While there is no doubt that some of these newcomers are real TBI patients, excited about a medication or treatment that has helped them, it is equally true that others are charlatans, exploiting this Forum to peddle their snake oil.

We're a great market for the latter. We wouldn't be here if we weren't proactive people, looking for solutions to our health problems. Furthermore, I think most of us would concede that we're desperate. It's that desperation that attracts the type of individuals who live off the suffering of others.

The moderators do the best they can to protect us. For starters, new members are not permitted to post links. However, they can't stop everything, especially as some of those advocating for certain approaches are 100% sincere, and nobody wants to scare them away from NT.

When reading these posts, I let my experience guide me. I take the ones that are too strident: "you MUST try this," "this WILL work," etc... as marketing scams.

I find when real people offer up advice, they use phrases like "you might find this helpful," "it didn't work for me, but I know other TBI patients who feel they benefited," "have you considered/tried?" etc...

Legitimate posters also tend to reveal their biases and offer links to legitimate studies. In my case, it's no secret that I am skeptical about the efficacy of SSRIs for treating TBI depression. I support my position by offering a link to a large study conducted by Toronto's Sunnybrook Hospital. Most importantly, I say I'm providing ONE PIECE of information on a complex subject - and leave it to people to make up their OWN minds.

Brain injury is a very individual experience. Admittedly, as a long term suffer, I may just be jaded and cynical, but I really doubt that science is likely to find a one-size-fits-all cure for TBI. I find it even more unlikely that it's already out there, and only a handful of posters know about it.