To be driven mad by how many people are utterly convinced by homeopathy?

[Wannabuyawatch]

I am just completely baffled by how many educated, clued up people I know, including family members and many close friends, that do not question homeopathy in any way. It is complete nonsense that bases its "science" on the memory of water?? You might as well wave your magic wand and say Hocus Pocus. Of course the placebo effect can be a cure in itself but not for children?? Even my brilliant pediatrician tries to give me homeopathy (probably bc she thinks it will calm me down rather than my children!!)
There is a mum at school whose son has horrendous allergies and asthma. She has taken him off all his inhalers as she wants to "cleanse his system" and only gives him homeopathy. Arrrgh. I see the little boy in tears every day in the spring as he can´t sleep and is exhausted due to his breathing.
My MIL insisted on giving their old dog who was in agony and riddled with cancer homeopathy instead of conventional medicine and god, did it suffer, why why??
Don´t know why but it drives me mad…such an irresponsible industry that suckers vulnerable people in and leads some to give homeopathy instead of conventional meds in dangerous situations.

It isn't possible to ban people selling water or to illegalise beliefs. It is possible, if we wished to make it so, to ban people making medical claims about their masochistically-beaten water*. It would be an extension of the legislation against businesses making false claims about their goods.

*shamelessly stolen from up the thread.

Homeopaths don't claim to simply enhance your well being by placebo (or more accurately, by the psychosomatic/ smoke and mirrors effect of the "consultation")
What they claim is quite different, and worrying, and a lie.
So the OP is Surely right (in anyone's view, unless they believe that homeopathy can do what homeopaths claim it can) to be disconcerted by how many people believe that it is efficacious in treating illness.

And it so embarrassing having to listen to people speak about being "treated" with homeopathy or trying to "explain" the science of it. Dangerous at worst, and screamingly embarrassing at best.

I'd just like to add that I stongly disagree with people using things like homeopathy in place of actual medicine, but how many people would really do that?

I don't have statistics, but I would like to think that a majority of parents who are inclined towards things like homeopathy wouldn't deny their children conventional medicine. Surely only a minority of people think like that?

Loads of ppl use it as such.
But the more prevalent problem is that "belief" in this "snake oil" has the side effect of perpetuating a poor understanding of actual science. If someone is "in to" an alternative therapy they are more likely to avoid vaccinating their children, or refuse antibiotics for treating a bacterial infection, for example, partly because their "understanding" of biology and chemistry is warped by their belief and the fraudulent claims/ teachings of the alternative practitioner.
It's insidious and pernicious.

And I'm with the op. it drives me a little bit mad. Its so frustrating.
And often from ppl who should know better.
I have a friend who is ll educated. A teacher in fact. She herself consults a homeopath (when she probably should just leave her DP tbh) about all manner of "soft health" issues.
She also believes in ghosts.
It's embarrassing.

I was kind of playing devil's advocate when I said I believed in all the 'wooo stuff', which obviously I don't. I'm curious about it and like to try it out. How do I know what it's like otherwise?

I have never refused to give my DC vaccinations or antibiotics. You're making a huge sweeping statement. It's not an all or nothing scenario.

My father-in-law (who is complementary about "soft health" health issues- love that, Amanda!) was pretty arse-ish to me about how I "must question" the consultants about my newborns' prescriptions and "what was in" it. It was a fucking vitamin supplement. But it came from the doctor, y'see.

As for my mother's attitude to the antibiotics that one needed (his first and only bacterial infection btw)... "But he's so small! He's too young to have harsh medication like that!" But young enough to be left in discomfort with something that won't go away on its own, and could result in blindness, if not treated? Evidently, yes!

PaulSmenis I know what you mean, but the trouble is that people do believe what they are told by someone who looks and acts like the medical professionals they are used to dealing with. Especially when their friends tell them that they all know it works.

I don't know how many people die from taking the advice (we do know of some) but even one is too many. Not to mention all those people paying out money they can't really afford because they don't know they are being sold something that has been proved not to work.

There are wider consequences too of encouraging people to believe in woo. There are too many people basing important decisions on what someone saw in their tea leaves or some philosophy handed down from the Pharaohs (aka Roger from basingstoke)

Not making a huge sweeping statement
Parents who buy into alternative meds are more likely to refuse childhood immunisations.

I suppose I'm just surprised by people being angered because someone is into homeopathy. People are into all kinds of weird things, religion is one of them!

Oh don't worry. I have plenty to say about religion too.

I've scoured the thread and can't see that Op has done anything about this child protection issue. I don't know of any school that wouldn't have taken rapid action over this.

An energetic imprint left by vaccination - What a load of utter rubbish. You would think a person with a university education would be able to see though the spin.

"I was kind of playing devil's advocate when I said I believed in all the 'wooo stuff', which obviously I don't."

Do you even know what 'playing devil's advocate' means?

You are supposed to question and present a counter-argument. Not go "I'm for, not against. And I'll never change my views"

Fwiw, I had quite a bit of art, history of art etc at university level but we also learned a lot about philosophy and rhetoric. What kind of university education is this that has left you so helpless in a debate?

"I stongly disagree with people using things like homeopathy in place of actual medicine, but how many people would really do that?"

Quite a lot, as I see on a daily basis in the FB group of local mums. "Doctors always prescribe medicine, but I want only gentle remedies for my children. Can someone recommend a homeopath?", "Dr prescribed antibiotics but I think my baby is too young to have that sort of medicine so I'm giving him homeopathic remedy for his ear infection & fever" etc. Sometimes I have to sit on my hands to stop myself from telling them how stupid they are the error of their ways.

Jesus CoteDAzur! As someone who has suffered from sepsis and repeated kidney infections I get very angry about people who shun antibiotics - especially for their children. Antibiotics have literally saved my life!

Doctors are very careful about not overprescribing them these days and bacterial infections can become serious very quickly.

Its a problem because its a complete rip of flowered with impressive sounding language
If they were open and said I am giving you water/sugar that once had an active ingredient in it but has now been so dilute as to make it non existent
But we did jump up and down 15 times, turn around and hit it with a magic stick so the water remembers the active ingredient
Then people would be less likely to think it is a wise option

PaulS
Either you believe in the concept of homeopathy or you don't.
Homeopaths will tell you that it is just as capable of treating major illnesses as it is helping you recover from a cold. Or an 'energetic imprint', whatever the holy fuck that is.

So you cannot be swayed in your fervent belief that homeopathy works, yet you wouldn't actually believe a homeopath who told you it could cure infections/cancer/asthma.

So which is it? Can water be imprinted with the healing abilities to teach the body to mend itself, or can't it?

I'm not particularly fervent about homeopathy! I went for kinesiology allergy testing yesterday and the therapist suggested a couple of homeopathic treatments. As the course is for three weeks, I will have to wait and see what the outcome is. Is that OK with people?

Since I'm an adult and earn my own money, I can spend it on what I like without having to justify it. So, if anyone is wondering how I came to my conclusions, they'll just have to stay curious won't they?

The outcome will be that rhe homeopathy does not work Paul.

Neither do vaccinations leave an energetic imprint.

Kinesiology allergy testing is also a load of bollocks.

Well someone is backtracking from the earlier position of believing in 'all the woo stuff'
So you possibly can be swayed that homeopathy is made up shite, if the three week course doesn't work?

Paul - We know how you came to your conclusions: Through ignorance and lack of critical thinking.

C

Cote, I don't think people need science education post 16 to understand why homeopathy does not work; there is enough information in the gcse course to understand it. In fact, I would say anyone who studied the 11-14 curriculum should have enough knowledge to see homeopathy can't work.

I would say the issue is a lack of respect for various forms of knowledge and learning, including science. There's also a massive lack of respect for art, often from the same people who are into homeopathy, so there's an irony in someone with an art based degree not caring about science.

What is with the "too young for antibiotics" I understand each individual word, but as a whole? No.

If it's acceptable for an adult to have antibiotics, why not children? Leaving babies to fight off bacterial infection on their own seems to rather conflict with the concept that children's immune systems are weak and easily overwhelmed. And yet people believe both in eschewing antibiotics and vaccines, at the same time.

Do they think antibiotics are like alcohol, and thus only safe for adults?

Paulsmenis I do not think someone getting homeopathic treatment for the "energetic imprint of a vaccine" is in a position to get offended with Amanda for saying that there is a link between a belief in homeopathy and rejecting vaccination. You're hardly disproving the stereotype!