THE SILENT DEATH OF AMERICA’S CHILDRENru.cchr.org/sites/default/files/The_Silent_Death... · THE SILENT DEATH OF AMERICA’S CHILDREN. A MATTER OF LIFE OR DEATH ... drugging our

Presented to the President’s New Freedom Commissionon Mental Health, Los Angeles, 13 November, 2002

Citizens Commission on Human Rights International6616 Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90028

(323) 467-4242 or (800) 869-2247E-mail: [email protected] • Website: http://www.fightforkids.com

THESILENT DEATHOF AMERICA’S

CHILDREN

A MATTER OF LIFE OR DEATH“Shaina looked into my eyes as her life ended and I could do nothing to saveher. It’s been two years and I relive those last few minutes every day. Believeme, it is a nightmare no parent should ever have to live with.”

Mrs. Vicky Dunkle, whose daughter, Shaina, died oftoxic levels of a prescribed psychotropic drug

THE SILENT DEATH OF AMERICA’S CHILDREN ®

The Citizens Commission on HumanRights (CCHR) acknowledges theproblems and needs of young

individuals and their need for excellentcare. These things are self-evident.

However, it seems that many in our mentalhealth system are unaware that parentslooking for help do not expect theirchildren to be harmed during the course ofpsychiatric “treatment,” let alone killed.

Today, the mental health treatment of ouryoung is a life or death gamble and, giventhe growing number of fatalities, a roll ofthe dice not to be taken lightly. No longeris it a question of whether children diefrom psychiatric treatments, but ratherwhose child will be next. It’s a question ofwhether parents are willing to bet theirchild’s life on subjective psychiatricdiagnoses and dangerous mind-alteringdrugs and treatments.

The horror stories of parents whounwittingly gambled by trusting themental health system with the lives of theirchildren are tragic—and parents aredevastated by the fact that they nevereven knew the level of risks involved.

As the following shocking summaryreveals, far too many parents have

unwittingly taken the bet and suffered theultimate loss. Too late they learned thatwhen children are subjected to psychiatricdrugs and “treatments,” it’s literally a gameof Russian Roulette. At stake was the lifeof their child.

It is absolutely vital that any assessment ofthe effectiveness of our mental healthsystem or its funding, consider theatrocious record of abuse, fraud and deaththat now characterizes the expandingmental treatment of our children, andothers.

Sincerely,

Jan EastgatePresident CCHRInternational

Bruce WisemanNational U.S.President, CCHR

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THE SILENT DEATH OF AMERICA’S CHILDREN

IN MEMORY OF…“I cannot go back and change things for us at this point. However, I hope toGod my story and information will reach the hearts and minds of manyfamilies, so they can make an educated decision.”

Mr. Lawrence Smith, whose son died from heart failure caused by a prescribed stimulant

Child Death By Drugs

Millions of school-age children arediagnosed with alleged mentaldisorders such as Attention Deficit

Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). By talkingout of turn, being distracted, not followingdirections and fidgeting, a child can belabeled and subsequently drugged. Thesame subjective “criteria” are used todiagnose toddlers who are then put onpowerful mind-altering drugs—often beforethey are able to form a complete sentence.

While the term “medication” iseuphemistically used in the mental healthsystem, the truth is that millions of childrenare simply being heavily drugged. One ofthe most common drugs used to treat“ADHD” is listed as a Schedule II controlledsubstance—in the same category as opium,morphine, heroin and cocaine.

Parents are typically told that the drugsprescribed to treat their children aremodern, safe and effective, contradictingnumerous studies and reports documentingtheir known dangers and side effects.Such side effects include stunted growth,weight loss, manic behavior, future drugdependence, heart palpitations, cardiacarrhythmia, anxiety, agitation, insomnia,bizarre dreams, suicidal thoughts, violentbehavior, and even death.

Long after the utmost tragedy has struck,more and more parents are left desperatelygrasping for answers. And the onequestion that continues to haunt them is“Why wasn’t I warned?”

MATTHEW SMITH, 1986 - 2000

MatthewSmith likedriding hisbike, playingsoftball, andhad aparticularpassion forbuildingforts.According tohis father,Mr. LawrenceSmith, “Thetrouble allstarted for

Matthew in the first grade, when theschool social worker kept calling us in formeetings, complaining that Matthew was‘fidgeting’ and ‘easily distracted.’” Theywere told Matthew had ADHD. “She toldmy wife and I that if we wouldn't considerdrugging our son, we could be charged forneglecting his educational and emotionalneeds.” After also being told that thestimulant was safe and effective and that itcould help, the Smiths acceded to the

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Citizens Commission on Human Rights

pressure. On March 21, 2000, whileskateboarding, Matthew died suddenlyfrom a heart attack. He was 14 years old.The coroner determined that Matthew’sheart showed clear signs of the smallblood vessel damage caused by stimulantdrugs like amphetamines, and concludedthat he had died from the long-term use ofthe prescribed stimulant. “If we hadn’tbeen pressured by the school system,Matthew would still be alive today,” saysMr. Smith. “I cannot go back and changethings for us at this point. However, I hope toGod my story and information will reachthe hearts and minds of many families, sothey can make an educated decision.”

SHAINA DUNKLE, 1991 - 2001

ShainaDunkle fromPennsylvaniawas a littlegirl whoselife was filledwith danceclasses, girlscouts, pianolessons andsoftballgames.However, in1999, whenShaina was insecond

grade, teachers believed she was “tooactive” and “talked out of turn.” Hermother, Mrs. Vicky Dunkle, was pressuredby the school psychologist to have Shainaevaluated for ADHD. The psychologistreferred Shaina to a psychiatrist who, aftera 30-minute evaluation—with no tests orphysical exams—diagnosed her with ADHDand prescribed a psychiatric drug, thenlater two more. On February 26, 2001,

the school nurse phoned Mrs. Dunkle toreport that Shaina had suffered a slightseizure and had fallen out of her seat.Mrs. Dunkle took her to the doctor butwhile there, Shaina began convulsing. Hermother rushed to hold her in her arms,where, minutes later, she died. Shaina was10 years old. “As I held her in my arms,she looked into my eyes as her life endedand I could do nothing to save her….If Ihad followed my heart instead of theadvice of ‘professionals’ who thought theyknew my daughter better than I did, myprecious Shaina would be alive now.”

STEPHANIE HALL, 1984 - 1996

WhenStephanieHall was infirst grade inOhio, shewas a quiet,shy girl, whohad a greatlove of booksand school.However, herteacher saidthatStephaniehad a hardtime “staying

on task” and suggested the girl be testedfor Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD). Adoctor subsequently diagnosed this andprescribed her a stimulant. Over the nextfive years, she increasingly complained ofstomachaches and nausea, and displayedmood swings and bizarre behavior. OnJanuary 5, 1996, at age 11, Stephanie diedin her sleep from cardiac arrhythmia. Thecoroner ruled the death to be of naturalcauses, but her parents disagree, blamingthe drug. Mrs. Hall remembers the last

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words exchanged with her daughterbefore she went to bed: “I said, ‘It’s 9o’clock Steph, get to bed,’ and she replied‘OK Mom, I love you.’” The next morningwhen her dad went to wake her forschool, she didn’t respond. “We calledparamedics and the police,” her motherrecalls. “Stephanie was so cold. I keptsaying to them, ‘She is supposed to buryme, not me bury her’….No other familyshould know the agony of burying theirchild.”

SAMUEL GROSSMAN, 1973 - 1986

Ridingbicycles andhorses wasone ofSammyGrossman’sfavoritehobbies. Hewas also fastat jigsawpuzzles andhad anuncannysense ofdirection.Sammy was

never wrong with his directions. For thefirst eight years of his life, he was one ofthe healthiest members of his family of six,rarely suffering any of the usual childhoodillnesses. But then he was put on astimulant. He became forgetful aboutdressing himself, was constantly thirstyand lost weight, becoming patheticallythin, recalls his mother, Georgia Grossman.He began experiencing a racing andirregular heart beat and collapsed in theschool playground. The doctor told Mrs.Grossman, “Don’t worry about this, this is

only the [stimulant].” Shortly afterwards,Sammy collapsed again, falling off his bikealong a roadside in Austin, Texas—anddied, at age 13. The autopsy revealed anenlarged heart—a consequence of thelong-term use of the stimulant—hadcontributed to the heart attack.

“Giving this drug to a child is like playingRussian Roulette. No one knows whichchild will get the brain damage and/orthose who will die. I played the game andI lost,” said Mrs. Grossman. “If the cause ofSammy’s death is made public…and it cansave other children, then maybe Sammywill not have died in vain.”

CECIL REED, 1984 - 2000

“Daddy, I don’t want to take medicineanymore. They are just using me as aguinea pig.”

On April 7, 2000, 16-year-old Cecil Reedsuffered a massive, fatal heart attackwhile swimming in a pool at the state-runBronx Children’s Psychiatric Center in NewYork. A cocktail of four prescribedpsychiatric drugs triggered the attack.Cecil’s father had repeatedly tried to getthe hospital to stop drugging his son, butexperts said Cecil had schizoaffectivedisorder and post-traumatic stress disorder.His father, however, believed his son wasjust a strong-willed kid who, like anyyoungster, would lash out after beingseparated from family and friends. Theautopsy report noted that Cecil’s bodycontained “potentially toxic” levels ofpindolol, a heart medication used to treathigh blood pressure, which was alsocombined with Selective SerotoninReuptake Inhibitor antidepressants.Pindolol had not been tested in orrecommended for children.

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A ccording to psychiatriststhemselves, “suicide is the majorcomplication” of withdrawal from

the stimulant used to treat AttentionDeficit Hyperactivity Disorder and similaramphetamine-like drugs. The U.S. DrugEnforcement Administration’s 1995 Reporton Methylphenidate states, “The highpercentage of attempted suicide isconsistent with the high frequency ofdepression associated with stimulantabuse.”

Suicidal ideation has also been associatedwith antidepressant use: Between 1988and 1992, the Food and DrugAdministration (FDA) Drug AdverseReaction (ADR) reporting system showed90 children and adolescents who hadsuffered suicidal or violent self-destructivebehavior while on one newer SelectiveSerotonin Reuptake Inhibitorantidepressant.

MATTHEW MILLER, 1984 - 1997

According to his father, Matt Miller had “awarm sense of humor, a love of friendshipand a heart of solid gold that friends whoknew him well loved in him.” But at age13, all that changed. Mr. Miller said thefamily “began a brief, but tragic journeywith Matt into a world we didn’tunderstand—the world of professionalpsychiatry and legalized mind-alteringmedications. An unfamiliar world with its

own rules. Its own accepted procedures.And its own arrogance.”

After moving to a new neighborhood, Mattwas trying to make new friends and, whilehis parents noticed he was a bit sullen,they felt this was not unusual for ateenager. However, his teachers thoughtthat his withdrawn demeanor might havea more deep-seated cause, andrecommended that Matt get "professionalhelp.” A psychiatrist gave him a freesample of an antidepressant. There was noprinted information. His parents were toldthat he might experience a bellyache orhave trouble sleeping. Seven days later,Matt’s mother went to collect the laundryfrom her son’s room and found him

hanginginside hiscloset. “Ourson didn’twant to die,”said Mr.Miller. “Ican’t believeour sonwanted todie. I neverwill. For abright,healthy andloved youngman, Matthad everyreason tolive. Yet

CHILD SUICIDES“What did the psychological and psychiatric profession do for this boy? Theykilled him! When the money trail ran out on this boy, they turned their backon him and wouldn't even return a phone call. They absolutely killed him.”

Mr. Fred Ehrlich whose son Daniel hanged himself afterbeing on psychiatric drugs known to cause suicide

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under the power of this debilitating drug,he found a way to die. We know it wasnot our Matt who took his own life. Thiswas a Matt ‘high’ on a legalized pill.”

RAYMOND PERRONE, 1975 - 1985

Ten-year-old Raymond was “a bright,intelligentchild, wholoved life andlived eachmoment tothe fullest,”according tohis mother,Mrs. LindaPerrone. “Ittook quitesomecleverness tokeep up withhim, let alonekeep ahead ofhim,” she said.

Being intellectual, able to quickly graspthings, then having to wait for the rest ofthe class to catch up, he felt bored withschool. This led to poor performance inclass and, in approximately February 1985,Raymond was diagnosed as “hyperactive”and prescribed stimulant drugs. Fourmonths later on June 9, during a housewarming party, Mrs. Perrone was sitting atthe picnic table with a friend. “My sister-in-law suddenly ran screaming into the backyard for someone to call an ambulance. Istood up in complete shock. She startedscreaming, ‘Ray, Ray has hung himself.’ Iremember running towards the garage tosee what had happened, but everyone wassurrounding my son. They wouldn’t let mego near him. When I finally saw himlaying on the ground, I saw his face allpurple, a sight that will remain in mymemory forever.” Raymond had been twodays into withdrawal from the stimulant

prescribed by a psychiatrist. His motherwas never warned about the withdrawaleffects of the drug.

DANIEL EHRLICH, 1970 - 1984

Ten-year-old Daniel Ehrlich fromPennsylvania liked to “monkey around andclimb trees,” according to his father, Mr.Fred Ehrlich. In 1979, a school nursediagnosed Daniel as “hyperactive.” Hisfather thought his son was just acting likea regular kid, but the consensus of schoolpersonnel was that there was a “seriousproblem” with him. He was placed on astimulant and a major tranquilizer. Whenhis parents’ health insurance ran out, theonly “help” they could get from thepsychiatrist was a repeat prescription.Four years later, Mr. Ehrlich read thatbehavioral problems could be caused bysugar and the wrong diet and saw thechance for Daniel to live drug-free and bereturned to a normal life. He eliminatedsugar from Daniel’s diet. Within two weeksMr. Ehrlich saw a remarkable change, so hestopped getting the drug prescriptions andwithdrew Daniel suddenly from the drugs.Two months later, Daniel, who was then14 years old, hanged himself. Mr. Ehrlichwasn’t warned that suicide was a majorcomplication of withdrawal fromamphetamine-like drugs.

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In 1998 and 1999, working withlegislators and the media, CCHRexposed the grisly truth that up to 150

restraint deaths occur each year in theUnited States. Thirteen of the deaths overa two-year period were of teenagers andchildren who had been placed underpsychiatric “care.”

Horror stories emerged of children dyingstrapped to beds and chairs, others pinnedto floors by hospital staff, crying out thatthey couldn’t breathe. One six-year-old boydied alone, of asphyxiation, while strappedto a wheelchair. Family memberswere frequently not told thecircumstances under which theirchildren died, and incredibly somewere told that “natural causes,” or“accidents” were the cause of death.

While federal regulations weresubsequently passed in 1999, sincethen at least nine more children andteens have died from suffocation orcardiac arrest during violent restraintprocedures. The youngest was nineyears old.

On October 14, 2002, 17-year-oldCharles Chase Moody suffocated duringa restraint procedure at a Mason County,Texas, behavioral treatment facility—thefifth death in this chain of facilitiessince 1988.

The fact is that in spite of legislativesafeguards, child restraint deathscontinue today.

DEADLY RESTRAINT“He was held down. Someone just held him down until he stoppedbreathing….How could people be so cruel to harm an 11-year-old.…You’ve gotto love kids, not kill them.”

Mother of 11-year-old Andrew McClain,killed during physical restraint

Since federal regulations were passed in 1999 tocurb abusive restraint procedures, nine moreyouths have died, the youngest was nine.

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The death of a child isdevastating by any measure.But when a child is killed underthe guise of “help,” by uncaringmental health professionals andan impassive system, it isunspeakably tragic.

The following list is a damningindictment of what amounts tolegalized child abuse dressedup as mental health treatment.

Jeffrey Bogrett, 9Died December 1, 1995 whilebeing violently restrained at theNew England Center forAutism.

Chris Campbell, 13Died November 2, 1997 fromintense, repeated restraints atthe Iowa Juvenile Home.

Edith Campos, 15Died February 2, 1998 whilebeing restrained for not givingstaff her family photo at theDesert Hills Center, Arizona.

Paul Choy, 16Died February 4, 1992 fromsuffocation while beingrestrained at Rite of Passage inNevada.

Casey Collier, 17Died December 21, 1993 ofasphyxiation after beingforcibly restrained at the CleoWallace Center in Colorado.

Sabrina E. Day, 15Died February 10, 2000 afterbeing restrained at the NorthCarolina Group Home.

Sakena Dorsey, 18Died June 10, 1997 fromsuffocation during a face down

restraint, with a staff memberlaying across her back atFoundations Behavioral Healthin Pennsylvania. She had amedical history of asthma andswollen tonsils that hinderedher breathing.

Mark Draheim, 14Died December 1998 ofasphyxiation while beingforcibly restrained by three staffmembers at Kids Peace inPennsylvania.

Kara Fuller-Otter, 12Died June 7, 2001, killingherself while sufferingwithdrawal from anantidepressant.

Anthony Green, 15Died May 12, 1991 while beingrestrained face down on thefloor for 15 minutes at theBrookhaven Youth Ranch inTexas.

Jamar Griffiths, 15Died October 18, 1994 of heartand lung failure while beingrestrained at the AllenResidential Center in New York.

Diane Harris, 17Died April 11, 1990 after beingviolently restrained at theSeguin Community LivingCenter in Texas.

Tony Haynes, 14Died July 1, 2001 after beingrestrained at America’s BuffaloSoldiers in Arizona.

Charlotte Holliman, 14Died July 31, 1992 fromhanging herself while on anantidepressant at TruckeeMeadows Hospital, Nevada.

Demetrius Jeffries, 17Died August 26, 1997 fromstrangulation while in arestraint hold at the CrockettState School in Texas.

Jimmy Kanda, 6Died September 20, 1997 fromstrangulation while in arestraint hold at Crow’s NextFamily Care Home in California.

William “Eddie” Lee, 15Died September 18, 2000 afterbeing restrained at ObsidianTrails Wilderness Camp inOregon.

John McCloskey, 18Died February 24, 1996 from aruptured liver and a torn colonand small intestine after beingsodomized with a broom-likehandle while at Western StateHospital in Virginia.

Shinaul McGraw, 12Died June 5, 1994 of extremelyhigh body temperature afterbeing wrapped in a bed sheetwith gauze over her mouth andbeing restrained to a bed atNew Directions, Second Chancein Washington.

Caitlin McIntosh, 12Died January 5, 2000 in Texasfrom hanging herself afterbeing on a cocktail of fourpsychiatric drugs.

Kristal Mayon-Ceniceros, 16Died February 5, 1999 ofrespiratory arrest after beingrestrained face down on thefloor by four staff members atNew Alternatives in ChulaVista, California.

A CONTINUING LITANY OF DEATH


Thomas Mapes, 17Died July 8, 1994 ofasphyxiation after beinghandcuffed and pushed facedown on the floor at the YouthCenter at Topeka in Kansas.

Amanda Mead, 18Died 1991 from twoundiagnosed brain tumors. ACalifornia school counselor andpsychiatrist had wronglylabeled her as “manic-depressive.”

Travis Neal, 13Died November 24, 1997, inMichigan, collapsing from aheart attack after taking apsychiatric stimulant for years.

Candace Newmaker, 10Died April 2000 after beingwrapped in a sheet and pushedby adults for 70 minutes in aColorado therapy session.

Cameron Pettus, 12Died August 2, 1993 in Austin,Texas, from toxic levels of anantidepressant.

Dustin E. Phelps, 14Died March 1, 1998 after beingstrapped in a blanket andmattress at a Lancaster fosterhome in Ohio.

Bobby Jo Randolph, 17Died September 26, 1996 fromasphyxia due to compression ofthe neck after being restrainedby two aides at the ProgressiveYouth Center in Texas.

Kevin Neil Rider, 14Died June 3, 2000 in Utah fromshooting himself duringantidepressant withdrawal.

Eric Roberts, 16Died February 2, 1996 afterbeing wrapped in a plastic and

foam blanket with Velcro forone hour at Odyssey Harbor inTexas.

Robert Rollins, 12Died April 21, 1997 fromasphyxiation while beingrestrained face down with armscrossed over his chest after adispute over his missing teddybear at Devereaux School inMassachusetts.

Joshua Sharpe, 17Died December 28, 1999 whilebeing restrained at theWisconsin Treatment Center.

Macauley Showalter, 7Died September 30, 2000, inHutchinson, Minnesota, ofcardiac arrest while taking apsychiatric stimulant and threeother psychiatric drugs.

Earl Smith, 9Died January 1, 1995 fromasphyxiation due to chestcompression while beingrestrained face down by aChildren’s Village staff memberin Michigan.

Mark Soares, 16Died April 29, 1998 of cardiacarrest from physical restraintwhen aides at Wayside UnionAcademy in Massachusettsthought he was “faking”unconsciousness.

Randy Steele, 9Died February 6, 2000 of aheart attack while beingrestrained at Laurel RidgeHospital in San Antonio. Hehad an enlarged heart and hadbeen on a stimulant andseveral other psychiatric drugs.

Jason Tallman, 12Died May 12, 1993 fromsuffocation while being

restrained facedown on apillow at Kids Peace inPennsylvania.

Bobby Sue Thomas, 17Died August 16, 1996 fromacute cardiac arrhythmia whilebeing restrained face down atNorthwood Children’s Home inMinnesota.

Timithy Thomas, 9Died March 11, 1999 whilebeing restrained at theGrandfather Home for Childrenin North Carolina.

Tanner Wilson, 11Died February 9, 2001 from aheart attack while beingphysically restrained at theGerard of Iowa facility.

Michael Wiltsie, 12Died February 5, 2000 ofasphyxiation while beingrestrained at Eckherd YouthAlternatives in Florida.

Willy Wright, 14Died March 4, 2000 fromsuffocation while beingrestrained by staff at SouthwestMental Health Center in SanAntonio, Texas.

Jaimie Young, 13Died June 5, 1993 while on ahike at Ramsey CanyonHospital & Treatment Center inArizona. Autopsy found thatdeath was caused by heatstroke with dehydrationtriggered by 10 times the lethallevels of an antidepressant inher system.

Kelly Young, 17Died March 4, 1998 ofasphyxiation while beingrestrained on the floor atBrisbane Child TreatmentCenter in New Jersey.


TRISTAN SOVERN, 1982 - 1998

Sixteen-year-old TristanSovern ofNorth Carolinadied at theCharterBehavioralHealthSystem’shospital inGreensboro,North Carolinaduringphysical

restraint. He was held face-down, with hisarms crossed under his body by at leasttwo mental health assistants when hescreamed, "You're choking me...I can'tbreathe." The assistants knew he washaving trouble breathing but neitherresponded. Tristan had been admitted onFebruary 26, 1998, and less than a weeklater, he died of asphyxiation duringrestraint, in which staff shoved a largetowel over his mouth and then tied a bedsheet around his head.

ANDREW MCCLAIN, 1987 - 1998

On March 22, 1998, Andrew McClain, 11,a patient at Elmcrest Behavior Network, apsychiatric hospital in Portland,Connecticut, died of traumatic asphyxiaand chest compression. Two staffrestrained Andrew by lying on top of himin a padded “time out” room. “Theythought he was trying to get up, but hewas trying to get air,” his mother, LucindaMcClain, said. “He was held down.Someone just held him down until hestopped breathing.…How could people beso cruel to harm an 11-year-old.…You’ve

got to love kids, not kill them.” Andrewhad been in the custody of the stateDepartment of Children and Families, andhad been a patient at Elmcrest psychiatrichospital for just four days when he died.

ROSHELLE CLAYBORNE, 1981 - 1997

On August 18,1997, 16-year-old RoshelleClaybornedied duringrestraint at theLaurel RidgeResidentialTreatmentCenter, apsychiatricfacility in SanAntonio,Texas.

Roshelle was slammed facedown on thefloor; her arms were yanked across herchest, her wrists gripped from behind by amental health aide. ‘‘I can’t breathe,’’ shegasped. Her last words were ignored. Asyringe delivered 50 milligrams ofThorazine into her body and with eightstaffers watching, Roshelle becamesuddenly still. Blood trickled from thecorner of her mouth as she lost control ofher bodily functions. Her limp body wasrolled into a blanket and dumped in an 8-by 10-foot room used to seclude dangerouspatients. After she was restrained, she layin her own waste and vomit for fiveminutes before anyone noticed she hadn’tmoved. Three staff tried in vain to find apulse. Two went looking for a ventilationmask and oxygen bag, emergencyequipment they never found. By the timea registered nurse arrived and began CPR,it was too late. Roshelle never revived.

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SUMMARY“Any child, particularly a boy, in America could be considered to have ADD.The children are normal; they are just not performing.”

Mrs. Sue Parry, from Honolulu, whose sonstopped taking an ADHD stimulant afterdeveloping heart problems

Parents and children’s rights arecompromised when it comes topsychiatric diagnoses, labels and

treatments. The idea of full “informedconsent,” as it applies to mental health,simply doesn’t exist.

Unsuspecting parents typically rely on theprofessionals, trusting them for an accuratemedical diagnosis, unaware that there areno medical diagnoses in psychiatry—onlysubjective criteria. There are no bloodtests, brain scans or any scientific meansby which to diagnose a mental disorder.

In 1999, the former U.S. Surgeon General,David Satcher, admitted, “…the diagnosisof mental disorders is often believed to bemore difficult than diagnosis of general

medical disorders since there is nodefinitive lesion, laboratory test orabnormality in brain tissue that canidentify the illness.” [Emphasis added]

Today, it is estimated that between six andeight million American children takepsychiatric drugs for ADHD and other so-called learning and behavioral disorders.Some 1.5 million children and teenagersare now prescribed antidepressants. Thepotential side effects of these newerantidepressants include anxiety, agitation,insomnia, bizarre dreams, suicidalthoughts, hostility and violent behavior.

Frequently, children who are started onmind-altering drugs end up incarcerated in

psychiatric institutions, warehoused andbrutally abused to the point of permanentdamage.

Parents are being coerced and threatenedwith charges of medical or educationalneglect if they reject a questionablepsychiatric diagnosis and refuse to puttheir child on mind-altering drugs.Children have been wrenched from theirfamily's care simply because their parentsfavored an alternative, drug-free approachto addressing educational and behavioralproblems.

The bottom line is that rather than anenlightened and compassionate mentalhealth system attending to the needs ofour young, we have a dangerous andcoercive system that stands impassive, notonly in the face of repeated failures, but,unbelievably, of child deaths due totreatment.

The last thing our nation needs, the lastthing our children should be exposed to, ismore risk, yet psychiatrists, theirassociations and affiliated “patient”advocacy groups today lobby for evenearlier identification of children with“mental disorders” and for their treatmentwith newer “medications.”

It is the duty and right of parents toprotect their children from further harm. Itis the duty of the government to supportthem in this.

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Workable TreatmentsPsychiatrists Don’t Promote

There are far too many workablealternatives to psychiatric drugging to listthem all here. Psychiatry on the otherhand, would prefer to say there are noneand fight to keep it that way.

Studies show the frequency with whichphysical illnesses are misdiagnosed as“mental illness”—in one study, 83% ofpeople referred by clinics and socialworkers for psychiatric treatment hadundiagnosed physical illnesses; 42% ofthose diagnosed with “psychoses” werelater found to be suffering from a medicalillness; 48% of those diagnosed bypsychiatrists for mental treatment had anundiagnosed physical condition.

Dr. Mary Ann Block, author of No MoreADHD, does allergy testing and developsdietary solutions to “behavioral” problems.

She cites a Journal of Pediatrics (1995)study showing that sucrose may cause a10-times increase in adrenaline in childrenresulting in “difficulty concentrating,irritability, and anxiety.”

Professor Stephen J. Schoenthaler, Ph.D., aCalifornia State University criminologist,conducted a study at 12 juvenilecorrectional institutions and 803 publicschools, in which the researchers increasedfruits and vegetables and whole grains anddecreased fats and sugars in children’sdiets. The juvenile institutions exhibited47% less “antisocial behavior” in 8,076confined juvenile delinquents. In theschools, the academic performance of 1.1

million children rose 16% and learningdisabilities fell 40%.

Prescribing psychotropic drugs for adisease that doesn’t exist, psychiatrist Dr.Sydney Walker noted, is a tragedy because“masking children’s symptoms merelyallows their underlying disorders tocontinue and, in many cases, to becomeworse.”

What Parents Can Do

Log onto CCHR’s website,http://www.fightforkids.com for moreinformation.

Educate themselves. Ensure that they aregetting all—not carefully selected—information in order to make an informedchoice about their child's educational andmedical needs.

Get a thorough medical examination for achild from a non-psychiatric physician. Achild could have allergies, lead toxicity,eyesight or hearing problems, be simply inneed of tutoring, or something even morebasic than that—phonics. The list ofpossible causes is very long and welldocumented.

Speak out—be your child’s voice. Start orjoin a parents’ group that can speak outabout the wrongful labeling and druggingof our children and provide support foreach other.

If a child has been targeted or abused inthe mental health system, report this toCCHR by calling 1-800-869-2247, or fill outthe abuse case form onhttp://www.fightforkids.com

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“No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degradingtreatment or punishment.”

Article 5, United NationsDeclaration of Human Rights

RECOMMENDATIONS“Clearly, this business of treating minds—particularly this big business oftreating young minds—has not policed itself, and has no incentive to put astop to the kinds of fraudulent and unethical practices that are going on.”

U.S. Representative Patricia Schroeder, Chair, HouseSelect Committee on Children, Youth and Families, 1992

CCHR recommends that legal safeguardsbe enacted nationally for parents which:

1. Makes it illegal for parents or guardiansto be coerced into placing their child onpsychotropic drugs as a requisite for his orher remaining in school;

2. Protects parents or guardians againsttheir child being removed from theircustody if they refuse to administer apsychotropic drug to their child;

3. Provides parents the right to “informedconsent” in relation to solutions to resolvebehavior, attention, and learningdifficulties which includes all informationabout alternatives to behavioral programsand psychotropic drugs, including tutoring,vision testing, phonics, nutritionalguidance, medical examinations, allergytesting, standard disciplinary procedures,and other remedies known to be effectiveand harmless;

4. Ensures the “informed consent”procedure includes informing parents thatthere is diverse medical opinion about thescientific validity of ADHD and other“learning disorders”;

5. Ensures that health insurance coveragefor mental health services are not mademandatory so that parents are not forcedto place their child in such services;

6. Makes the use of restraint procedures onadolescents and children under the age of16 illegal;

7. Imposes criminal penalties againstanyone in the mental health system thatviolates such laws and protections.

What is CCHR?

The Citizens Commission on Human Rights(CCHR) was co-founded in 1969 by theChurch of Scientology and ProfessorEmeritus of Psychiatry, Thomas Szasz, toinvestigate and expose psychiatricviolations of human rights, and to clean upthe field of mental healing.

Today, it has more than 130 chapters in 31countries. Its board of advisors, calledCommissioners, includes doctors, lawyers,educators, artists, businessmen, and civiland human rights representatives.

CCHR has inspired and orchestrated manyhundreds of reforms by testifying beforelegislative hearings and conducting publichearings into psychiatric abuse, as well asby working with media, law enforcementand public officials the world over.

For Further Information:

Citizens Commission onHuman Rights International

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the bottom line is that rather than an

enlightened and compassionate mental

health system attending to the needs of

our young, we have a dangerous and

coercive system that stands impassive,

not only in the face of repeated

failures, but, unbelievably, of child

deaths due to treatment.

Jan Eastgate

International PresidentCitizens Commission on Human Rights

Documents

THE SILENT DEATH OF AMERICA’S CHILDRENru.cchr.org/sites/default/files/The_Silent_Death... · THE SILENT DEATH OF AMERICA’S CHILDREN. A MATTER OF LIFE OR DEATH ... drugging our