On December 25, 2016, the Baltimore Sun published an excellent article titled Drug companies prey on children, by Patrick D. Hahn, PhD. Dr. Hahn is an affiliate professor of biology at Loyola University, Maryland. Here are some quotes:
“I recently attended Youth Mental Health First Aid Training at a local public school. It was an eye-opening experience.”
“Youth Mental Health First Aid Training,
sponsored by the National Council for Behavioral Health, is intended to
enable teachers, parents and others in contact with young people to
identify potential ‘mental illnesses’ in order to facilitate early
detection and treatment by our mental health care system. My fellow
attendees were surprisingly open about their own experiences with that
system. One mentioned that her son became manic after being diagnosed
for ADHD. Another said that both she and her roommate became bipolar
after being diagnosed for depression. Neither our facilitators nor
anyone else present pointed out that mania and bipolar disorder are
toxic effects of medications commonly prescribed for ADHD and
depression.”
“Our training manual didn’t say anything
about this either, although it did claim that depression is caused by a
deficiency of serotonin — a fable that by now has become as discredited
as the phlogiston theory of chemistry. It also stated that mental health
interventions are ‘evidence-based’ and ‘scientifically tested’ —
neglecting to mention that much of that evidence is put forth by drug
companies who have a fiduciary duty to do everything they can to
maximize sales of their products.”
“So is all this a scheme to push more drugs to more kids? The 2013/2014 annual report
for the National Council for Behavioral Health, titled ‘A Legacy of
Excellence and Impact,’ gives us a hint. It lists the organization’s
supporters as including the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of
America (PhRMA) along with no fewer than 12 different drug companies.
Would these folks be ponying up the cash if they weren’t confident this
program would increase sales? And do the parents and teachers who attend
the council’s training program — no doubt with the best intentions in
the world — realize that they are essentially sitting through an
eight-hour infomercial bought and paid for by the drugmakers?”
“One out of 13 American children between the ages of 6 and 17 has taken a psychotropic medication within the last six months, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Meanwhile, youth suicide rates are at their peak
going back at least as far back as 1999, while the number of children
receiving disability benefits for mental illness is at an all-time high.”
Continue Reading.
Thank You Dr Hickey
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