Both the happiness that I strive for, and the suffering that I wish to be free of, are results. Recognizing that, one seeks out the causes that lead to these results: to well-being, or to grief and suffering. HH the Dalai Lama ’97.

Three years ago this blog kicked off with a rationale to ‘Fight’. Exploitation of the vulnerable, chronically ill as stable generators of revenue by Pfarma led to further posts exposing many of the tricks played within medical research. The worst example being uncovered by a university assignment to investigate SmART, which highlighted thousands of lives deliberately put at risk and dozens were killed. “Shouldn’t we tell an authority?” Replied Prof Rory Wolfe: “Happens all the time“. I’m loathe to shatter the hopes of those trusting in drugs and their peddlers, but our understanding of the molecular basis of autoimmunology is barely embryonic. Pills have approval based upon short-term feedback, so “results may vary” because our knowledge of the body’s adaption to this newly created chemical imbalance is mostly guesswork. That’s paraphrasing Prof Eric Morand, head of rheumatology translational (from lab to patient) research at Monash. Prof David Healy describes medical kidnapping at his site RxISK.org
by well-intentioned physicians, who’re unfortunately stuck with a corrupted evidence base. Offering addictive, longterm palliative relief whilst waiting on the big breakthrough … one that  would then impact upon research institution sponsor’s revenue stream. Sure, that’s going to happen  Cynical, yes. Honest? Judge for yourself. Even a notification that misconduct would be published openly to the scientific community wasn’t enough to warrant regulatory interest. Self-regulation within industry is a nonsense.

The fight within. External forces can be blamed for a situation, or salvation can be sought in a medication, a therapy, even prayerful belief in higher power. Paramedic turned documentary filmmaker Daniel McGuire interviewed several Balian, or shaman, supernatural doctors (including Ketut from ‘Eat, Pray, Love’). These healers are sought when Western medicine has failed them, providing what’s essentially psychotherapy.  “I am like a bridge.” says one, Mangku Pogog: “I span a region between sickness and health. But the patient has to walk across.”
This is a putting to use of the character strengths of self-regulation and bravery. Chronic sickness can be a comfort zone, writes Daniel, referencing Joseph Campbell on mythology as a means of tricking oneself onto the path to becoming well. Leave one identity as recipient of healthcare behind, to then courageously explore another, uncertain world. Believe more in yourself than that  faith placed in doctors or deity.

Negativity bias. You may know it as survival instinct. Defensively reacting out of self-protection. Competitive skills from the jungle don’t help in survival any more, not when the backstabbing of office politics is destroying your peace of mind. As well as your health. A new era in mind and body healing has begun, focused on positives. Not just optimistic, positive thinking. But starting from a realization that your weaknesses are less of a vulnerability in an evolved society, then means  it’s more fruitful to be dedicating focus onto strengths. Positive psychology develops the strength within – recognizing that ‘cover your arse’ is a sign of pathetic submission to a toxic culture. Reactive, fear-driven living stimulates the fight or flight adrenal axis and your body suffers. Forever. Self-defense, and even self-esteem (which relies on comparisons to others) are less helpful than self-worth, which values your positive attributes over perceived failings.

Nobody needs to know of further weaknesses in healthcare provision. There’s enough reasons already presented to start making changes in your thinking, so this blog will now quiesce in order to concentrate on solutions.