A two year investigation by the Government Accountability Office has shown that foster children are prescribed psychiatric durgs 2.7 to 4.5 times more than non-foster children and at much higher doses.
"To call normal children diseased, abnormal, chemically imbalanced. To make patients out of them for profit. This is not only anti-scientific, it is contrary to our Hippocratic oath. It is immoral, and it should be exposed and stopped."
Dr. Fred A. Baughman, MD Neurologist and Author As quoted from the movie, "Generation RX"
The Department of Justice has issued a press release regarding criminal charges against the pharmaceutical company responsible for the manufacture of Lexapro and Celexa.
Throughout the years I have worked with several clients who were criticized or rebuked by family members or Alcoholics Anonymous sponsors for using psychiatric medications as a "crutch". Yes.... and?
Throughout the years I've agonized when working with dual diagnosis clients who attend Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) or any of their sister programs. Too often there are well-meaning people in the groups who take it upon themselves to give psychological or medical advice. All too often, this results in tremendous damage. One of the major offenders is the idea that any member of AA, CA or NA who is taking psychiatric medications is not "clean and sober". Not only is this bad advice it's not the official policy of AA.
The more I see of the pharmaceutical industry's (a.k.a. "Big Pharma") influence on how we think about human behaviors and their treatment, the more worried I become.
People often think of trauma, anxiety, panic attacks and depression as four separate "disorders". Indeed the medical model of psychiatric treatment fosters this way of thinking, but it's not always accurate. Many time these four separate "disorders" are all expressions of trauma. Anxiety and depression can be intimately linked. How?
The field of psychiatry claims to be scientific and evidence-based when it diagnosis and prescribes medications for mental "disorders". They often cite research to back up their claims that disorders are "biochemical imbalances" or disturbances in the brain which require chemical intervention. However, if the evidence which they are citing is tainted or biased then they are not practicing good science.