Prescription Addiction Radio helping to Break the Silence

Posted by Maria Mangicaro

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.

Concerned child advocates in Florida have a watchful eye on the bill proposed by Florida State Senator Ronda Storms.   SB 1808: Provision of Psychotropic Medication to Children in Out-of-home Placements, is working its way through the state legislature and if passed would help protect children in foster care from being placed on harmful psychotropic medications.  The bill would place tighter controls on the DCF making it so a compelling state interest must be shown before a child is medicated.

States are required under the Child and Family Services Improvement and Innovations Act of 2011 to amend their Title IV-B state plan to identify appropriate use and monitoring of psychotropic medications, as part of the state’s current oversight of prescription medications.  (Social Security Act Sections 422 (b)(15)(A)(ii)and (v).

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

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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.

Filed under: 'ADHD', pharmacology, Tyler Kowalczyk Foundation, candlelight vigil, CCHR, florida foster care, gabriel myers, prescription addiciton radio, Tyler Kowalczyk Foundation, Walter Kowalczyk Jr

CHILDREN’S MENTAL HEALTH SUMMIT: SEPTEMBER 28 & 29, 2012

 

www.mentalhealthexcellence.org

Register online at:  www.iacaf.org

Download Flyer for:  2012summit 

RECLAIMING CHILDHOOD: 

A New Approach to Improving Social-Emotional, Behavioral, and Mental Wellness

SYRACUSE, NEW YORK

A two-day symposium for clinicians, educators, researchers, students, and parents.

Experts will present on topics such as:

▪ TRAUMA

▪ FOSTER CARE

▪  PSYCHIATRIC MEDICATIONS

▪  PLAY

▪ MINDFULNESS

▪  NUTRITION

▪  SAFE & EFFECTIVE APPROACHES

Friday 9/28/2012  Hutchings Psychiatric Center

Saturday 9/29/2012  Crowne Plaza Syracuse

Filed under: pharmacology, Children, children's mental health summit, event, foundation for excellence in mental health care, it's about childhood and family, law, legal, mental health, nonprofit, psychiatry, psychology, social work

If Pharma Made Trikes – “Buyer Beware”

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?

By Maria Mangicaro

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.

 A recent resolution introduced in the Illinois House of Representatives by Rep. Mary Flowers (D-Chicago), calling for the establishment of a “Task Force on Mental Diagnosis and Illinois Law“, may help break apart psychiatry’s ”monopoly of the mental illness epidemic“.   Click here to read more.

Filed under: 'ADHD', Maria Mangicaro, pharmacology, Task Force on Mental Diagnosis and Illinois Law, consumer protection, consumer rights, CPSC, David Healy, FDA warnings, FTC, If Pharma Made Cars, Mad in America, mental health, Task Force on Mental Diagnosis and Illinois Law

In Memory of Matthew Schultz

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.

Filed under: pharmacology

The People vs. The Therapeutic State

“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.

http://refusingpsychiatry.blogspot.com/2012/02/legal-position-and-suggested-arguments.html

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.”

Filed under: pharmacology

Psych Visit Does Dallas

Here is a fun video I made with my friend Adinah. It’s a follow up to her popular video called “Psych Visit.”

“Psych Visit Does Dallas”

http://www.xtranormal.com/xtraplayr/12856684/psych-visit-does-dallas

Here is her original video.

Filed under: pharmacology