Finally, and I think thanks to Robert Whitaker, the mainstream media can no longer ignore the overwhelming concerns about the decades-long trend of over-prescribing psychotropic drugs, as well as, additionally, looking for more and more excuses (trumped up diagnoses) to prescribe them. This time, apparently, Duke’s former chief of psychiatry, Dr. Allen Frances, is calling into question new conditions the DSM-V draft is trying to label as mental illness, one of which is binge eating.
Below links to a video with Frances debating APA’s head Schatzburg on some of these new diagnoses, and Frances has also criticized the proposed DSM-V in the article linked below the video:
http://ondemand.duke.edu/video/22221/duke-doctor-allen-frances-on-p
Though I don’t agree with a lot in the former DSM (IV) which Frances Chaired, at least he is finally saying enough — he appears to be saying the proposed DSM -V is out of control.
http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/dsm5-in-distress
Not only has this issue started showing up among more and more dissenters within the medical community, it is now even becoming a business concern, evidenced by the recent article in Forbes Magazine.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/greatspeculations/2011/07/19/investing-for-a-backlash-against-psychopharmacology/
Forbes, citing Whitaker’s work, for one, is now suggesting investors put their money in diabetes and MS drugs. (What a bunch of nice guys they are – ready to exploit any illness as long as it makes investors a buck) Next thing you know we’ll be seeing trans fats (known to cause diabetes) increased again in foods, except hidden under different ingredient names, and of course psychotropic drugs, themselves, have already caused enough diabetes, it won’t matter if their sales decline, because we already have enough diabetics to please most of Forbes new investors.
Though I’m glad Frances is speaking out about DSM-V extremes, certainly he’s not going far enough, and I’m guessing he still sips on ASA’s Kool-Aid, even if he’s stopped gulping it for now.
Below is more of what I’d like to see discussed:
I’d like to know if anyone is considering the following issues regarding the DSM-V:
Are there categories/diagnoses relating to: neurotoxic exposure, drug reactions, vitamin deficiencies, nutrient deficiencies, food additive poisoning, all of which can present with symptoms on DSM’s “mental illness” list. A
Most doctors treating those affected with these so-called illnesses wouldn’t dream of screening for any of the above before prescribing neurotoxic drugs that often cause serious, even deadly reactions. Not much money in that approach.
For years I researched the use of pesticides use in schools and colleges, examining hundreds of material safety sheets and other fact sheets (by independent researchers) on the pesticides used. Up until 1999, Dursban, a neurotoxin, among other things, was widely used. I learned that pesticide applicators (men, knowing the dangers) came on Monday’s and sprayed this persistent nerve poison in buildings with closed windows and left without airing out these buildings before students arrived and breathed the fumes and touched the settled particles. Often classrooms were sprayed while students were present.
I also learned that the subsidiary of the company that made this poison also made Ritalin.
After 1999, when Dursban (a cholinesterase inhibitor) was banned for use indoors, schools began using pyrethroids, often paired with the liver poison, piperonyl butoxide, which worked synergistically to make it harder to detoxify the permethrin. Both of these, as well as the petroleum solvent base of these formulas, are neurotoxic (brain & nerve poisons).
In the 1980s perfumes, which were previously made from mostly natural ingredients, became formulated with mostly synthetic petroleum-based ingredients.
Our world became inundated with chemical exposures and while one or two might not be a problem, the combination of assaults the average person (with children more vulnerable) experience daily has increased dramatically since WWII.
So why should it be any mystery to anyone that, exacerbated by the dye/pesticide derivative drugs being used to treat symptoms of chemical poisoning, more and more people are experiencing symptoms of neurotoxicity?
On top of these assaults on our brains and bodies, our foods are no longer providing the nutrition needed to help the bodies maintain working immune systems or for optimal function of the P450 systems.
And as Dr. Thomas Gualtieri has pointed out in his book on brain injury, as have many others, that often symptoms mimicking so-called mental illnesses, listed in the DSM, are caused by vitamin or nutrient deficiencies.
Can someone please tell me why there should not be a blanket screening and investigation of all physical causes of “mental” symptoms BEFORE anyone adds yet another toxic assault to these often already toxic bodies (ie psychotropic drugs)?
Certainly mental hospitals in America and psychiatric units of other hospitals do not do this screening and, not only do they NOT do this type of screening, they try to make anyone who suggests it appear mentally ill themselves.
Anyone who looks into what is going on – the conflicts of interest, the unwillingness to consider physical causes, and the unwillingness to treat with anything other than cruelty, condescension, and drugs should know that this is about the pharmaceutical industry’s influence on those who are setting the criteria for diagnosis and treatment.
This is not rocket science. This is greed.
Now about the binge-eating “diagnosis.” This goes back to poor nutrition in our foods – as well as additives like MSG that can affect appetite. It has to do with the pervasiveness of corn syrup and the corruption involved in allow packaging to say “zero trans fats,” when the product still contains .5 gr of trans fats PER SERVING.
Furthermore antipsychotics cause very rapid weight gain and affect appetite and metabolism so dramatically that one taking these drugs commonly gain as much as 40 lbs or more in 2 months. Not only do the hospitals over-drug patients, but they also fail to offer optimal nutrition. Only very rare and very expensive treatment facilities even consider serving organic foods, avoiding corn syrup, msg, and aspartame, as well as added dyes. Mental hospitals, out to make profits, wouldn’t dream of this. They seem not interested at all in curing anyone of anything.
Not only are our foods inundated with chemicals that cause weight gain and adversely affect metabolism, liquid forms of drugs like Risperdal, contain Aspartame – a brain poison which is exposed for what it is (as well as Donald Rumsfeld’s involvement in getting it on the market) in a documentary called “Sweet Misery.” Aspartame is made by Monsanto, which is partnered with drug companies that make antipsychotics.
And another thing. Permethin, one of the pyrethroids commonly sprayed for pest contro, is shown to adversely affect the thyroid gland. And I can think of few things that have more impact on weight than a malfunctioning thyroid. Instead of labeling people mentally ill, perhaps we should be giving better thyroid tests and ban volatile pesticide spraying except in emergencies. But that too would not promote profits for the chemical/pharm industry.
So, my hope is that courageous doctors with influence, like Dr. Frances, and especially Dr. Peter Breggin and Grace E Jackson, will start making the connection to the conflicts of interest that surround this racket of labeling just about any condition as a mental illness, treatable by the chemical/pharmaceutical industry.
More later – will edit tomorrow – up way too late.
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