– This is dramatic. This is a total upheaval in attitude, says John Spilling in Ipsos. Every other year since 1985, around 3,500 Norwegians have answered a large number of questions in the social survey Norwegian Monitor made by Ipsos. The survey shows that the 80s and 90s were a time of greatness for the alternative industry. At least when we look at the confidence that Norwegians had in natural medicine. Overall, around eight out of ten thought that this type of treatment and naturopaths could help where ordinary doctors had to go. But after the turn of the millennium, something began to happen. Confidence plummeted. This year, only three out of ten fully or partially agree that natural medicine and naturopaths can help. Gaming in Ipsos is surprised at how big the decline has been. In addition, it has gone steadily down, and not up and down as in many other areas. – I see almost nothing that can be compared to this, he says. Hilde Moldestad lives in a detached house in a quiet area on Lade in Trondheim. For decades she worked as a homeopath. She is now retired, and heads the Norwegian Homeopathic Patient Association. She noticed the change in attitude first in her job. Hilde Moldestad is a strong supporter of homeopathy. Photo: Sverre Lilleeng / news – Patients stopped coming, because the trends were such that no one had to believe that there was anything good about homeopathy. Interest in the patient association has also fallen sharply. – There will be fewer and fewer members. People are not so keen on being a team member anymore, they want it for free online. Moldestad is determined that homeopathy works. The irony is that the more research that shows that homeopathy works, the stronger the opposition to using the method. The National Research Center for Alternative Medicine writes that there is no solid evidence that homeopathic medicines have an effect. And both the Norwegian Medicines Agency and the Norwegian Pharmacists’ Association believe that in practice the pills only contain water and sugar. – But we are up in a paradigm shift. The damage that has been inflicted on humanity during the period in which school medicine has been allowed to dominate, can no longer be undermined, says Moldestad in the patient association. The Internet and Snåsamannen One of those who jokingly takes on some of the blame, or era, for the change of attitude, is Gunnar Tjomlid. Since 2005, he has spent part of his free time blogging about, among other things, science, skepticism and the alternative industry. – Should I speculate, this correlates with the influx and spread of internet access in Norway. Tjomlid also believes that the media has had a lot to say. He believes they have become more critical of things like homeopathy and healing in recent decades. Except for one big exception: Joralf “Snåsamannen” Gjerstad. It was alleged that Joralf Gjerstad from Snåsa was a psychic and had “warm hands”. Books have been written and documentaries made about him. Gjerstad died in 2021. Photo: Jørn Haudemann-Andersen / news – But I believe that all the focus on Snåsamannen, led to increased awareness of alternative treatment, healing and the whole sulamite. In addition, we have been through both the swine flu and the corona for the past 20 years. – It has forced people to take a stand on science and suddenly understand that research and evidence are important. No matter which side you end up on, it can promote increased awareness of scientific data and medical treatment. Less use It is not only in the Norwegian Monitor survey that there is a decline for the alternative industry. Every two years, the National Research Center for Alternative Medicine (Nafkam) conducts a survey on, among other things, how often Norwegians go to alternative therapists. – In 2012, you had just under 40 percent who had been to an alternative therapist. And in December 2020, it was 22 percent. So there has been a declining trend, says Ola Lillenes, information director at Nafkam. At the same time, self-treatment, especially with self-help techniques, has increased. – Healing and homeopathy are probably among those who have fallen the most through these years. Homeopathic medicines Graphics: Kristin Rydland / news At the end of the 18th century, the German doctor and chemist Samuel Hahnemann was on a search. He believed that many of the usual treatments at that time were harmful to patients. When he was around 40 years old, he launched a new method that should be better than urination and leeches. He was just as happy to make his own law – the law of equality. It says that symptoms, such as headaches, can be treated with drugs that can create the same symptoms in a healthy person. By diluting this substance many times in water, it should help the body to heal itself. In addition, he shook the mixture together, preferably by hitting it against a leather bible. Today, homeopathic medicines are made in factories. They are made based on, for example, copper, squid ink, onions, parts of the Berlin Wall, lava from Hekla and duck liver. Most homeopathic medicines are so diluted that they can not create biological effects in humans, according to the National Research Center for Alternative Medicine. The authorities require that the active substances be diluted at least 10,000 times. Then it can not really have any effect, and the drugs contain in practice only water and sugar, according to the Norwegian Medicines Agency. It is not allowed to advertise that the products have an effect. Sources: Large Norwegian encyclopedia, Wikipedia, Nafkam Education and emotions Jarle Botnen runs the Bø Department of Natural Medicine in Telemark. In addition, he is part of the steering group in Saborg. The name stands for the association of alternative treatment organizations. Over 1000 therapists are affiliated with Saborg. – There is a noticeable decline, that is exactly right, says Botnen. He has several theories as to why Norwegians have become more skeptical of natural medicine. Norwegians have received more education, and trust their own feelings less. People are used to simple solutions, such as over-the-counter painkillers. They do not treat the cause of the ailments, which takes more time. It is difficult to distinguish junk from serious. The industry has also not managed to cooperate well enough, according to Botnen. The pharmaceutical industry has lobbied to get more of the market for alternative medicine. The attitude in the media has changed from being positive to natural medicine to often the opposite. Sales of homeopathic medicines have declined at the same time as Norwegians have become more skeptical of natural medicine. Photo: Sverre Lilleeng / news Botnen says that many therapists noticed a clear decline after the TV program “Folkeopplysningen” went on news several times in the 2010s. – We often hear remarks such as “we trust the authorities”, “the authorities have approved the preparation or treatment”. This is reflected in the consumption of chemical and synthetic medicine, which has increased somewhat formidably during this period, Botnen believes. John Spilling in Ipsos says it is true that people have great confidence in the public sector. Confidence in hospitals and elderly care has also increased, while the alternative industry has had the opposite development. – A majority of Norway’s population does not trust this type of product. I can only understand that the situation of this industry is very different than in 2001.
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Norwegians have become much more skeptical of natural medicine – news Trøndelag
