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Why? Where is the justification for this?
The Rotenberg Center, which administrated
over 30 Electroshocks to teen in 7 hours—is
being sued
The lawsuit says that in 2002 Andre received 30 electric shocks over a seven-hour period while he was also restrained face-down
Following a year in the cross-hairs of state officials critical of its controversial electric-shock methods, the Judge RotenbergEducational Center in Canton is on the defensive again, this time fighting off a civil lawsuit in Norfolk Superior Court that has quickly attracted national and international media coverage.
Television news outlets aired disturbing video footage from 2002, shown at trial, of a teenage boy pinned down by four staffers at the center and shrieking in pain as shocks are administered.
That boy, Andre McCollins, is now 26, and his mother, Cheryl McCollins of Brooklyn, N.Y., is the plaintiff in the negligence lawsuit against theRotenberg Center and three of its psychologists. The lawsuit says that in 2002 Andre received 30 electric shocks over a seven-hour period while he was also restrained face-down.
“Other children were removed from the room and Andre continued to receive GED (Graduated Electronic Decelerator) shocks for tense-ups and screams,” the lawsuit states. As a result, the suit contends, Andre suffered permanent physical injuries and serious reversal of his psychiatric well-being.
Friday marked the fourth day of the trial, which is expected to last through next Friday with 168 potential witnesses named by both sides.
The trial and the emotional video footage shown this week have reawakened longtime critics and supporters of the Canton-based residential school and treatment program for young people with severe behavior problems.
The Rotenberg Center is believed to be the only school in the country that uses electrical shocks as aversive therapy to modify behavior.
The trial in Dedham comes a year after both the Massachusetts governor and attorney general took decisive steps to remove the founder and director of the school, and regulate the center, where many students wear backpacks containing a device called a Graduated Electronic Decelerator that connects to straps around an arm or leg. The device can deliver a two-second, surface-level shock meant to control serious mental disorders such as self-mutilation and aggression, the school says.
In court Friday, David M. O’Connor, a lawyer defending the Rotenberg Center, questioned Cheryl McCollins, trying to convince the 12-person jury that the mother knew what she was getting into with electric-shock therapy when she sent her son to the center.
“Did they explain this program before you signed the consent?” O’Connor asked.
“Yes,” McCollins said, “but they leave a lot of pertinent information out.”
McCollins’ lawsuit claims that her son received an electrical shock for aggressive behavior on a bus ride back to the school on Oct. 25, 2002, and was also restrained as he was taken into a new classroom.
When the restraints were removed a half-hour later, Andre was told by his teacher to remove his jacket but he refused and was given another shock. The lawsuit says he fell to the ground and was restrained and shocked 30 times on his torso, arms and legs from 8:55 a.m. to 4:20 p.m., “without a restroom break (or) fluids.”
A longtime critic of the Rotenberg Center, state Sen. Brian A. Joyce, D-Milton, said Thursday that he welcomed the new publicity generated by the trial and especially the emotional video footage of Andre McCollins’ treatment that day, which was recorded by the center.
“To say it’s incredibly disturbing is an understatement,” he said. “On the other hand, I am frankly elated that the world is now getting to see what’s going on in this house of horrors.”
The Facts Behind the Billion Dollar Marketing Campaign
Psychiatrists, Physicians & Psychologists That Debunk Psychiatry as a Science Read ‘Psychiatric Disorders:
“No behavior or misbehavior is a disease or can be a disease. That’s not what diseases are. Diseases are malfunctions of the human body, of the heart, the liver, the kidney, the brain. Typhoid fever is a disease. Spring fever is not a disease; it is a figure of speech, a metaphoric disease.All mental diseases are metaphoric diseases, misrepresented as real diseases and mistaken for real diseases.” — Thomas Szasz, Professor of Psychiatry Emeritus
“There are no objective tests in psychiatry-no X-ray, laboratory, or exam finding that says definitively that someone does or does not have a mental disorder.” “there is no definition of a mental disorder.” “It’s bull—. I mean, you just can’t define it.” — Allen Frances, Former DSM-IV Task Force Chairman
“In reality, psychiatric diagnosing is a kind of spiritual profiling that can destroy lives and frequently does.” — Peter Breggin, Psychiatrist
“Perhaps worst of all, these diagnoses almost inevitably lead to the prescription of psychiatric medication to you or your child. Psychiatric drugs are toxins to the brain; they work by disabling the brain.” — Peter Breggin, Psychiatrist
“…modern psychiatry has yet to convincingly prove the genetic/biologic cause of any single mental illness…Patients [have] been diagnosed with ‘chemical imbalances’ despite the fact that no test exists to support such a claim, and…there is no real conception of what a correct chemical balance would look like.” — Dr. David Kaiser, Psychiatrist
“There’s no biological imbalance. When people come to me and they say, ‘I have a biochemical imbalance,’ I say, ‘Show me your lab tests.’ There are no lab tests. So what’s the biochemical imbalance?” — Dr. Ron Leifer, Psychiatrist
“Virtually anyone at any given time can meet the criteria for bipolar disorder or ADHD. Anyone. And the problem is everyone diagnosed with even one of these ‘illnesses’ triggers the pill dispenser.” — Dr. Stefan Kruszewski, Psychiatrist
“It has occurred to me with forcible irony that psychiatry has quite literally lost its mind, and along with it the minds of the patients they are presumably suppose to care for.” —David Kaiser, Psychiatrist
“DSM-IV is the fabrication upon which psychiatry seeks acceptance by medicine in general. Insiders know it is more a political than scientific document… DSM-IV has become a bible and a money making bestseller—its major failings notwithstanding.” — Loren Mosher, M.D., Clinical Professor of Psychiatry
“All psychiatrists have in common that when they are caught on camera or on microphone, they cower and admit that there are no such things as chemical imbalances/diseases, or examinations or tests for them. What they do in practice, lying in every instance, abrogating [revoking] the informed consent right of every patient and poisoning them in the name of ‘treatment’ is nothing short of criminal.” — Dr Fred Baughman Jr., Pediatric Neurologist
“Psychiatry makes unproven claims that depression, bipolar illness, anxiety, alcoholism and a host of other disorders are in fact primarily biologic and probably genetic in origin…This kind of faith in science and progress is staggering, not to mention naïve and perhaps delusional.” — Dr. David Kaiser, psychiatrist
“In short, the whole business of creating psychiatric categories of ‘disease,’ formalizing them with consensus, and subsequently ascribing diagnostic codes to them, which in turn leads to their use for insurance billing, is nothing but an extended racket furnishing psychiatry a pseudo-scientific aura. The perpetrators are, of course, feeding at the public trough.” — Dr. Thomas Dorman, internist and member of the Royal College of Physicians of the UK
“I believe, until the public and psychiatry itself see that DSM labels are not only useless as medical ‘diagnoses’ but also have the potential to do great harm—particularly when they are used as means to deny individual freedoms, or as weapons by psychiatrists acting as hired guns for the legal system.” — Dr. Sydney Walker III, psychiatrist
“The way things get into the DSM is not based on blood test or brain scan or physical findings. It’s based on descriptions of behavior. And that’s what the whole psychiatry system is.” — Dr. Colin Ross, psychiatrist
“No biochemical, neurological, or genetic markers have been found for Attention Deficit Disorder, Oppositional Defiant Disorder, Depression, Schizophrenia, anxiety, compulsive alcohol and drug abuse, overeating, gambling or any other so-called mental illness, disease, or disorder.” — Bruce Levine, Ph.D., psychologist and author of Commonsense Rebellion
“Unlike medical diagnoses that convey a probable cause, appropriate treatment and likely prognosis, the disorders listed in DSM-IV [and ICD-10] are terms arrived at through peer consensus.” — Tana Dineen Ph.D., psychologist “It’s not science. It’s politics and economics. That’s what psychiatry is: politics and economics. Behavior control, it is not science, it is not medicine.” — Thomas Szasz, Professor of Psychiatry Emeritus
Zuma’s Believes in the minds ability to have “ups and downs” without requiring medication. Anti-psychotic medication is a slippery slope. Why not work through emotions and accept that we all have different ways of responding to the things that happen to us.
Zuma’s would like to work with you to develope systems that help you get through lifes challenges.
http://www.zumasrescueranch.com- Experiential Learning 303-346-7493 Dana Schultz MSW
Drug Use In America~ Up 80% since 2004
This publication presents national estimates of drug-related visits to hospital emergency departments (EDs) for the calendar year 2009, based on data from the Drug Abuse Warning Network (DAWN). Also presented are comparisons of 2009 estimates with those for 2004, 2007, and 2008. DAWN is a public health surveillance system that monitors drug-related ED visits for the Nation and for selected metropolitan areas. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), is the agency responsible for DAWN. SAMHSA is required to collect data on drug-related ED visits under section 505 of the Public Health Service Act.
DAWN relies on a nationally representative sample of general, non-Federal hospitals operating 24-hour EDs, with oversampling of hospitals in selected metropolitan areas. In each participating hospital, ED medical records are reviewed retrospectively to find the ED visits that involved recent drug use. All types of drugs—illegal drugs, prescription drugs, over-the-counter pharmaceuticals (e.g., dietary supplements, cough medicine), and substances inhaled for their psychoactive effects—are included. Alcohol is considered an illicit drug when consumed by patients aged 20 or younger. For patients aged 21 or older, though, alcohol is reported only when it is used in conjunction with other drugs.
Between 2004 and 2009, large increases in the involvement of non-illicit drugs (prescription drugs, over-the-counter medications, and supplements [e.g., herbal remedies]) have been observed in all types of drug-related ED visits (misuse/abuse, suicide attempts, adverse reactions, and accidental ingestions). It is likely that there multiple causes contributing to these increases. In respect to adverse reactions, some portion may be associated with the greater number of prescriptions being written and more people taking prescription drugs as part of their medical care. People of all ages are increasingly being prescribed multiple drugs simultaneously, which, in turn, has increased the possibility of unintended interactions. Polypharmacy is particularly common among older populations who are placed on long-term medication for chronic conditions, and the number of older persons in the nation is growing. In respect to misuse and abuse, these same trends have led to prescription drugs being more accessible and more easily able to be diverted. It is beyond the scope of this report to explore the causes behind the growing numbers of ED visits involving pharmaceuticals, and further analysis is needed.
All Drug-Related ED Visits
In 2009, slightly over 120 million visits were made to EDs in general-purpose hospitals in the United States, and DAWN estimates that at least 4.5 million of these visits were drug related. Drug-related ED visits have increased by over 80 percent since 2004. This increase primarily reflects greater numbers of medical emergencies associated with adverse reactions, accidental drug ingestions, and misuse or abuse of prescription drugs and over-the-counter medications.
Overall Drug Misuse or Abuse
In 2009, DAWN estimates that about 2.1 million ED visits resulted from medical emergencies involving drug misuse or abuse, the equivalent of 674.4 ED visits per year per 100,000 population. For those aged 20 or younger, the rate is 473.3 visits; for those aged 21 or older, the rate is 754.8 visits.
Of the 2.1 million visits associated with drug misuse or abuse in 2009,
- 35.3 percent involved pharmaceuticals alone,
- 23.0 percent involved illicit drugs alone,
- 10.2 percent involved illicit drugs plus alcohol,
- 11.0 percent involved pharmaceuticals plus alcohol,
- 10.0 percent involved pharmaceuticals plus illicit drugs,
- 6.7 percent involved alcohol alone in patients aged 20 or younger, and
- 3.9 percent involved pharmaceuticals and illicit drugs plus alcohol.
If you are alarmed by these figures…. You should be, an 80% increase in drug use in America also means and 80% revenue increase for pharmaceutical companies. These companies settle every law suit against their products before any media attention catches wind of the death and devastation caused by the drugs.
More people are dying due to pharmaceutical complications each year, these facts are buried by the wealthy pharma companies. The big target seems to be our children~ “addict them young and have life time customers” is the big pharma model. The proposed legislation to have “mandatory mental health screening for teens and pre teens” is just a ploy to diagnose and prescribe our youth their drugs and creat life time addicts.
If you have a child that has been given a diagnosis of:
ADD
ADHD
Bipolar Disorder
oppositional Defiance Disorder
Any Mood Disorders
PLEASE seek alternative opinions. Get out of the Medical box and look at diet, allergies, food allergies..Alternative therapy, behavioral modifications, exercise programs, sports….
Try removing all video games as they have been linked to ADD and ADHD. Limit the time spent in front of a television screen. Get kids outside in the sunshine.
Zuma’s Rescue Ranch and Experiential Learning Center has shown positive results working with children and families faced with these often misdiagnosed “disorders”.
Is Your Child Ready for School
Are you wondering if Special Education Services are a good fit for your child this next school year? Are you confused about the process? This article is aimed at answering these basic questions:
What is an IEP? Does my child need an IEP? How do I get my child an IEP? What are the differences between an IEP and a 504 plan? What are my rights as a parent? Who can help me with this process?
What is an IEP?
An IEP is an Individualized Education Program. This is a written document that states a child’s current education performance level and an individualized plan focused on meeting the child’s needs within the school environment. This document should include instruction, goals, specific services to be received, a list of staff members who will carry out these services, the standards and timelines for evaluating progress, and the amount and degree to which the child will participate with typically developing peers
in a “mainstream” classroom setting. An IEP is required for all children eligible for special education by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), which is federal law. An IEP should be developed by the child’s parent and the professionals who evaluated the child and/or will be providing services to the child.
Does my child need an IEP?
If your child is academically behind in his/her classes, has trouble with content comprehension, is easily distracted, acts out in class, learns differently than other students and/or requires classroom accommodations, your child may benefit from special education services.
How do I get my child an IEP?
In order for students to receive special education services they must be found eligible under special education law. Eligibility is determined by an evaluation process. Before the school district can evaluate a child, the district must obtain the parent’s written informed consent. This means that if you want to have your child evaluated for special education services, you must put the request in writing! A school district does not have to act on a verbal request. Once a written request is made, the school district must complete the special education evaluation/testing within 60 days, according to federal IDEA law. Once the evaluation is complete, the school will contact you to set a meeting to go over the results of the evaluation. The school must provide parents with a copy of the evaluation report and a written documentation of eligibility. If your child is eligible for special education services, the next step is the creation of the IEP. It is important for parents to understand the evaluation results before beginning to develop the IEP. Parents should request a copy of the evaluation report summary before the initial IEP meeting and ask to have the results explained to them in plain language by a professional from the school. An IEP should be developed through collaboration between the school and the parent. Beware of school districts that have an IEP drafted before the initial meeting and simply ask the parent to sign the document at the meeting! The parent should be involved in the creation of this document! Once this initial meeting takes place, there should be an annual review staffing for the first two years and a triennial staffing the third year. There may also be additional review meetings as needed. As a parent you have a right to attend all meetings and request additional review meetings if you feel they are needed.
What are the differences between and IEP and a 504 plan?
Zuma's Class Room Helps Kids Learn Through Experience
A 504 Plan comes from Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. This is a civil rights law rather than a special education law. This act protects the rights of all persons with disabilities from discrimination. The definition of a “handicapping condition” under Section 504 is much broader than the definition of a disability under IDEA. Therefore, a student could qualify for services under Section 504 and not qualify under IDEA. To qualify under Section 504 a person must have a physical or mental impairment which substantially limits one or more life activities; have record of such impairment; or is regarded as having such impairment. Under Section 504, a person’s physical or mental impairment must have a substantial limitation on one or more major life activities. These activities include caring for one’s self, performing manual tasks, walking, seeing, hearing, speaking, breathing, working and learning. If a student is found to be eligible under Section 504, a written plan called a Section 504 Accommodation Plan will be developed. This plan must outline the services, accommodations, and modifications required by the school to afford the
student learning opportunities equal to those of students who do not have a disability. Every school has a 504 coordinator and a 504 team that is separate from the special education team.
What are my rights as a parent?
· You have the right to free and appropriate public education for your child in the school setting that allows the most contact with typically developing children while still meeting the unique needs of your child.
· You have the right to be fully informed of your rights by the school.
· You have the right to request an evaluation for special education services if you feel your child needs and could benefit from these services.
· You have the right to have your child tested in his/her primary language.
· You have the right to an independent evaluation if you disagree with the results of the school’s evaluation.
· You have the right to be notified any time the school wishes to evaluate your child or change your child’s placement according to the IEP. You also have a right to be notified any time the school denies your request for an evaluation or change in your child’s placement.
· You have the right to participate in the development of your child’s IEP. You have a right to attend all IEP review meetings. The school must make every effort to notify you of meetings and to schedule these meetings at a time and place that is convenient for you.
· The school must re-evaluate your child every three years, but you have the right to request a re-evaluation at any time.
You have the right to review and have a copy of all of your child’s records. You have the right to request that information about your child in his/her school records be changed or information be
added that you feel is important to the education of your child.
Who can help me with this process?
· The Arcs in Colorado: 1-800-333-7690 http://www.thearccofco.org
The Arc provides advocates who will attend IEP meetings with you. The Arc of Colorado has a list of statewide Arcs on their website
· EMPOWER Colorado: 1-800-881-8272 http://www.empowercolorado.com
Support, education and advocacy for parents
· Family Voices: 303-733-3000 http://www.familyvoices.org
Advocacy , parent assistance in navigating health care systems for children with special needs
· Federation of Families for Children’s Mental Health: coloradofederation.org
Promotes mental health for all children, youth and families
· Parent to Parent of Colorado: 1-877-472-7201 http://www.p2p-co.org
One to one parent matching. Up-to-date information and referral
· PEAK- Colorado’s Parent Training and Information Center: 1-800-284-0251 http://www.peakparent.org
Parent advisors who provide information about the special education process and parents’ rights
· PEP- Parents Encouraging Parents: 303-866-6846 http://www.cde.state.co.us/cdesped/PEP.asp
Brings together parents and professionals for education on supporting your child in the school and the community
Article by: Gina Shuster, LSW
Equine Therapy for The Elderly
By Jae Rauhut:
Zuma's Horse Help Both Young and Old
Equine therapy involves the use of horses in a treatment plan for various mental, emotional and physical health issues for children, adults and seniors. Licensed professionals oversee equine therapy programs. Equine therapy encompasses a broad category of treatments including equine-assisted activity and therapy (EAAT), equine-facilitated psychotherapy (EFP) and hippotherapy. Equine therapy has the potential to improve certain conditions that the elderly often face, such as cognitive dysfunctions, mental illness, depression, anxiety and impaired motor function.
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Early History
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People have recognized the therapeutic benefits of the horse since 460 B.C. when Hippocrates shared his thoughts on the healthy pace of the horse. There are references throughout history about the physical and emotional benefits of riding. In 1875, the French neurologist, Chassaignac, studied the therapeutic effect of riding a horse and found that the riding action helped his patients’ balance, muscle tone and emotional condition. From this, he concluded that riding a horse would benefit paraplegics and patients with other neurological orders.
Modern Equine Therapy
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In 1918, physiotherapist Olive Sands allowed Oxford Hospital in Great Britain to use her horses in an experiment involving animal therapy with war veterans. The results were considered successful. During the 1952 Olympic games, Liz Hartel, a paralyzed dressage rider, won a Silver Medal and inspired the world to take notice of therapeutic riding and to establish therapeutic riding programs.
Equine Therapy and Seniors
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The medical community considers pet therapy a valid way to improve the mental, emotional and physical health of the elderly. This acceptance, combined with the growing body of knowledge about the positive results of equine therapy, has led to the development of several equine therapy programs at senior care locations. For example, the Equine Activities Program in Deerings Nursing and Rehabilitation in Odessa, Texas reports dramatic results of their program. Administrators say seniors in the program have improved walking and balance, speech function, and mental and emotional states.
Equine Therapy and Mental Health
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Equine-assisted psychotherapy is effective in helping the elderly who suffer from depression, feelings of isolation, anxiety and other psychological issues. Society and Animals, a journal of human and animal studies, published the results of an April 2007 study, title “The Effectiveness of Equine-Assisted Experiential Therapy: Results of an Open Clinical Trial” that investigated the effect of equine-assisted psychotherapy on patients with mental health issues. The study found that equine therapy improved the psychological condition of the participants, even in a six-month follow-up. The article documents that the patients in the study were, “(a) more oriented in the present; (b) better able to live more fully in the here-and-now; (c) less burdened by regrets, guilt, and resentments; (d) less focused on fears related to the future; (e) more independent; and (f ) more self supportive.”
Miniature Horses for Equine Therapy
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Not all senior care centers have the space or finances to accommodate an equine-therapy program. However, altruistic individuals are finding creative ways to bring the healing power of horses to those in need. A CBC News story reports that miniature horses are being used to visit seniors, care homes for adults and children with special needs in Canada. Mary Gallant, an equine therapist, is behind the program to bring miniature horses to various centers, where they provide residents with physical and mental therapy. The miniature horses appear to have a positive effect on the people they visit and help to elevate their spirits, according to the report.
Zuma’s Rescue Ranch
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Zuma’s Rescue Ranch, located in Littleton Colorado provides a place for both the very young and the very old to find a place to get the most out of life. From Equine Assisted Therapy Programs to Old Fashion BBQ and Hay Rides Zuma’s provides a great place to gather and have a good time. If you are interested in a place for the entire family to find something to feel good about, join the family at Zuma’s. Get involved, Have Fun and Give Back~
Drugs are not the only way~
Welcome! Please spend a minute reading the following – it is worth your while!
You may have been consuming drugs for health – but getting sickly more and more? Did you ever think why? Drugs don’t cure! Do you know that? They only relieve or control..! Medicines alone help cure! Actually Body & Mind can completely cure themselves with the right kind of help. Do you know the actual difference between a drug and a medicine? Contrary to the normal belief that they are synonyms (same) – they are actually antonyms (opposite). Drugs take away control of your body & mind from You! Medicines reverse this and restore the control back to You!
Let me elaborately clarify here how it is so …
Read More ….
Drug: A drug is a chemical substance that takes control of your body or mind depending on its own inherent nature. For example – when you take a sleeping pill, it puts you to sleep no matter how much you want to be awake! It rules over your body & mind. You can repeat this exercise many times – and you will experience the same every time.
It does not stop there! Subsequently when you want to sleep, it will make your body ask for the pill again. As you start yielding to its demand, it will keep asking progressively for more and more pills for the same amount of sleep while reducing the quality of sleep! You will finally end up in a state that – unless you have many pills each time – you simply cannot have even normal sleep – which is so natural to all living creatures. By now you have become totally a slave to that pill. Pill is the lord & master! This state is called drug dependence. Your life will not be under your control – but the drug.
Same is the case with a pain killer. Pain killer does not resolve the core problem of trauma. It makes you forget it (not feel it) for some temporary period of hours. Pain will reappear shortly as the cause of pain is not addressed and remains unresolved – you will again be forced to seek the help of a pain killer. This process will progress slowly and steadily asking for larger and larger dosage every time. Pain killer becomes the master and you the slave again!
The story is no different with pills for Hypertension (BP) or Diabetes or any other diseases. An acute condition becomes chronic and you are the permanent victim.
All drugs finally create market for more number of new drugs to counteract and compensate for their ill effects! Your body will end up becoming the warehouse of different dumped drugs – and they will not simply sit there – but harm immensely.
Drug takes away control of your body & mind from you – to dictate your life!
Medicine: Medicine is the substance that helps restore “normalcy” to your body & mind. Normalcy is actually nothing but your volitional control over your own body & mind. Hence its action can be seen to be the exact opposite of the drug. The proof of that helpful action of medicine is – that you will never require a medicine compulsively, threatening discomfort and danger when not taken on time. Have you seen the cases of patients of – Diabetes & BP – resulting in other terrible complications when the prescription drug is not taken on time every day? This is because the control is with the drugs here.
But in the case of medicines – control over your body & mind is normally handed back to you – with a little bit of help from the right medicine. Medicine has very close similarity with food & rest in its basic action.
For example: When you are thirsty or dehydrated – you cannot function normally! Then pure water works like medicine. When you are hungry or famished – simple food works like medicine. When you are tired & fatigued – normal sleep works like medicine. Medicines are generally harmless when there is no excess or abuse.
The key factor is restoration of normalcy –or- the functional ability!
All substances can be made to work in 3-planes …viz … Food, Medicine or Poison!
Let me give an example. Common table salt (sodium chloride) is food and a taste enhancer. It is also a life saver in cases of dehydration as a part of saline water. Mind you – it can kill too in cases of Hypertension! How come – it is the same substance? Yes! The difference is how is it taken and how much.
When food is made to act like a medicine – there are normally no adverse side-effects! This is the boon of VedaCeuticals® a new science & technology! VedaCeuticals® is the important and integral part of Holistic Health.
You can be self sufficient – and there by self dependent. If you have the will & resolve – we have the know-how & do-how. All that you need is to make up your mind and ask – and we will provide all the wisdom that we have gained – the hard way!
There is more to your diagnosis than you know~ Beware
Pharma-Funded Psychiatrists Behind Bogus Child ‘Bi-Polar’
Epidemic- Disciplined for Conflicts of Interest
Harvard Psychiatrists Disciplined for Conflicts of Interest
Alliance for Human Research Protection – July 21, 2011
by Vera Sherav
Psychiatrist Joseph Biederman was funded millions by Pharma while promoting child “bipolar” disorder
The primary promoters–inventors, one might say– of diagnosing children with “bipolar” disorder, who for over a decade, aggressively promoted the biopolar diagnosis and use of antipsychotics in children, were disciplined by Harvard University and its affiliated Massachusetts General Hospital.
An investigation, prompted by Sen. Charles Grassely, was conducted by Harvard University-affiliated Massachusetts General Hospital. It concluded (earlier this month) that psychiatrist Joseph Biederman and two of his proteges, Thomas Spencer and Timothy Wilens -each of who failed to disclose millions of dollars they had each received from the makers of antipsychotics, the drugs they promoted for the treatment of bipolar in children–had indeed violated the University’s/ and hospital’s conflict of interest reporting standards.
The three wrote a mea culpa letter stating “we want to offer our sincere apologies…” acknowledging “our mistakes…”
However, no mention was made anywhere about the profound consequences of these psychiatritsts’ commercially-driven clinical recommendations. No mention about the corruption of the scientific literature, about clinical practice that deviated from the Hippocratic Oath, “First, do no harm,” nor was any mention made about the harm suffered by children whose doctors were misled about the safety and efficacy of highly toxic drugs.
Child psychiatrists and pediatricians throughout the US were guided by these exceedingly influential Harvard psychiatrists.
As Sen. Chuck Grassley noted in 2008 in the Congressional Record, “they are some of the top psychiatrists in the country, and their research is some of the most important in the field. {But] They have also taken millions of dollars from the drug companies.”
The companies that paid them millions include: Eli Lilly, Johnson & Johnson, Pfizer, GlaxoSmithKline and Bristol-Myers Squibb.
The Senator brought public attention–and to Harvard University administrators’ attention–the financial conflicts of interest, “Out of concern about the relationship between this money and their research.”
Indeed, documents uncovered during litigation confirmed that the research was scientifically corrupt and commercially-driven. The New York Times reported that Dr. Biederman promised Johnson a& Johnson that a study (yet to be conducted) in preschool children who would be given the company’s antipsychotic, Risperdal (risperidone) “will support the safety and effectiveness of Risperdal in this age group.”
“The psychiatrist, Dr. Joseph Biederman, outlined plans to test Johnson & Johnson’s drugs in presentations to company executives. One slide referred to a proposed trial in preschool children of risperidone, an antipsychotic drug made by the drug company. The trial, the slide stated, “will support the safety and effectiveness of risperidone in this age group.”
Dr. Biederman was the lead author of a trial published last year concluding that treatment with risperidone improved symptoms of attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder in bipolar children.”
Another of Biederman’s Harvard ignoble disciples was Jeff Bostic, who is also at Massachusetts General Hospital. He was named in a 2009 lawsuit joined by the US Department of Justice alleging Forest Laboratories promoted its antidepressants for pediatric use without FDA approval and paid kickbacks to docs to encourage prescriptions. He received $750,000 in payments for giving talks on using these drugs in children.
Strangely, the National Institute for Mental Health, which had awarded thse psychiatrists millions of dollars at taxpayers expense. It appears that NIMH officials did not see fit to even conduct an investigation into the corruption of science and violation of federal regulations. This demonstrates a lack of professional and moral integrity at the NIMH whose administrators think nothing about the misappropriation of public money for commercially-driven, junk research.
http://www.ahrp.org/cms/content/view/828/9/
Backstory from Pharmalot:
Pharmalot
Harvard Docs Disciplined For Conflicts Of Interest
By Ed Silverman // July 2nd, 2011 // 9:03 am
Three years after they were fingered in a US Senate probe into the interplay between academics who receive grant money from both pharma and the National Institutes of Health, three prominent psychiatrists from Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital have been sanctioned for violating conflict of interest rules and failing to report the extent of their payments.
In a mea culpa addressed to their colleagues, Joseph Biederman, Thomas Spencer and Timothy Wilens wrote that “we want to offer our sincere apologies to HMS and MGH communities…We always believed we were complying in good faith with the institutional polices and our mistakes were honest ones. We now recognize that we should have devoted more time and attention to the detailed requirements of these policies and to their underlying objectives.”
And what is their punishment? They must refrain from “all industry-sponsored outside activities” for one year; for two years after the ban ends, they must obtain permission from the med school and the hospital before engaging in any of these activities and they must report back afterward; they must undergo certain training and they face delays before being considered for promotion or advancement (you can read their letter here).
The hospital had this to say: “A committee at Massachusetts General Hospital that has been looking into conflict-of-interest questions involving three MGH child psychiatrists has completed its review. Appropriate remedial actions have been taken by the hospital to address specific issues (read the statement). And a Harvard Med School spokesman sent us this: “We confirm that the review of their compliance with the Harvard Medical School Policy on Conflicts of Interest and Commitment has concluded, and appropriate actions have been taken.” He added that the conflicts policy was revised last year.
The sanctions result from a long-standing controversy over the explosive use of antipsychotics in children. Biederman, in particular (see photo), had been one of the most influential researchers in child psychiatry. Although his studies were small and often financed by drugmakers, his work helped fuel a 40-fold increase from 1994 to 2003 in the diagnosis of pediatric bipolar disorder.
For more than a decade, Biederman and his colleagues aggressively promoted the diagnosis and use of antipsychotics to treat childhood bipolar disorder, a problem that once was largely believed to be confined to adults. But the docs maintained this was underdiagnosed in kids and the meds could be used for treatment, even though they had not been approved for most pediatric use at the time. Meanwhile, the relationships with drugmakers were never properly disclosed (back story).
And for years, payments they received from drugmakers were not thoroughly reported to university officials. Yet, millions of dollars in NIH grants, which were administered by the hospital, were awarded to the docs at the same time they were receiving money from various drugmakers that make and sell antipsychotics and antidepressants. Which ones? Eli Lilly, Johnson & Johnson, Pfizer, GlaxoSmithKline and Bristol-Myers Squibb.
At one point, Biederman pushed J&J to fund a research center at MassGen that would focus on the use of its Risperdal antipsychotic in children, well before the med was approved for pediatric use. He was then placed in charge of the institute and began a study of 40 children between 4 and 6 years old who were given Risperdal and Lilly’s Zyprexa, another antipsychotic. At the time, Harvard and MGH rules forbid researchers from running trials with drugmakers if they receive more than $10,000 from a company that makes the drug (back story).
But in June 2008, US Senator Chuck Grassley made a far-reaching statement before Congress that pulled the curtain back on the money involved. The statement is memorialized in the Congressional Record. Referring to the three docs, he said “they are some of the top psychiatrists in the country, and their research is some of the most important in the field. They have also taken millions of dollars from the drug companies.”
“Out of concern about the relationship between this money and their research, I asked Harvard and Mass General Hospital last October to send me the conflict of interest forms that these doctors had submitted to their institutions. Universities often require faculty to fill these forms out so that we can know if the doctors have a conflict of interest. The forms I received were from the year 2000 to the present. Basically, these forms were a mess. My staff had a hard time figuring out which companies the doctors were consulting for and how much money they were making.”
How much were they making? At first, maybe a couple of hundred thousand dollars combined. But at his behest, the med school and hospital asked the docs to take a second look. “And this is when things got interesting. Dr. Biederman suddenly admitted to over $1.6 million dollars from the drug companies. And Dr. Spencer also admitted to over $1 million. Meanwhile, Dr. Wilens also reported over $1.6 million in payments from the drug companies.
“The question you might ask is: Why weren’t Harvard and Mass General watching over these doctors? The answer is simple: They trusted these physicians to honestly report this money.” And as Grassley then noted, there was still more money that went unreported (to read the Congressional record, click here and then check the box for 2008 and type in the name ‘Biederman’ in the search box. Then click on ‘payments to physicians’ to read the complete statement and the chart showing payments to each doc).
Horse Whispering at Zuma’s~
Horse Whisperers
Maybe you saw the movie or read the book. These are extraordinary people for certain, but a fellow Zumateer (Katya) aptly said to me, “We are all horse whisperers.” I have observed Katya as she ground works horses and wished I had the “gift.” She has kindly given me pointers and a short round penning lesson. My interest was piqued, so when Diego came to Zuma’s with ground lessons, I eagerly joined his class. Everything about my relationship with horses has changed.
Grooming and preparing my horse to ride was always a means to an end. All I wanted was to get on and ride. To be sure, I love the smell and feel of the barn and horses, but riding was the ultimate goal. So much has changed since I have been introduced to ground training by Katya and Diego. Connection and trust with these wonderful, powerful animals is amazing; and, we all can experience this from the ground.
As riders we learn our horse’s language, and we can detect the slightest change in demeanor from atop his/her back or by observing body cues from the ground. Great. Even better is the experience of teaching and working with the same horse on the ground. Feeling the relationship with your horse change from detached boss/employee to trusted leader/partner is incomparable.
Now when I ride, my horse is more confident in me, as I am in her. Ground lessons have brought about this change. Seeing this same confidence in an inexperienced horseperson or child, who is timid and afraid with horses or in life, makes the statement even stronger. That which we learn on the ground with our horse transfers to our riding experience and to life relationships and behaviors.
We all can whisper to our horses. Diego can teach you, too, whether you are a rider or not. Make the connection and learn about relationships through a horse.
Contributed by Sally Loan ~ Horse Whisperer in Training
Zuma’s June 2011 Spotlight Volunteers ~
Zuma’s
June 2011 Spotlight
Volunteers
Lindsey Spears ~ Superior Weed Wacking Ability
Amanda Sapir~ Outstanding Organizational Skills
Sally loan~ Camp Counselor Extrodinaire
Nikki Grover~ Mane Event Committee Life Saver
Vickeye Strobel-Theresa Johnson-Shirley Treichel
Gardeners with Green Thumbs
Mike Worcester~ Master of the Mower
None of what we do for Children and Horses would be possible without the selfless efforts of these and all of Zuma’s Volunteers
THANKS!
Please step out of the box you have been painted into~
There are no genetic tests, no brain scans, blood tests, chemical imbalance tests or X-rays that can scientifically/medically prove that any psychiatric label is a real medical condition.
Equine Assisted Programs Help Children Overcome these Labels.
Vancouver, British Columbia — (SBWIRE) — 04/25/2011 — A new must-see video produced by the Citizens Commission on Human Rights International graphically demonstrates the fraudulent nature of psychiatry’s labels.
In real life, 20 million children are now wearing these labels that are based solely on a checklist of behaviors. There are no brain scans, x-rays, genetic or blood tests that can prove the scientific validity of any of the psychiatric labels, yet these children are prescribed dangerous and life-threatening psychiatric drugs based on nothing more than the invented label.
Child drugging is a $4.8 billion-a-year industry.
The psychiatric/pharmaceutical industry spends billions of dollars a year in order to convince the public, legislators and the press that these labels such as Bi-Polar Disorder, Depression, (ADD/ADHD), Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, etc., are medical diseases on par with verifiable medical conditions such as cancer, diabetes and heart disease. This is simply a way to maintain their hold on a $84 billion dollar-a-year psychiatric drug industry that is based on marketing and not science.
Brian Beaumont, president of the Vancouver chapter of the Citizens Commission on Human Rights (CCHR) said, “Unlike real medical disease, there are no scientific tests to verify the medical existence of any psychiatric disorder. Falsely labeling children is fraud and drugging these children is child abuse”.
Despite decades of trying to prove mental disorders are biological brain conditions, due to chemical imbalances or genetic factors, psychiatry has failed to prove even one of their hundreds of so-called mental disorders is due to a faulty or “chemically imbalanced” brain”.
http://www.sbwire.com/press-releases/sbwire-89685.htm
To find out more about psychiatric diagnosing, labels and drugs, click here: http://www.cchrint.org/psychiatric-disorders/
