EDITOR’S NOTE: We were so touched by this letter sent to us by one of our Intent visitors on the danger of prescription drug addiction that we felt it was worth sharing with the rest of our Intent community. This person’s letter is a response to Deepak Chopra’s blog post on his personal friendship with Michael Jackson.
Dear Deepak,
I have never in my life felt compelled to write a letter of response to anything, however I felt deeply moved by your post in regards to prescription drugs.
I was so saddened not only by the passing of such an icon as Michael Jackson, but also because it bought to the surface many memories of witnessing someone I love who was also powerful in the music industry be enabled by doctors that fueled the addiction habit.
I sat at my desk with tears overflowing this morning, trying to understand what the depth of this sadness that I have never felt before all meant. I started thinking about the mission to untangle the pharmaceutical marketing spin and the many benefactors of it being a global business to keep people “sick”. After doing some research, I came across your post- and as it appears there is someone who understands this is a serious issue.
We as a society discourage cocaine and heroin, and yet I have walked out of a doctors office in LA with someone I love who is a drug addict, who given another seven scripts for various pills to treat the “pain”. I have never felt so angry as I did at that point, it was no better than visiting a dealer on the street, infact perhaps that would have felt more appropriate as at least they would not be playing a role of sorts pretending they are interested in healing.
So many doctors would offer “help”, house calls, follow ups but I never once felt like there wasn’t some sense of desperation to be around the money and influence of a great artist.
I know there is truth in the fact that both someone like Michael, and the person I was with chose that existence, they chose to take that path in life, but I cant help but feel on so many other levels there has to be a greater voice to be heard to shift this enormous trend we have to medicate people. I have been fortunate to work with many artists over the years, and perhaps their greatest gift to the world is their innocence to come from the heart, within this space there is a vulnerability to them which is so often exploited by those pretending to care.
I think we as a society can do more to influence change in this area, as hopefully we all come to understand the level of investment the biggest corporations in the world have in the pharmaceutical industry, so it doesn’t serve in their interests to try and wage awareness about the need for greater care or alternative options in relation to the distribution of medication. It needs to be influenced by the people.
I would really love to lend my support to help raise awareness on this issue, not just in America but around the world.
If there is any thoughts you have in motion around this subject, I would welcome the opportunity to hear them and develop them with you.
I had to leave the person I loved, after so many failed attempts to assist with helping him see another way- I realised that I was not only having to show the way to the addict, but I was in constant conflict against the entourage of those who were so intent on keeping him operating as an addict. I think about him still everyday, I miss his light, and his music (the drugs also have a way of taking away the ability to create brilliance again), and maybe these recent events has shown me I can still offer help to others to raise the awareness against this entangled pharmaceutical phenomenon.
Kind regards,
RQ
Just a thought but I wouldn't be surprised if Doctors prescribe painkillers to people to get them out of their office. It is a tough issue. It also seems to me that sensitive, creative 'types' do have a need to numb their 'pain' – ie the experience of living in a material world when really they are spiritual creatures. The painkillers replace a source of spirit, a comforting homecoming feeling that detracts from the reality of emotional experience and spiritual growth. Personal counsellors should be the first port of call before the pain killing option.
All drugs treat pain, and pain is a symptom of something. It is an unfortunate fact that most doctors trained in "Western" medicine are taught to treat the symptom – if something hurts, make the pain go away. What is consistently missed is treating the "cause" of those symptoms, and treating the body as a whole – as interconnected systems of physical, mental, and spiritual processes. I am reminded of a friend who was laid out flat by a crippling pain in her back, and spent 10 hours in Emergency only to be sent home with some powerful pain medication to treat the pain of a pulled muscle. Upon consulting with a practitioner of Traditional Chinese Medicine, it was found to be an inflamed kidney from infection! A regimine of antibiotics along with a proper diet helped in a couple weeks something which was previously a debilitating issue.
Illicit drugs and alcohol are also self-administered to treat pain, pain of a spiritual nature. It is a sad side-effect of this kind of drug treatment that often results in broken homes, abuse, and sometimes death as I've witnessed personally as well as in the news.
x
Unfortunately, drug companies and western medicine have entrenched themselves as the accepted expertise in our society. As a student studying Psychology this became so very apparent throughout my studies. There were theories for this and theories for that and clinical psychology fitted "nicely" into the medical model. Needless to say that I will not be pursuing a career in Psychology going forward as I do not fit this model – working for the good of yourself (career/research) and not the good of the client. I want to make a difference and not fill my coffers by ripping off those who are vulnerable and need help and have been taught there are no other alternatives. I also had the experience of facing this first hand with doctors where I live. I had a longstanding thyroid problem and diagnosed myself as I was told it was all in my mind. This was not the case I have found a wonderful Naturopathic Medical Doctor who is an expert on hormones etc. What a different scenario not only does he not use any pharmaceutical medication, but I have not felt better. I had a complicated case of cealiac, thyroid, adrenal and parasitic problem. It took one test for him to diagnose me. He lives in California and I in Australia. I tell people whom I see are struggling and vulnerable but they don't want to listen, I have learnt that we all have to take our own path and often when pearls are offered to people they spit them back at me calling me weird. MJ was (from the posts I have read of his friends for I have not met him personally, but so wish I had) a sensitive, kind, loving and wonderful individual. Unfortunately, his goodness and trust were abused terribly by his entourage. For this I am regretful. Indeed, doctors really are placed on a false pedestal and the drug companies ensure that their profits are the bottom line and not the welfare of the individual – and indeed are profiting from making people sick. I wrote a controversial paper suggesting that depression was not increasing in society but it was a combination of associations and the drug companies that were fuelling their use – it did not go down too well at the School of Psychology – needless to say the arguement was convincing enough that it was accepted. You are right doctors only treat the symptoms not the underlying cause. Traditional Chinese Medicine recognizes that the body is not only physical but is emotional and there is a bi-directional relationship between environment and organism. Medicine is a single process model, this only scratches the surface and does not penetrate to the complexity of the being as a whole. I do hope that people look at the systemic structures around them and understand that MJ was right "They Don't Care About Us". I hope we can all learn from this tragedy to ask questions, to understand ourselves and make choices carefully, and to love and cherish eachother now during life and not in death. And finally to take the long road for the easy road maybe seem simple but indelibly may not be.
May Michael Jackson be one of the shafts of light to break the illusions of the "drugs" industry.
I am revising a book I wrote on my awakening through cancer. My experience was a real opener. The public are kept in ignorance and not given information to make informed decisions. There is a shift going on as even the hospitals in the UK are starting to explore and offer support of health giving alternative options. these initiatives are supported by a few doctors who are increasingly having the courage to speak out and say there is another way
I have already added to that beam and will be part of the breaking of the myth around helplessness when diagnosed with cancer and to understand that it is in fact the light.
It took me 3 times for the light to break through. I am now looking into publishing my story so others do not have to go on the same crucifix.
and now for a cup of herbal tea
Namaste
XxxxVidaxxxX