pHARMa: Putting a price on the lives of American moms and babies
Oh, what did you see, my blue eyed son?
And what did you see, my darling young one?
I saw a newborn baby with wild wolves all around it
I saw a highway of diamonds with nobody on it
I saw a black branch with blood that kept drippin’
I saw a room full of men with their hammers a-bleedin’
I saw a white ladder all covered with water
I saw ten thousand talkers whose tongues were all broken
I saw guns and sharp swords in the hands of young children
And it’s a hard, it’s a hard, it’s a hard, and it’s a hard
It’s a hard rain’s a-gonna fall.
Two days ago, The MOTHERS Act and several other dangerous psych programs passed the house after being stuck in the 2400 page Senate Health Care Bill. Today, President Obama, a former co-sponsor of The MOTHERS Act in the Senate, signed the bill into law.
Two years and two months ago Dr. Ann Blake Tracy, Camille Milke and I, as heads of CHAADA, UNITE, COPES and ICFDA collaborated on a press release to be sent to the public, media and Congress regarding our opposition to The MOTHERS Act. We created a petition and within days we had hundreds of signatures from around the country. I spent the next two months calling people all day and sending emails, writing press releases and trying to update my website with the numerous radio shows where we would spread the word about the fight to save America’s mothers from an invasive government screening program.
We will be at the Addison Wellness Expo this weekend, October 16-17 with an educational booth for UNITE, MADNAP and The Indiana Star Foundation. We are conducting a fundraiser to defray the costs of participating in this event and conducting other awareness activities.
Several wonderful and generous donors have contributed. We are raffling off a free photography session with Natasha Hance. Tickets are $5. If you want to purchase online, you can use the donate button on this website to pay via our pledgie account and then send me an email to let me know how many tickets you bought.
Working with others, we strive to alleviate distress and to support and enhance the personal growth, transformation, individuation, self-determination, and clear and expanded awareness of individuals. Necessity dictates that we also spend a lot of time challenging aspects of the mental health profession that do the opposite—creating more distress, suppressing growth and transformation, violating self-determination, and dulling and blinding awareness. We call it psychiatric oppression, the systematic, institutionalized mistreatment of those judged as “mentally ill.” This essay focuses especially on the ever expanding encroachment of psychiatric oppression to more and more of the population, and to individuals who are less and less in need of actual help. This encroachment takes the form of mass marketing for psychiatry and the pharmaceutical industry. One key aspect of oppression theory is the claim to virtue. For psychiatric oppression that claim is the notion that mentally ill people need their treatment; its growing extension is the concept of prevention, that potentially mentally ill people need treatment as well!
The Regressive Progression: Treatment to Prevention
“An ounce of prevention is a pound of cure.” Like all great aphorisms, this one, often associated with Ben Franklin, holds wisdom and is partly true, based on assumption. In this case, one must assume the role of victim of unnecessary malady that necessitates a cure…and that there is a felt connection or empathic relatedness to the one who suffers malady. Where these assumptions are not met, the aphorism is false. To wit, for the giant corporation of Halliburton and its government and military operations group, or for the mercenary army of Blackwater, going to war is worth a great deal more than diplomacy.
Recently John Breeding and I published an open letter to the editor of Mothering Magazine. After reading an unsettling letter to the editor which promoted Katherine Stone’s Postpartum Progress in the next edition of Mothering, I sent out an alert to everyone that they should express their disapproval with the magazine for promoting antidepressants and Zyprexa.
Even though the editor, Peggy O’Mara, had not responded to our letter when John Breeding emailed it to her (for weeks), she did choose to respond to one of the other letters to the editor (within three hours) as follows:
We have not recommended Zyprexa in any of our articles.
Peggy
My first reaction was, “OMG she is so full of it, yes they did.”
So I set out to find the old article. Unfortunately, I no longer have the hard copy because I gave it away at my speech in April in Austin. I searched for everything online and then I realized that I had probably made a technical mistake. I eventually figured out how it happened – that I had mistakenly come to think of their May 2007 article as one where they recommended Zyprexa. What I found online was a categorical statement that moms can take antipsychotics while breastfeeding and that antipsychotics are required for psychosis. I then remembered that at one point, in disbelief at Mothering’s promotion of antipsychotics for breastfeeding, I went to Thomas Hale’s website and searched for antipsychotics, and found that he was recommending Zyprexa for breastfeeding. Then, over time the two pieces of advice began to merge in my mind as I talked and wrote about them. What can I say, I’ve had a pretty busy 3 1/2 years and rewired lots of brain cells to devote large portions of my mind to the task of cramming for law school finals every semester. My bad.
Amery and Christiane Schultz have been asked to provide input on proposed recommendations regarding psychotropic drugs in pregnancy in Canada. Amery & Christiane are hard-working activists affiliated with UNITE and MADNAP. Please send any comments you may have to amy@uniteforlife.org by Thursday of this week (November 10, 2011), or call 817-793-8028.
See the following note from Amery:
I am looking for input as to what you feel should be included in recommendations for establishing protocols surrounding women being treated with and babies exposed to psychotropic medications during pregnancy. These recommendations will be presented to both the Canadian Pediatric Association as well as the Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists of Canada. We have found a good ally who is proposing that we address the National Conference of the Canadian Pediatric Association.
“Although we may not know it, we have, in our day, witnessed the birth of the Therapeutic State.” –Law, Liberty, and Psychiatry: An Inquiry Into the Social Uses of Mental Health Practices, by Thomas Szasz
Recently I was contacted about a woman who is in a mental institution because she was in the opinion of a state psychiatric evaluation, incompetent to stand trial. This is a blatant violation of due process. The woman I speak of wants a trial. She would rather be sent to prison than be in an institution. At least if she were in prison, she would have had an opportunity for a trial before a jury, and could exhaust her appeals process were she convicted. But from inside an institution she never has an opportunity to present her defense.
What I have found out about this particular case is not only frustrating to say the least, but frightening. Not that I didn’t already know that this occurs frequently, but it is endlessly frustrating no matter how many times I come into contact with this.
Coincidentally I ran across the following blog recently and thought I would share. Perhaps it will be of some use to readers who may be looking for help on legal opinions with matters of a similar nature.
With that topic in mind – psychiatric coercion and how it has become a tool of the government, I would like to take a moment to brag about the fact that last weekend I was fortunate to spend some time with Maryanne Godboldo, the Detroit mother who stood up to police and CPS in order to save the life of her daughter. What I found out is that the truth about what happened to her is far different than what you may have heard. Some articles on the topic stated that Ariana was disabled from birth or other such misstatements. The truth is that Ariana was perfectly normal until after she received a series of vaccines at the age of 11, which caused encephalitis. And the drugs that were given to her for her mental problems that resulted from the vaccine reaction only made her worse.
I wrote a paper last Spring while I was still in law school, which discusses the disparity between the rights given to parents in parental rights termination proceedings and the rights given to accused criminals for minor crimes. I used Maryanne’s story to illustrate how blatantly pro-psychiatry CPS can be, and how parents can be wrongfully accused of Medical Neglect for simply refusing to poison their children with psychiatric drugs. I was so honored to be able to meet Maryanne and tell her that she is my hero, and hear first-hand her side of the story.
In our country we value freedom over all other rights. But for Maryanne, as it should be for all of us, it is obvious that our children’s lives are far more valuable than anything else.
Please watch this video of Maryanne Godboldo’s story. When I am able to get some photos of us together sent to me, I will post them here & update this article.
After you’ve seen that, if you’re not crying, and are in the mood for another serious discussion… here are two videos I recently did with John Breeding. You can find them on the Psychetruth YouTube channel (become a subscriber here).
Here is one about the dangers of breastfeeding on psychiatric drugs.
In this video John and I discuss our article from Pathways magazine, “The Pill Merchants: The Relentless and Tragic Marketing of Psychiatric Drugs.”
Clearwater, FL: At four separate locations across the state of Florida Third Annual Candlelight Vigil in Memory of Gabriel Myers and the Right to Informed Consent took place last night. The vigil honors the memory of 7-year-old Gabriel Myers who apparently committed suicide by hanging himself in the residence of his foster parents while on several psychiatric medications. Hosted by Dr. Elizabeth Young and the Citizens Commission of Human Rights of Florida, hundreds of participants attended the Clearwater vigil.
While there are many controversial issues that created divided mental health advocacy agendas, the issue of the overuse of psychiatric medications is one in need of a unified alliance.
Among the powerful speeches at the vigil, Walter Kowalczyk Jr. gave a heartbreaking testimony regarding the harmful ADHD medications prescribed to his son Tyler. The ADHD medications induced sudden cardiac arrest and Tyler passed away on Christmas night, 2010.
In an effort to help others to make informed decision when choosing ADHD medications, Walter founded the Tyler Kowalczyk Foundation. The Foundation is a nonprofit, nonpartisan group whose mission is to provide good information to the public about the dangers of the use of stimulant ADHD medication and the misdiagnosis of the disorder.
You can learn more about the Tyler Kowalczyk Foundation at: www.ADHDecide.org
Prescription Addiction Radio Show host, Larry G, attended the vigil and introduced me to the show which airs every Sunday Night from 9 – 11 PM EST
.
As a registered pharmacist for over 30 years, Larry is Breaking the Silence about the quiet epidemic affecting our country.
“The Prescription Addiction Radio Show is a challenge to America to discuss the culture in our country that has evolved into accepting the silent epidemic that has created a growing number of people who cannot get through their day without an addictive or psychologically mind altering drug. The show also addresses the increasing number of drugs children are being given and has developed into a unique radio show for all ages.”
Walter read this beautiful poem last night. Holding back the tears was pretty tough for everyone in the crowd.
One Step Closer
By: Walter Kowalczyk Jr.
4/19/2011
I spent some time thinking about some of the things we shared,
Reminiscing about stuff, I almost could feel you there,
I picked up your shirt and held it close n wept,
I went and laid in your old bed where you slept,
I kissed a picture of you and started to cry,
Puzzled at why you are gone, I can’t understand why,
I listened to song, I had not heard in so long,
I knew you would like it, and try to sing along,
I wish I can share everything with you like before,
I wish I buy you everything at one of your favorite stores,
As the tears drop, and my world is continuing to fall,
I know in my heart that you were the meaning of it all,
I feel like I let you down, I wish I could have known,
I am very sorry that I let that poison in our home,
I love you Tyler, it’s getting late,
With your death and our fight I have a lot on my plate,
Daddy is going to stay busy, but you will always be near,
I am the one driving the road of life but I’ll let you steer,
Whisper to me gently in every breeze of air
Touch me with your light and let me know you’re there,
God blesses us sometimes in ways we can’t reason,
We cannot desert him, for that would be treason,
He is our father, our protector, our guide,
Sit back, hold on tight, cuz its going to be a bumpy ride,
You got to skip, all this tough stuff, warped ahead
You got to go right to the end of the game instead,
YOU WIN! High score! You are number one!
You are not only mine, but you are also Jesus’ son,
He will watch over you, until I get there,
Tyler and Dad in heaven, nothing could compare!
We can play all day everyday now,
You won’t need school u know everything anyhow,
I won’t waste time with the things I did,
No time for anything else, just me and my kid,
Does that sound good? Do we have a date?
Cuz I am looking forward and I simply cannot wait!
So I am going to sleep now to dream of you and me,
Playing in heaven, being just as happy as we can be,
When I wake up I will be one step closer,
For Heaven awaits me, when this world has closure,
Good night Tyler Kowalczyk, a.k.a. Tyler the Great!
Until we meet for our eternal heavenly play date..-Dad
Please visit www.tyler-k.com where you will find: a biography, pictures, movies, all of the artwork he did over the years, home videos, sound clips he recorded on his Dsi that he got for his last Christmas, and got to play with on his last day on earth, a memorial musical slideshow, a place to light a tribute candle, poems written about Tyler after he left this world, a memorial shop for you to order Tyler merch, and links and information about what happened to Tyler and what you can do to make sure it never happens to your child.
It is essential that ADHD is revisited by an objective panel with an honest review of the SCIENCE and not clouded by FIANCIAL, POLITICAL, OR SPECIAL INTERESTS in order to examine the following:
1. do we have scientific evidence to support the validity of disorder
2. what is the long-term efficacy and satety of medications
3. what alternative factors (e.g., trauma, toxins, ineffective parenting/educational approaches, temperament) contribute to the development of ADHD behaviors
4. what non-medication approaches are available that safe and effective for improving social-emotional/behavioral wellness, including ADHD behavior (inattention, impulsivity, hyperactivitiy).
5. should ADHD remain under OHI of IDEA in educational system or is there a better way to meet children’s educational needs.
Youtube Credits: Uploaded by rickygarciargr on Mar 25, 2006
After 10 injuries were reported, a 2010 recall of over 7 million trikes manufactured by Fisher Price took place. It seems as if some manufacturers have come a long way and child safety standards are a top priority. For the pharmaceutical industry, should we continue to accept ”buyer beware” as the standard?
Dr. David Healy’s recent post, “If Pharma Made Cars“, crafts several very clever analogies regarding mandatory compliance of consumer safety regulations imposed on the auto and airline industries, as compared with the safety expectations of products manufactured by the tobacco and the pharmaceutical industries. [1]
Healy’s points are well made and by further exploring various concepts of consumer protection, his analogies become much more multi-faceted for mental health consumers, advocates and lawmakers to consider.
By far, the U.S. is the global leader in the consumer protection movement. The Consumer Bill of Rights includes eight specific guarantees: the right to satisfaction of basic needs, the right to safety, the right to be informed, the right to choose, the right to be heard, the right to redress, the right to consumer education, and the right to a healthy environment. [2]
U.S. consumers are protected against deceptive business practices by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). The FTC acts to protect consumers, prevent fraud and maintain competition in the marketplace. The FTC vision is stated as:
“A U.S. economy characterized by vigorous competition among producers and consumer access to accurate information, yielding high-quality products at low prices and encouraging efficiency, innovation, and consumer choice.“[3]
The characteristics of the mental health care system deprive many individuals of this “vision” and consumerism, which in some cases is forced, is concentrated on the purchases of psychiatric services and pharmaceutical products.
Often when I think about how much I love my wife, Ginger, I wish I could sing to her. But I cannot sing. Instead, I imagine Whitney Houston singing to Ginger in her incredible soaring voice. Whitney became the voice expressing how much I love my wife. That is how much Whitney came to mean to so many of us who knew her only through her music. She became the music about love we carry in our hearts.
Whitney’s passing has raised the specter that she was taking the benzodiazepine Xanax (alprazolam) at the time she died.
If it turns out that Whitney was under the influence of Xanax (alprazolam), then there’s a good chance she would be alive today if that drug had never been put on the market.
Although Xanax is the most commonly prescribed benzodiazepine, and in my experience the most dangerous, the same harmful effects can be caused by all benzodiazepines, including Valium, Ativan, Klonopin, Serax, Halcion, Dalmane, and Halcion. When I address Xanax, I’m also talking about all of these drugs.
Reports that Xanax and other benzos are not usually lethal when taken alone are vastly misleading. Xanax is rarely taken alone. Why? Because as much or more than any other prescribed drug, Xanax causes medication spellbinding. It corrupts judgment, memory and self-control, so that individuals have no idea how badly they are being impaired. Eventually it erodes all mental faculties, often without the person fully grasping this loss of function. The impairment of judgment and self-control causes people to overdose on drugs or alcohol without intending to, leading to coma, cardiovascular collapse and death. The Xanax-induced memory impairment causes them to forget how many pills or how much alcohol they have already taken, again increasing the lethal risk.
Xanax has been called “alcohol in a pill” because its effects are so similar to alcohol. However, as will be documented, Xanax can be far more dangerous than alcohol. It should not be prescribed to patients with alcohol problems, because it becomes a powerful impetus for alcohol abuse.
At critical moments in their lives when individuals are suffering from serious emotional problems, their ability to deal with them is further compromised as a result of Xanax-induced medication spellbinding and cognitive deficits. In acute distress, they often have no idea what is happening to them. They have no idea how impaired they have become, they forget what they’ve already taken, or increase the dose, or increase or add other medications or alcohol.
Please watch Matthew Schultz’s memorial video above. Today is his 3rd Birthday.
Here’s a pic of me with Christiane Schultz and her adorable son Daniel last weekend in L.A. It strikes me how often Christiane talks about how Matthew saved his little brother’s life. So RIP Matthew and RIP Simon. May God help us all as we fight back against the drugging of expecting mothers.
God Bless the Schultz family.
To contact them, please go to twohours.wordpress.com.
Canadian Regulation on Fetal Exposure to Psychotropic Drugs – Public Input Needed (Cross-Posted on The Bitter Pill blog) Amery and Christiane Schultz have been asked to provide input on proposed recommendations regarding psychotropic drugs in pregnancy in Canada. Amery & Christiane are hard-working activists affiliated with UNITE and MADNAP. Please send […]
These recent posts on The Bitter Pill and uniteforlife.org are of special importance. Check them out. My Bad – Mothering Magazine Promotes “Antipsychotics” Not Just Zyprexa Mothering Magazine Publishes Letter Reaming Them for Being So “Anti-drug” Open Letter to the Editor of Mothering Magazine – Re: “Beat The Baby Blues” by John Breeding and Amy Philo Relen […]
Two $50 Flower Gift Certificates *** RAFFLE to benefit The Indiana Star Foundation **** – Two Drawings – We have two $50 flower gift certificates to raffle off!!! (donated by http://www.proflowers.com/) – For the next week you can buy raffle tickets (for $5 each) by donating to the cause here: http://pledgie.com/campaigns/6067. To enter, just use [...]
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