h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Sorry. I don't blame you for being ticked off, as under similar circumstances I would be too. Thanks for sharing this as others will unfortunately be exposed to these wolves in sheep's clothing that are there to 'help' therefore they can keep your story in mind and make better decisions! It is really awful that these nasties have real 'credentials'. Professional organizations should purge these scam artists from their ranks.

Hi, I just want to thank you for writing this piece. So you know where I come from, I've lost both my parents to cancer a couple of years ago. Thank heavens we just went with regular medical treatment ... even if in the end it was not enough, we have been spared the bitter sort of things you speak of here.

This positive thinking thing can be insidious. The general truth is that a positive attitude can be helpful but not in this extreme and absolute sense! It can be an awful catch-22: if the treatment worked it was to be praised but if it didn't work it was your fault for not believing in it! This kind of magical positive thinking is all over the world right now, and of course it is immune to criticism: anyone saying anything against is is being negative! And negativity kills! I wonder if the people who worked out those treatment systems were not in fact victims of this themselves, believing absolutely in the virtue of all those radical methods and not daring to doubt it themselves for fear that their negativity will ruin their methods?

It's a great get-out clause isn't it?

If this works it's because my treatment is great, but if it doesn't work then it's your fault. I wish we could use that in real medicine. It would beat all that pesky 'research to find out if it works'!