3.1 Consider an everyday occasion in life – your son has, for no justifiable reason whatsoever, hit your neighbor son. What would be your reaction? It will totally depend upon your own individual and unique personality. But it may belong to any one of the following three categories.

You insist on siding with your son, knowing fully well that you are practicing untruth by being unjust. For justifying (the behavior of) your son, you invent false excuses.

You realize your son is in the wrong and you resort to complete silence.

You flare up into uncontrollable anger and inflict punishment on your son.

3.2 Untruth and Pulse Variation (PV) go together.

Under whichever of these three categories, your actual action falls, it will result in your (own) pulse variation (PV).

Untruth (working against consciousness) and pulse variation go together.

3.3 (i) In case of reaction as at ‘A’, the untruth is so obvious that no further explanation is necessary.

   (ii) In case of ‘B’ above also ‘behavior of untruth’ prevails because of following considerations.

-         The outcome of timidity leads as much to silence as bold and just acceptance of truth. On this occasion the possibility of timidity exists. Consequently, the silence cannot be considered as ‘Love of truth’.

-         The check of PV will confirm the ‘untruth’ in suppressing the emotions (and remain silent).

-         Consider a different situation where two strangers are in quarrel. Here your reaction of silence would be different from the ‘quality of silence’ in the first illustration.

(If your son’s result of important exam is due, you may be silent but still highly concerned. In case of the result of the son of a stranger you may be silent and unconcerned). P.V. check or other such checks at body level could verify this fact).

(iii) In case of alternative ‘C’ also the emotional disturbance (P.V.) check can ensure the behavior intention – If it was a quarrel between two strangers boys, you would not have bitten any one of the boys. You bit the boy, for you love him and want him to be good behaved.

Another way of illustration is – If your son scores good marks in exam you will give him prize. But if the same score comes to your neighbor’s son, you would not consider to give him a prize, same as you might have given to your son on such occasions. Essentially the primary question all along remains the same. Whether you are, or you are not partial to your son in the expression of all reactions? This partiality is nothing short of untruth.

One can understand your beating the boy (for wrong deed) but not your anger or P.V.

3.4 Have you conquered the emotions? A Criteria.

If none of the above mentioned three alternatives come into play in your case, we have to concede that you have conquered the emotion of ‘affection’. Now in your case search in that direction of other emotions needs to be undertaken.

3.5 Readers may ask – Based upon the above analysis, one of the main question of readers undoubtedly be – Is it then your contention that we should not love our love children?

3.6 Answer – (i) We shall consider what measures are available to affectionate parents to mitigate (moderate) the consequences of emotional expressiveness and how we can put them into practice.

(ii) The theoretical answer could be as follows:

Neither I (S.V.) nor for that matter anyone else in the world (howsoever great or learned, pious he may be) can possibly help out any body violating the Laws of Nature. Our duty is to point out to you what the true nature of these laws is. The Laws of Nature are absolute and remain immutable (permanent). If somebody calls it ‘absurd’ because of somebody finds it inconvenient, still they are applicable to everybody.

(v) One has to first accept truth as an objective to be practiced and not merely an idea to be worshiped from a safe distance. Once this is done, the devotee of truth, himself understands how to resolve the knotty problems in the life in a way suitable to his own personality and yet remaining undisturbed (calm). This is a journey of thousand miles but it starts with the first step of resolution (to follow the truth).

3. Answer 2

Our second answer is as accurate as any scientific answer can possible be.  No researcher can find a theory which is suitable for needs of all individuals. His job is to put forward right thought, scientifically correct. This has been done so far. Each one has to adjust himself to a natural phenomenon. Nature and Nature’s Laws are meant to be obeyed. Therefore, to avoid disease, protect yourself from emotion and for cure of disease, make use of truth alone as medium of cure.

4. Our premise shows the relation between truth, emotion and disease. 

The unquestionable link which exists between emotions and disease is created by man and man alone. This conclusion is in keeping with the laws of science particularly the laws of causality.

The details of the intricate working of the speed, ratio and proportion between emotion on one hand and disease on the other in relation to specific individual would of course vary, even vary vastly from person to person. This cannot come at all under any standard analysis.

5. Our premise, our plea and our demand as humble servant of truth fulfills the demand of science. 

No religious leader has even denounced truth.  Truth For our purpose is, “Individual expression of subjectively known objective fact recorded with detached mind”.

6. Summary

-         We located emotion as an immediate cause of disease in scientific terms.

-         What is the way out to avoid this abuse of emotions?

-         Obviously a non-emotional state of mind.

-         Which in simple words, mean a ‘truth-patterned’ behavior.

Nullity (Being nothing) or balancing of Emotions

1.  Once the theory so far is understood and accepted, what the reader would be interested is to know the guidance ahead to arrive at the cherished goal. The readers would enquire what measures are proper and why should they be utilized for the balancing of emotions?

To understand the nature of the problem is very much essential for arriving at the solution. This process (of understanding) will lead a person to reduce all his emotions to nullify (to negligible intensity). One cannot get rid of effect of emotions but can minimize to the extent possible. That is the highest state a man can achieve.

2. Preceding this state, the earlier stage is the equalization of emotions one can try to create. In effect it will almost mean nullity.

Plan of action (Personal adjustments necessary / step by step progress possible)

If the desired goal is ‘balancing of emotions’, it does allow the play of same emotions at the intermediate level. But for this, good amount of efforts are needed and this level is reached at an advanced stage.

Once this stage is reached (i.e. ‘balancing of emotions’), then what should be the next aim for a person?

Following are the steps we advise for the use of the readers. Of course, it is most essential (every person being unique), that personal adjustments may be required. Subject to this condition, the plan suggested should work well (i.e. within the action plan, some personal tuning may be required).

3. Plan of action step by step (subject to personal adjustments)

3.1 Coincidence cure and Realization Relief

First step is to fully accept the fundamental process indicated so far in relation to disease (i.e. concept of recipropathy). That itself, coincides with many cures as has been experienced in practice. Such phenomenon is termed as ‘coincidence cure’.

How this happens? The discomfort about the abnormalities goes as complaints against discomfort vanish. Till you continue to make a complaint, your acceptance of the law (of recipropathy) is superficial (and not from full heart). Life and science both are full of such riddles. The surrender of the complaint must be genuine and not for asking (superficial).

3.2 You should ‘mean’ what you ‘say’

Acceptance of your wrongs and adherence to the truth is not a mechanical activity. Many so called religious people have only superficial morality and their prayers are without full belief (devotion). They don’t pray when everything is good and normal and remember God only when the trouble arrives.

People earn a lot (by any means) and give a small part of the money as donation to temples. Most of such donations are meant as bribes to the Almighty Nature for some sin. The sin of which the sinner may be conscious or not, but such a sin cannot be excused without deep sufferings. Or the donations are from the donors who are aware that the money earned is from ‘unfair’ means. Their contention of such donations is to request God to ‘free them from the sins’. This is not devotion but perfect self-deception! Such actions and notions obviously challenge the greatness of the God. The God is considered by the devotee as the highest power. That power cannot be bribed by your petty donations. (We often observe that many people who practiced prayer all their lives and also regularly donated to charities who should never have suffered, in reality they most certainly suffer bodily).

Nothing to say against donations and prayers

We disclaim at once the possible wrong interpretation. We only criticize the prayer or donations with wrong intentions. We have nothing to say against donations and prayers practiced with mind truly detached.

Second important step for the relief

The second most important step in the process of cure is the genuine acceptance of the responsibility of wrongs (mistakes, wrong deeds, sins, etc.) committed by ourselves.

3.3 If it is not possible for you to unload the burden of your untruths by confessing them to another (person), the least you can do is to write them down. You should list one and all without a single exception. You need not necessarily show them to anyone till you conquer your mind. Usually untruths are many and varied, so at least write down the more glaring and burdensome from amongst your wrongs.

3.4 If you truly wish to get cured, then plan your life for the process of cure to commence in right direction. You cannot escape from the past, you have to accept it. The past is a fact and its consequences are inescapable.  But the future belongs to those who prepare for it.

By writing and realizing own earlier wrongs, you enter a new phase of your life. You accept with conviction that what is within your control certainly is not to add to these wrongs and prolong the existing list (i.e. avoid wrongs in the future). So if preparation of the list does not bring cure, it will keep you away from future mistakes. But there are a number of cases, where amazing cure results are observed merely by preparation of the list.

So here we come to a stage where you plan your life in such a way that, so far future is concerned, you will not speak untruth. For instance, you may vow (swear, commit) that for the coming ten years, the only untruths you will ever utter will be those for remaining consistent with your stand with respect to past wrongs. This is because you still lack the strength to contradict yourself. In fact, there is nothing wrong, if you admit all truths immediately.

3.5 But some patients find this immediate self-curing process far too difficult to put into practice at once such patients can plan their future on the lines suggested below. The hypothetical stages of the process are –

A)  Full Realization

B)  Acceptance of Untruths. Writing down the glaring and major amongst them, for self-use only.

C)  Any (hereafter) untruth spoken to be strictly in relation to the past only. For convenience for a period of say, ten years and the proper observation of the following during the period.

D) No new major untruths to be spoken, say after one year.

E)   Minor untruths for three years only.

F)   No fresh untruths after five years.

G) No untruth in future in any case, after seven year.

H) No untruth in relation to the past, present or future after ten years.

3.6 This theoretical accurate recommendation cannot be practiced by all. So, in practice, continue medicines [with my (S.V.) suggestions].

3.7 During these ten years the patient should spend some money consistent with his means as well as his responsibility in propagating this truth.

In Manashakti, hundreds of seekers have come together forming 'super social family'. They contribute 6.25 % of income and spend it for social good without calling it a donation. A patient who has come to place true belief in New Way, however should devote some time to propagate these views, if he is out to help himself. In short, so far you lived for action, henceforth, you voluntarily live for reaction. That will defeat the purpose of the disease.

3.8 None can get rid of emotions (say affection) but let your emotion (say affection) have a new meaning. Here you would impress on your dear ones the true meaning of life and the way of freedom from disease. Approximately, we can repay for our emotional excesses in the following manner.

A)  Affection – Convey the true meaning of happiness and life to your dear ones.

B)  Greed – Spare in the proper spirit a part of money at least 6 1/4% for the spread of new knowledge.

C)  Sex – Working for new knowledge will eradicate untrue thoughts about sex. Normal sex is permissible.

D) Anger – Put in active labor mentally and physically for one hour a day for giving new knowledge to others. Out of sixteen occasions, check the anger at least once.

E)   Ego – A frank, open and full admission of the own errors to all (affected/disturbed) people concerned one by one (such people who were heart by ego).

F)   Envy – Go and accept your faults (due to envy) to the people who you felt envy.

Think this way – So long as you have done no wrong to others, you have nothing to worry at all about others. On the other hand, if you have done something wrong, set about correcting it, in the right direction according to the principles laid down.

The patient (sufferer) in each and every individual case must, necessarily accept the responsibility of being himself the cause of the disease. Then ease of mind will be restored for the patient and that may bring about an 'organic change' as many as on occasions has actually has.

3.9 While receiving the actual pain the patient is at acid-test. You have to tell your mind that every stroke of pain is your real reliever (details in Death of Disease, another book by S.V.). Any opposition to pain merely aggravates pain. Once you realize the purpose of pain, you are hardly left with a cause to oppose it. There is no great difficulty in understanding that pleasure ultimately gives pain. If we look at life and life activities with open eyes. Once you are fully accustomed to feel this both on pleasant and unpleasant occasions, pain will never touch you or if you do have an attack of pain, it will vanish miraculously.

4. The position of this new rationale (principle) explained in this book is unquestionable, undeniable. Additionally, it has relieved person of organic unbearable pain.

(To be continued.. )

Vijay R. Joshi.

The Concerns for Humanity. ((WMM-2)

In the last article we saw the concerns expressed by thinkers  Why such situation? What are the factors that are responsible for such a problem? We shall try to have a glance at some trouble mongers (they are only a few among lot many).

With sincere apologies to several honest professionals, let us see some major malpractices in the health service at home and abroad (excerpts from published data)

A)  Medical service (India)

10 ways how doctors in India loot patients: Dr. B M Hegde http://www.indiatvnews.com/news/india/-ways-how-doctors-in-india-loot-patients-17628.html

New Delhi, Sept 10: A renowned physician Dr. B M Hegde has shown how a large number of doctors working in five-star hospitals shortchange (deal unfairly to cheat) patients in order to keep their management happy and enrich their own pockets. Here is what Dr. B M Hegde writes:

"Most of these observations are either completely or partially true. Corruption has many names, and one of civil society isn't innocent either. Professionals and businessmen of various sorts indulge in unscrupulous practices. I recently had a chat with some doctors, surgeons and owners of nursing homes about the tricks of their trade. Here is what they said:

1)      40-60% kickbacks for lab tests.

2)      30-40% for referring to consultants, specialists & surgeons.
When your friendly GP refers you to a specialist or surgeon, he gets 30-40%.

3)      30-40% of total hospital charges. If the GP or consultant recommends hospitalization, he will receive kickback from the private nursing home as a percentage of all charges including ICU, bed, nursing care, surgery.

4)      Sink tests. Some tests prescribed by doctors are not needed. They are there to inflate bills and commissions. The pathology lab understands what is unnecessary. These are called "sink tests"; blood, urine, stool samples collected will be thrown.

5)      Admitting the patient to "keep him under observation". People go to cardiologists feeling unwell and anxious. Most of them aren’t really having a heart attack, and cardiologists and family doctors are well aware of this. They admit such safe patients, put them on a saline drip with mild sedation, and send them home after 3-4 days after charging them a fat amount for ICU, bed charges, visiting doctors’ fees.

6)      ICU minus intensive care. Nursing homes all over the suburbs are run by doctor couples or as one-man-shows. In such places, nurses and ward boys are 10th class drop-outs in ill-fitting uniforms and bare feet. These "nurses" sit at the reception counter, give injections and saline drips, perform ECGs, apply dressings and change bandages, and assist in the operation theatre.
At night, they even sit outside the Intensive Care Units; there is no resident doctor. In case of a crisis, the doctor -- who usually lives in the same building -- will turn up after 20 minutes after nurse calls him. Such ICUs admit safe patients to fill up beds.

7)      Unnecessary cesarean surgeries and hysterectomies. Many surgical procedures are done to keep the cash register ringing. cesarean deliveries and hysterectomy (removal of uterus) are high on the list.

8)      Cosmetic surgery advertised through newspapers. Liposuction and plastic surgery are not minor procedures. Some are life-threateningly major. But advertisements make them appear as easy as facials and waxing. The Indian medical council has strict rules against such misrepresentation. But nobody is interested in taking action.

9)       Indirect kickbacks from doctors to prestigious hospitals. To be on the panel of a prestigious hospital, there is give-and-take involved. The hospital expects the doctor to refer many patients for hospital admission. If he fails to send a certain number of patients, he is quietly dumped. And so he likes to admit patients even when there is no need.

10)  "Emergency surgery" on dead body. If a surgeon hurriedly wheels your patient from the Intensive Care Unit to the operation theatre, refuses to let you go inside and see him, and wants your signature on the consent form for "an emergency operation to save his life", it is likely that your patient is already dead. The "emergency operation" is for inflating the bill; if you agree for it, the surgeon will come out 15 minutes later and report that your patient died on the operation table. And then, when you take delivery of the dead body, you will pay OT charges etc.

(As per WIKI: Belle Monappa Hegde often abbreviated as B. M. Hegde is an Indian medical scientist, educationist and author. He is a retired Vice Chancellor of the Manipal University and the head of the Mangalore Chapter of Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan. He has authored several books on medical practice and ethics. He is also the Editor in Chief of the medical journal, Journal. He was awarded the Dr. B. C. Roy Award in 1999. In 2010 He was honored with a Padma Bhushan, one of India's highest civilian awards.)

B)  How Corrupted Drug Companies Deceive and Manipulate Doctors (U.S.A.)

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3_Oc2xElvL4.

Dr. Beatrice Golomb, Associate Professor of Medicine at University of California, San Diego, masterfully exposes the corruption that has metastasized like a tumor throughout the pharmaceutical and medical industries. The corruption has become so prolific that it has literally debased medical science.

In the above linked Chicago Breaking News article, Dr. Paul Offit, an infectious disease specialist at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, is quoted as saying: “Science is not a democracy where people's votes decide what is right. Look at the data, look at science and make a decision based on science that has been published."  What he is really advocating is for you to blindly believe in “facts” that may have been produced in the midst of MASSIVE conflicts of interest. Before you assume the science in medical journals is credible, let’s take a look at what is going on behind the scenes of editing and publishing in medical science.

Bias #1: Unwanted Results are Not Published

In order for scientific studies to happen, someone has to pay for them. The top funder for any drug trial is the pharmaceutical company that makes it, since the manufacturer is most invested in “proving” how spectacular its drug is. Dr. Golomb uses the case of statins (drug used for heart disease) as an example, stating that all of the major statin studies have been funded exclusively by the drug industry.

The second-highest funder of drug studies is the National Institute of Health (NIH), which is not the group of neutral government experts you may have assumed them to be. In fact, NIH accepts a great deal of money from Big Pharma and is deeply enmeshed with the industry.

But drug companies publish only a fraction of the studies they fund -- the ones that promote their drugs.  If a study does not have findings that are favorable to its product, it is unlikely it will ever make it into a journal for publication. In contrast, studies that have favorable findings almost always make the cut. There are simply thousands of scientific studies out there that have never been seen by you or your physician because they have been screened out by editors and reviewers who are being paid to uphold an industry agenda. Published studies overwhelmingly favor the funding company’s drug. Whichever drug is manufactured by the study sponsor is the drug that comes out on top, 90 percent of the time! Given this, how can medical journals be considered unbiased?

Bias #2: Bad Results are submitted as Good

When a scientific study has findings that cast doubt on the efficacy of a drug, oftentimes the negative findings are morphed into positive ones. So, even if they can’t make the results look good, they can often find a way to twist the conclusions so that their drug appears favorable.

Bias #3: A Favorable Study is Submitted Multiple Times

When a study yields positive results, it is often submitted multiple times in a way that the reader does not realize it’s the same study, obscured by different author lists and different details. Analyzers have had to look very carefully to determine which studies are actually duplicates because they are so cleverly disguised.

Bias #4: Follow-Up Reviews Done by Biased Experts

The editorials that follow from a study, submitted by so-called unbiased experts and then published in reputable journals, are often done by non-neutral parties who have a financial tie to the drug maker.

Bias #5: Ghostwriting

Many of the articles that appear in medical journals purportedly written by well-known academics are actually written by unacknowledged ghostwriters on Big Pharma payroll.

Bias #6: Journal Bias

Medical journals are generally considered by medical practitioners to be a source of reliable information. But medical journals are also businesses. Three editors, who agreed to discuss finances only if they remained anonymous, said a few journals that previously measured annual profits in the tens of thousands of dollars now make millions annually. The truth is that Big Pharma has become quite adept at manipulating and brainwashing practitioners of conventional medicine. They influence the very heart and center of the most respected medical journals, creating dogma and beliefs that support the drug paradigm because it is blessed by the pinnacle of scientific integrity: the prestigious peer-reviewed medical journal. Peer-reviewed medical journals contain advertisements that are almost exclusively for drugs, amidst articles that are biased toward promoting those drugs.

Pharmaceutical companies spend almost twice as much on marketing as they spend on research!

In 2003, drug companies spent $448 million dollars on advertising in medical journals. It has been calculated that the return on investment on medical journal ads is between $2.22 and $6.86 for every dollar spent, with larger and older brands at the higher end. Long-term returns may be even higher when you consider that one ad viewed by a physician could result in hundreds or even thousands of drug purchases, based on the prescriptions he or she writes.

The term “peer-review” has come to imply scientific credibility. But the fact is that many of the peer-reviewers are on the drug company’s payroll, and those who are not are unlikely to detect flawed research or outright fraud. Medical journals are the number one source of medical information for physicians. In fact, nearly 80 percent of physicians use medical journals for their education, which exceeds information from any other source.

Bias #7: Drug Companies Masquerading (pretending) as Educators

The education of medical students and residents also comes through the filter of the drug industry, which seeks to groom them before they even finish medical school. And drug companies are allowed to develop their own education curriculum for medical students and residents, lavishing them with gifts, indirectly paying them to attend meetings and events where they promote the company’s products.

Any discussion of physician “seduction” would be incomplete without the mentioning of the 100,000 drug reps, who are groomed and trained to wine and dine and otherwise shower physicians in sweetness until they are handing out prescriptions like candy.  Reps are even taught tactics for manipulating doctors for industry benefit, as a standard part of their training.

What happens if a physician or other person speaks up about these conflicts of interest? What happens to the proverbial whistle-blower?

Intimidating phone calls and direct threats for starters.

In one case, Dr. Buse, an endocrinologist who is the incoming president of the American Diabetes Association, presented data in 1999 about his concerns about the risks of Avandia. Dr. Buse was intimidated with multiple phone calls by drug company officials. They suggested he could be financially liable to the company for $4 billion in lost revenues due to his “unscrupulous remarks.” Other truth-tellers have had their reputations trashed or job offers rescinded for speaking the truths that Big Pharma works so hard to keep under wraps.

“Too Big to Nail” An individual truth-teller might be vulnerable to the wrath of an angry drug company, but drug companies are unlikely to suffer much of a consequence for their crimes.

The bottom line is the drug companies aren’t going to protect you. The government won’t protect you. And it is unlikely that your physician can protect you either -- even a well-meaning one -- when he or she is operating within a system that has become RIGGED for Big Pharma profit. Only you can protect yourself.

My comments: We saw the situation in health field. Everybody rich or poor needs health service and in such most essential area we see the malpractice from so called elite community for which everybody has to suffer.

C  Stress scenario: Overall status of mental situation world over compiled from different sources is as follows.

World Health Organization: Depression is the No 1 occupational disease of the 21st century says WHO. Around 49% of people under stress say they suffer from upset stomach or nausea. 71% people under stress feel they are not productive and cry regularly. Over 50% of the World's children are brought up in stressful conditions, says UNESCO. Under High stress your biological age can be 3 times higher than your calendar age. 69% of people suffering from stress related disorders such as depression were apprehensive that society would consider them to be crazy.  55 % of people suffering from stress related disorders say they have no or very few close friends. 71% people under stress refrain from social activities. 50% of people under stress say they are not able to pursue leisure activities or hobbies. The typical age of onset of social anxiety disorder is 12 to 19. About 77% people under stress say anxiety or disorders such as insomnia or depression hamper their romantic relationships. 58% are embarrassed to acknowledge that they are depressed. 35% people suffering from social anxiety disorder say they avoid intimacy with partners. Over 50% of lost workdays across the world are due to stress, says an ILO study

 

Stress levels are rising in work places around the world. In a recent global survey of 1,000 corporations across 15 countries, commissioned by The Regus Group it was found that the levels of workplace stress have raised over the last two years. The survey found 6 in 10 workers in significant global economies experienced increased workplace stress. The survey found that China (86%) had the highest rise in workplace stress. While those workers in larger companies worldwide (over 1000 workers and more) were nearly twice as likely to suffer from stress, these heightened stress levels were costing world economies billions Of dollars in lost productivity and health related problems.

  

Stress related facts and statistics: June’ 2013. The Stress in America survey results show that adults continue to report high levels of stress and many report that their stress has increased over the past year – American Psychological Association. 75% of adults reported experiencing moderate to high levels of stress in the past month and nearly half reported that their stress has increased in the past year.

American Psychological Association. Approximately 1 out of 75 people may experience panic disorder

National Institutes of Mental Health. Stress is a top health concern for U.S. teens between 9th and 12th grade, psychologists say that if they don’t learn healthy ways to manage that stress now, it could have serious long-term health implications – American Psychological Association.

The Regus Group Alarmingly 91% of adult Australians feels stress in at least one important area of their lives.  Almost 50% feel very stressed about one part of their life – Lifeline Australia. Australian employees are absent for an average of 3.2 working days each year through stress.  This workplace stress costs the Australian economy approximately $14.2 billion – Medibank

An estimated 442,000 individuals in Britain, who worked in 2007-08 believed that they were experiencing work-related stress at a level that was making them ill – Labor Force Survey. Approximately 13.7 million working days are lost each year in the UK as a result of work-related illness at a cost of £28.3 billion per year – National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence. Depression is among the leading causes of disability worldwide – World Health Organization.

India: (National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences India): Depression among the youth has increased from 2% to 12% in the last five years. Globally 3 out of every 5 visits to the doctor are for stress related problems. 76% people under stress say they have sleeping disorders and 58% suffer headaches. 85% of people under stress tend to have strained relations with family and friends. 70% of people under stress say they have become short- tempered. A NIMHANS study says 36 % techies in Bangalore show signs of psychiatric disorder. Globally 1 out of every 10 students suffers significant distress... According to recent reports 50% employees in India Inc. are under stress, 30% have problems such as addictions and marital discord while 20% suffer from depression. 66% CEO's in India are stressed out and 11% find it too much to handle says ASSOCHAM.

My comments: Due to advance in science and technology our standard of living has improved. The amenities available to us have increased but with all this advance not happiness but the stress has increased to a level which offsets all the gains.

D-1 the fact about corruption (Indian express 6 Nov. 2013), excerpts

Shailesh Gandhi : Fri May 24 2013,

I would like to take a look at some of the root causes of corruption in India. The basic cause is that the government is not designed for accountability and delivering services to its citizens. This is a larger problem, which can be resolved if adequate effort is made to streamline administrative processes. There is some truth in the idea that we lack the wherewithal to catch the corrupt. The anti-corruption bureau (ACB) in Maharashtra registered 654 cases during 2011. The instances of corruption each day must be in the thousands, and if only 654 cases are registered in a year by the ACB, it is only tokenism. There is a need to find a way of raising this figure by at least 20 times, if the ACB is to have any meaningful impact. Similarly, a look at the performance of the Lokayukta in Maharashtra shows that, with a staff of over 80 people, it received 11,153 allegations during the 25-year period between 1981 and 2006, and could find only 57 instances where it recommended any action by the government. If this is the performance of two of our institutions in one state, can they have any impact on corruption?

However, I would submit that there is another, more fundamental cause of corruption: Our inability to punish the few corrupt persons our investigative agencies identify. To illustrate, I am presenting data published in the Indian Police Journal in April-June 2010. A study was done of the performance of an anti-corruption branch of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for the period 1980-84 (mean year 1982) in the year 2008, that is, after 26 years. I would first like to present the raw data.

During the four-year period, 698 accused had been investigated and out of these, 273 persons were charge sheeted. Of these, the CBI was able to get conviction in 144 cases. The average time for investigation was 13.4 months, whereas the average time to get the convictions was seven years and four months. Of these, only four persons have been to prison for over 20 days, since most of those convicted appealed, while some of the convicted persons had died. In 2008, 71 appeals were still being contested in the higher courts. The nation is spending money in 71 cases to try and prosecute 71 persons after 26 years. Is it not obvious that the process is irrelevant?

It is a reasonable assumption that this study is representative of the actual ground realities in India. It appears to indicate that getting the investigative agencies to become more efficient or bigger may not be the solution to our corruption, since it will get stalled at the judicial stage.

We need to find a way to decide on cases of corruption within a reasonable time, by getting our judiciary to accept that decisions need to be given in a reasonable amount time if the justice system is to be meaningful. Some citizens saying that there are 164 MPs in Parliament with charges of corruption. Does this mean they are corrupt, unless the courts pronounce them guilty? The only answer a civilized society can give is a resounding "no", unless the judicial system finally pronounces them guilty. If we have a judicial system that cannot pronounce corrupt persons as guilty, no Lokpal will reduce corruption.A functional judicial system that delivers in a reasonable time is an essential prerequisite for any reduction in corruption, and for a rule of law to prevail. Talking of fast-track courts is no solution. We must realize — as Justice Kirpal did — that the justice system is not functioning effectively, and we need to find a way to change this. This can be changed, if we consider an effective judicial delivery system that delivers in any court in less than 18 months. This is possible, and must be considered non-negotiable. (The writer is a former information commissioner with the CIC, New Delhi)

D-2) Corruption-scandals-that-shamed-India-89069.html  at the above link NITI CENTRAL dated 13 June 2013 gives the list of 25 corruption scandals that shamed India. http://www.niticentral.com/2013/06/13/25

1)      1948 jeep scandal: It was first major corruption case in independent India. VK Krishna Menon, the then Indian high commissioner to Britain, ignored protocols and signed Rs 80 lakh contract for the purchase of army jeeps with a foreign firm. While most of the money was paid up front, just 155 jeeps landed, the then Prime Minister Nehru forced the government to accept them. Govind Ballabh Pant the then Home Minister and the then Government of Indian National Congress announced on September 30, 1955 that the Jeep scandal case was closed for judicial inquiry ignoring suggestion by the Inquiry Committee led by Ananthsayanam Ayyangar.

2)       1981 Antulay Trust: AR Antulay, the then Chief Minister of Maharashtra, allegedly garnered Rs. 30 crore from businesses dependent on State resources.

3)      1987 HDW commissions: The German submarine maker was blacklisted after allegations that commissions worth Rs. 420 crore had been paid in the 1987 deal in India.

4)      1989 St. Kitts forgery: Documents were forged to allege that former Prime Minister VP Singh was a beneficiary of his son’s account in the First Trust Corp at St Kitts, with a deposit of $21 million.

5)      1980-90s Bofors scandal: It was a major corruption scandal in India in the 1980s and 1990s, initiated by Congress politicians and implicating the Prime Minister, Rajiv Gandhi and several others who were accused of receiving kickbacks from Bofors AB for winning a bid to supply India's 155 mm field howitzer.

6)      1990 Airbus scandal: Indian Airline's signing of the Rs.2, 000-crore deal with Airbus instead of Boeing caused a furor following the crash of an A-320 airliner.

7)      1992 Securities scam: Harshad Mehta manipulated banks and the stock market, pushing shares like ACC from Rs.500 to Rs 10,000. The stacked-up claims of the brokers were a staggering Rs 10,000 crore.

8)      1996 Urea scam: a clutch of businessmen in connivance with top officials of the National Fertilizer Limited, fleeced the Government of Rs.133 crore for the import of urea, which was never delivered.

9)      1996 Telecom fraud: Former Minister of State for Communication was accused of causing a loss of Rs.1.6 crore by favoring a Hyderabad-based firm in the purchase of telecom equipment.

10)  1996 Fodder scam: This scam broke out in 1996 in the town of Chaibasa, Bihar when the animal husbandry department embezzled funds of around Rs 950 crore meant to purchase cattle fodder, medicines and animal husbandry equipment in Bihar. Chief Minister was forced to resign along with former Chief Minister.

11)  2002-2003 Taj Heritage Corridor case: It is an alleged scam wherein 2002-2003, the then Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh and a Minister in her Government, were charged with corruption.

12)  2009 Satyam Computer Services scandal: It was a corporate scandal that occurred in 2009 where Chairman confessed that the company's accounts had been falsified. The Global corporate community was shocked and scandalized when the Chairman of Satyam, resigned on January 7, 2009 and confessed that he had manipulated the accounts by $1.47 Billion.

13)  2002-2010 UP Food grain scam: Uttar Pradesh food grain scam also dubbed as Mother of all scams took place between years 2002 and 2010. The grain worth Rs 35000 crore, meant to be distributed via PDS to the poor under several schemes like Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY), Jawahar Rozgar Yojana and Midday Meal Scheme for Below Poverty Line (BPL) card holders, was diverted to the open market. The scam first was exposed in 2003, in Gonda district during the distribution of food grain meant for the Sampoorna Grameen Rozgar Yojana. After initially ordering an inquiry into the scam Mulayam Singh withdrew it. The Special Investigation Team (SIT) set up by the Mulayam Singh Government in 2006, lodged over 5,000 FIRs. The latest of the scam series in India, initially referred as the 'UP rice scam' could be the biggest of them all, even outdistancing the 2G Spectrum scam. The scam involves goofing up of rice worth Rs 20, 0000 crore. It was a scam that stretched to almost 7 years and 300 FIRs.

14)  2001 Stock market scam: Stock market king, Ketan Parekh used UTI, Calcutta Stock Exchange and his own index K-10 to swindle investors. When the scam was unearthed, it was reported that he had wiped off over Rs.1 lakh crore of investor's market capital.

15)  2008 cash-for-votes scandal: It is a scandal, in which the UPA, the majority-holding Parliamentary-party alliance, allegedly bribed MPs in order to survive a confidence vote on July 22, 2008...

16)  2010 CWG scam: The Commonwealth Games is perhaps one of India's most well-known scam. Suresh Kalmadi who was the chairman of the Organizing Committee of the Commonwealth Games was the main accused. It consisted of a number of corrupt deals involving overstated contracts. Kalmadi also handed out Rs 141 crore contracts to Swiss Timing for its timing equipment; the deal was inflated by Rs 95 crores.

17)  2010 2G spectrum scam: The illegal undercharging by Government officials to various telecom companies during the allocation of 2G licenses for cellphone subscriptions gave rise to the 2G spectrum scam. According to the CAG, the scam amounts to about Rs 176,000 crore, whereas the CBI estimates it at Rs 30,984 crore.

18)  2011 Antrix Devas deal: In 2011, former ISRO chairman and three other scientists were involved in a controversial deal between the Indian Space Research Organization’s (ISRO) commercial arm Antrix Corporation and Devas Multimedia. The deal involved ISRO leasing the S-band transponders on two satellites (GSAT6 and GSAT6A) to Devas for broadcasting purposes. A CAG report found that the department of space hid facts from the Cabinet.

19)  2012 Uttar Pradesh NRHM scam: Under Mayawati's regime, this scam caused a loss of Rs 10,000 crore to the State. Politicians and senior bureaucrats are alleged to have siphoned off a massive booty from the National Rural Health Mission (NHRM), a Central Government program meant to improve health care services in rural areas. At least five people have been murdered in an attempt to cover up large-scale irregularities...

20)  2012 Tatra scam: Bharat Earth Movers Ltd in collaboration with Tatra Vectra Motors had produced over 7000 trucks to the Army. When General VK Singh took over as the Army Chief, he refused to authorize the purchase of trucks after he was offered a bribe. The scam was estimated at Rs 750 crore.

21)  2012 Coal mining controversy: Also called Coalgate is one of the well-known scams. The scam, where the UPA Government reported a loss of Rs 185,591 crore.

22)   2013 Railway promotion scam: Infamously known as Railgate, it involves former Railway Minister and his nephew, for allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs 90 lakh from a Railway Board member.

23)   2013 Saradha Group chit fund scam: Earthed recently, the Saradha Group chit fund scam caused a loss of Rs 20,000 crore to the exchequer.

24)   2013 Vodafone tax scandal: The scandal involves Rs 11, 000 crore tax dispute. The dispute also names Union Minister Kapil Sibal because of the Law Ministry's U-turn to agree to conciliation in Vodafone tax case.

25)   2013 Agusta Westland chopper deal scam: This is one of the most recent of the cases in India, which has shamed the country. The deal amounts to Rs 74.5 crore...

E  International status: (http://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/2012/dec/05/corruption-index-2012-transparency-international)

The latest corruption index from Transparency International shows the old problems are as rife as they ever were. The CPI scores countries on a scale of zero to 100, with zero indicating high levels of corruption and 100, low levels. Two thirds of the 176 countries ranked in the 2012 index score below 50 - meaning they are considered significantly corrupt.

The lowest scored country in Europe, however, is troubled Greece - ranked down 14 places to number 36. Syria too, presently in the middle of civil war, is down 15 places to number 144, making it one of the most corrupt countries on earth. Egypt, presently in the middle of demonstrations, is down six places to 118 out of 174 countries ranked by the index.

And the most corrupt places in the world are not the most surprising. Unstable governments, often with a legacy of conflict, continue to dominate the bottom rungs of the CPI. Afghanistan, North Korea and Somalia share last place with a score of only eight out of 100 for transparency.

Unsurprisingly, at the top are some of the world's most stable countries - New Zealand, Denmark and Finland are number one. The Index, which is closely watched by investors, economists, and civil society campaigners, is based on expert assessments and data from 13 surveys from independent institutions, covering issues such as access to information, bribery of public officials, kickbacks in public procurement, and the enforcement of anti-corruption laws. While critics note that measuring perceptions of corruption is not the same as measuring corruption itself, the latter is almost impossible to do - as the corrupt are usually keen to cover up their tracks, hard data on graft and bribery is notoriously difficult to come by.

( some scores: India-36, China-39, Pakistan-27).

My comments: We see that two third countries are highly corrupt. Since both India and china come in this class we can imagine how majority of the world population is suffering from corruption. This makes the world population unhappy as can be seen in the next point. Here again we see the problem is not with illiterate poor people but with so called educated, elite class of politicians, political systems, judicial systems, business ethics etc.                          

F  Ref .World Happiness Report 2013 on line (edited by John Helliwell, Richard layard and Jeffrey Sachs)

Mental illness is one of the main causes of unhappiness (Ref. chapter 3) People can be unhappy for many reasons— from poverty to unemployment to family breakdown to physical illness. But in any particular society, chronic mental illness is a highly influential cause of misery. By far the most common forms of mental illness are depression and anxiety disorders, so we particularly concentrate on these in this chapter. We develop the following key points:

1. Mental illness is a highly influential — and in the countries we have assessed, the single biggest — determinant of misery.

2. Prevalence varies between countries, but these conditions affect about 10% of the world’s population at any one time.

3. Worldwide, depression and anxiety disorders account for up to a fifth of all disability. This involves massive costs in lost output as well as increased physical illness.

4. Even in rich countries, less than a third of people who suffer from mental illness are in receipt of treatment and care; in lower-resource settings, the situation is considerably worse. This is serious discrimination; it is also unsound economics.

5. Cost-effective treatments exist. For depression and anxiety disorders, evidence-based treatments can have low or zero net cost. They can and should be made far more universally available.

6. Schools and workplaces need to be much more mental health-conscious, and directed to the improvement of happiness, if we are to prevent mental illness and promote mental health.

Mental Illness a Key Determinant of Unhappiness: Mental health or psychological well-being makes up an integral part of an individual’s capacity to lead a fulfilling life, including the ability to study, work or pursue leisure interests, and to make day-to-day personal or household decisions about educational, employment, housing or other choices. The importance of good mental health to individual functioning and well-being can be amply demonstrated by reference to values that sit at the very heart of the human condition.

The Prevalence of Mental Illness Worldwide. Mental disorders are a common occurrence in all regions and cultures of the world. For many years, a persistently held belief was that these disorders were the preserve of rich countries; epidemiological studies over the last generation have manifestly shown this not to be the case. In fact, by dint of population size, the large majority of persons with a mental disorder reside in low- and middle-income countries of the world. The prevalence of these conditions is dominated by the so-called “common mental disorders” of depression and anxiety, and they are indeed highly prevalent – between them they occur at any one time in nearly one in 10 persons on the planet. In childhood and adolescence, behavioral disorders constitute the most common problems. Prevalence rates differ between countries but not greatly between groups of countries (when grouped by income level).

Conclusion: Mental Illness is a huge problem in every society and a major cause of misery in the world. The economic cost is also huge. But cost-effective treatments exist. Unfortunately however, most people who need treatment never get it. This can be reversed, and to do it will require countries to spend a higher proportion of their health budgets on mental health and to use these resources more efficiently. It ties in closely with the global happiness agenda in two ways. Better treatment for mental health would improve happiness directly; and improving happiness in other ways would reduce the frequency of mental illness. If we want a happier world, we need a completely new deal on mental health.

My comments:   The majority of the countries and very high percentage of world population is sad. This is in spite of lot of science and technology advance in the last century. To make the world happy we are anxious on getting new deal on mental health! Who is going to discover it? We need healthy minds but scientists, philosophers, thinkers they do not yet have decided ‘What Mind means’! 

Vijay R. Joshi