Reports of sectarian abuses increased by 86% between 2015 and 2021, according to the Interministerial Mission for Vigilance and the Fight against Sectarian Abuses. A quarter of them concerned the health sector.
Reiki, kinesiology, biological decoding… These different “care methods” start from the same postulate: psychological trauma has repercussions on physical health and to remedy this, you must adopt a healthy lifestyle and be supported by a therapist trained in these techniques. But behind these promises, there are sometimes people with bad intentions, to the point that they can lead to sectarian excesses.. Reiki, kinesiology and biological decoding are therefore part of the list established by the Interministerial Mission for Vigilance and the Fight against Sectarian Abuses (Miviludes).
Since the health crisis, this organization says it is particularly worried, because reports of cases of sectarian aberration have increased by 86% between 2015 and 2021. Among them, a quarter concerned “unconventional health practices and well-being”. Same observation from the National Council of the Order of Physicians, where “in 2019, we recorded 124 files on this issue, 262 in 2021 and almost 200 in mid-November, while the year 2023 is not finished”worries Claire Siret, president of the public health section of the order.
It is in this context that a bill aimed at strengthening the fight against sectarian aberrations is being studied on Tuesday, December 19, by the Senate. The text aims, among other things, to create an offense of provocation to abandon or abstain from care. “We realize that there is a desire to attack vulnerable people, such as parents of disabled children, people with chronic illnesses or those who are diagnosed with a recurrence of cancer, considered a time of great vulnerability for patients, with a risk of disruption of care”notes Donatien Le Vaillant, head of Miviludes.
Furthermore, the shortage of caregivers, medical deserts or even the lack of time given to patients mean that the healthcare system is unable or no longer able to meet the expectations of patients, who are turning away from conventional medicine. “Most users want to compensate for the lack of overall care (physical, psychological, even spiritual) and the lack of listening time from caregivers”points out the National Council of the Order of Physicians in a report (PDF) published in June 2023. How do doctors experience this situation? What are they doing to fix it? Franceinfo asked these questions to five practitioners.
Luc Duquesnel, general practitioner in Mayenne: “We must question ourselves”
“I am a general practitioner and every day, I am confronted with the suffering of my patients. With the increase in precariousness and generalized anxiety, I notice that they are turning to new people to care for them, even if They don’t tell me who it is. As doctors, we must question the rise of these abuses.
“Certainly, it’s quicker to write a prescription and offer a medication than to take care of patients as a whole, but this keeps patients away from medicine.”
Luc Duquesnel, general practitionerat franceinfo
All this requires time to listen, without pressure or a crowded waiting room, with people who are impatient. I see it every day, this deterioration of our healthcare system, the lack of doctors… When you are in pain, you are tempted to go see anyone, as long as they listen to you.
However, we should not put all these practices in the same basket. I am the son of a farmer and in my sector, there are many people who practice traditional treatments, which we used to call bone-setters or fire calmers. I admit, I have already sent patients with shingles to them, because I saw that it calmed their pain. When these patients ask me if it’s the placebo effect, I honestly tell them that I don’t know, that science has no answer to this question. After thirty-five years of practice, I also noticed that they did not necessarily harm them and did not lead them into sectarian excesses. What matters to me is that my patients no longer have pain.”
Emanuel Loeb, psychiatrist in Paris: “Prevention is counterproductive”
“In my sector, psychiatry, it is difficult for patients to see clearly between the different practitioners. Psychiatrist, psychologist, psychoanalyst, therapists of all kinds… It is often very complicated for patients to know who does what , with what training. With an additional difficulty: there are no biomarkers, that is to say we cannot diagnose a psychiatric illness from a blood test or medical imaging .
At the moment, there is a lot of discussion about the role of doctors in prevention. I’m not sure we are the most suitable professional body. It’s even counterproductive. This only reinforces the impression of competition between conventional medicine, practiced by doctors, and alternative therapies.
“By standing up against this type of medicine, we give the impression that we are afraid of losing our market share and that we are only interested in money.”
Emanuel Loeb, psychiatristat franceinfo
In the same way as with conspiracy, the more we defend ourselves against these theories, the more we fuel them. For me, it is up to the school to give the population the keys to reading by instilling a scientific culture from a very young age, as well as critical thinking lessons. This is also the role of social workers, who must be able to guide the most vulnerable people, whom they follow on a daily basis.”
Bruno Falissard, psychiatrist in Paris: “We don’t have time to explain our decisions”
“In the current healthcare system, the patient has become a user and the caregivers have become service providers. In this context, they find themselves as in a factory, as if they were building cars. This is also what say the patients: ‘The treatment is no longer humane, they are not interested in us as subjects.’ We take them as a set of organs, we establish diagnoses, with medical examinations and treatments. But this leads to a loss of meaning, both for caregivers and patients.
“Moreover, there are questions to which medicine has no answers.”
Bruno Falissard, psychiatristat franceinfo
For example: why am I sick? The doctor will answer: ‘Because you contracted such and such a virus’. But to the question ‘Why me?’, he will not have the answer. The same goes for treatment. The big question for a practitioner is which one will be most effective.
However, to judge the effectiveness of a treatment, it is based on statistical results. These are numbers. A gap is then established between the doctor’s speech, who will state: ‘I am prescribing you a treatment whose effectiveness has been proven’, which is true in the majority of cases, but which may not work. on you. But we don’t have time to explain it.
The more serious the illnesses, the more desperate and close to death people are, the more willing they are to listen to people who give them hope. And this, even if what they say is false. Moreover, these patients know deep down that what they are told is not true. But there is hope. This is why there are so many sectarian deviations in the field of cancer.”
Florence Lapica, general practitioner in Lyon: “I start the discussion by saying that I have no preconceptions”
“I have a relationship as a family doctor with my patients. We can discuss many subjects freely. In this context, I realize that many look for answers on the internet before asking my opinion. For example, in the part of psychological monitoring or nutritional monitoring… What worries me is to see that many come across false information or spend fortunes on very expensive products, without any scientific proof of their effectiveness.
“That’s the importance of having patients who trust us. This way, they can seek our advice without being afraid of being judged.”
Florence Lapica, general practitionerat franceinfo
For me, it is very important to be able to exchange with them, to give my opinion without judging them. I begin the discussion by saying that I have no preconceptions, that I am not against any method. Once patients ask my opinion, I will not accuse them of doing something wrong. I think it’s often difficult for them to sort things out.
In my eyes, it is up to society, even the State, to regulate these practices. At our level, as doctors, we must also report to the Council of the order practices that are presented as medicine when they are not.”
Pierre de Bremond d’Ars, general practitioner in the Paris region: “The idea is not to break the link”
“My commitment against therapeutic and sectarian abuses began in 2015 while I was still an intern. I saw a young epileptic girl end up in the hospital because her parents had decided to stop her treatment for homeopathy . I was both angry and incomprehensible. Then, in 2018, I signed the petition aiming for the dereimbursement of homeopathy by Health Insurance. This is now the case since January 1, 2021 .
I am the current president of the No Fakemed collective, which fights against false information in the health field. The idea is to support professionals, so that they can answer their patients’ questions, without breaking the link or the care.
“The doctor must remain attentive and forget any notion of hierarchy. The challenge is not to be right but to start a discussion.”
Pierre de Bremond d’Ars, general practitionerat franceinfo
If the patient has been able to discuss it with the healthcare professional and an exchange is established, part of the work is already accomplished. We must keep in mind all the red flags that suggest that the patient is caught in a therapeutic or sectarian drift: anything that involves manipulation (physical and psychological) of a sexual and financial nature or a cessation of treatment. Entry into a sectarian drift can be extremely rapid. We must keep in mind these signs which can lead to these deviations, in order to become, once the patient has doubts, a thread to which he can cling to to get out of it.”