Psychological Warfare Techniques -- Used on Your Doctor

re: Psychological Warfare Techniques -- Used on Your Doctor

Zy — Wed, 22 Aug 2007 18:50:13 GMT

Many of you might be surprised to learn that most of the 8 technique-types described in Mercola's comments have been employed by salesmen and manufacturer's reps of other industries for at least the past few decades. I worked in the foundry industry for 20 years, and even as a cub engineer I had already gained a tacit understanding of the 1st, 3rd, 5th, 6th, and 7th techniques that were used by salesmen and reps for coated abrasive belts, which were used in large quantities by our finishing dept.

Not that I approve of these techniques, or like drug companies; just thought that it should be pointed out that it's a long established practice of competitive business. Before you demonize the drug industry for this, be aware that your own industries are doing much of the same. It takes a persuasive type of person to be associated with sales. Doesn't seem to matter what's being sold, whether it's a product, or an idea.

re: Psychological Warfare Techniques -- Used on Your Doctor

healthyyouampme — Tue, 21 Aug 2007 22:02:50 GMT

I don't mean to sound skeptical or even cynical, but naturopathic doctors where I live are selling supplements to their patients. As consumers, the ND's patients don't know the nature of their doctor's relationship with a supplement company (if one exists). Some ND's are beginning to offer esoteric and unproven services such as biofeedback systems, and services found in spas like ionic footbaths. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely believe in the premise of alternative medicine. However, what's to stop these practitioners from being wooed by growing nutritional supplement companies and companies selling natural health oriented systems? After all, they are running a business, besides providing a much needed service. How do we know alternative health practitioners (ahp's) aren't subject to brainwashing and persuasiveness? As they are only human, ahp's can be type-cast based on personality: ie friendly, charismatic, etc. Or is the spending mechanism of this industry just not big enough? I haven't been able to find any discussion of this on the internet, although where I live some MD's are making the charge that ND's are "in the pocket" of some nutritional companies .

re: Psychological Warfare Techniques -- Used on Your Doctor

Jen47 — Tue, 21 Aug 2007 18:42:31 GMT

I remember when I was 11 & my cousin (10) we both had measles and our family doctor asked both our mothers if he could bring his daughter (who was about our age) in to expose her so she wouldn't get them when she was "older" . Sound crazy? Nope he had it right. Develop immunities to help later.

Jen

re: Psychological Warfare Techniques -- Used on Your Doctor

halcyon — Mon, 20 Aug 2007 19:38:19 GMT

Interesting, katee. I always suspected that of most doctors. It seems that once they get their MDs, suddenly even God has to wait in line to see them. :P

katee wrote:

Her [the doctor's] sense of entitlement was ENORMOUS.

re: Psychological Warfare Techniques -- Used on Your Doctor

Hey Jude — Mon, 20 Aug 2007 16:59:25 GMT

WEEDLE - WHY ARE YOU HERE? YOU SOUND LIKE A BIG PHARMA REP . . . I DON'T THINK ANYONE IS INTERESTED IN YOUR OPINION.

re: Psychological Warfare Techniques -- Used on Your Doctor

HealingMindN — Sun, 19 Aug 2007 21:22:10 GMT

Every time I visit the HMO doctor's office I see pens, I see note pads, I see calendars, I see tissues and some other little trinkets (sometimes kid's toys) from the drug companies sprawled around here and there. I'm sure the office assistants enjoy the little freebies here and there, but when I see a doctor's exam room covered in these big pharma brand names as if they're race car drivers advertising all their "investors," that causes me to question their hypocratic oath right there. I ask that doctor right there which drug reps he's seen lately and what are the "hottest" drugs - with a big smile on my face, of course. Then I ask which drugs he plans to push on me.

The whole thing reminds of the "Fugitive" with Harrison Ford. There was an evil, crooked doctor who dealt with killers and was pushing a dangerous drug, but they forgot to point the finger at big pharma; the movie did seem like a threat to moral, altruistic doctors who only want to do what's right.

re: Psychological Warfare Techniques -- Used on Your Doctor

keepingfit — Sun, 19 Aug 2007 18:44:14 GMT

I just recently registered with a new doctor in my area (family practice physician) because the only thing I take is some Armour Thyroid for my thyroid condition, which necessitates my seeing a doctor a couple times a year. (Wished I didn't have to take even that, but don't know of any other alternative at this time). On my first visit, my initial exam showed everything to be in good order. But we got into a somewhat heated discussion after he suggested I "needed" a colonoscopy, (even though there's no indication for one). Then when that didn't go over, he asked when was the last Tetanus shot I'd had. When I said that it was so long ago I didn't even remember, he immediately said I definitely needed one. I replied that I was opting out because I didn't believe the shots were beneficial and futhermore were more dangerous than helpful. Not to be outdone, he suggested that I should at least have the 'flu shot, but I gave him another 'opting out' reply. He became quite frustrated with me and said that I needed to realize that there were children being saved from all manner of disease and illness as a result of various vaccinations. He then quoted some number pertaining to the prevention of different childhood diseases. I replied by telling him that the statistics only showed hypothetical positive numbers, but never made it public about the number of deaths that had occurred as a result of vaccinations. With obvious exasperation, he then told me that he thought he and I would have a problem with doctor/patient relationship because he could see that I would be 'anti' everything, making it impossible for him to treat me. Ha! I guess he was 'firing' me in a nice round about way. I let him off the hook though by telling him that if he honestly did not want me as a patient, I understood! To my surprise however, he just shook his head and said that he'd need to do a follow up on my hypothyroidism in another six months! I'm 71 y/o, so can anyone figure all this out?

re: Psychological Warfare Techniques -- Used on Your Doctor

Sovann — Sun, 19 Aug 2007 16:12:18 GMT

I really wish that big pharma was abolished altogether, but until that happens, all we can do is stand together and fight against it until it is under so much pressure to give up the hoax that it calls "life saving medicine," that it has no choice but to stop killing innocent people with it's manipulation, brainwashing and deception. all in the name of $$$.

re: Psychological Warfare Techniques -- Used on Your Doctor

sbuk — Sun, 19 Aug 2007 13:06:59 GMT

Weedle, you have a lot of learning to do if you don't think that vaccines are harmful. You should do a web search and read all the horror stories of vaccine induced illnesses and deaths. All a person has to do is read the ingrediants in a vaccine and common sense tells us their dangerous. If we keep a strong immune system and pray the blood of Jesus over our family we have nothing to worry about. My 12 yr old daughter has had no vaccines and has never been to or needed a medical doctor. No tylonal, antibiotics etc. Just good whole foods, chiropractic care and the Lord.

re: Psychological Warfare Techniques -- Used on Your Doctor

david — Sun, 19 Aug 2007 10:19:19 GMT

I have a problem that maybe someone here can answer please?.....

When I mention that I don't think vaccinations are a good idea, many say"well, we wouldn't be free of TB, Polio,Smallpox, etc. etc. if it wasn't for them."

How woud you reply?

David.

re: Psychological Warfare Techniques -- Used on Your Doctor

Birute — Sun, 19 Aug 2007 00:39:30 GMT

There are many good people out there who believe they are doing something wonderful by getting immunized; they are only guilty of ignorance. Before I met my husband, in my mid 20's, I swallowed the entire medical line of drugs, immunizations, "recreational" surgery, etc. I didn't know any better, and most people don't. When I try to bring this up to some friends, they don't want to hear it. I've got a friend who has been victorious over *** cancer for about 10 yrs. She doesn't want to hear anything about natural, drug-free, healthy living. By the way, has anyone heard of thermograms (may be used instead of mammograms, not that I ever had a mammogram)? Can be used to check out the entire body.

re: Psychological Warfare Techniques -- Used on Your Doctor

Russ G. — Sat, 18 Aug 2007 18:08:06 GMT

I worked in a USAF hospital for 23 years and I too have seen the slick drug reps at work. What I noticed is that they were almost all young (mid twenties to early thirties), attractive and well dressed. And yes, they DID come bearing gifts.

For years they came (and still do) for lunchtime seminars, where the medical/dental professional staff would congregate to be schooled on Big Pharma's new "symptom-treater" (there's no profit in a cure...). The meetings consisted of free lunch for the staff (lunch & learn), lots of goodies like pens, sticky note pads, clocks, tape dispensers and all sorts of other stuff - all with their logo on them, of course. Oh yeah, and plenty of samples of the "Drug Of The Day"!

Then about 7 years ago, someone happened to read one of the governing regulations and found that accepting a free meal was against the rules for Air Force personnel in these circumstances. So the reps stopped bringing lunch, but still brought all their other swag. And it continues to this day. I’m sure the questionably ethical “bribes” being offered outside the governance of the military healthcare system are far in excess of what I saw…

A while back my doc (military) said my cholesterol was high and suggested I go on Lipitor. I countered with my objection that the drug (Statins in general) tends to suck all the CoQ10 out of the heart muscle, thereby weakening and compromising the overall health of that most important of muscles. In other words, while lowering your cholesterol to improve your cardiovascular health, it is causing a side-effect that, to me, is worse than any benefits it offers. He countered with the sort of cookie-cutter rhetoric I would expect from a Big Pharma brainwashed physician. The guy was like Quickdraw McGraw with a script pad! Very disappointing. I got my cholesterol down through exercise and taking natural supplements like lysine and policosanol.

re: Psychological Warfare Techniques -- Used on Your Doctor

Weedle — Sat, 18 Aug 2007 17:48:51 GMT

Dear doctor Mercola. I find many of your claims fictional and out of date. The FDA has the strictest requirements on what Pharmaceutical Representatives are able to do and not to do. Pharmaceutical reps are regulated by their companies Office of Ethics and Compliance and also within the FDA to make sure they are in compliance with pharmaco guidelines and laws.

GONE ARE THE DAYS OF OFFERRING doctors ski trips and cruises under the guise of education. I suggest you stop pointing your finger at us and get updated on what's really going on out there.

I am a Registered Nurse with a Masters Degree who has dedicated the first protion of my life to saving sick children. I am a specialty pharmaceutical representative and I take pride in educating the physicians on how to Improve patient outcomes, decrease ventilatory time and decrease surgical complications. If I sound like someone who has sold their soul to the devil then I have some Kool Aid and a space ship for you to board next week (previous writer).

Stop brainwashing consumers against the industry. I have TWO WORDS FOR YOU DR. MERCOLA "RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT" why don't you look into how much it costs to bring a drug to market. Then the drug company has a few years to re coup that money before the drug goes generic.

I do not know any brain washing techniques, I only supply health care professionals with education they desperately need on how to safely and effectively use my drug and dispel any myths. If it weren't for people like me new drugs that save peoples lives, hearts and minds would not get used.

Before you go giving consumers a false idea of who and what people like me are Dr. Mercola, do your research. What, you are going to base an article on what some office assistant has told you? Go to the government www.fda.gov (pharmaco guidelines).

I am proud of what I do, I have a mission in saving lives and always have. Stop spreading rumors...and giving me a bad reputation.

re: Psychological Warfare Techniques -- Used on Your Doctor

LauraZ — Sat, 18 Aug 2007 17:26:31 GMT

Give it up Mercola. I am a physician assistant and your constant implication that drug reps control all the medical providers is ridiculous. Do they try and influence us? Absolutely. Are we brain dead robitrons just saying yes yes yes to them? Absolutely not. I can barely think of a doctor or midlevel that I have worked with that blindly prescribes drugs because of the rep. Most are very skeptical of things the drug rep says. I myself would tell reps their drugs didn't work, or I wouldn't prescribe their drug as soon as I knew of any drug interactions, and the last doctor I worked with wouldn't prescribe ANY new drugs. Reps are important for us to learn what's out there, but no way in hell do MOST providers just write for stuff because the drug rep "brainwashed" us. Don't get me wrong... I am not in favor of most allopathic medicine, but I take great offense at your constant pommeling of medical providers as if they don't have any mind of their own. Perhaps you ought to consider your own brainwashing techniques.

re: Psychological Warfare Techniques -- Used on Your Doctor

MDS_203 — Sat, 18 Aug 2007 16:34:22 GMT

I've known about Big Pharma's shenanigans for years.

Watch Ex-Pharma Sales Reps talks about manipulating doctors to sell more drugs- Gwen Olsen

www.anomalytv.com/.../big-pharma

I haven't taken rx drugs in years, but the 1 time my doctor prescribed one, I ended up in the emergency room. I had been completely misdiagnosed and then over-prescribed (as in given 125mg rather than 20mg) for an illness I never had. The internet has changed everything for me-- research, research, research.