Woo

[Lily]

I think I'm Woo-curious but never actually go deeper than thinking about these things.

Title!

[Loralei]

Yes, I don't care if people want to waste money they can afford to on reiki if it makes them feel better or they figure it's worth a punt (such as my friend who is convinced acupuncture resolved her problems conceiving), but not if they are led to believe it's going to cure their cancer.

[Derek Nimmo]

Also, MASSIVE issues with the likes of homeopathy being funded by the NHS.

Oh, I forgot my complete reliance on cranial osteopathy. It works like magic on me, and I shall not hear a word against it

[Lily]

Is there any evidence homeopathy does anything? I'm astonished it's available on the NHS. Yet crystals and suchlike, presumably, aren't.

[Derek Nimmo]

No, but Prince Charles likes it :woteva: (placebo effect only. Which I don't under-estimate, but should not be offered through the cash-strapped NHS).

[smalex]

Completely agree.

[ParisGal]

Zero evidence on homeopathy, and once you know how the pills are actually made, zero possibility after 10 minutes of rational thought that you could imagine they could have any effect on anything. It is the most horrendous and successful scam ever.

[lazzbo]

But surely the placebo effect of homeopathy isn't what's causing the NHS to be cash-strapped? I imagine it's cheaper to treat people with the placebo effect than with expensive drugs.

I'd love to try acupuncture, I would.

[Derek Nimmo]

Underpaid staff, hospitals falling apart, machines out of date etc etc...all things that should be higher up on where budget goes than doling out tap water and calling it a "treatment"!

[ParisGal]

It might be cheaper to only give out sugar pills, but if you do real medicine you also get the placebo effect as a free gift! Plus I imagine that some people are doing homeopathy at first, then end up going for real treatment when the problem has got much worse = expensive.

[Leap]

Yes, I don't care if people want to waste money they can afford to on reiki if it makes them feel better or they figure it's worth a punt (such as my friend who is convinced acupuncture resolved her problems conceiving), but not if they are led to believe it's going to cure their cancer.

Yes, I find it hard to be anything but openly disdainful about psychics. As a cold reading party trick, whatever, but I’m sure a lot of them pay the bills through repeat visits from people desperate to talk to loved ones who have died, which is vile.

[lazzbo]

Underpaid staff, hospitals falling apart, machines out of date etc etc...all things that should be higher up on where budget goes than doling out tap water and calling it a "treatment"!

Aye, I hear you on that one, actually . I'd be interested to see what percentage of NHS homeopathy patients say that they feel better/cured.

[baargain]

But surely the placebo effect of homeopathy isn't what's causing the NHS to be cash-strapped? I imagine it's cheaper to treat people with the placebo effect than with expensive drugs.

I'd love to try acupuncture, I would.

It can delay people seeking actual, effective treatment, which costs the NHS more in the long run.

Also, some stuff labelled as homeopathy can include all sorts of shit. Like a teething homeopathic liquid in the US which contained belladonna and killed some babies.

[sally maclennane]

I dont know, if seeing a psychic gives a grieving person some comfort then who am I to say they shouldn't do it? Grief is such a personal thing and what works for one person will be absolutely awful to another. I know there would be no point in me going to a psychic to try to contact my dad, he'd be appalled at such a waste of money and he was never very sociable even when alive And anyway, I don't believe it but other folk do and assuming they're not leaving themselves short, it's their call.

[purple_dress]

My aunt has spent probably thousands on 'supplements'. She clearly has some mental health problems and is being preyed on. No supplement should cost hundreds of pounds a pop.

[smalex]

I did some work for a couple once, they had two early teens kids. Somehow they ended up telling me about how their daughter (about 13) had psychic connections, she 'saw' things and they'd taken photos of her which had 'orbs' or 'figures' in them. They showed me some of the photos and to say they were unconvincing was an understatement! The mum took the daughter to 'psychic events' (the Psychic Night in a pub variety) frequently. I politely nodded and smiled and 'ooh, really! how strange....yes I can see the white dot in the photo...' in a few places, but honestly. It seemed pretty weird to be foisting this on a child.

[smalex]

I dont know, if seeing a psychic gives a grieving person some comfort then who am I to say they shouldn't do it?

That's the trouble with all of this, I honestly think people have got the right to see a psychic, have reiki done or shove a candle up their wanjita because Gwyneth says they should, but I also really believe there is a big exploitation going on by people who know it's all a crock of shit (or would if they looked at any of the evidence), charge lots of money and are experts are seeking out and exploiting vulnerable people, and it's difficult to say where the line is (or, really, what the definition of 'exploitation' is, because like you say, I might see exploitation where they feel...support, comfort, solace).

[lazzbo]

But surely the placebo effect of homeopathy isn't what's causing the NHS to be cash-strapped? I imagine it's cheaper to treat people with the placebo effect than with expensive drugs.

I'd love to try acupuncture, I would.

It can delay people seeking actual, effective treatment, which costs the NHS more in the long run.

How does it work within the NHS model, can people seek homeopathy out before medical treatment, then?

[lazzbo]

I dont know, if seeing a psychic gives a grieving person some comfort then who am I to say they shouldn't do it?

That's the trouble with all of this, I honestly think people have got the right to see a psychic, have reiki done or shove a candle up their wanjita because Gwyneth says they should, but I also really believe there is a big exploitation going on by people who know it's all a crock of shit (or would if they looked at any of the evidence) and it's difficult to say where the line is.

Yeah, it seems like fake comfort, really. :sad:

[sally maclennane]

It probably is, and to be clear, I don't believe in psychics at all. However, I cant criticise folk for trying it.