Found this organization: Children and Adults Against Drugging America
www.chaada.org

Anyone know of any more of these types of organizations dedicated to correcting the over-'pharmaceutication' of Americans?

My youngest sister's in the hospital tonight, this makes 3 out of 5 of my family committed to the Behavioral Health Unit (this includes both of my parents). About once every three months, someone in my family is committed. Risperdal, Effexor, Prozac...They've torn my family apart, and apparently still have some hurt left in them. I'm ready to fight the good fight.

Give a tip if you've got one - I've got the idea to dedicate the sales of a line of all-natual jewelry exclusively to this cause. Would like to get started right away.

Thanks for your time, and thanks for this space. Very appreciative of your castle Lady E.

Oh yeah!  I'm all for taking the battle against the pharmaceutical nightmare our country has become.  If ya weren't sick before, just wait till you start taking the drugs the Dr. pushes at you.  I'm amazed at the number of drug commercials they're pushing right next to the attorneys' ads that are suing these companies on behalf of the sufferers!  That should tell us something.  How dumb we are to put up with it.

 

Part of the problem---no 2/3rds of the problem is the prescription drug industry. The rest falls to the culture of the consumer.

In our culture, we are never taught that the mind in terms of emotion and cognition can and should be trained in the same manner one does for exercise. Our culture has fallen into a victimization routine when it comes to our health--we never consider ourselves responsible for our own wellbeing. You can train your mind to be more positive and you can learn coping mechanisms for stress. It is difficult at first, but it is possible--I am living proof of that.

That being said, depression and manic behavior is very serious, but it is not a condition in and of itself. Mental illnesses are SYMPTOMS of another problem 99% of the time, whether it be an internal imbalance or one's external environment. A basic doctor handing out a prescription for prozac because a patient says they're depressed is like a doctor giving a middle aged man with pains in his chest and arm a pain killer. Yes, the pain killer will numb the pain, but you are ignoring the underlying heart problem that is slowly killing him.

On the occasions I do lecture about herbalism to staff and faculty, my major goal is to teach them to find the root of the problem, not to just treat the symptoms. Most of the people, in fact 98% of the people I know who are taking anti-depresssants and relaxants never get better and usually get worse. The real problem, whether it be stress at home or at work, is being ignored.

Our culture is frankly f@#ked up when it comes to health, and I try to do my part with lectures and information sessions here and there to encourage people to stand up for their own wellbeing.

Wasn't expecting this debate first thing in the morning. I have to agree though.  We are a country of pill-popers all the way around.  

You have a headache?  TAKE A PILL    

Your kids being a pain in ass?  TAKE A PILL    \

Are you an 89 year old male and still want to be able to have sex?  WE HAVE A PILL FOR YOU TOO!


This is just my view on it:  

1. Our country has become so obsessed with not aging in any form of the word that we rely on drugs to delay or alter what nature intended.  

2. (not all) Parents have become so lazy in parenting that they would rather pay 200 a month to have their child take a personality numbing pill vs giving them a good whooping when they are being rude, disrespectful or down right stupid.

3. (This one is just wrong in my mind) If you are an older male and you find you are having difficulties in the "intimacy" department.  Please take this as a sign that you don't need to produce anymore children.  The thought of people my dad's age doing that just creeps me out to no end.

4.  (I'm pretty sure this one is a universal thought)  People in general have become so busy that they don't even have time to sit down and truly deal with their problems anymore so they rely on pills to make them think everything is alright.

Bramble's Tip:  This is in relation to if someone is addicted to pills (based off dealing with a self harmer) :  

Don't tell them they are wrong for it.  Just ask them what made you take  them. Not in the "I have depression" sense of what.  But the underlying reason.  What triggered them if you will to take them.  This might take a while but just work with them little by little. If you have to, once they've calmed down if they are upset, point out gently how silly of a reason it was to take them. And let them know you'll be with them no matter what.  Most people just need to know they have solid support from somewhere in order for them to slowly but surely start getting off of them.

Stacy I feel fortunate you found this post. I'd like to present some facts about herbs vs. pharmaceuticals on signage at my craft shows and healing expos. Maybe you could supply me with cited facts, so I too can publicly promote the cause?

Hi Real_Eyez,

I am working with another librarian to put together a consumer health website with herbal information. For cited facts, go to the American Herbalists Association homepage. There is a little box on the left of the screen that will sign you up for regular PubMed updates through email. Some are hard to translate, but if you can piece through the chemical vocabulary, you will be updated on the latest studies on herbal medicine 2-3 times a week. Once we build the website, I'll send you a link, and you can just link to it for your customers. Some of the links I am including are below. Overall, here is a list of quick tips I put in my powerpoints to help people. In fact, I wouldn't mind making my powerpoint freely available so long as I get credit for it.

Herbal Safety: Purchasing & Usage Tips
Talk to your healthcare provider (doctor, nurse, PA, pharmacist, dietician)
Do your research, and continue researching at least as long as you use a specific herb
Set limits for yourself on what you plan to treat
Figure out the cause of a problem to fix it (don�t just treat symptoms)
Put little confidence in information sources trying to sell you a product--look for people selling the plant
Be aware that different parts have different chemical properties
Be aware of side effects and drug interactions
�Natural� does not equal �safe�
Purchase from companies in the US, as a general rule
There is no such thing as a �cure-all�
Purchase from companies that know about plants, not from the cheapest seller
Purchase according to the Latin name of the plant
Use one herb at a time (in most cases)
Investigate what chemical solvents a company uses to standardize their herbs
More of something is not better and may kill you
Try to figure out the duration of time it is safe to consistently use the herb
For chronic problems, use the herb consistently for best results (cumulative benefit)
It may take weeks to months for you to feel the effects of certain herbs

Here's some websites. They are heavy of government sites because as a librarian, there are certain liability issues I have to consider when advocating information sources. Note that Consumer Lab is the only company that independently tests dietary supplements, and they are subscription based.

Laws and Regulations Governing Dietary Supplements in the United States
� Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906: This law provides for the regulation, inspection, and safety of food products and medicines.
� Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act of 1938: FDA acknowledges dietary properties of vitamins, minerals and food. Drug provisions of the law used to claim that dietary supplements should be classified as drugs based on the claims on their label.
� Nutrition Labeling and Education Act (NLEA) of 1990: This act was intended to improve and regulate nutritional information and health claims found on dietary supplement labels.
� ***Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA) of 1994***: Defines the current framework for defining and regulating dietary supplements.
� Food and Drug Modernization Act of 1997: This act allows dietary supplements to make health claims.
Government Information Sites
� Food and Drug Administration�s �Dietary Supplements: What you need to Know� webpage: http://www.fda.gov/Food/ResourcesForYou/Consumers/ucm109760.htm
� Tips For The Savvy Supplement User: http://www.fda.gov/Food/DietarySupplements/ConsumerInformation/ucm110567.htm
� Consumer Updates: Dietary Supplements: http://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ConsumerUpdates/ucm153239.htm
� National Institute of Health Office of Dietary Supplements: http://dietary-supplements.info.nih.gov/
� International Bibliographic Information on Dietary Supplements (IBIDS) Database: http://grande.nal.usda.gov/ibids/index.php
� Dietary Supplement Ingredient Database: http://dietarysupplementdatabase.usda.nih.gov/
� National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine: http://nccam.nih.gov/
� U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: http://www.hhs.gov/

Associations and Organizations Related to Dietary Supplements and Herbalism
� American Herbalists Guild: http://www.americanherbalistsguild.com/
� Recordings from American Herbalist Guild Symposia: https://www.treefarmtapes.com/catalog/sponsor1.asp?sponsorid=140
� American Botanical Council: http://abc.herbalgram.org/site/PageServer?pagename=Homepage_2009
� American Herbal Pharmacopeia: http://www.herbal-ahp.org/
� ConsumerLab.com (requires a subscription): http://www.consumerlab.com/
� American Herbal Products Association (AHPA): http://www.ahpa.org/
� American Holistic Nurses Association: http://www.ahna.org/
Governmental Websites from other Countries
� World Health Organization: http://www.who.int/en/
� Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (UK): http://www.mhra.gov.uk/index.htm
� Introductions to Germany�s Commission E (made available through ABC): http://cms.herbalgram.org/commissione/index.html

Herbalist and Dietary Supplement Associations and Organizations in other Countries
� The British Herbal Medicine Association: http://www.bhma.info/
� British Herb Trade Association: http://www.bhta.org.uk/
� Irish Institute of Herbal Medicine: http://www.iimh.org/index.php
� National Herbalists Association of Australia: http://www.nhaa.org.au/  

Blogs
� NutriSupLaw: http://nutrisuplaw.com/

my personal favorite here is the insurance company providing sex offenders with Cialis....
It only seems fair that we should provide heroin for addicts booze for alcoholics.....

Most interesting topic here!  I hate seeing prescription drugs advertised!!!  What's the reason for this if not for Big Pharma to make more money?  We need this pill and that pill and another pill to be healthy and functional?!  Give me a break!!!  I could rant on and on about this, but won't do that just now, since there's excellent info posted, already.

thanks Stacey. so, for example, when I'm selling my teas at craft shows, I get people who tell me they're "tired of their sleep aid" (and i just loooove the irony ...). i'd like to present a credible comparison of, say, ambien or lunesta to valerian root. what should be my main catagories for comparison? (like, chemical composition, effectiveness, side effects, etc.). i can research these answers, but what's a credible number of cross-references to perform before declaring anything? (like, 3?) Should i cite in MLA or APA format (i'd guess APA)? what else should i consider for this type of presentation? i'm thinking an easel-board as part of my display, and maybe tri-fold pamphlets to distribute.

thanks for all your nerdy librarian know how    ... i'm off to play an old school game of dungeons and dragons now    . no really, i am.  :|

I was never into D&D, but I do enjoy playing Vampire form time to time---and yes, I am a card carrying geek, but also an attractive one.

Be very, very careful with how you go about this. Non-medical professionals making claims of herbs having medicinal value get slammed by the FDA. Andrew Weil, who is a MD out of Harvard just got in trouble with this. Even when I give my presentations to my university, I warn people that I am not a doctor, and that if they approach me with a question about personal diagnoses and perscription while I am working in my library, I can't answer them because of the potential liability issue. I do, however, tell them I can be bribed into casual conversation by asking me out for coffee.

To avoid legal problems, do not make comparisons between perscriptions and herbs. Also, for  the sake of being thorough, I would like to remind everyone that I am a librarian, not a lawyer, so I am not giving formal legal advice.

When advertising your teas, I would provide information about folk usage and scientific findings. Separate them, and cite like your life depends on it. APA is a sufficient format, but remember that you are not going to be able to access all publications that have scientifically analyze herbs on the internet. A few years ago, a doctor tried to use a certain drug to treat a patient, but only ran a google search, instead of consulting the hospital's librarians. When a doctor attempts an experemental use of a drug, they are supposed to exhaustively investigagte the chemicals to see if it is safe. By only doing a google search, the doctor missed an article published in like the 1930s that basically said, "this drug is a poison and will kill people." Of course, the patient died and the hospital sued.

I would recommend that you teach people how to access and investigate for themselves, rather than make medical claims. I like the way Mountain Rose Herbs organizes their information. When you do shows, I highly recommend that you have a giant sign saying that you are not an MD and your ingredients are not intended to treat an illness. Put that on everything you hand out. You can talk about your personal experience with the herbs and what you use for certain problems, but make sure to cover your butt legally.

Also, remind people that sleep deprevation is usually a symptom of something else, and that each herb has its own unique qualities when used. The relaxing effects among valerian, hops, and chamomile are all very difyrent. Let people know that if they do not like the effects of one herbs, there are many different ones to try.

I think if you look at some of the FDA sites on the list, there is one for people like you, who are marketing their products. It will hava a lot of the dos and don'ts listed.

Hope this helps

Thanks again Stacey. All my product labels are FDA compliant (as per my phone conversations with the FDA), and as I order a lot of my oils and herbs from Mountain Rose Herbs, I use them as one of my cross-references. Other references are Herbal Encyclopedias, Pocket Herbal References, and the like. Everything I find that is a potential precaution goes on my labels, especially my tea labels, even if it only shows up in 1 out of say 3 references (ie: do not use my chamomile products if you're allergic to ragweed. it's only mentioned in some of the references as a potential precaution, but since it's a potential problem, i put it on my labels.) I keep both folk lore and medicinal claims out of my marketing and sales, using the phrase "may help promote" followed by the general pleasant and desired effects of the herbs. No diseases are ever mentioned, this is all via advice from the FDA. (you can see my full disclaimer on the bottom of my site listed below. for a good example of my label precautions check out http://www.deepappreciation.com/herbalteamamalyons.html .)

Take that and add this - Sometimes I'm hired by marketing agencies to do promotions for medical products, and have been coached how to auto-repond "that's a good question to ask your doctor". I am hired to speak to the public about medical products in non-medical terms, having verbatim responses to thwart potential legal issues regarding the individual health concerns of any one person.

NOW ... I'm realizing now I'm in a truly unique position to present this info to the public, having composed both my written and spoken words to FDA requirements from the beginning. I DO want to compare herbs to pharmaceuticals. That's exactly what I want to do. Ambien vs. Valerian, checklist chart, side-by-side comparison. No conclusion to the chart, no medical summary, just "effects may include..." for both. Perhaps I will draw up my chart and contact the FDA before sending it to print.

But I wouldn't have considered that before reading your posts. Thanks again.

Realeyez, you will make a great ambassador for herbalists and personal healthcare. We need more people like you, who are good at selling as well as ethical.