Psychosomatic Medicine – The STOP Radio Network

19Mar

Calming Epidemic Hysteria

There must have been a "Eureka!" moment back in the late 1800s when, investigating an infection in the French wine industry, Louis Pasteur happened upon the discovery of micro-organisms. He must have felt the jolt of a thrill of realizing that he'd stumbled upon something really monumental. He was perfectly aware of the concurrent research being conducted

13Jun

Medicating Ourselves into Oblivion

In Thinking with Somebody Else's Head

Eight or nine years ago, a former editor of the New England Journal of Medicine, Dr. Marcia Angell, wrote a book called The Truth About the Drug Companies. It was an often searing critique of their deceptive research methods and business practices that really pulled back the veil on what Dr. Angell calls the marketing

26Nov

Where our Health Really Comes From

In Thinking with Somebody Else's Head

Sartre proposed that hell was the other people, and maybe we took that too much to heart. So we build walls to keep out the Mexicans, we stone the "terrible" married women who sleep around, we blame everyone but ourselves for our troubles. And perhaps one of the most pernicious areas dominated by the "problem

24Jun

Debunking the Germ Theory of Disease

In Thinking with Somebody Else's Head

He revolutionized the field of medicine, and has numerous institutions named after him for his efforts. He was one of the most celebrated scientists of his time, and a giant in medical circles even today. He supposedly proved the Germ Theory of disease, the basis of most medical education. But Louis Pasteur's science was highly

11May

Controling Swine Flu Hysteria

In Thinking with Somebody Else's Head

The biggest 20th century one killed millions. An outbreak in the mid-20th century killed far less. '68 was the last big one, but back in the '90s, a flu bug supposedly from birds caused a panic for awhile in Toronto. I was affected by that one, but not by fever or other tell-tale symptoms. Nope.