Distrust in mainstream pharmaceuticals linked to rise in woo

We’re seeing it all over, and across all disciplines. The result is a double standard. Doctors rally behind the cause of evidence based medicine for prescription drugs, yet fail to object when their patients utilize unproven herbs and vitamins. The American Medical Student Association through its Pharmfree campaign holds the drug companies to the most rigorous of evidentiary standards yet promotes numerous implausible and non-evidence based complementary and alternative modalities.

Now we’re seeing it in the field of psychiatry according to this recent Wall Street Journal report.

Now, spurred by the growing disenchantment with antidepressants, an increasing number of people are seeking treatment for depression, anxiety and eating disorders from naturopaths, acupuncturists and even chiropractors. At the same time, more traditional psychiatrists are incorporating massage and meditation in their practices.

The treatments go beyond needles and spinal manipulation. They include Emotional Freedom Techniques -- tapping on the body's "energy meridians" as the patient thinks about upsetting incidents -- and craniosacral therapy, which involves a gentle rocking of the head, neck, spine and pelvis. In cranial electrotherapy stimulation, a AA-battery-powered device sends mild electrical currents to the brain. (The procedure has its roots in ancient Greek medicine, when electric eels were used.)