Positive Health Online

I was incredulous to hear on the news this week – Sept 2017 -  results of a five-year study of patients which reported that cyberchondria -  people researching health symptoms online and seeking medical attention - were “fuelling an epidemic of health anxiety”; psychiatrists suggested these “cases” should be offered counselling.

www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/09/07/cyberchondria-fuelling-anxiety-epidemic-clogging-hospital-clinics/

I am of the opinion that researching health symptoms, arriving at a correct diagnosis, seeking diverse treatment options and not necessarily slavishly following the recommended current medical treatment may in many instances save your life or that of your family or loved ones. The entire history of medicine, indeed scientific research, is based upon the progression of sometimes serendipitous advances which may have gone against the current medical paradigm of the particular time. A very few examples which come to mind include the ‘accidental’ discovery by Alexander Fleming of penicillin, vaccination against smallpox by Edward Jenner, and acceptance that ulcers were caused by Helicobacter pylori.

“Now in its 23^rd year, Positive Health PH Online continues to publish articles and research pointing out how certain conventional treatment (drug-led) approaches are apparently being based upon an incorrect disease paradigm (model). This has shed light upon alternative hypotheses / paradigms in the causes and treatments for the following conditions:

• Antibiotics / Infections: Pasteur vs Béchamp – Microbe vs Terrain;
• Cancer - Chemotherapy Toxicity – Genetic vs Metabolic Disease;
• CFS/ME – Opposing Diagnostic and Treatment Approaches;
• Depression - Mental Health Disorders;
• Heart Disease / Cholesterol / High Blood Pressure
• Vaccinations / Toxicity, Safety, Herd Immunity / Autism Links ”

www.positivehealth.com/article/editorial/editorial-issue-237

In this Issue 241 several articles and letters directly or tangentially address the issue regarding how our view of the world impacts us. As Frances Coombes notes in her article Understanding NLP Thinking Styles

“Our thinking patterns affect how we respond to situations in the world. Yet often we run thinking patterns, called ‘metaprogrammes’ that are outside our awareness.  Understanding thinking traits is key when seeking to communicate, influence or motivate people to buy from you according to the thinking patterns they run.”

Linda Pecaut discusses in her article Labels - Shortcuts, Assessments or Limiting that although labels may be limiting and lead to feelings of being overwhelmed or inaction,

“… a label may be a good place to begin to get to know someone or, most importantly, yourself. Yet recognize you might not be getting all the information about a person, a situation, or your own health. Look beyond the labels, dig deeper to discover the whole truth!”

One of the most intelligent, almost genius human trait is persistent curiosity. In Articles on ME/CFS by Margaret Williams and Professor Malcolm Hooper a collection of articles about ME-CFS over 30 years, including have been assembled in one place - invaluable and precious for researchers and sufferers alike.

“These articles have been available on the internet or elsewhere for many years but now for the first time have been brought together in one place. The intention is to provide a valuable historical resource for researchers, advocates, patients and anyone interested in the illness Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. These articles illustrate how the "Wessely School" have ignored the biomedical science on ME/CFS for almost 30 years.”
“A Comprehensive Table with links to all articles between 1986 and 2017, including downloadable pdfs and a Comprehensive Index are available at www.margaretwilliams.me/

Another valiant and persistent researcher who continues to battle over many years against currently held paradigms in heart disease is Carlos Monteiro. In his article Cardiac Glycosides at Low Concentration Providing Neurohormonal Effects: The Final Solution Against Cancer? in this Issue 241, he reveals the fascinating and possibly little-known connection between the use of drugs used for heart disease exerting a protection effect against cancer and metastasis.

“The article discusses laboratory experimentation and clinical studies using cardiac glycosides. These have shown properties of induction of apoptosis and inhibition of proliferation of cancer cells. This apart of a large reduction in mortality of cancer, in patients taking these drugs at low concentration doses.
“It also tells that some cardiac glycosides have shown sympathetic and glycolysis (glucose consumption and lactate) inhibitory effects.
“Finally, this article explore the role of endogenous digitalis-like compounds in cancer and in other diseases.”

Barry Groves PhD who died 4 years ago, from Thincs (The International Network of Cholesterol Skeptics), published the following information in 2000 on his website http://www.second-opinions.co.uk/heart_drugs.html#.WbVMyMZhXGj
Digitalis – the right Drug Used to Treat the wrong Disease - Cancer

“As a student at Purdue University in 1930, Wayne Martin had as a tutor a seventy-year old medical doctor who had lost his money in the 1929 stock market crash and had taken a $60.00 a month instructorship at the university. Using the files of the Indiana University School of Medicine this doctor had done a survey between 1900 and 1930 of patients maintained on digitalis for life (digitalis was then used for heart patients). What he found was that not one of them had died of cancer. He was unable to get his survey published. At Purdue, Wayne says, the staff thought him to be suffering from dementia and he soon learned that if he wanted to keep his instructorship it was best not to talk about digitalis and cancer. (1]”

As PH Online readers are well aware, the scientific and medical and social media worlds are awash with an incredible and sometimes too much to take in potentially life-enhancing information. Below is a list of three postings which are all worth visiting:

• www.youtube.com/watch?feature=youtu.be&v=09EDQidzhPs&app=desktop
  Tribute to Polly Tommy YouTube Video
• Andrew Baird Myriad Suggestions to Boost Immunity Naturally:
  https://m.facebook.com/groups/98258276788?view=permalink&id=10156238200166789
• Martin Walker’s posting re vaccination and Kent Heckenlively’s book Plague - One Scientist’s Intrepid Search for the Truth about Human Retroviruses and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS), Autism, and Other Diseases by Kent Heckenlively and Judy Mikovits PhD published by Skyhorse Publishing:
  https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10214322000702752&id=1198797546

I regularly attempt to visualize, without a crystal ball, how Positive Health PH Online will expand and continue grow into the 21^st Century Portal for Integrated Medicine. I imagine that large amounts of Artificial Intelligence (AI), Augmented Reality (AR) will enhance the content to demonstrate in visual ways how natural treatment approaches enhance health.