DB, what can I tell you!
Without going into too much detail (theres a limit to what one can divulge on a msg board), my life's had many many ups and downs.
I fell ill at the age of 18, which in itself was a big big thing to handle, I mean had to sacrifice everything for it, even (ironically entry into med school), I'm now 30, so thats over a decade of my life gone just like that. At the same time I fell ill, my father's business went bankrupt, we lost it, our homes everything. However my father suffered a breakdown and started drinking and consequently became violent towards my mother. By the time I was 19 my mother and sister had been put into a refuge by the police for their own safety, my parents' 20 year marraige was over. But the real damage was done by my father being duped by a so called spiritulist, who claimed would save my fathers business etc etc. My Father who was very cynical towards these type of things was at a very vunerable point in his life hence maybe thats why he was easy prey...whatever who knows, when something is going to happen, it will happen. There was a lot of wierdness that went on, very very complex, but in the end this person just wanted to destroy my father's life, and just get rich off him.
so by the time I was 21, my doctors had given up on me, and I knew in my heart of hearts that I would have to seek my answer else where, I
was aprehensive at first, off course, given what had happened to my father.
I don't know, I just was so determined. The worse I got, the more determined became, I was damned if I was going to roll over and give up. I saw many people, and to be honest I dont think any of them were frauds per se (not like the bastard who ruined my fathers life) they all had something, but I guess it's like any field in life, you have ordinary people who are OK at what they do, then you have the real gifted ones, a little like sport I guess! There are many boxers, but only one Mohamed Ali, many basketball players, but only one Jordan etc etc.
So my problem was just out of their hands...but tell you something they had more sucess than 4 years of seeing conventional Doctors.
But going back to your point, no,....I didn't fear the frauds,..not really, I was so mentally focussed, I just went for it. had to, I had no choice, this was my war, and I was going to win.
The word faith really gets overused, it gets banded about a lot. But one's faith is an extremely personal thing, you can't learn it, you're not given it, it's just a path each person has to follow, in their own way, and come to their own destination.
So, me personally...no I wasn't afraid of the frauds, it didn't interfere with my own faith, my own beliefs, on the contrary they got stronger,...but thats just me. many many people get disenchanted and as a resut loose hope.
I guess I'm just a stuborn Bastard.
