America’s secret genocide against veterans

Originally posted at the Examiner - By Kerry Patton

America is filled with an unprecedented amount of patriots willing to selflessly sacrifice everything they have to protect and defend this great nation. However, many combat veterans have felt betrayed by America’s leaders starting at military command levels all the way up to the White House. Yesterday, the Marine Corp Times disclosed at least one combat veteran’s distrust and anger toward America’s leadership–Medal of Honor recipient Dakota Meyer.

In his new book, Into the Fire:A Firsthand Account of the Most Extraordinary Battle in the Afghan War, Myers blasted military leadership as he revealed betrayal and leaderless managers within the ranks. In at least one account, he explains how military leadership refused artillery support to troops engaged in a fierce battle against the enemy which left many American troops killed in Afghanistan.

Video: Vets feel abandoned after secret drug experiments

Military leaders have placed too many constraints on our warriors. They have implemented rules of engagement that only make sense to those working behind closed doors. But those very leaders, in coordination with our elected officials, have also neglected the American warrior on another front that is far away from the battlefield–home. In fact, some may argue that the neglect and abandonment can be construed as a form of genocide.

The secret American genocide against US service members is nothing new though. It has been going on for many years yet too few are actually taking a stand to stop the madness. Today, its time some truths are exposed.

Dakota Meyer - Medal of Honor recipient.

According to a 2012 CNN March report, between 1955 -1975, more than 7,000 service members were exposed to at least 250 different chemical and biological agents at the US Army Edgewood Arsenal in Maryland as part of a secret military experiment. These troops were used as guinea pigs—psychologically and physically destroyed.

While the Edgewood Arsenal experiment was exposed and shut down for obvious ethical reasons, the US military found alternative means to continue the destruction of our service members. To understand this, one only needs to observe some numbers stemming from the first Gulf War.

During the first Gulf War, the United States sent approximately 900,000 service members to the Middle East. As of 1996, the Veterans Administration estimated that approximately 489,000 of those Gulf War veterans received medical care at their facilities—more than half of those sent abroad. More alarming is the fact that an estimated 10,000-12,000 Gulf War veterans have died in a one year period since the end of the war in 1995 to 1996. These statistics come from multiple references which include the Department of Veteran’s Affairs.

Our service members are not the only ones who have suffered from the secret American genocide. Service member’s families have been targeted as well. In 1995, Life Magazine published an article titled, THE TINY VICTIMS OF DESERT STORM – Has Our Country Abandoned Them? The article covers an alarming crisis which entails a plethora of ailments among service member’s new born children.

“The federal Centers for Disease Control (CDC) confirmed that Gulf vets were unusually susceptible to a dozen ailments–from rashes to incontinence, hair loss to memory loss, chronic indigestion to chronic pain. But in August a Pentagon study concluded that neither the vets nor their loved ones showed signs of any ‘new or unique illness.’ Veterans’ advocates disputed that finding, as did the National Academy of Sciences’ Institute of Medicine, which declared that the report’s ‘reasoning . . . is not well explained.’ And while there is, as yet, no absolute proof that Gulf vets’ babies are especially prone to congenital problems, patterns of defects have begun to emerge–patterns unlikely to result from chance alone.” (Life. 1995)

The first Gulf War should be construed no differently than the ongoing war in Afghanistan and the recent debacle in Iraq. As noted in a previous article written, Who will stop the American Veteran suicide epidemic, the psyche of our service members has been crippled to the point that suicide among the ranks is overwhelming. Yet our leaders still believe they have no clue why?

One reason for these self-induced atrocities among service members can be linked to drugs they are prescribed. Mefloquin, commonly known as Lariam, an incredibly controversial anti-malaria drug, was developed by the US Army. It was then licensed to Hoffman-Roche for world-wide distribution. The drug subsequently came under scrutiny when American, Canadian, and Australian service members who took it in Somalia and during the Global War on Terror displayed dangerous neuropsychiatric side effects linked to using it.

“Mefloquine is a zombie drug. It’s dangerous, and it should have been killed off years ago,” said Dr. Remington Nevin, an epidemiologist and Army major who has published research that he said showed the drug can be potentially toxic to the brain. Great! So we now know that US service members are prescribed neuro-toxins! So what are some of the side effects coming from the drugs issued to PTSD and TBI victims?

While a lot of this sounds like one major conspiracy theory, it is not. Our service members have been used and abused and more importantly, they have been seriously mismanaged. Not only has the United States killed our own brave warriors, American leaders have pushed them to the point that they are now killing themselves.

When less than 75% of all children residing inside the United States have been deemed unfit for military service, as Fox News reported in 2009, we have a problem. But we have a greater problem considering the large majority of our volunteer force is made up of generational volunteers. Take into consideration the amount of children who come from military families who would love nothing more than follow the footsteps of their parents and grandparents who fulfilled uniformed service. How many of them are also unfit for duty?

The current wars fought in Afghanistan, throughout the Middle East, and Africa has placed a serious mental strain on our service member’s children. In fact, more than 2 million American children have had a parent deploy to Iraq or Afghanistan. Over 4,300 children have lost a parent in Iraq or Afghanistan. At least 19,000 children have had a parent wounded in action. Of these numbers, it is apparent that mental health among our service member’s children has become strained.

Between 2003 and 2008, outpatient mental health visits provided to children of active duty parents doubled from 1 million to 2 million, according to a Army Times article Military Children Seeking Mental Care written in 2009. How many of them will be capable in obtaining a security clearances in the future once they check the box on that dreaded SF 86 or E-Qip claiming they once sought psychological treatment?

During a time when the federal government is seeking to reduce the deficit, they have implemented more and more reductions in federal funds to veteran needs which assist America’s secret genocide against our nation’s defenders.

President Obama’s new medical proposal seeks to save $1.8 billion from the Tricare medical system in the fiscal 2013 budget and $12.9 billion by 2017, the latter amount adding up to 0.99% of the $1.3 trillion deficit for a single year built into Obama’s proposed budget.

To accomplish this spending reduction, service members should expect a 30% to 78% increase in Tricare annual premiums for the first year. In five years, service members will expect an increase ranging from 94% to 345%.So now, veterans who need medical and psychological support will face an economic burden in which they won’t be able to afford.

Dakota Meyer has every right to be furious over military leaders and even those politically elected who have utterly neglected and abandoned US service members and veterans. They have done everything in their power to ensure the veteran does not survive—some would call this genocide.

Kerry Patton, a combat disabled veteran, is the author of Sociocultural Intelligence: A New Discipline in Intelligence Studies (Continuum Intelligence Studies) and the children’s book American Patriotism. You can follow him on Facebook or at www.kerry-patton.com.

Related:

Psychiatry as a weapon to silence religious and political opposition

Plus: Judge Orders Release of Brandon Raub, Detained Marine Veteran is Released

The Psychotics in Power Are Calling Us Mentally ILL  -  by Dr. Laurie Roth

Story of Reichstag Fire and summary of 3 incidents of veterans in this situation - Pro Libertate: 'This Isn't America' -- You Can't Say That Here

Technorati Tags: Veterans Benefits,Veterans,drugs,rationing,Veterans Hospitals,Big Government

4 Fibromyalgia Treatments That Work

You’re in pain all over, always tired and can’t sleep, yet your doctor can’t figure what’s wrong. It could be fibromyalgia, and the answer to treating it may really be in your head. Here are 4 treatments that work. Plus, find out how much you know about the mysterious illness with our quiz…

If fibromyalgia were a pastime, it would be The New York Times’ infamous Sunday crossword: a confounding, bedeviling, even exhausting puzzle. The disease – a complex illness marked by chronic muscle, tendon and ligament pain, fatigue and multiple tender points on the body – affects about 2% of Americans, most of them women.

Since the first clinical, controlled study of fibromyalgia was conducted nearly 30 years, doctors still haven’t been able to pinpoint a cause or find a definitive treatment.

Physicians and patients alike are frustrated. Countless women are told the pain must be in their head.

Identifying a Puzzling, Painful Disease
But experts are inching closer to the causes of fibromyalgia and treatment, thanks to maverick thinkers like Daniel Clauw, M.D., who saw clues where many did not.

In the late 1980s, many patients with lower back pain were referred to him.
“As it turned out, most of these people had pain in many areas other than the back, as well as fatigue, insomnia, and memory problems. They had fibromyalgia – unrecognized and undiagnosed, as it often was,” recalls Clauw, a professor of anesthesiology and medicine at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor and director of the Chronic Pain and Fatigue Research Center there.

Fast-forward 20 years: Clauw is still at it, still excited. But he’s now one of a growing number of physicians and practitioners approaching the puzzle of fibromyalgia from a new angle – the pain. Aided by dramatic advances in brain imaging and mapping, they’re getting a clearer view of the disease.

“We may not know what causes fibromyalgia, but it absolutely exists,” says George Griffing, M.D., a professor of medicine at St. Louis University in Missouri.

Seeing Is Believing
In the 1950s, when fibromyalgia was first described, the illness was thought to be a rheumatologic disorder like lupus because it was characterized by musculoskeletal pain. Despite this hypothesis – or maybe because it was inaccurate – fibromyalgia remained difficult to treat for decades.

But a landmark 2002 study, published by Clauw in the medical journal Arthritis and Rheumatism, shed new light on the disease. Rather than being rooted in the muscles and joints, the current thinking revolves around pain and sensory "amplification," he says.

His research showed that fibromyalgia sufferers are doubly sensitive to pain.

Clauw produced scans to show that the brains of fibromyalgia sufferers display significant pain signals from finger squeezes so gentle that they barely register as unpleasant in people without the disease.

"It’s as if the volume control on pain and sensory processing is set too high in people with fibromyalgia," Clauw says. The level at which touch to the skin [or noise or odor] becomes painful or uncomfortable is much lower in someone with fibromyalgia than in someone without it.

The brain, he says, is the key to the puzzle and, by quieting it, you’ll treat and manage the illness more effectively than before.

4 Ways to Manage Fibromyalgia
Here are four ways to calm your mind and improve your quality of life with fibromyalgia:

1. Find a doctor who "gets it." If you’re sore all over, suffer overwhelming fatigue and have trouble sleeping but don’t know why, see a rheumatologist. Such specialists are best able to differentiate fibromyalgia from other illnesses with similar symptoms.

But if your diagnosis is clearly fibromyalgia, start “with a physician – any physician – who fully acknowledges that the disease exists,” Griffing says.

2. Carefully test available meds and treatments. Many studies have shown that anti-convulsants and antidepressants can lower the pain volume for people with fibromyalgia.

One study, reported in the January 2009 issue of The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), revealed that antidepressants may reduce pain, depression, fatigue, sleep disturbances and improve quality of life.

The study showed that these drugs worked but with varying success. Tricyclic and tetracyclic antidepressants such as Elavil or Pamelor provided the most pain relief. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) can help with fatigue and depression.

Because there’s not enough evidence on the long-term effects of antidepressants, patients should be evaluated regularly to determine if the benefits outweigh adverse effects, according to the JAMA report.

Clauw adds that patients should systematically try a few medications – butslowly. “One of the biggest problems I see is that doctors and patients want to try too many things at once,” he says. So they can’t tell if something is working or whether a new symptom is a side effect of a treatment.

“There is no silver bullet – not yet,” says Griffing. The cocktail approach – a dash of pharmacology here, a dose of non-drug therapies there – has been proven to work.

Coming soon: Neurostimulatory therapies in which the brain or spinal cord is stimulated by electricity or magnets to reduce pain. Ask your doctor about it.

3. Be your own advocate. Learn as much as you can about the disease and the myriad ways you can manage it. How do you find out about options? Sites like the American Fibromyalgia Syndrome Association, the National Fibromyalgia Partnership and Know Fibro, which Clauw helped develop, can help educate patients about non-drug approaches such as cognitive behavioral therapy.

“They’re an excellent way for people with fibromyalgia to get the non-drug therapies that are rarely prescribed in routine clinical practice,” he says.

4. Retrain your brain. The key to coping with the illness is to manage your brain’s sensitivity to stimuli – which means, in part, “unlearning what you’ve always done," says Barbara Keddy, Ph.D., professor emerita in the School of Nursing at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Keddy, founder of the blog womenandfibromyalgia.com, has struggled with and studied fibromyalgia for 40 years.

Living in the moment is one effective tool, she says. “It means being constantly aware of how your body is responding to different stimuli in the moment and working to breathe deeply, engaging your diaphragm and moving your body in different ways to subvert the stress response.”

For more information on this strategy, called the "relaxation response," check out relaxationresponse.org.

How Much Do You Know About Fibromyalgia?
Fibromyalgia is one of the world’s oldest medical mysteries. How much do you know about the illness? Find out now.

Source: By Megan Othersen Gorman, Special to Lifescript - Published June 25, 200

Posted: True Health Is True Wealth

The Basics of Rheumatoid Arthritis

If you've recently been diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis — or have a loved one who has — you're likely to have a host of questions. Let's start with the basics: risk factors, symptoms, and treatments. Rheumatoid arthritis, also known as RA, affects more than two million Americans; it's three times more likely in women than men and strikes patients of all ages and races. Symptoms range from mild to severe, with varying degrees of inflammation, swelling, pain, and damage in the joints. While there is no known cause, there are numerous treatments — from medications to lifestyle modifications — to help ease day-to-day living. 

The symptoms of RA vary from person to person and can mimic those of other inflammatory joint conditions, sometimes making the diagnosis difficult. So how can you know if the signs are pointing toward rheumatoid arthritis? One of the unique features of the disease is that it involves the small joints; for example, of the hands or the feet. And the pain is symmetrical — if it affects the first finger on the right hand, it usually will affect the same finger on the left side.

When it comes to diagnosing, treating, and managing your rheumatoid arthritis, experts say a team approach is your best bet. In addition to finding a reputable rheumatologist — your team leader — you may also need help with physical, occupational, and mental therapy to cope with the condition. Alternative and complementary treatments, like acupuncture, are also used to relieve pain. 

The chronic pain and swelling associated with rheumatoid arthritis is most often caused by inflammation. In RA, the body's immune system attacks the synovial membrane (the tissue that lines the joints), the tendons, or the ligaments. If not treated properly, the inflammation can affect your heart, increasing the risk of heart disease. Understanding the role of inflammation in rheumatoid arthritis will enable you to work with your doctors to find a suitable treatment. 

Rheumatoid arthritis is unpredictable: In some, the disease will remain active for a year or two. Others may have periods of flares, followed by remissions; and still others may live with the condition for years, resulting in significant and often permanent joint damage. While rheumatoid arthritis mostly begins in the smaller joints of the fingers, hands, and wrists, it can also affect hips, knees, ankles, feet, neck, shoulders and elbows. The good news: diagnosing and treating rheumatoid arthritis early can help slow — and even stop — the damage.

Millions of dollars are spent each year on prescription drug advertisements. Restricting the advertising of prescription medication from TV and every magazine in the grocery store would reduce the cost of medications. 

Source: everydayhealth 

Many conditions that the AMA pushes drugs for can be helped with natural or holistic remedies and even cures.

Big Red Juice

Sanoviv Medical Center

Goji Health Stories - RA

Ease the Pain

Have over-the-counter (OTC) pain medications, such as ibuprofen and acetaminophen, become your top allies in tackling chronic or recurring pain? If so, you might want to start thinking outside the bottle. “In certain short-term cases, such as a simple headache, OTC's can be very helpful,” says James Dillard, MD, integrative-medicine practitioner and author of The Chronic Pain Solution (Bantam, 2003). But long-term use of OTCs doesn't resolve the root cause of your pain.

In addition to addressing underlying issues such as inflammation, a holistic approach can ease the burden on your liver and protect you from pain-medication side effects. “By using nondrug strategies for pain relief — everything from salves to stretching — you're limiting your potential for adverse reactions,” says Dillard.

whether you're seeking to soothe a constant backache or banish your migraines, reducing inflammation and stress by tending to your diet, doing certain types of exercise, and using pain-relieving alternative therapies, as well as taking anti-inflammatory herbs and supplements, can play a critical role in alleviating your pain for good.

AN INFLAMMATION-REDUCING DIET

Focus on fatty acids. Balancing your intake of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids is key, says Dillard. The omega-6s found in red meat, margarine, and hydrogenated oils are woefully abundant in the typical American diet; these actually promote inflammation and increase pain. On the other hand, the omega-3s found in wild salmon and other fatty fish, flaxseeds, and walnuts increase your body's ability to inhibit inflammation. If those omega-3 sources aren't a part of your diet, take a fish-oil or flaxseed supplement, suggests Mark Stengler, ND, coauthor of Prescription for Drug Alternatives (Wiley, 2008).

Veg out. “A Mediterranean-style eating plan with high levels of carotenoids from deeply colored fruits and vegetables should be helpful for people with chronic pain,” says Stengler. These powerful antioxidants, abundant in sweet potatoes, carrots, and kale, were linked to low levels of inflammation in a 2007 study published in Clinical Chemistry. Getting plenty of green leafy vegetables like spinach, broccoli, and chard may help prevent pain by delivering B-complex vitamins (important for keeping nerves healthy) and the mineral magnesium (essential for relaxing smooth muscles).

Help yourself to whole grains. Choosing complex carbs (found in whole grains, fruits and vegetables, and legumes) over simple varieties (such as those in refined sugar, white rice, or white bread) can also help thwart inflammation, adds Stengler. This may reduce inflammation in part by keeping blood sugar in check, suggests a 2007 research review from the Harvard School of Public Health.

Get pH balanced. Certain foods (such as wheat, artificial sweeteners, and some dairy products) increase acidity in the body, which could promote pain, according to Stengler. “Tissues are healthiest in a mild alkaline state,” he says. “Too much acidity can overload the lymphatic system, impede the body's natural detoxification process, and create inflammation.” At each meal, Stengler recommends filling half your plate with vegetables, a quarter with protein, and the last quarter with whole grains. “Fruits and vegetables are alkalizing, while most grains and proteins are acid-forming,” he explains. The least acid-forming grains are quinoa, buckwheat groats, and spelt.

MIND-BODY RECOMMENDATIONS

Sleep. “Stress hormones can wreak havoc on the nervous system and ramp up pain,” says Dillard. The best thing you can do to reduce stress? Get enough z's. A 2007 study showed that sleep disturbances could lead to a rise in “spontaneous pain,” such as headaches, stomachaches, and back pain. “Deep, restful sleep restores the nervous system and repairs cells,” says Suzanne Tang, ND, Lac, a naturopathic doctor in Costa Mesa, California. Aim for eight hours each night.

Wake up tai chi. Mind-body movement practices such as tai chi can break the stress-pain cycle by calming the nervous system, says Tang. In a recent study published in Pain Medicine, practicing tai chi particularly benefited those with osteoarthritis and lower back pain. The ancient Chinese martial art — which involves slowly moving through a series of gentle postures — may also bring pain relief to people coping with rheumatoid arthritis, suggests a study conducted at Tufts-New England Medical Center last year. For optimal technique, Dillard advises initially opting for a class rather than turning to a DVD for instruction.

Break a sweat. Exercise promotes the release of endorphins, chemicals that interact with brain receptors to change your perception of pain, and helps your body produce GABA, a pain-inhibiting neurotransmitter. Working out regularly also boosts mood, which can offset emotional effects of chronic pain. In one recent report from Arthritis Care and Research, scientists found that exercising just twice a week for eight weeks led to significant improvements for arthritis patients. If pain prevents you from working out, Dillard suggests swimming, cycling, and yoga, which place minimal stress on the joints.

Sources: James Dillard, MD; Suzanne Tang, ND, Lac.

Recommended Natural Remedies and Centers

BOSWELLIA

HOW IT WORKS: An Ayurvedic remedy traditionally used to treat degenerative disorders, boswellia acts as an analgesic, or natural pain reliever. A 2008 study showed positive results for pain associated with osteoarthritis of the knee.

DOSE: 250 mg three times per day between meals

BROMELAIN

HOW IT WORKS: This natural enzyme found in pineapple alleviates arthritis, headaches, and musculoskeletal tension by decreasing inflammation. Also stimulates healing in muscles and connective tissues.
DOSE: 250 mg three times per day between meals

CURCUMIN

HOW IT WORKS: Derived from the curry spice turmeric and used in Ayurvedic medicine to treat inflammatory disorders, research shows that curcumin suppresses cytokines, naturally occurring pro-inflammatory proteins.
DOSE: 250 mg three times per day between meals

WHITE WILLOW BARK

HOW IT WORKS:Contains salicin, a substance chemically similar to aspirin. Shown to decrease levels of pro-inflammatory prostaglandins. In research, it relieved pain caused by degeneration of knee and hip cartilage as effectively as conventional medicine. Also recommended for back pain. 

DOSE: 240 mg per day

GO CHI - THE BIG RED JUICE  -  Developed by Dr. Earl Mindell for FreeLife

HOW IT WORKS: Promotes overall well-being br enabling your own body to heal and rejuvenate itself at a cellular level.          

DOSE:  1 to 4 ounces daily

SANOVIV - Hollistic Health Facility  -  Founded by Dr. Myron Wentz