I would like to address the subject of medicating students at the school’s “request” or demand is more like it. This is our family’s experience.

My 12-year-old grandson is ADHD and does have some social and some behavioral issues. We are well aware of his issues and do not try to dismiss them. The school has tried to insist that he be medicated. His mother has refused to medicate him because of the damage from the ADHD drugs to his older brother. This has been explained many, many times to the school personnel.

The side effects of the drugs, Concerta, Strattera, Ritalin and Seroquel vary and the intensity varies from person to person. My older grandson who has taken these various drugs has had severe reactions to them. Some of his reactions are delusions, paranoia, the need for higher doses consistently, mood swings, and when the doses were changed to higher levels, uncontrollable anger. My daughter’s refusal to medicate the younger son stems from the reactions of her older son to the drugs.

When the school was told no, they constantly asked the child if his mother had taken him to the doctor and told him he needs to be medicated. It is very sad that a child comes home and tells his parent that he needs to be medicated. In response to her refusal and the arguments that ensued over the issue, the school has exacted what in my opinion is revenge on the child for his mother’s decision to do what she believes is best for him in the long run.

They put in place a discipline plan that my daughter did not approve of or sign but it didn’t matter. I understand that some of detentions were deserved but I disagree with the nitpicking. Examples and these are just a few: Forgetting a pencil, being early to class, being put in detention for not spitting out gum when in fact the child had and the proof was in the trash can, telling another person that they don’t want him around and he can hear it. The detentions for these silly nitpicking items added up and have created a real problem on the child’s record.

The real topper for me is the fact that they allowed him to sign up for an overnight camping trip and then decided my grandson could not go because of his record and missing assignments. How strange when we checked online to see if there are any missing assignments, they show as completed.

There are many more details to this situation. The bottom line is that they have humiliated, belittled him openly and made this child feel very unwanted. No child reacts well to this type of treatment, no child deserves this. I believe that the school lacks education in some of these disorders and needs some training. If trained properly they would be able to identify that the social, behavioral issues and learning disabilities are a part of the complex disorder and there are better ways to handle the problems.

I would be curious to know how many children are medicated and how many times the school recommends the medication because it makes the staff’s life easier. They have no concept of the long-term effects of the drugs. They are not doctors. I would also be interested in knowing how many others had experiences like this.

I am sure that this will evoke a response again blaming all of the poor behavior on the child, but I think that the professionals should take a deep look at themselves and evaluate why they behave as they have.

Diana Strohm
Muskegon

URL: http://www.mlive.com/opinion/muskegon/index.ssf/2011/06/letters_should_a_school_insist.html

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A report by the Mental Health Commission shows that more than half (57 per cent) of patients in acute or long-stay units were prescribed sedatives or benzodiazepines last year.

Clinical safety guidelines state that these drugs, which are typically used as medication for anxiety and as night sedation, should only be used after alternative therapies have been explored.

The commission’s report shows the rate of prescribing within individual psychiatric units ranged in some cases as high as 97 per cent.

It found that while the use of benzodiazepines has decreased slightly compared to figures collected in 2008, it continued to be high in many units.

“The lack of therapeutic services and programmes, as well as poor knowledge about the problems of benzodiazepine prescribing, may account for this,” the report found.

Inspection reports show that significant numbers of long-stay patients have been administered the drug for years even though guidelines state they should be used for the “shortest possible length of time and in the smallest possible dose”.

While small numbers of people may require benzodiazepines in the longer term, such as those who are severely dependent on them, the report says methods are available for withdrawing these kinds of patients from the drug.

It also found that the practice of combining more than one benzodiazepine was quite common (26 per cent of all residents) despite the lack of evidence of its therapeutic value.

Inspectors did, however, point out this practice has fallen significantly in recent years.

Former inspector of mental hospitals Dr Dermot Walsh yesterday said he had long-standing concerns regarding the overuse of these drugs.

“These are drugs of dependence and it’s clear they should only be used in short-term and acute situations, and usually for a very short period of time.

“It still amazes me when I see that patients are placed on these drugs almost on a routine basis when they come into hospital.”

He said the issue of benzodiazepines in medicine generally, especially primary care, was a problem.

The report also examines the use of anti-psychotic drugs which are used to treat symptoms of psychosis as well as schizophrenia and other mental health problems.

Inspectors found that 80 per cent of patients were receiving this form of medication.

Clinical guidelines advise against prescribing more than one anti-psychotic medication with limited exceptions. In its review inspectors found that 28 per cent of residents were receiving two or more anti-psychotic medications.

On a positive note, inspectors found that the practice of combining anti-psychotic medication is on the decrease and is below levels seen in international practice.

The use of doses of these medicines above the recommended dosage is also low (10 per cent) compared with international studies (in the UK it is about 20 per cent).

The report says there was evidence from a small number of centres that benzodiazepine prescribing had reduced and the quality of prescribing had increased following audits.

It says the vast majority of prescriptions authorising drugs to be administered to patients whenever it was required did not have a time limit or review date.

In its recommendations the report says each centre should conduct regular audits of medication prescribing and calls for training and education in safe prescribing.

URL: http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2011/0504/1224296002783.html

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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

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