Yes it is.
My rule of thumb for dealing with that is:
1. Believe in the factual reality of what you yourself observe, but don't be too quick to assign causation, no matter what you THINK is happening-- truly eliminate all possibilities before making conclusions, or don't make them at all. A question mark isn't the end of the world, usually.
2. Don't believe anything that is single-sourced. If all roads lead back to ONE source, no matter how 'expert' then it is suspect in my mind. Search out dissent and pay attention to what it says.
Honestly, I don't know what happens to someone in my shoes who hasn't got decades of relevant professional experience in order to tease apart stuff that SEEMS like it should be legitimate from that which probably isn't. That bothers me a lot, in fact, and it's why I've put so much of myself into running a support group for nearly a decade. Having a place that you can ask any question-- and dissect it openly and even a little harshly-- is essential, I've found.
