Psych Observer – Exposing Bad Psychiatry

By Alexandra Zayas, Times Staff Writer
In Print: Wednesday, March 31, 2010

TAMPA — A South Tampa psychiatrist accused of pointing a shotgun at a pool cleaner agreed Tuesday to enter a program that could lead to the charges being dropped.

James Roy Edgar, 64, told police he repeatedly asked pool cleaners not to park in the private driveway of his townhouse, 3105 W San Isidro St., when they serviced pools in the complex behind his.

Stephen Lafoe, an employee of Bay Area Pool Service, said he got a work order directing him to reach the pool June 9 through an alley. When he couldn’t find the alley, he stopped to make notes and plug his next stop into his GPS.

That’s when Edgar came out of his house.

The pool cleaner said he ignored Edgar the first time he yelled. The psychiatrist said Lafoe mouthed off. Edgar left and returned with a shotgun.

Lafoe said the doctor pointed it at him and said, “I told you to move.” Edgar said he held the gun, but didn’t point it. He held it in self-defense, he said, afraid of the much younger pool cleaner.

He was arrested in September and released after posting $2,000 bail.

Edgar’s attorney declined to comment Tuesday. Edgar’s charges will be dropped if he successfully completes a pretrial intervention program for first-time offenders. The specific conditions Edgar must meet were not discussed in court Tuesday, but could include counseling, classes and supervision.

Charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, he faced five years in prison.

Reach Alexandra Zayas at azayas@sptimes.com or (813) 226-3354.

URL: http://www.tampabay.com/news/courts/criminal/south-tampa-psychiatrist-accused-of-pointing-shotgun-at-pool-man-cuts-deal/1083818

Chris McGreal in Washington
guardian.co.uk, Sunday 28 March 2010 19.47 BST

Canadian police investigate dozens of allegations against psychiatrist nicknamed for use of electricity to ‘cure’ gay soldiers.

A leading Canadian psychiatrist who kept accusations of gross human rights abuses in apartheid-era South Africa hidden has been charged in Calgary with sexually abusing a male patient and is being investigated over dozens of other allegations.

Dr Aubrey Levin, who in South Africa was known as Dr Shock for his use of electricity to “cure” gay military conscripts, was arrested after a patient secretly filmed the psychiatrist allegedly making sexual advances. Levin, who worked at the University of Calgary’s medical school, has been suspended from practising and is free on bail of C$50,000 (£32,000) on charges of repeatedly indecently assaulting a 36-year-old man.

The police say they are investigating similar claims by nearly 30 other patients. The Alberta justice department is reviewing scores of criminal convictions in which Levin was a prosecution witness.

Levin has worked in Canada for 15 years since leaving South Africa, where he was chief psychiatrist in the apartheid-era military and became notorious for using electric shocks to “cure” gay white conscripts. He also held conscientious objectors against their will at a military hospital because they were “disturbed” and subjected them to powerful drug regimens.
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A Los Angeles psychiatrist has agreed to have his medical license placed on probation after a state agency accused him of having controlling and improper relationships with two adult patients, a brother and sister.

In an accusation filed by the Medical Board of California, the state agency that disciplines doctors, Dr. Norman J. Lachman, 68, of Los Angeles, was alleged to have struck and humiliated the brother — including forcing the man to buy dog food, which the doctor threatened to make him eat.

In addition, the board alleged that Lachman had “very discomforting” sessions with the sister, telling her she was a “hot tamale” and instructing her to stop attending Alcoholics Anonymous meetings even though she had a drinking problem.

Under the terms of the settlement, Lachman did not admit to any of the allegations but did waive his right to contest them. The action by the board is relatively rare; in the fiscal year ending in June, the most recent available, 91 out of 127,000 licensed doctors had a license put on probation, and 80 who were being investigated either surrendered a license or had it revoked.
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BY JOHN DORSCHNER
jdorschner@MiamiHerald.com

BREAKING NEWS UPDATE— Army: Fort Hood shootings suspect is alive!! ; death toll from attack remains 12.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HG62pwoHb94[/youtube]
FORT HOOD, Texas (Nov. 5) — A military mental health doctor facing deployment overseas opened fire at the Fort Hood Army post on Thursday, setting off on a rampage that killed 11 other people and left 31 wounded. Authorities killed the gunman, and the violence was believed to be the worst mass shooting in history at a U.S. military base.
The shooting began around 1:30 p.m., when shots were fired at the base’s Soldier Readiness Center, where soldiers who are about to be deployed or who are returning undergo medical screening, said Lt. Gen. Bob Cone at Fort Hood.

November 06, 2009
Peter Slevin

The gunshots came out of the blue.

This photo from the Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress website shows Nidal Malik Hasan, who is suspected of killing 12 people and wounding 30 in a shooting spree at Fort Hood military base in Texas on Nov. 5, 2009.

A U.S. Army psychiatrist, trained to treat soldiers under stress, allegedly opened fire Thursday in a crowded medical building at Fort Hood, Texas.

When the assault ended minutes later, the attack had become the largest mass shooting ever to occur on a U.S. military base. Twelve were killed, 31 wounded.
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Earlier this year a 7-year-old boy in state custody prescribed mind altering drugs threatened to kill himself, then he did. This summer another child on powerful drugs also threatened to kill himself, his mother called Help Me Howard, what happened after that? Tonight here is Patrick Fraser with a story we call a mothers hope.

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26-Sep-2009
Written by: Kayla L. Cubbage

Anna Nicole Smith’s psychiatrist gave her a number of prescriptions that allegedly lead to death.

According to the Los Angeles Times, Anna Nicole Smith’s psychiatrist, whom she saw after the death of her son, prescribed her a variation of “pharmaceutical suicide.”

Khristine Eroshevich, Smith’s psychiatrist, prescribed her various prescription drugs that ultimately produced a deadly consequence. Smith’s internist Sandeep Kapoor also participated in writing Smith orders. Pharmacists’ refused several times to refill the drugs, in the best interest of Smith. “They are going to kill her with this,” one of the pharmacists told the Times.
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Published: Saturday, September 26, 2009 at 12:01 a.m.
Last Modified: Sunday, September 27, 2009 at 4:43 a.m.

Dr. Paul John Hartmann, a psychiatrist practicing in South Lakeland, was arrested in Tampa on Friday on seven charges of possession of a controlled substance, two charges of possession of a drug without a prescription and a charge of driving under the influence.

Hartmann, 60, a board-certified psychiatrist with subspecialty certification in child and adolescent psychiatry, has a Tampa address on his Hillsborough County arrest record. But he is listed with the state Department of Health, and in the phone book, as practicing at 6700 S. Florida Ave. in Lakeland. His DOH record shows a clear license without a record of discipline.

Hartmann was released on $15,500 bail.

URL: http://www.theledger.com/article/20090926/NEWS/909279995/1134?Title=Doctor-Arrested-On-Drug-Charges

On September 14th 2008 roughly around 5:23PM EST I was watching my local news, Channel 7 News Fox WSVN-TV, when a subject called “Defeat Depression” came to my interests. It showed an obese teenager named David Harvey playing a wrestling game at the beginning of the report and then it continues on as it shows him and his mother, Jeri Jashnoff, playing a cardboard game, sorry! (ironically). To make the story run short it explains that David’s mother losing her job in real estate from the bad economy and how worry some the teenager becomes after finding out that he can no longer get what he wants anymore because of the tight budget. Because his mother couldn’t afford the dangerous psychotropic drugs from her job lost she took him to a research facility called Segal Institute For Clinical Research where people get paid to become guinea pigs and take experimental drugs that hasn’t yet been approved by the FDA.

Richard Lemus interviewed the atrocious Psychiatrist, Dr. Scott Segal the owner of the Segal Institute for Clinical Research and has said:

Dr. Scott Segal, Psychiatrist, Segal Institute for Clinical Research: “It’s definitely making adults depressed, and therefore the children depressed, as well. However, they have less money to spend on treatments, and these days insurance companies have higher co-payments and it’s very difficult for people to come in.”

Even scarier, it’s hard for patients or their families to pay for the medications they so desperately need.

Dr. Scott Segal: “They get their visits and their evaluations and whatever is needed in the study for free, as well as medications. In fact, in research studies, the treatment is above the normal level of care.”

Patients will often try out new drugs that aren’t on the market yet and many times they can stay on that medication after the study is over.

Dr. Scott Segal: “In many studies, after the study is over, the pharmaceutical company will give them a compassionate care and allow them take the medications for a period of time.”

David is on a new medication and sees a doctor weekly. He and his mom have high hopes for the future.

What Richard Lemus and the Channel 7 News Fox WSVN-TV fail to revel to the public is that theirs other ways to defeat depression without the usage of the dangerous drugs. It’s called proper diet, exercise and proper outdoor activities like going to the beach or going to a park. In the whole segment of the story reported by Richard Lemus nowhere did it mention natural ways to deal with depression.

Transcript from this story can be seen on: URL: http://www.wsvn.com/features/articles/medicalreports/MI131332