Sunday, August 09, 2009

Answer to Jim regarding Psychiatry and Scientology

Jim Gatos said:

Grahame,

I saw this article;

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/32271786/ns/health-kids_and_parenting/

thought I'd bring it here.

I'm curious, what's the "connection" with Scientology and Psychiatry?"

Thanks
Jim


Hey Jim,

The only "connection" is that we in Scientology are opposed to the abuses in Psychiatry.

The article you link to is typical of these abuses. Psychiatry and its main sponsor, the Pharmaceutical Industry, need to expand their profit base so Big Pharma finds some willing psychiatrists, hands them a study they can put their names to and the results are published.

The questions to ask before falling for the marketing propaganda in an article such as this are:

1. What are the financial ties between the researchers and the pharmaceutical industry?
2. What actual physical tests were carried out to determine that these 3 year old kids have "depression"?
3. If no physical tests were carried out then how can anyone possibly assert that these kids have "depression"?
4. Do physical tests actually exist to show that someone has "depression"?
5. If not then how come so much money is being made from the widespread prescription of drugs that address a "disease" that cannot be proven to exist.
6. What treatment is recommended for toddler depression? What are the side-effects?
7. What are the long-term effects of giving psychiatric drugs to toddlers?

(The most common side-effect of psychiatric drugs in toddlers, according to the FDA's adverse reactions database, is death.)

By-the-way, I don't say that the set of symptoms that have been labeled as "depression" don't exist. What I say is that they are a set of symptoms for which the underlying condition has not been accurately diagnosed.

Many real, treatable diseases can cause the symptoms that are labeled "depression". Here is an example from the CDC web site: Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Symptoms.

References:
The Corrupt Alliance of the Psychiatric-Pharmaceutical Industry
Psychiatric Drug Side Effects Search Engine
Video: Where the Truth Lies
Video: What Consumer, doctors and pharmacists say about Psychiatric Drugs
Video: How to use the Psychiatric Drug Side Effects Search Engine

5 comments:

desi said...

Well said, Grahame.

I'd like to add something. For me as a Scientologist, the resolution of depression seems rather like child's play, a few simple steps taken and voila! improvement. Not to downplay the seriousness of what it feels like to be depressed, but there are steps easily taken to remedy depression. If you're curious, go ask a Scientologist. Hence the view I personally have of psychs would be akin to the one an MD has when the villager refuses his treatment because the witch doctor gave her a talisman. We already know the drugs do more harm than good. But it might take a few centuries for common knowledge to catch up with common sense. And that would be a real shame.

Jim Gatos said...

Well, I'm neither a doctor, psychiatrist, nor a Scientologist, but the idea of "pumping up" a kid with anti depressants at THAT young an age is a pretty scary thought.
That's all...

Grahame said...

Yes, VERY scary. Especially as there are no studies to show the long-term effects of these drugs on young kids.

Jim Gatos said...

Well, read THIS quote, Grahame, taken DIRECTLY from the article...

"And Cosgrove said that while early treatment is important for troubled children, "we just have to make sure that those interventions aren't compromised" by industry pressure to use drugs."

"industry pressure"? Aimed at pre-schoolers? That's really stunning! Unbelievable! So now we have whole industries pressuring us, telling us how to raise our own children? Is that how I'm reading it, or am I missing something?

Grahame said...

Hey Jim,

I think you are reading it right.

Preschoolers have become the latest target of the drug industry. They are, after all, an easy target because they have no rights. Just convince their parents that the kid needs a drug and the kid can't say no.

The parents are relatively easy to scare. The drug pushers spread around a few articles like the one you quoted and the worried parents are lining up to drug their kids.

Profits are made and the shareholders are happy.

What a screwed up world we live in.