Posts Tagged ‘Freedom of Information Act’

Psychiatrist Patrick McGorry Ticked Off CCHR’s Busted Him Over Bogus “Early Intervention” Claims

Thursday, April 21st, 2011

Psychiatrist Patrick McGorry promotes a highly dangerous and outrageous agenda of pre-diagnosing youth as mentally ill "before" they develop it...

Seroxat Sufferers – April 21, 2011

by Bobby Fiddaman

I had to laugh at the article from the Herald written last August.

It would appear that Australian psychiatrist Patrick McGorry [originally an Irish born lad] doesn’t like it when he is brought to task regarding his early intervention claims [He can predict if a child can get a mental disorder in later years you know]

The article,  written by Brigid O’Connell, lays claim that McGorry has become the target by the Church of Scientology after he and other psychiatrists spoke out against them.

I think you will find that it’s the other way around.

The Citizens Commission on Human Rights [CCHR] have, for a long time, been on McGorry’s back. Where McGorry gets confused [bless him] is that CCHR is not the Church of Scientology. Okay, CCHR was founded by the Church [and actually also a psychiatrist Thomas Szasz, who no doubt wouldn't agree with your "early intervention" drugging kids fad either] but they are funded by Tom, Dick and Harry…that is, by anyone concerned enough about human rights.

CCHR have requested documents under the Freedom of Information Act. Documents that may or may not show McGorry’s links to the pharmaceutical industry. We are not talking about a free dinner here, we are talking millions of Aussie dollars.

You see, McGorry has devised a program whereby it could be…um…guessed through early intervention if children would develop a mental disorder in later years. Your modern day DeLorean time machine if you will.

One would imagine that such a test would involve some sort of brain scanning machine or maybe a series of blood tests. Nope… just form filling or rather box-ticking. That’s all the info the early intervention program needs to diagnose [stigmatise] a child…or rather “predict” if a child will fall foul to a mental disorder. Hey, and McGorry and friends know exactly how to treat this invisible futuristic illness too.

I find it odd that McGorry would cry victim, even more so that he would claim to be the target of “harassment.” Would he do the same if Joe Bloggs requested information under the Freedom of Information Act or is he just pissed at CCHR? If the Catholic Church were to request such documents would McGorry & Co scream that they were being victimised?

For the record Paddy [McGorry], I’m not a great fan of yours either. I’d also like to see if you are funded by the industry and would ideally love to take a ride in your Delorean to predict now if I will get an ingrowing toenail when I’m 55. “Please Massa, show me the boxes to tick. I promise to be a gooooood patient”

Oh, I’m not a Scientologist either but have won two human rights awards from CCHR. Geez, they must have “brainwashed” me [which, by the way Paddy, only your drugs can do]…can your early intervention program undo what they have done to my brain? Can you give me some drugs please Paddy?

Come on Paddy, be a good little psychiatrist and show the world that you have nothing to hide…unless of course you have something to hide? Show the Aussie government the $3.5 billion “investment” plan for its kids you want to rip off the taxpayers isn’t gonna be used to put them on antipsychotics that those drug companies which probably fund you are going to benefit from. Is this really why you feel harassed – you may not get your booty?

The only way people can seek the truth is by going through proper channels, namely by using the Freedom of Information Act. That’s their given right, Paddy! Everyone has a right to use this tool be they Scientologists, a human rights movement, someone who claims to be from the planet Zog or someone who has delusions that Shania Twain will one day mattress dance with them.

Oh by the way, I walk under ladders as I’m not very superstitious – if I were to avoid walking under ladders I’m sure your profession would label me with some disorder, have me drugged to the eyeballs, restrained and injected with experimental drugs. Maybe you can tell me if I will walk under ladders in future years?

Face it, your crystal ball is no more effective than a fortune teller at the end of a seaside pier. At least she has the signs outside telling customers that she is paid for her crystal ball gazing.

It never ceases to amaze me that when psychiatrists are backed into a corner they scream victim. When their patients are backed into a corner, restrained, injected and/or force-fed psychiatric drugs they have no choice but to take it on the chin.

Your Delorean needs a new flux capacitator Paddy. CCHR are coming to getcha…and there are many who support their work.

Bob Fiddaman
Shania Twain fan.

http://fiddaman.blogspot.com/2011/04/psychiatrist-patrick-mcgorry-slams-his.html

Read more about Patrick McGorry here: Prison Planet -Pharma Backed Australian of the Year Psychiatrist Wants Millions in Government Funding for Brave New World of Pre-Drugging Kids

http://www.prisonplanet.com/pharma-backed-australian-of-the-year-psychiatrist-wants-millions-in-government-funding-for-brave-new-world-of-%E2%80%9Cpre-drugging%E2%80%9D-kids.html

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Pharmaceutical companies deceive public—case in point; Antidepressants

Thursday, July 29th, 2010

The Star Phoenix
By Mark Lemstra
July 29, 2010

We could save $2 billion a year on health-care costs in Saskatchewan while improving health outcomes if we adopt evidence-based protocols.

To do so, we need to find about $40 million of efficiency in each of about 50 areas.

This is the third article in a five-part series on depression. My first column discussed the limitations in diagnosing depression. The second presented literature reviews that concluded antidepressants are no more effective than placebos in treating depression.

This column explains how the drug companies deceive us. Let’s start with some general information and proceed to specific examples for antidepressants.

In 2008, the editor of the New England Journal of Medicine wrote an editorial for the Journal of the American Medical Association, titled: Industry sponsored research: A broken system?

Based on her tenure as the editor of the world’s most prestigious medical journal, Dr. Marcia Angell made some accusations. She wrote that drug companies often design studies, conduct the data analysis, decide which data will be included or suppressed, write the papers, pay for prestigious clinicians to put their name on papers already written by the drug company, and then decide how and when the paper will be published.

Dr. Angell concluded: “Drug companies now finance most clinical research on prescription drugs, and there is mounting evidence that they often skew the research they sponsor to make their drugs look better and safer. Physicians can no longer rely on the medical literature for valid and reliable information.”

She also published a best selling and award-winning novel, The Truth about Drug Companies: How They Deceive Us and What to Do About It.

Let’s look at some examples from anti-depressants.

A research team from the United States, which was skeptical about the benefits of antidepressants, used the Freedom of Information Act to obtain results from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for all placebo-controlled trials. The team was startled to learn that 40 per cent of the studies had been suppressed because of negative results.

When all the studies were included, incorporating the negative studies, the authors concluded that “antidepressants are little more than active placebos, drugs with very little specific benefit, but with serious side-effects.”

The resulting publication in Prevention and Treatment made headlines around the world. And although regulatory agencies in Europe have begun to respond, there has been no response in North America.

At this point, let’s discuss the potential side-effects of antidepressants in a review from Harvard Medical School, titled: What are the real risks of antidepressants?

The most serious of these includes the increased risk of attempted suicide, especially among children. Other side-effects include insomnia, skin rashes, headaches, joint and muscle pain, stomach upset, nausea, diarrhea, reduced blood clotting capacity, stomach bleeding, uterine bleeding, tics, muscle spasms, trembling limbs, restlessness, severe anxiety, reduced sexual interest, reduced sexual performance, reduced sexual satisfaction, disturbed heart rhythms and reduced liver function.

There are also complications when antidepressants are taken with other drugs, and there is a long list of side-effects when antidepressant use is discontinued, including dizziness, loss of co-ordination, fatigue, burning sensations, blurred vision, insomnia, vivid dreams, nausea, diarrhea, flu-like symptoms, irritability, anxiety and crying spells.

Recently, the antidepressant Serzone was removed from the market after it was associated with hepatitis and liver failure.

The most worrisome side-effect is the increased risk of suicide attempt so let’s take a closer look.

Another review from the Food and Drug Administration found that not only do antidepressants provide no benefit to children, but the drugs are associated with a 50 per cent increase in suicidal behaviour.

Regrettably, these negative results, too, were buried by the drug companies.

Read the rest of this article here:  http://www.thestarphoenix.com/news/Pharmaceutical+companies+deceive+public/3336124/story.html

Previous articles in this series: Effect of antidepressants, placebos similar by Mark Lemstra
http://www.thestarphoenix.com/health/Effect+antidepressants+placebos+similar/3307896/story.html

Expanding mental disorders list adds to cost by Mark Lemstra
http://www.thestarphoenix.com/health/Expanding+mental+disorders+list+adds+cost/3280676/story.html

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Freedom of Information Act request made to Pentagon officials regarding alarming drug overdoses in our armed forces

Monday, June 7th, 2010

Air Force Times
By Andrew Tilghman and Brendan McGarry
June 6, 2010

Prescription drug cocktails have lead to at least 32 accidental overdoses among Marines and soldiers since 2007, bringing military medical practices for treating physical and psychiatric problems under scrutiny.

At least 30 soldiers and two Marines overdosed while under the care of Army Warrior Transition Units or the Marine Corps Wounded Warrior Regiment, created three years ago to tightly focus care and attention on troops suffering from injuries as a result of combat.

Most of the troops had been prescribed “drug cocktails,” combinations of drugs including painkillers, sleeping pills, antidepressants and anti-anxiety drugs, interviews and records show. In all cases, suicide was ruled out.

Army officials say the deaths are often complicated by troops mixing medications with alcohol, taking their own medications incorrectly or without a prescription.

It is unclear how many troops across the entire military have died from drug toxicity. Pentagon officials have not provided information about accidental drug deaths across the military despite a Military Times Freedom of Information Act request submitted nearly two months ago. Data on military deaths is compiled by the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology and maintained at the Pentagon’s Defense Manpower Data Center.

The Army deaths have shocked that service’s medical community and prompted an internal review. But despite a “safety stand down” in January 2009, the number of fatalities continued to rise last year — to 15 in 2009, up from 11 the year before. Meanwhile the total number of soldiers assigned to the 29 WTUs nationwide dropped from about 12,000 to about 9,000.

The internal review found the biggest risk factor may be putting a soldier on numerous drugs simultaneously, a practice known as polypharmacy. According to an Army analysis from June 2009, about 9 percent of WTU patients — 800 soldiers — were prescribed a combination of drugs that included pain, psychiatric and sleep medications.

As a result, the Army medical community has begun to question the widespread practice of polypharmacy and has quietly overhauled the way it prescribes, distributes and monitors the riskiest drugs.

Read entire article:  http://www.airforcetimes.com/news/2010/06/military_drug_deaths_060710w/

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