From the December 2003 Scientific American Magazine | 0 comments

What's the Harm? ( Preview )

Alternative medicine is not everything to gain and nothing to lose

By Michael Shermer

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December
2003 Issue
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After being poked, scanned, drugged and radiated, your doc tells you nothing more can be done to cure what ails you. Why not try an alternative healing modality? What's the harm?

I started thinking about this question in 1991, when my normally intelligent mother presented to a psychiatrist symptoms of cognitive confusion, emotional instability and memory loss. Within an hour it was determined that she was depressed. I didn't buy it. My mom was acting strangely, not depressed. I requested a second opinion from a neurologist.

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