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So some of the crazy beliefs that have come from one of my parents:My parents think that drinking hot water before meals is important, because they think cold water before meals is bad for you. Are they wrong?My parents think that answering the cell phone while its charging will make the cellphone explode. Are they completely wrong?My parents think that sleeping in a room with the laptop on will expose me to unhealthy levels of "laptop radiation". Are they completely wrong?My parents think it's important for me to microwave all my food because it's supposedly "good for the stomach". Are they dead wrong? (I screwed up the title - should be heat up all the food, as they're now so paranoid of the microwave that they use a rice cooker to heat up the food). And if I ever get stomachaches or stomach flu, they always blame it on my habit of eating my food cold.He even bought a quartz crystal in my room just to reduce the amount of radiation coming from my laptop.He thinks that I should use a comb to massage my hair to "improve circulation to the brain"He also thinks that I must put a sweater on only after I wake up, to reduce the "temperature difference" when I get out of the blanket (and then proceeds to blame any cold infection I have on the fact that I don't do this).Also, the association between cold weather and colds (this is not unique to Asian parents, but they seem to be especially susceptible to this line of thinking, as it even dupes Asians with PhDs)In particular, they seem to have a lot of irrational beliefs that are connected with cold weather. They blame any illness I have (colds, stomach flu, whatever) on me being insufficiently covered up when I'm out in the cold (meanwhile, they do that while also keeping the thermostat lower than most people do - which I would agree with too, except that it's quite inconsistent in their case).And here are some forwarded emails (I'm digging through my inbox now - there are years of them - and he forwards them to all of his friends too):==Subject: Why is sleep more important than food?Most of us think that sleep just happens. You're a good sleeper or a bad sleeper, and you're not really active in the process. But sleep-like washing your face or working out-requires a specific program so that you can get the best result: Restorative, peaceful sleep. Why is sleep more important than food? Because if you don't get enough deep sleep, your body loses the ability to make growth hormone, so it can't regenerate itself-to be able to fight off aging-related damage.^the fuck?==(original) without the Chinese here: http://www.tips-tricks.net/health/heart-attacks-and-drinking-warm-water/一位心臟病專科醫生說，如果每一個讀到這個資訊的人都把它轉寄給十個朋友，至少可以救活一個人，所以，請你仔細閱讀並且把它轉寄給你的朋友！心臟病發作與喝溫開水The Chinese and Japanese drink hot tea with their meals, not cold water, maybe it is time we adopt their drinking habitwhile eating.中國人和日本人吃飯的時候喝熱茶，而不是喝冰開水，我們應該學習中國人和日本人的飲食習慣。It is nice to have a cup of cold drink after a meal.. However, the cold water will solidify the oily stuff that you have just consumed. It will slow down the digestion. Once this 'sludge' reacts with the acid, it will break down and be absorbed by the intestine faster than the solid fo od . It will line the intestine. Very soon, this will turn into fats and lead to cancer. It is best to drink hot soup or warm water after a meal.吃過飯之後喝一杯冰冷的飲料的確很舒服，然而，冷開水會使你剛剛吃下肚的油膩膩的食物凝結在一起，而且會使胃腸的消化作用變慢，一旦這一大坨像爛泥的東西碰到胃酸，就會分解而很快地被腸子吸引，它會附著在腸壁上，沒多久它就會變成脂肪，而導致癌症，所以說，吃過飯之後最好還是喝一碗熱湯或一杯溫開水。Common Symptoms Of Heart Attack...心臟病發作的一般徵兆A serious note about heart attacks! -! You should know that not every heart attack symptom is going to be the left arm hurting . Be aware of intense pain in the jaw line .請你特別注意：並不是所有心臟病發作的時候都會左臂疼痛，你倒是要留意你頸項的劇烈疼痛。You may never have the first chest pain during the course of a heart attack. Nausea and intense sweating are also common symptoms. 60% of people who have a heart attack while they are asleep do not wake up. Pain in the jaw can wake you from a sound sleep. Let's be careful and be aware. The more we know, the better chance we could survive.心臟病發作的時候不一定會胸口疼痛，而噁心和猛烈的盜汗才是心臟病發作時常見的徵候，有60%的心臟病在睡夢中發作而患者因此一覺不醒，頸項疼痛常常會把你從熟睡中醒過來，所以要特別小心，我們懂得越多，活命的機會就越大。A cardiologist says if everyone who reads this message sends it to 10 people, you can be sure that we'll save at least one life. Read this & send to a friend.一位心臟病專科醫生說，如果每一個讀到這個資訊的人都把它轉寄給十個朋友，至少可以救活一個人，所以，請你仔細閱讀並且把它轉寄給你的朋友！He even forwarded that fucking email twice - once in 2009 and once in 2010.==Tips to reduce the radiation1. electric appliances not used simultaneously.2. be sure to turn the power off as electrical power can still produce a large amount of electromagnetic radiation.3. wash face and hands promptly after hours spent in front of computer or TV.4. eat foods rich in vitamin A, C, as well as protein foods such as carrots, cabbage, tofu, milk, eggs, etc., especially seaweeds, can enhance the ability of resistance to electromagnetic radiation.5, drinking tea.. tea polyphenols is conducive to the prevention and treatment of radiation injuries.減少輻射提示1、家用电器切勿扎堆摆放，更不要同时使用；2、不用的电器，一定要关上电源，因为通电的电器照样能产生大量电磁辐射；3、长时间看电脑、电视后，应及时洗脸洗手。4、多吃富含维生素A、C和蛋白质的食物，如胡萝卜、白菜、豆腐、牛奶、鸡蛋等，特别是海带，能加强抵抗电磁辐射的能力。5、多喝茶水，茶叶中的茶多酚等物质有利于防辐射。===Cell Phone Use TipsUse a wired headset This keeps the antenna far away from your skull.Get used to texting Texting also keeps the handset away from your brain, reducing the radiation risk.Don’t use your cell phone as an alarm clock If you use your phone as your wake-up call, you'll likely need to keep it close to your head; there's still radiation being emitted even when it's not taking calls.Don’t carry your phone in your pocket There's preliminary research to indicate that men who carry a phone in their pocket all day could be putting their fertility at risk, and women who carry their phones in their bra could be increasing their risk of breast cancer.Use a radiation-blocking case These can reduce cell phone radiation by two-thirds.Nutrients That Help Prevent Cell Damage from RadiationHere are some of the top nutrients that help protect damage cells due to radiation exposure:1) Vitamin D3 (Calcitrol) - Scientists have identified a total of nearly 3,000 genes that are upregulated by vitamin D, so it makes sense that it would have "multifaceted protective actions," as researchers noted in the International Journal of Low Radiation.The report found that the most active molecular form of vitamin D -- D3 (also known as calcitriol) -- may offer protection against a variety of radiation-induced damages. It's unclear how much vitamin D is necessary to protect against radiation-induced cancer, but researchers have found that daily intakes of vitamin D by adults in the range of 2,000-4,000 IU are needed to maintain blood levels of vitamin D metabolites in the range needed to reduce the risk of breast and colon cancers by about half.===Subject: FW: please be careful and do not drink bottled water that has been left in a carA friend points out a scary truth,All European mineral water (Evian, Volvic, Vichy,...) for Asia are bottled, stuffed into container,transited on board vessel which is usually exposed under high temperature during the wholejourney......journey......Bottled water in your car is very dangerous to womenThis is how Sheryl Crow got breast cancer.She was on the Ellen show and said this same exact thing.This has been identified as the most common cause of the high levels inbreast cancer、especially in AustraliaA friend whose mother was recently diagnosed with breast cancer.The Doctor told her: women should not drink bottled water that has beenleft in a car.The doctor said that the heat and the plastic of the bottle have certainchemicals that can lead to breast cancer.So please be careful and do not drink bottled water that has been left ina car、and、pass this on to all the women in your life.This information is the kind we need to know and be aware of and it justmight save a life.The heat causes toxins from the plastic to leak into the water and theyhave found these toxins in breast tissue.Use a stainless steel Canteen or a glass bottle when you can!!!LET EVERYONE WHO HAS A WIFE / GIRLFRIEND / DAUGHTER KNOW PLEASE.===Car Air-conditioning - MUST READ!!No wonder more folks are dying from cancer than ever before. We wonder where this stuff comes from but here is an example that explains a lot of the cancer causing incidents. Hmmm. Many people are in their cars first thing in the morning and the last thing at night, 7 days a week. As I read this, it makes me feel guilty and ill. Please pass this on to as many people as possible. Guess its not too late to make some changesPlease do NOT turn on A/C as soon as you enter the car.Open the windows after you enter your car and turn ON the AC after a couple of minutes.Here's why:According to a research, the car dashboard, sofa, air freshener emit Benzene, a Cancer causing toxin(carcinogen - take time to observe the smell of heated plastic in your car).(carcinogen - take time to observe the smell of heated plastic in your car).In addition to causing cancer, Benzene poisons your bones, causes anemia and reduces white blood cells.Prolonged exposure will cause Leukemia, increasing the risk of cancer.Can also cause miscarriage.Prolonged exposure will cause Leukemia, increasing the risk of cancer.Can also cause miscarriage.。Acceptable Benzene level indoors is 50m g per sq.ft. A car parked indoors with windows closed will contain 400-800 mg of Benzene.If parked outdoors under the sun at a temperature above 60 degrees F, the Benzene level goes up to 2000-4000 mg, 40 times the acceptable level.People who get into the car, keeping windows closed will inevitably inhale, in quick succession, excessive amounts of the toxin.Benzene is a toxin that affects your kidney and liver.. What's worse, it is extremely difficult for your body to expel this toxic stuff.So friends, please open the windows and door of your car - give time for interior to air out -dispel the deadly stuff - before you enter.Thought:'When someone shares something of value with you and you benefit from it, you have a moral obligation to share it with others.'(a moral obligation? What the fuck?)==http://www.pureinsideout.com/Lemon-water-detox.htmlI have been drinking the lemon water every single night for the past eight months and the results are truly amazing. I live in a city where winters are harsh and long (Montreal, Canada) and I generally suffer from recurrent flu and cold symptoms all winter long… Not this winter!I’ve also had to have my gallbladder removed and drinking the lemon juice has helped maintain my liver healthy. I no longer wake-up feeling tired and sluggish in the morning.Lemon is not only a vitamin C rich citrus fruit and an immune system booster, it also acts as blood purifier and improves the body’s ability to get rid of toxins. When taken regularly it acts as a tonic to the liver and stimulates it to fulfil its daily digestive and cleansing functions. Lemon is also believed to help dissolve gallstones and is a superior body alkalizer.My grandfather used to add a squeeze of lemon to his coffee and I remember thinking: How weird! Little did I know then that when lemon is mixed with coffee, it is thought to help treat malaria…It is also an effective headache remedy.Some people drink the diluted lemon juice first thing in the morning. I used to do that too, and found it quite effective. However, a naturopath once told me that the body cleanses while at rest, so drinking the lemon water at night makes more sense, as it supports our inherent ability to detox (排毒).==The Amazing Health Benefitsof Drinking Lemon WaterOn page 659 of Back to Eden, Mr. Kloss points out that, “The lemon is a wonderful stimulant to the liver and is a dissolvent of uric acid and other poisons, liquefies the bile, and is very good in cases of malaria. Sufferers of chronic rheumatism and gout will benefit by taking lemon juice, also those who have a tendency to bleed, uterine hemorrhages, etc.; rickets and tuberculosis. In pregnancy, it will help to build bone in the child. We find that the lemon contains certain elements which will go to build up a healthy system and keep that system healthy and well. As a food, we find, owing to its potassium content, it will nourish the brain and nerve cells. Its calcium builds up the bony structure and makes healthy teeth.http://www.quantumbalancing.com/news/lemon%20water.htmThere are basic natural lifestyle habits which, once incorporated into your daily life, can make a tremendously positive difference to your health. Drinking lemon water is certainly one of them.==Attached is an interesting information talking about drinking water gives healthy skin and hair. You may not concern about skin or hair since you are still young. But it is good to know that water is the carrier of nutrients, so it carriers nutrients to every cell of your body and is also known to improve blood circulation.Quoted from this attached "having 8 to 10 glasses of water everyday is a must. There is a concept called as 'Water Therapy', you can cure all your diseases and flush out toxins with water therapy." that may help since you two are taking medicine for different treatments.http://www.allhairlosstreatments.com/blog/benefits-of-water-for-hair/^This sounded more like forwarded spam than a personal message. I just realized (2 years later, and opening it for the first time) that it actually was a personal message...==Remember that water is the best source for your daily fluid needs. Other good beverages include herbal teas, low-sodium broth, 100% fruit and vegetable juices. Particularly during the flu season. Every day you lose water through your breath, perspiration, urine and bowel movements. For your body to function properly, you must replenish its water supply by consuming beverages and foods that contain waterUmm... fucking duh?==Move over milk—new research shows that dried plums may also boost skeletal health! The functionality of foods has become a popular means for preventing chronic diseases …http://www.californiadriedplums.org/PressRoom/PressReleaseDetails/?contentId=288Can't he tell that it's a source that's fucking biased?==Blueberries could replace traditional drugs in treatment of oral cancerSuper fruits like blueberries, blackberries and papaya could be used to stop mouth cancer cells spreading through the rest of the body - as well as reducing mouth cancer risk - according to a study published in the Journal of Cancer Research.The study, conducted at the University of Hong Kong, found that as well as suppressing the spread of cancer, lupeol also reduced the size of the tumour three times faster than the conventional cisplatin drug. When the two were used together they were even more successful.The compound works by blocking a natural protein called NFkB which helps to grow and repair all cells - even cancerous ones.For more details, go e-mail: [email protected] or go to http://www.mouthcancer.org==Drinking water at the correct time maximizesits effectiveness on the Human body:2 glasses of water after waking up helps activate internal organs.1 glass of water 30 minutes before a meal - helps digestion.1 glass of water before taking a bath - helps lower blood pressure.1 glass of water before going to bed - avoids stroke or heart attack.==<<detoxification_foot_chart.jpg>>According to eastern medicine, the human body has more than 360 acupuncture points, with over 60 found on the soles of the feet alone.These are the reflexive zones of our major internal organs.Toxins, which can lead to many degenerative diseases and adverse medical conditions, travel downwards in the body during the day and accumulate in these reflexive zones. To take care of your feet is helping promote the body's natural health and achieve its optimum state of wellness....===also, a huge number of ppt attachments that I didn't bother to open.===It's beliefs like these - that cause the extinction of so many rare Chinese animals, just because some Chinks [am using this term as an ethnic Chinese myself - they sure deserve it] want to use them (and their penises) as herbal medicine. Fortunately, he's not guilty of those sorts of things yet - I'm just saying that there are Chinese who are even crazier than he is (as hard as it is to believe)...I mean, just look at http://advocacy.britannica.com/blog/advocacy/2007/10/traditional-chinese-medicine-and-endangered-animals/. They fucking kill tigers, rhinos, and bears (even those that live in other countries) just for their useless medicine. I mean - look at what they do to the bears for this crap: http://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/index.php/asian-bear-bile-remedies-barbarism-or-medicine/===Damn it - I should have used a tape recorder... Maybe that would have been the perfect way to rebel against years of suppressed frustration.

Naturally Reverse Hardened Arteriesby Wendy MyersAtherosclerosis, also known as “hardening of the arteries,” occurs when fat, cholesterol, and other substances build up in the walls of arteries and form hard structures called plaques. Learn how to naturally reverse hardened arteries.Hardening of the arteries begins with an injury to the endothelium, the lining, of artery walls. The injury is due to high cholesterol and triglyceride levels, high blood pressure, chronic inflammation, eating too much sugar and flour, smoking, free radicals produced by bodily processes and many other factors.In response to the injury, white blood cells, along with lipids (fats), begin to accumulate along the inner layer of the artery. These fats and white blood cells begin to oxidize (become rancid) and build up in the artery walls, forming plaques. These plaques begin to harden and bulge inward, and then grow larger. Even then, there are no symptoms until the narrowing reaches 70 percent. If the plaque is disturbed or bursts, blood platelets can accumulate at the site and form a clot, which can grow until it completely blocks an artery and cuts off the oxygen supply to the heart, brain, or other body part.Pieces of plaque can also break off and move to smaller blood vessels, blocking them. If the clot completely blocks the blood and oxygen supply to a major artery leading to the heart, the tissue begins to die within minutes. A heart attack ensues. If an artery to the brain is blocked the result is a stroke. Atherosclerosis that affects the arteries in the arms, legs or pelvis is called peripheral artery disease.Healthy blood vessels are elastic and flexible, accommodating changes in physical activity and stress levels. But in atherosclerosis, blood vessels stiffen and reduce blood flow by 15 percent or more. Your heart has to work harder to make up the difference.Atherosclerosis is responsible for coronary artery disease, the leading cause of death in the US. It is responsible for at least 43 percent of all deaths in the US. The only countries beating us in heart disease deaths are India (#1 at 1.5 million deaths yearly), China (#2 at 700,000 deaths yearly), and Russia (#3 at 670,000 deaths yearly). The US has 500,000 deaths yearly. There are 2002 statistics. Worldwide, heart disease is running rampant as our deadly diet is reaching the corners of the globe.SymptomsAtherosclerosis is often called the silent killer, as the first sign for many is a fatal heart attack or stroke. Atherosclerosis doesn’t cause any symptoms until narrowing of an artery reaches 70 percent or becomes completely blocked. In blockage of heart arteries, symptoms can include:Chest pain (angina). Angina feels like pressure or squeezing in the chest. It results from reduced blood supply to the heart muscle, an increased demand for oxygen by the heart, or emotional stress. It can also manifest as pain in the shoulders, arms, back, neck or jaw. Angina typically worsens with activity and is relieved with rest.Shortness of breath. This is your heart or body gasping for oxygen that is not being delivered due to blocked arteries.Indigestion. This can be a result of angina or a heart attack.Arrhythmias. An abnormal heartbeat can be too slow or too fast.Numbness, tingling, pain, and infections in extremities. The symptoms of peripheral artery disease, where arteries are beginning to harden in the legs and arms, include numbness, tingling, pain, and infections.Learn how to reverse hardened arteries naturally!CLICK TO TWEETCausesIf you are older than 20, and have been eating a typical Western diet, chances are atherosclerosis has already begun. Risk factors include:High cholesterolHigh triglyceridesSmokingHigh blood pressureInsulin resistance, Prediabetes, or DiabetesBeing overweight or obeseSedentary lifestyleUse of birth control pillsEstrogen replacement therapySleep apneaStressExcessive consumption of alcoholInflammation is the underlying cause of atherosclerosis and many other serious diseases. High blood levels of a protein called C-reactive protein indicate inflammation. Though modern medicine seems to blame high cholesterol for the disease, other parameters like fibrinogen and homocysteine levels are far more dangerous and indicative of atherosclerosis.In the past, a diet high in cholesterol was viewed as a cause of high cholesterol, but this view is too simplistic. The body does not simply ingest cholesterol and then deposit it into the arteries. Cholesterol from food has no effect whatsoever on the level of our blood cholesterol. Cholesterol is only dangerous when it has been oxidized (by smoking, alcohol, bad diet, and not exercising). Many studies show that the damage caused by high blood sugar — from eating too much sugar and grains — scars the insides of the arteries, leading to damage. The liver then produces cholesterol to repair the damage. Cholesterol is absolutely necessary for repair of the arteries. Without it (when you take statins), you’re left with no way to repair the damage your diet and lifestyle are causing.Heavy metal toxicity plays a role in atherosclerosis. Zinc deficiency, copper deficiency, or cadmium toxicity, weaken arterial walls and as a compensatory measure, the body deposits calcium or fatty substances to reinforce arterial strength. Imbalance in the calcium/magnesium ratio or an elevated calcium level may be associated with deposits of calcium in arteries. This response to toxicity and nutrient deficiencies hardens the arteries.Many other toxins screw up cholesterol chemistry and contribute to hardening of the arteries. Phthalates in soft plastics and water bottles leach out into food and water that then sit in your cells and damage their ability to properly metabolize cholesterol. Teflon from your frying pan or mercury from fish and dental fillings also damage your cholesterol chemistry. There are thousands of industrial chemicals working synergistically to destroy your body and its ability to protect itself. The only answer is to educate yourself on toxic substances, avoid them and detox your body of these poisons. You can read more about how to avoid common toxins in my article Reduce Your Exposure to Cancer Causing Agents.DiagnosisAn examination with a stethoscope, where your doctor is listening for a whooshing or blowing sound, can indicate atherosclerosis. High cholesterol levels that show up on blood tests suggest an increased risk for atherosclerosis. The following tests can also help diagnose atherosclerosis:Electrocardiogram (EKG): A test to record the heart’s electrical activity. It shows how fast the heart is beating, its rhythm, and can reveal signs of heart damage caused by coronary artery disease and signs of a past or present heart attack.Echocardiogram: This test uses sound waves to create a moving picture of the heart. It also yields information about the size and shape of the heart and how well the heart’s chambers and valves are working. Echocardiography can also reveal areas of poor blood flow to the heart, areas of the heart that aren’t contracting normally and previous injury to the heart muscle caused by poor blood flow.Computed Tomography (CT Scan): With this test you get computer-generated pictures of the heart, brain or other areas of the body. In the case of the heart, it can show narrowing of large arteries and reveal calcium build-ups in coronary artery walls.Stress Test: This is a test to show how long you can continue to walk on a treadmill as the speed increases and how fast your heart rate returns to normal after 30 minutes or less of exercise. A stress test can also reveal abnormal changes in heart rate or blood pressure, shortness of breath or chest pains and abnormal changes in your heart’s rhythm or electrical activity.Angiography: A flexible tube (catheter) is put in a blood vessel of the arm, groin or neck and dye that can be seen on an x-ray is injected through the catheter to the arteries. Then x-rays show whether plaque or a clot is blocking an artery, how severe the blockage is and the blood flow through the arteries.Ankle/Brachial Index: This test for peripheral artery disease compares blood pressure in the ankle with blood pressure in the arm to reflect how well blood is flowing.Doppler Test. These use ultrasound or sound waves. It can show how well blood is moving through the arteries.Magnetic Resonance Arteriography (MRA). This is a special type of magnetic resonance imagery (MRI) scan that can show how well blood is moving through the arteries.Conventional TreatmentIf hard science and patient benefit were central factors in determining treatment, these conventional procedures would be a rarity. But invasive cardiology has nothing to do with science. It has nothing to do with saving lives or improving quality of life. It has to do with money. These procedures generate more than $120 billion a year, a windfall that makes up approximately 45 percent of the total revenue of most hospitals! That’s why angioplasty and bypass remain popular, despite dozens of studies — not one of them showing that either of these procedures prevents heart attacks or premature death for the overwhelming majority. Even if you get one of these procedures, half of patients are clogging up their ‘new or improved’ vessels within six months of the operation.The following medical treatments and procedures are likely to be recommended by your cardiologist:Angioplasty. This is done to open blocked or narrowed coronary arteries, improve blood flow and relieve angina. It may include installation of a stent (a small mesh tube) to keep the artery open after the procedure. According to findings from the COURAGE trial—the definitive study on elective angioplasty— eight of 10 patients who undergo this procedure are inappropriate candidates who would be better served by more conservative therapy. Even when the angioplasty procedure is performed without problems, the artery can narrow again months afterward. For instance, my father has this procedure done, but it did not hold and needed to be redone. It ultimately did nothing for his heart health. Narrowing of the artery post-angioplasty can be caused by blood clots occurring at or near the site of the treatment. Aspirin, heparin, coumadin, warfarin or combinations of anti-clotting drugs are generally used before and after the procedures to try and prevent this. Warfarin and coumadin were originally and still are used as rat poison. Oh, but it thins your blood so you should take it if you have heart problems.Coronary artery bypass grafting. A surgical procedure that involves taking blood vessels from other areas of your body to “bypass” narrowed areas of coronary arteries in order to improve blood flow to the heart, relieve chest pain and, possibly, prevent a heart attack. This same procedure may be used to bypass narrowed or blocked arteries in the leg. This surgery is invasive and unnecessary. Simple dietary and lifestyle measures can completely reverse blocked arteries. My grandfather and uncle both had this procedure. It involved months of recovery with both speaking of never feeling the same again. The both entered into a slow, steady decline following the surgery. Studies show that you’re more than twice as likely to die from this surgery as you are from heart disease.Carotid endarterectomy. Surgery to remove built-up plaque from the carotid arteries in order to restore blood flow to the brain in an effort to prevent a stroke. This surgery can result in bleeding, infection, blood clots, brain damage, stroke or heart attack.Aspirin. Fire your doctor if he recommends taking aspirin to prevent heart attack. High cholesterol and heart disease is not caused by a deficiency of aspirin. Two decades ago it was shown in the Journal of the American Medical Association that aspirin provides no protective benefit. Eight other studies have shown aspirin more than doubles your chance of having a stroke. Aspirin also promotes age related macular degeneration (AMD), the leading cause of blindness in seniors. So, why is this treatment recommended? A 1992 Lancet study funded by the Bayer Corporation (oh, the maker of aspirin!) concluded that aspirin reduced the risk of heart attack. The reason this study showed such great results is because Bayer provided the study with Bufferin, which contains magnesium oxide. Magnesium deficiency is rampant in our society, contributing to all kinds of health problems, including heart disease. It was actually the magnesium, rather than the aspirin, that showed such promising results.Low Cholesterol Diet. As soon as high cholesterol is diagnosed, you’re told by your doctor to go on a low cholesterol diet. Eeeeh. Wrong. This is dangerous advice. Without sufficient cholesterol, we cannot make our hormones or the membranes of our brain, heart, and other cells. Our brain is 25% cholesterol. It needs cholesterol to function. Without sufficient dietary cholesterol, you are more vulnerable to heart disease, cancer, and Alzheimer’s. This is useless advice because the liver can make three times as much cholesterol in a day as you could eat. It makes 80% of our cholesterol regardless of dietary intake of cholesterol. The dietary staple shown to increase cholesterol is sugar, flour, and refined grains.Wendy’s Recommendations for Natural TreatmentModern medicine says that hardening of the arteries cannot be reversed once it has occurred. This is not true. With commitment to alternative treatments and changes to your diet and lifestyle, you can reclaim your health. On the flip side, I realize there are some people unwilling to make these lifestyle changes. It takes work and dedication — or they can’t afford treatments their insurance won’t cover. In these cases, conventional treatment may be the only answer to extend their life. I recommend making the following natural treatments to both lower the risk of atherosclerosis and reduce symptoms once it has manifested.LifestyleExercise. Regular exercise helps maintain the health of the vessels leading to the heart. Exercise also can strengthen the heart muscle itself. Walking after meals, even just for 10 minutes, can reduce blood sugar after meals, and prevent further damage to the blood vessels.Stop smoking. Smoking oxidizes cholesterol, causing it to deposit in your blood vessels and contribute to atherosclerosis. This is the single most important change you can make to reduce your risk of heart disease and stroke. A great program is 14andout.com.Control blood pressure. While I don’t recommend controlling blood pressure by taking blood pressure medication, I do recommend all the suggestions in the brilliant book The Blood Pressure Hoax by Sherry Rogers.Control cholesterol. The standard tests for cholesterol are outdated. The standard cutoff for high cholesterol is 200, but healthy levels are different for many people. You don’t want your cholesterol levels too low either. Low cholesterol levels below 150 are associated with premature death and many, many health problems. The body needs some cholesterol. You want to look at the size of your cholesterol particles, not just the total cholesterol number. Most doctors do not look at this parameter, even though it is the only meaningful way to evaluate cholesterol numbers. You can have LDL cholesterol that looks normal, say 100, but you may have over 1,000 small LDL particles which are very dangerous. On the other hand, you can have the same LDL number of 100, and it may be made up of 400 large particles which cause no real health risk. HDL cholesterol is very protective — it cleans up oxidized LDL. LDL cholesterol is the culprit causing hardened and blocked arteries. It’s fine as long as it’s not oxidized, but it becomes oxidized with smoking, lack of physical activity, stress, industrial chemicals and a toxic diet. For more information on how to control your cholesterol and get to the root cause of the issue, listen to my podcast with Jimmy Moore, author ofCholesterol Clarity.Control diabetes. High blood sugar contributes to hardening of the arteries. Note that current research shows that statins (cholesterol-lowering medications) may, in fact, contribute to diabetes. I beg you to reconsider when your doctor advises you to take toxic medications like statins or insulin. You’ll be taking meds to control your high cholesterol, which cause diabetes, which in turn causes hardening of the arteries! Medications make people sicker quicker. Diabetes can be cured. You can also listen to this podcast I did on how to Heal Diabetes Naturally.Maintain good dental health. In a new study published in the British Medical Journal researchers found that people with poor oral hygiene had a 70 percent increased likelihood of developing heart disease compared to those who brushed regularly. Because gum disease can cause atherosclerosis, it is vital to brush your teeth at least twice a day and floss daily. Flossing breaks up bacteria colonies in the gums that can get into the blood stream and cause infection and inflammation in other parts of your body. Most importantly, be sure to have regular dental checkups and get your teeth cleaned every six months to remove plaque buildup. If this is not removed, you are very likely to get periodontal disease, which contributes to heart disease.Alternative TreatmentsMineral Power with Hair Mineral Analysis.My Mineral Power program tests for mineral levels and heavy metals, allowing you to do targeted remineralization of your body – imperative for your health and detoxification. Hardened arteries are due to calcifications of the arteries. This situation is caused byadrenal fatigue and copper toxicity. When the tissues have low sodium and potassium levels, the body is not able to retain calcium blood serum levels and calcium leaches out in to tissues, including the arteries. This situation can be reversed on a Mineral Power program by healing the adrenals and removing calcifications from the body and arteries. Hardened arteries are also in part due to zinc deficiency. The body is then forced to patch the arteries with cadmium, a toxic heavy metal, that makes the arteries hardened and brittle. Eliminating heavy metals and industrial chemicals, built up in your system over your lifetime that are aggravating or causing this condition, will no doubt help atherosclerosis. In the process, you will greatly increase your overall health and prevent future diseases from developing. For more information see Mineral Power Program.Infrared Saunas. Infrared Saunas are imperative to sweat out the hundreds of industrial chemicals we ingest every day. These chemicals not only contribute to hardening of the arteries, but so many other diseases and health conditions. Read more about them in my article about Infrared Saunas. You can purchase many different types of saunas in the Live to 110 store.Enhanced External Counterpulsation. EECP is a nonsurgical therapy with incredible benefits for the cardiovascular system. It stimulates the formation of collateral circulation, or new blood vessels around clogged arteries. This is like a natural heart bypass! It’s much cheaper than open heart surgery, which will run you $100,000. EECP can be performed every day for 30-45 days at $200 a session. The overwhelming majority of people who do this therapy do not end up having to undergo bypass surgery.Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) restores blood flow and helps build collateral circulation. HBOT forces oxygen into your cells, oxygenating your tissues and clearing out toxins.Hippocrates Health Institute. If you need serious intervention to improve your health look no further than the Hippocrates Health Institute. This amazing institution has rejuvenated patients, very much alive today, after their doctor told them there was nothing more to be done and to go home to die.The Whittaker Wellness Institute. Whittaker Wellness Institute in Newport Beach, Ca is one of the largest alternative medical centers in the US. Want to truly cure your atherosclerosis? Go here instead of your conventional doctor.SupplementsMultivitamin. I offer a list of good multivitamins on my article The Best Multivitamins. I also have a great multivitamins in the Liveto110 Store. My favorites are Jigsaw Complete andInnate Response organic Food-based Multivitamins.Fish oil. 2000mg daily. EPA and DHA, fish oil’s primary omega-3 fatty acids, reduce inflammation, lower blood lipids (especially triglycerides), improve blood viscosity, and normalize heart rhythms. Taking these supplements can reduce cardiovascular mortality by as much as 45 percent. Reduce the suggested amount if you eat fish three times per week. A great fish oil by Metagenics can be found in the Liveto110 Store. I also love cod liver oil by Green pastures.Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10). 200–600 mg daily. This antioxidant helps protect LDL (“bad”) cholesterol from oxidation, maintain healthy blood vessels, lower blood pressure, and can support optimal functioning of the heart muscle. You MUST take this if you have ever been or are currently on statins (high cholesterol medication). If you doctor did not recommend this supplement when prescribing statins, he is acting irresponsibly and shows a lack of scientific knowledge of the drug he is prescribing. When you go on statins, it poisons the enzymes in your liver that produces protective cholesterol and CoQ10, which you need to protect your arteries from further damage. I like Designs for Health CoQ10.Garlic. Long revered for its health benefits, garlic is rich in antioxidants and increases nitric oxide production. In a study of 15 men with coronary heart disease, researchers found that 2.4 grams of aged garlic extract reduced endothelial dysfunction by 44 percent. It’s best to eat either raw garlic or aged (fermented) garlic, but you can also take Kyolic aged garlic extract.Magnesium. 400–1,000 mg daily. Many heart attacks are precipitated by dangerously low magnesium. Many heart attacks an be prevented simply by supplementing with this mineral. Magnesium relaxes the smooth muscle tissues that dilate the arteries and reduce blood pressure. Heart medications and blood pressure medications cause magnesium deficiencies, making you sicker. Magnesium is best taken in chelated form. Large amounts of magnesium can cause diarrhea, so build up your dose gradually. A great chelated magnesium malate chelate supplement by Designs for Health and Jigsaw Magnesium is available in the Liveto110 Store. I take both to get a few different forms and cover my magnesium bases.TMG (Trimethylglycine). TMG is a vitamin-like substance that does a great job of lowering homocysteine levels. Homocysteine is an amino acid that, in excess, is irritating to the arteries and is strongly associated with inflammation and hardening of the arteries. Homocysteine level is a much more reliable indicator of heart disease than cholesterol levels. To lower homocysteine, most doctors suggest a combination of supplementary vitamin B6, B12 and folic acid rather than TMG, although TMG may work better and is recommended for inherited homocysteinuria. Get Allergy Research TMG in the Live to 110 Store. I take it every day.R-Lipoic Acid. 300mg daily. In a recent study at the Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, researchers reported that 300 mg of R-lipoic acid improved endothelial function by almost 50 percent, and the antioxidant also enhanced the benefits of a drug used to treat heart disease. I prefer R-lipoic acid to the more popular alpha-lipoic acid because R-lipoic acid is all natural, making it more effective, while alpha-lipoic acid is a combination of natural and synthetic lipoic acid. I love Thorne Alpha Lipoic Acid.Nattokinase. Nattokinase is a unique enzyme that supports healthy clotting function and circulation. Nattokinase has the distinct ability to break down the adhesive substance that makes arterial plaque very sticky. In this way, it supports a preventative and reversing effect on blood clotting and plaque build up in the arteries. Nattokinase is derived from natto, a fermented soy food that is an integral part of traditional Japanese cuisine, and has been shown in studies to benefit the cardiovascular system. Nattokinase is a powerful proteolytic enzyme that has fibrinolytic health benefits. It is best known for its astounding fibrinolytic (anti-clotting) capacities. Perhaps its most supported use is in the area of cardiovascular health, where it helps to rejuvenate healthy fibrin metabolism and reduce blood clotting.Red Yeast Rice. 900-1800mg a day. Coratin by Metagenics is one of the most advanced products containing Red Yeast Rice. Coratin contains Monascus purpureaus, a red-pigmented yeast grown on rice. Numerous studies in China and the United States have demonstrated that red yeast rice preparations are helpful in maintaining healthy blood cholesterol levels. This is important, as maintaining optimal cholesterol levels has been shown to be one component of maintaing good cardiovascular health. In addition to natural monacolins, red yeast rice contains the phystosterols, beta-sitosterol, campesterol, and stigmasterol, as well as isoflavones and trace minerals, all of which can contribute to cardiovascular health.Curcumin. 2-4 g a day. Curcumin is world-renowned for reducing inflammation and pain. Curcumin is the active ingredient in Turmeric. Theracumin by Integrative Therapeutics contains highly bioavailable curcumin. Curcumin has been found in many studies to prevent buildup of plaque, therefore preventing onset of atherosclerosis leading to blocked arteries, stroke or heart attack. In laboratory studies on animals, it was found that turmeric extracts could lower levels of LDL ‘bad’ cholesterol. Another study pointed out that curcumin prevents cholesterol oxidation that is the main reason for plaque buildup, destruction of blood vessels and heart attacks or strokes. Curcumin has vitamin B6, essential in maintaining optimal homocysteine levels, excess of which could cause plaque buildup and blood vessel damage. In a study on 10 healthy patients given 500mg curcumin for 7 days daily, their oxidized cholesterol levels in the blood reduced by 33%, total cholesterol by 11.63% and HDL cholesterol had a 29% increase.Annato Tocotrienols. 100mg a day. Designs for Health Annato Tocotrienols are extremely potent and effective for heart health by lowering cholesterol, healthy lipid levels and for defending against oxidative stress. The most effective concentrates shown to lower plasma cholesterol and oxidative indicators were those with low tocopherols and high tocotrienols.Essential Oil of Lemon. Lemon essential oil is pure potassium citrate. It dissolves calcium deposits in the arteries. Put 10-20 drops in a glass of water twice a day. Doterra, Young living, or any organic essential oil will do.FoodFollow a low-glycemic diet. You must remove sugar, flour, and refined grains from your diet. Ideally, ALL grains, including whole grains, should be removed. The consumption of these foods raises blood sugar, which damages blood vessels. Consequently, your liver produces cholesterol to go in and repair the damage caused by these foods. This is one of the main causes of atherosclerosis.Follow an anti-inflammatory diet. The Modern Paleo Diet is the perfect diet to reduce inflammation, a major cause of atherosclerosis. It is also low-glycemic.Omega-3. Atherosclerosis is associated with a deficiency in omega-3 fatty acids. Eat more oily fish, fish oil supplements, walnuts, macadamia nuts, and flax seed. Grass fed, organic meats have significantly more omega-3 than conventionally raised factory-farmed meats. Factory-farmed meats are very high in omega-6, which block the absorption of omega-3 even if you eat sufficient quantities and take fish oil.Flaxseed. Mix a quarter cup of ground flaxseed in juice and drink it once a day, an hour before your main meal. Flaxseed is an excellent source of fiber. Soluble fiber binds to bile acids in the intestinal tract and interferes with the reabsorption of cholesterol into the bloodstream. In addition, flaxseed is nature’s richest plant source of protective omega-3 essential fatty acids (EFAs). Because the oils in ground flaxseed can quickly become rancid, I recommend using whole flaxseed, rather than pre-ground seeds. Whole flaxseeds are extremely shelf-stable and can be stored for years. Organic golden flax seeds are the best. These tiny golden or brown seeds have a rich, nutty flavor and can be sprinkled on cereal and salads or mixed in water or a protein drink (stir and drink quickly, as it thickens as it sits). Simply grind them in a food mill or coffee grinder before serving. Ground flax seeds can be kept fresh in the fridge for two months.Avoid Trans Fats. These deadly fats raise cholesterol levels and contribute to heart disease more than any other food. They are in almost all processed foods and ALL fast foods. If trans fats were eliminated from the food supply, heart disease would be reduced by 50%! Avoid any foods with partially hydrogenated oils or interesterified fats on the ingredient label.Avoid Fried Foods and Vegetable Oils. Research on endothelial function has clearly shown that eating deep-fried foods can have a disastrous effect on your blood vessel tone. Vegetable oils are touted as healthy by the food industry because they are so profitable, but they are actually highly inflammatory. The only exception is healthy olive oil.Avoid Wheat. Wheat is known to cause inflammation and other health problems in most people, not just those with gluten sensitivity. There are typically no symptoms, unless you are gluten intolerant. Gluten is the protein in wheat. Repeated exposure to wheat accelerates glycation (a type of chemical reaction that happens when sugar molecules attack proteins or lipid fats) in the lining of your arteries, contributing to hardening. Read more about why wheat is bad for you in Wheat Belly by William Davis, MD. For more information, you can also read my article Gluten Sensitivity Affects 1 in 3.Avoid Sugar. Blood sugar must be controlled in order to stop and reverse the onset of atherosclerosis. This means avoiding sugar and anything else that will raise blood sugar, like most refined grains. Sugar acts like shards of glass in the arteries. It cuts the insides of the arteries, causing scar tissue. This scar tissue builds up and hardens the arteries. Sugar and other refined carbohydrates elevate insulin levels. Increased insulin levels are associated with increased cholesterol, triglycerides, blood pressure, and death from cardiovascular disease.I hope this article spares your life and a lot of pain. I believe it clarifies the fact that you can overcome heart disease with natural treatments and completely sidestep conventional treatment. Of course, there are always exceptions – some cases are resistant to natural treatment. Western medicine only offers medication and surgery, which I believe should be last resort treatment options for atherosclerosis, heart disease or an emergency such as a heart attack. Cases of emergency require medical intervention and surgery.I watched my father choke down over 10 medications a day, including statins for a decade, endure two angioplasties, and undergo countless heart tests. None of it did any good. He did tons of research on his own and seemed to be incredibly informed in his decisions. He mistakenly didn’t consider anything outside of western medicine. He died at the young age of 68. This does not have to be you.Have I left anything out of this article? Do you have a story about how conventional medicine made you sicker or how natural treatments healed you? Please leave a comment below. I want to hear your story!SOURCE-Naturally Reverse Hardened Arteries - Liveto110.comthanks for upvotes

It’s worse than a scam.It’s a profiteering, brutal pseudo-science, ruining millions of lives every day. With that said, you should NEVER stop taking any psychiatric medication, without proper clinical oversight.That’s the hardest part, trying to find one who will taper you safely and humanely, when they financially incentivized to keep you hooked. If you think you need a shrink, I hope you will think twice. When you schedule that $250 intake session, prepare to park your civil rights at the door.How to Drive Someone InsaneThe Shrunken Heads’ How-To Guide for ShrinksIn The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis, the uncle demon Screwtape counsels his junior demon, Wormwood, how to tempt his ‘patient,’ converting him from a new believer into a mindless foot soldier in their evil revolution.“I have great hopes that we shall learn in due time how to emotionalise and mythologise their science to such an extent that what is, in effect, a belief in us (though not under that name) will creep in while the human mind remains closed to belief in the Enemy. The ‘Life Force’, the worship of sex, and some aspects of Psychoanalysis, may here prove useful.”[1]– The Demon ScrewtapeIntroductionThough comprehensive, most shrinks need one or two methods outlined below to drive their patients insane. Before he determines the best approach, the shrink must evaluate each patient’s worst hopes and fears, and how the patient best serves the shrink’s needs, before he defines his unique goals for each target.The vast majority of shrinks spend an average 10-15 minutes with the patient.[2] Therefore, most shrinks need to employ “The Comorbid Stranglehold” (See Step One) to enslave their patients, cripple their nervous systems, and empty their bank accounts.Please remember the absence of evidence is your best defense.Shrinks that pay attention to corruption in the FDA should take notes from their playbook. Prozac went to market after less than six weeks of FDA testing [3]. The trials were not double-blinded and it barely out-performed a placebo.The antidepressant Cymbalta went to market in three months, despite a higher than average rate of suicides.How many suicides?No one knows for certain. Reporters who file Freedom of Information Act requests receive rejection letters on the basis the number of suicides represents “proprietary information.”“I received a database that included 41 deaths and 13 suicides among patients taking Cymbalta. Missing from the database was any record of Johnson, or at least four other volunteers known to have committed suicide while taking Cymbalta for depression.”- “What The FDA Isn’t Telling,” Jeanne Linzer, Slate Magazine, 09/2005The FDA slapped all modern antidepressants with a black-box warning for the suicidal effects of these purported miracle medications. Strangely, the agency allowed doctors to double the recommended average maximum dose for a broader range of disorders,before the patent expired.The manufacturer, Ely Lily, hit major pay dirt in 2008, when the FDA approved Cymbalta for the long-term management of Major Depressive Disorder. This escalating pattern continued through 2011.The patent expired in 2013.In addition, all ADHD drugs received approval after less than four weeks after trials on children’s brains. [4] Yet, the FDA claims the standard trial length for any medication lasts an average ten months, with six months for “fast-tracked” drugs. The FDA implemented these PDUFA regulations in 1992, shortening the average required trial length to address the AIDS epidemic.[5] So we can conclude FDA-approved medications prior to 1992 were subjected to more stringent protocols at the time.Profits drive the rush to market, but we must also consider plausible denial.What are PDUFA regulations?The Prescription Drug User Fee Act allows the FDA to charge pharmaceutical companies huge fees to evaluate new medications. These fees have become the FDA’s bread and butter, constituting between 58% - 68% of their drug review process.Pharmaceutical companies pay the FDA $2.3 million to approve a new medication. The FDA has collected $7.67 billion in these fees over the years. It begs the bigger question: Are the FDA’s incentives and interests aligned with the tax-payer or the corporations?When the FDA adheres to the 10-month average trial period, there is no prescription medication on the market, with any knowledge of its long-term effects. After the first year, the public becomes the clinical trial.This claims holds especially true for psychiatric medications, which rely on subjective assessment scales, with effects reported from paid clinical research candidates. In later Cymbalta trials, email exchanges between company executives confirmed no scales were used to measure discontinuation effects, concealing the harrowing and sometimes lethal withdrawal from this “non-narcotic” drug.Dr. Detke stated that “We didn’t use any elicited scales. The data that exist are nicely summarized in a Perahia paper.” Dr. Detke then explained “[i]f you use an elicited scale, you’ll see higher rates. This WILL end up in the label.”But shrinks? Please don’t concern yourselves with FDA Guidelines.Government regulations, warnings, professional standards and medical ethics – these are not enforceable laws. You cannot violate a standard of care that does not exist in court. So have some fun!Whatever happens, it’s never your fault.If you cannot blame the patient, you can always blame the system!BackgroundPsychiatry is so subjective from a medical perspective, but so well insulated in the judicial system shrinks and their diagnoses enjoy special exemptions under HIPAA laws,[6] the Americans with Disabilities Act[7] and the kangaroo court of public opinion. In popular culture, Carrie’s Fisher interred her ashes in a huge Prozac-shaped urn.According to her brother, as quoted in Rolling Stone magazine:“It was her favorite possession, bought a long time ago…a big pill. She loved it. It was her favorite thing, and so that’s how you do it.” [8]What is the strange irony here?Fisher served as advocate for mental illness and publicly discussed her bipolar diagnosis. If you are rich and famous enough to receive decent healthcare, perhaps she enjoyed a much difference experience than 99% of patients. It does not change this fact: The FDA rejects the treatment of bipolar disorder with SSRIs and other modern antidepressants.[9]As a popular advocate for the psychiatric state, her last wishes elevated these medications to the sacred.It served as a powerful symbol that psychiatry has evolved into the new American religion, sanctioned by a complicit state, with psychiatrists as its new priests.[10]With rare exception, shrinks are the only medical professionals not required to share their clinical or progress notes with the patient. I cannot find a legal or political rationale beyond the notion this special exemption somehow protects the patient’s sensitive healthcare information, and the paternal noblesse oblige that psychiatric patients do not possess the psychological stamina to review their shrinks’ private insights.[11]We find another sardonic irony here.My former psychiatric provider shared my personal contact and diagnostic information with a research institute for mass-marketing, direct-mail purposes. After I filed a HIPAA privacy violation complaint, the DHHS Office of Civil Rights rejected this grievance outright.In other words, I cannot access my shrink’s private clinical notes, but my psychiatric provider can sell or share my contact and diagnostic information for mass marketing purposes, subjecting the patient to humiliating images, and reinforcing stereotypes.Because the shrink’s clinical notes only serve as a front-line defense strategy in malpractice suits, this exemption provides him with the incentive to record the worst notes possible about the patient.Rates and plans vary from state to state, so I cannot reach a definitive consensus, but I can make the fair argument that these exemptions explain why shrinks remain the most frequently disciplined medical professionals by their peers but are the least often successfully sued doctors, and thus pay the lowest malpractice insurance rates by a wide margin. [12].This study indicates shrinks are most often responsible for abusing their patients, but rarely held accountable. If you were an unethical medical school student, prone to fraud, and seeking to specialize where you had the most latitude over your patients with the least accountability?Which medical specialty would you chose?The table below demonstrates the average malpractice claim ranked by specialty. Do you believe shrinks are the least often sued because they make the fewest mistakes? For you sake, I hope you are not that naive.1) Engaging the Comorbid Stranglehold.“An increasing craving for an ever diminishing pleasure is the formula.”[13]– The Demon ScrewtapeAddiction is the greatest marketing strategy ever!These tactics serve as parts of an orchestrated strategy to enslave the patient’s mind and drive him insane. Its overall goal entraps the patient by perpetuating a cycle of compounded psychological and chemical dependency. This strategy holds for most psychiatric medications, even the “non-narcotic” antidepressants, especially the SNRIs. Though a so-called non-narcotic, Cymbalta produces withdrawal so notorious for causing suicides Ely Lily has quietly settled more than 5,000 Cymbalta Suicide lawsuits since 2014.If you cannot ensnare the patient in chemical dependency, you can entrap the patient on the back end, rendering his escape attempts miserably impractical and even lethal.“Although antidepressants diminish suicidal ideation in many recipients, about as many patients experience worsening suicidal ideation on active medication as they do on placebo.”– Teicher, MH, Drug Safety, March 8, 1993.The commonly prescribed psychiatric medications backfire over time, causing central nervous system and brain damage, leading to higher dosages and more medications. The shrink never attributes worsening or elusive symptoms to the drugs or protracted withdrawal.You must remember this evil axiom:The cure is never worse than the disease.In his coup de gras, the shrink attributes these symptoms to a worsening “underlying condition,” prescribing more medications, creating a greater need for his services. This compounded cycle of medication-induced mental illness continues until the patient overdoses or opens his eyes.“You’re a tough case. It takes this many medications to find the right cocktail for you.”[14]“I have treated you for two years. Whatever I prescribe, your symptoms become worse, or new symptoms emerge, so I have struggled to diagnose you. I don’t know where to put you, but you might be Bipolar II. In the past 15-20 years, we’ve come to realize that bipolar is more of a spectrum than a single disorder.”– Former shrink assigning a Bipolar II diagnosis by default circa 2008, declared misdiagnosed by the state’s leading researcher in 2013.In this respect, the allopathic blinders acquired in medical school serve the shrink’s purposes well here. After the shrink addicts the patient, he applies the comorbid stranglehold: 1) branding the patient a hardcore junkie and 2) an erratic lunatic. Two or more psychiatric diagnoses humbles sensitive but otherwise lucid minds. Please remember that your prescription pad is your best friend.Most shrinks serve one purpose: to prescribe medications. Drugs are the one and only reason your patients need you. It provides you with an endless number of aces up your sleeve, rarely failing to produce repeat business. In this pursuit, the tightened noose of chemical dependence always provides the best departure. It turns your prescription pad into a short leash.2) Creating the Illusion of Choice“We become what we fear.”My first talk therapist shared this precious gem.In college, an anxiety disorder overwhelmed my mind with intrusive fears, and what I call “fatal sensations” – NOT suicidal feelings, but a haunting sense of impending doom. I came of age at the advent of the AIDS epidemic, raised in a conservative religion. These two clashing themes spiraled into hideous panic attacks, ruining my 4.0 grade-point average and estranging me from my parents.At this tender age, I could not control my fears about AIDS – and the public hysteria, the televangelists foaming rapid at the mouth, already had damned me to hell. But the shrink made it so much worse. Her pseudo-therapeutic prophecy double doomed me. Without a supportive family at the time, and my relationship with God severed, it elevated the anxiety to such extremes I clung to shrinks. With Prozac on the cover of Newsweek magazine, they became my priests and psychiatry became my cult religion.At the end of George Orwell’s 1984, our protagonist must choose between a starving rat eating his face or returning to Big Brother’s flock. He not only returns to the fold, but he embraces his tormentor as his savior.His worst nemesis becomes his messiah.He becomes the grateful slave, laboring under the delusion of choice.Based on my experience, many psychiatric patients are grateful slaves.I could choose between crashing off two-four dangerous medications, or I could sing in the psychiatric choir. I approached it the right way, embracing he chance to go inpatient, to taper from these medications.A godless team of shrinks pulled me off all medications in five days.I was on both Cymbalta and Klonopin for around 10 years.In the end, combined sudden cessation from both medications nearly killed me. If you do not believe me, Stevie Nicks posted a great interview with Oprah Winfrey, where she compares her withdrawal from Clonazepam as worse than her decade-long cocaine addiction. I cannot draw a personal comparison to cocaine use, but I endured a mental anguish I would not wish on anyone, even the shrinks who tortured me.3) Establishing a therapeutic bond based on false trust.I posed this question to a trained psychoanalyst, regarding the absence of any regulations that require objective screening before he assigns a psychiatric diagnosis. I used the example of a patient assigned a Manic Depressive diagnosis when his symptoms stemmed from cocaine use.In psychiatric terms, he suffers from an “addictive disorder” not “manic depression,” but the shrink shoulders no burden to assign an accurate diagnosis. Despite the S.C.I.D. (DSM Structured Clinical Interview), there are no qualitative or quantitative screenings to confirm a psychiatric diagnosis. In twenty years, I have seen the S.C.I.D. used once to screen research candidates.(That’s how I learned I was misdiagnosed, not because any shrink cared enough to prove or disprove a suspect diagnosis, but because one happened to need candidates for a research study. This irony made me realize that my “treatment,” through all those years, was always about their needs, not mine).Back to the absence of diagnostic standards:Shrunken Head: “A simple urine test would reveal the real problem. Instead, this patient’s doctors prescribed benzodiazepines and other drugs. Where is the responsibility to identify the real issue, rather than reinforce his addiction, and further endanger the patient’s life?”Shrink: “If we force that patient to take a blood or urine test, then we undermine the premise of mutual trust the underscores the successful, therapeutic bond.”It sounds like a good reason and not an excuse, but the patient violates this premise of “trust” that fosters this alleged therapeutic bond.”The shrunken head celebrates how shrinks have created a logical edifice that resonates as psychological gospel, but does not produce results.The patient concedes to this logical fallacy: If it makes sense, then it must be true. Trust does not take priority over honesty because trust cannot exist independent of the truth, but we keep this evil secret to ourselves.If psychiatric diagnoses are credible, the truth must take precedence.This claim holds should we dare to assume the shrink desires to improve the patient’s mental health. Otherwise, the shrink and patient embrace the mutual delusion of trust, malingering for medications that further entrench the patient in addiction.I know one woman misdiagnosed bipolar, when she had Graves Syndrome, an inflammatory disorder. I know another woman with Lyme disease, misdiagnosed with major depression, ending up with a lifetime of arthritis. I have interacted with people with cancer, misdiagnosed with depression.This point is a crucial one:There are nutritional deficits, inflammatory issues, bacterial infections and, of course, substance abuse problems that cause “mental health” problems, but no psychiatrist is required to rule out other possibilities before subjectively assigning a diagnosis. That GROTESQUE level of malpractice kills.And how that ethical medicine?How is that scientific?4) Estranging the patient from friends and family.The shrink declares the patient suffered from sexual abused by a parent in the first few sessions. If she claims no abuse history, the shrink insists she suppressed those memories, emerging in her symptoms.“You buried them out of sight, but not out of mind, and now they have taken on a mind of their own.”So you don’t need evidence.You only need to plants the seeds of doubt. The tumorous roots amass until it consumes the mind of the host. In the Paul Lazano case, a Harvard campus shrink lured a medical school student into a sadomasochistic sex scandal, ending with the patient’s suicide in 1991.What was her first move?She declared that he suffered from repressed sexual abuse by his mother and physical abuse by his father. After she estranged him from his family – especially his mother – the shrink became his maternal replacement, regressing the patient to his “wounded infantile state.”[15]In the absence of evidence, she wielded doubt to isolate and seduce her patient.5) Forcing the Patient to Question Her Core Identity.Most psychiatric diagnoses serve this purpose. The worst psychiatric diagnosis that you can assign to the patient, despite their fictional and politically driven criteria, can act as the most effective weapon in your clinical arsenal.The “unspecified” diagnosis is also quite useful.It sucker punches the unsuspecting patient, and it bewilders her when she cannot grasp its vague criteria and circular definition. Recently, I tried to locate a less expensive shrink who would help me with my tapering goals. In retrospect, the shrink wanted me to participate in a clinical call-and-response at my intake session, completing a questionnaire on his computer.As a well “seasoned” patient, and an honest one, I learned that the truth, often taken out of context, does not set you free. He wanted simple answers but dismissed my questions and concerns. I needed to share my story, and he did not care. So he played the symptomatic version of the shame the patient game.It triggered a heightened anxious response. In twenty minutes, he declared me “bipolar,” accusing me of “pressured speech” and “flights of fancy.”This terse exchange ended our session:Shrunken Head: “You have known me five minutes, and I am already bipolar?”Shrink: “Well, I have known you twenty minutes.”The shrink can assign the patient a “Personality Disorder, Unspecified” diagnosis, because he “cannot control his emotions.” It does shut him up long enough, forcing the patient to interpret each fluctuation in mood, quirks in character, and character traits through your warped diagnostic filter.It compares to an oncologist sharing this diagnosis with a patient:“You have cancer, unspecified. We don’t know what organ it affects. We cannot isolate real symptoms, determine a course of treatment, and there’s no prognosis. But guess what? We don’t need to justify our diagnosis.Only in psychiatry does an opinion equal evidence.6) Twisting the Patient’s Values into Symptoms.For example, you can seduce a patient who does not believe in sex before marriage. After you have engaged the comorbid stronghold, forcing her to interpret her values as symptoms, you claim she suffers from “anhedonia” or the inability to feel pleasure.When she resists on religious or moral grounds, claim her “hyper-religiosity” springs from erotic conflicts, and repressed abuse memories (See Step Four).The shrink must remember to shame her “clinical treatment resistance.” Because she cannot discuss the topic like an adult, you might suggest that “perhaps we should explore this issue using non-verbal techniques?”Then explain erotic transference, stressing this sexual tension is “normal and expected” when it enters the therapeutic relationship. The next step takes some gumption. It assumes the patient holds some attraction for you.It best serves the evil shrink to prime the target with Prozac and tranquilizers, striking right after the drugs take effect. The drug-induced “normal euphoria” endears the patient to the shrink. Grateful patients are the most compliant.Then you ask this question:“Why do you fear your erotic transference for me?”7) Escaping Blame for Apathetic Inertia.“I hear you.”This common refrain enables the cornered shrink to ignore the patient’s needs while perpetuating the mirage of trust and the empathetic bond. This smokescreen justifies your inaction, and your failure to solve the patient’s problems. It appears to validate the patient’s pain but exempts you from curing anything – whatsoever – in history, while it does allows you to perpetuate crimes against humanity for more than a century.The patient pays the shrink for nothing of clinical value.What’s the best part? It never ends!——————————————————————————[1] The Screwtape Letters, Lewis, C.S. Page 31. HarperCollins, 1942.[2] Psychology Today. “Psychiatry’s Med Check: Is Fifteen Minutes Enough?” November 10, 2015[3] Toxic Psychiatry, Breggin, Peter Dr. Page 168. St. Martin’s Press, 1991.[4] “Premarket Safety and Efficacy Studies for ADHD Medications in Children,” PLOS ONE, Volume 9. Issue 7, July 2014.[5] History of Prescription Drug User Fee Act.[6] Patient Access to Psychiatric Medical Records - LawRefs.[7] The ADA Does Not Protect Persons with Bipolar Disorder in the Fourth Circuit[8] Rolling Stone Magazine. “Carrie Fisher’s Ashes Placed in Giant Prozac Pill Urn”[9] U.S. Food & Drug Administration: The Fact on Bipolar Disorder and FDA Recommended Treatment.[10] Szasz, Thomas Dr. “In the Church of America, Psychiatrists Are Priests.” Hospital Physician (October), 44-46.[11] South Carolina Physician’s Patient Act, Section 44-115-60.[12] New England Journal of Medicine: “Malpractice Risk According to Specialty” August 18, 2011.[13] The Screwtape Letters, Lewis, C.S. Page 44. HarperCollins, 1942.[14] One shrink’s response, during a two-week period (October 31, 2013 – November 13, 2013) when I was prescribed eight psychiatric medications for a “bipolar, unspecified” diagnosis. After two referrals, I volunteered to enter the hospital on November 24, 2013.[15] McNamara, Eileen. BREAKDOWN: Sex, Suicide & The Harvard Psychiatrist, NY Pocket Books, April 1994.