The following video was posted on Facebook 7 years ago. It was sent to me by a concerned father, Alan Berkeley. I watched in utter disbelief at what can be best described as an infomercial broadcast on American TV.
I'm not going to spoil the content for you, sufficed to say, the guest appearance by Dr Edward Hallowell will have you wondering how, or indeed why, we ever bought into the methods of diagnosing ADD/ADHD.
Before viewing the video (below) it's worthy to note that this "expert" has had ties, in the past, to Eli Lilly, Novartis and McNeil Pediatrics. Further, he has been a paid consultant for Dore Clinics.
As if taking money from drug companies wasn't bad enough, in 2015 Hallowell was charged with indecent assault on a young make-up artist. The charge was later dropped by the young woman. Initially, he was accused of squeezing her buttocks. Hallowell, it was alleged, put his hand on her shoulder and touched her. "He followed my shape and he took his time," the police report says.
When interviewed, police said he called the incident a "terrible misunderstanding."
This from the Metro News Daily
A motion to dismiss the case filed by Hallowell’s lawyer, Bill Crowe, on Aug. 28, shows a statement from the victim that she no longer believes Hallowell should be prosecuted. The statement, included in Crowe’s motion, reads in part:
“As time has passed and upon further reflection, I may have misconstrued Dr. Hallowell’s intention, as he did nothing beyond the initial contact. I do not wish Dr. Hallowell to be prosecuted or disciplined as a result of this incident.”
The motion also alleges that an admission that Hallowell was exonerated on similar charges in the past that was included in a police interview with Hallowell were inaccurate. According to the police report, Hallowell said he had faced similar accusations in the past but was exonerated on a “misunderstanding.” Previously, Crowe said the accusations referenced one incident from more than 20 years ago that “did not involve contact of any kind.”
The police report also said Hallowell did not dispute the victim’s claims that he touched her but said any inappropriate contact was “inadvertent.”
Back to the video. This highlights how we, as consumers, rarely question the ethics of diagnosing. It's worrisome, more so because today the Royal College of Psychiatrists announced that their Vice-Chair, Dr Jon Godlin, was in talks at 10 Downing Street to discuss how new teachers will be trained to spot mental health issues in their pupils.
If this video is anything to go by then you'll see how the future of our children is in the hands of nothing more than a stage act, an illusion, a magic show with potentially dire consequences.
Please watch and spread far and wide.
Bob Fiddaman
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