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How Crohn's patients get manipulated by "Motivational Interviewing"

So we are continuously marketed to and this blog post is about how AbbVie, the makers of Humira, uses psychological techniques to influence us. It's something to be aware of. It's not an Anti-Humira piece, it's a more of an FYI:
Please Don't Empower Me Anymore/
 
I stopped reading when they started talking to a man who "controlled his severe Crohn's Disease with diet and a low stress life", while they might have a point the writer is still woefully ignorant and is fear mongering about Humira. (the cancer risk is incredibly low)
 

DJW

Forum Monitor
^^^i agree.

It's interesting but I'm concerned people will just look at the risks without seriously considering the risk of crohns complications which can be can be every bit as serious.

One this this piece did answer - why there adds show someone worried about finding a bathroom.
 
The point is how "Motivational Interviewing" allows AbbVie to skirt the law and FDA recommendations. The quote isn't much relevant. It's one patient who was offended by the attempted psychological manipulation wrt how Crohn's patients manage their symptoms. And it is offensive. I didn't get any sense of fear mongering in the piece. All those side effects are common (see rxisk.org or the hand out for Humira) and cancer isn't even mentioned in the little satirical parody quiz - I think it's called "the Great Himira Workaround Quiz" in the piece.
 

nogutsnoglory

Moderator
I thought it was an interesting read but not even slightly a surprise. They are a business, of course they will do everything they can to persuade people to go on their drugs. That's the problem with our profit based system.
 
I agree with Orchid and the fear mongering part of the piece aimed at young teen males with the big black box warning italicized really bothered me. Do you think the parents of teen children are being swayed by a silly commercial that doesn't even depict the disease accurately? They aren't pandering to my son because he has probably given those commercials as much attention as he has my pleas to clean his room. A quick visit to the parents forum would give you enough background info to know that parents generally turn into research hounds before making the decision or helping their children to make the decision for these meds. The decisions aren't taken lightly but have changed the lives of some of these kids for the better.
 
You are exactly right Clash. I'm sure that many people who have Crohn's, and especially parents of children with it definitely do their research.

I did a lot of hard thinking and research over months; and talked to a variety of people about it. In the end, I found the trade off is worth it to go on biologics. However, only if I have exhausted other safer methods first.

I'm not on them now, but at least I know now that I will be comfortable if it comes to that.
 
Besides "Motivational Interviewing" what other types of manipulation do you see in pharma advertising? (Just in general, never mind Himira ads.)

I can't help but think that if the commercials didn't work they wouldn't run them.

And there's no incentive to "fear monger". But there's great incentive to misrepresent side effect information. Consider the changes to Himira's warning label over the years.

AbbVie's parent company Abbott has paid massive criminal and civil fines over the years for all sorts of malfeasance. Check out ProPublica's infographic. (Just fyi we buy drugs from corporations with felony convictions all the time.)
 
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