Rethinking Heroes! | Cary Harrison is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Title: Rethinking Medicine: The Double-Edged Sword of Prescription Drugsby Cary HarrisonIf ever there was a human experiment conducted on an unknowing citizenry with the relish of a scientist wooed away from ethical lands, it would be right here in the heart of our nation—the labyrinthine corridors of pharmaceuticals that twist into the veins of John and Jane Doe.Amidst the clamor of modernity, where our medicine cabinets boast the trophies of medical advancements, who could suppose that nestled within the neatly packed bottles lies a conundrum as formidable as the complexities of life itself? This medical maze harbors the collateral of side effects—unintended denizens that shuffle in lockstep with well-intentioned cures, casting shadows upon our unwary footsteps.The dialogue here unfolds with a certain Lenny Gallo, the sterling gentle listener—the clarion voice of caution amidst the clinking vials—a clinician forged in the fires of his own borne afflictions. Having penned the tome "Unstill," Gallo emerges as both raconteur and cautionary tale, bravely charting the unnavigated waters of side-effectedness with the boldness one might attribute to the greatest of scribes without their safety nets.Within the solemn pages of his narrative, Gallo presents us with a parade of horrors pulled from the closet of medicated souls—those unfortunate kin tethered to the sinister specter of movement disorders sprung upon them by pills meant to heal. Tardive dyskinesia, those tells of involuntary chewing and rhythmic hand movements, dance through his words, a harrowing carnival of unintended choreography.Yet it isn’t all bitter medicine. In a world inclined towards biting the bullet of clinical fate, Gallo insists on the same vigilance one might employ at high noon in a Wild West film. One ought to pace cautiously, understand well the drugs taken, their laudable effects, and the unseen strings that might be tugged. And like a wise sage under the burden of a yoke unique to his shoulders, he counsels both patient and practitioner alike to pull the strings of personal advocacy and resist the stupefying siren song that demands acceptance without scrutiny.Gallo's narrative, like a radio wave crackle in the ears of a complacent public, implores recalibration—a rethinking of our embrace of pills as a panacea. There is no growth in the shadows of industry tensions, he submits, only peril unspoken. Yet, in the grand collage of his prose, a silken thread of optimism entwines. Not the blind optimism of those swept away by notions of invincibility, but the tenacious variety anchored by inquiry and education.Lenny Gallo writes not in judgment but with the weighty responsibility of revelation—a physician bearing witness to the pitfalls and promises tethered to medicine's cultural legacy. In a world teetering between health and harm, Gallo’s testament stands tall, a clarion call to those willing to hear it tucked within the folds of his storied pages.If he offers anything to those skulling their way through the muddy rivers of modern medicine, it is the empowering knowledge that, equipped with awareness, no citizen needs to become an unwitting marionette in the pharmaceutical theatre. In this, there is profound triumph.As listeners and readers tether their attention to his words, might they discover not only the perils of pills but the hope, too—the glimmering possibility of health that lies not in subjugation but in understanding boldly pursued and diligently applied.00:00 Introduction and Newsletter Sign-Up00:38 Interview with Lenny Gallo: Author and Specialist04:47 Understanding Medication-Induced Disorders09:30 The Impact of Pharmaceutical Companies13:09 Therapists and Medication Awareness18:16 Advocating for Patient Self-Advocacy20:48 Crisis in Washington: Unqualified Leaders27:04 Political Turmoil and Public Sentiment27:21 Listener's Powerful Commentary29:57 Bobby Kennedy's Controversial Views31:49 Caller Concerns: Child Medication36:55 Caller Concerns: Adult Medication41:03 Final Thoughts and Closing RemarksRethinkingHeroes.com LinkedIn: TheCaryHarrisonhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/thecaryharrison/Instagram: @TheCaryHarrisonhttps://www.instagram.com/CaryHarrison_/TikTok: @theCaryHarrisonhttps://www.tiktok.com/@thecaryharrisonFacebook: TheCaryHarrisonhttps://www.facebook.com/thecaryharrisonYoutube: @CaryHarrisonhttps://www.youtube.com/@caryharrisonTwitter/X: @CaryHarrison_https://x.com/CaryHarrison_Cary FB Fan Page: https://www.facebook.com/goharrison This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit rethinkingheroes.substack.com/subscribe
