Antidepressant Destruction in London

I'm just back from London, well, not just back - I arrived home yesterday after spending the night in Kensington and an afternoon in Harlesden, which is in the London district of Brent, ironically just a few miles from the cesspit that is GlaxoSmithKline HQ.

I think it's safe to call it a cesspit given the stench emanating from its bowels this century.

So, why had I travelled to London? Well, there's a new kid on the block, she has just launched her new book, The Pill That Steals Lives, I wrote a review for the book here.

Katinka "Tinks" Newman is, by trade, a documentary filmmaker. She's now a published author too - her story of antidepressant induced violence and psychosis an all too familiar one.

Tinks held her book launch at the Waterstones book store in Kensington on Tuesday evening. I travelled the tube from Earls Court along with long time friends Leonie, Tony, Brian and his lovely wife. Brian runs the antidepaware website - More about this later.

Upon arrival at Waterstones we were greeted with many familiar faces. Another long time friend of mine, who for many years has remained anonymous via his online blog, Seroxat Secrets, was also there - his own review of the launch can be read here.

I met Olga, a charming woman from Holland. Olga lost her daughter in a bus crash in Sierre in 2012. The driver of that bus, Geert Michiels, had traces of Seroxat in his system and a subsequent investigation into the crash found that he had deliberately mounted a pavement in a tunnel and crashed the bus head-on into a wall. There were 52 on board, 28 people perished, 22 of them were children. The other 24 pupils, all aged between 10 and 12, were injured, including three who were hospitalized with severe brain and chest injuries. (Back story).

I really wish I could have spoken more with Olga and her husband but as things are at these types of gatherings more and more people introduce themselves.

Steph Lynch and I.

Next up was Stephanie Lynch and her husband John. Their son, Jake, was just 14 when he took a gun to his mouth and shot himself to death. Jake had been prescribed Prozac after a 10 minute consultation with a psychiatrist. There was no diagnosis made. Jake was prescribed Prozac because he was anxious about up-and-coming school exams. (Back story)

Kirk Brandon was next. Kirk and I became friends a few years ago now and we met previously in Birmingham when he was touring with his band. For those that don't know, Kirk formed post punk new wave band Theatre of Hate back in 1980 and has since enjoyed success both as a solo artist and by forming other bands. Kirk was prescribed Seroxat - Kirk suffered severe psychosis as a result of ingesting Seroxat.

Tinks reads an extract from her book, 'The Pill That Steals Lives'

After the launch some of us headed to Bill's Burger bar just down the street from Waterstones. Food, conversation and great company. I arrived back at my hotel in West Kensington after midnight and slept like a baby.


Day Two

Look who's here - It's those pesky Panorama people again!

Tinks, as I mentioned above, is, first and foremost, a documentary filmmaker and has made many films for the BBC in Documentary Features and in News and Current Affairs.

On the back of her book she has now been commissioned by the BBC to make a documentary about antidepressant induced violence and homicide, prescripticide, if you will.

This isn't the first time Panorama have covered antidepressants. They have previously aired four special documentaries about Seroxat, all of which are available here.

To my joy both the cameraman and sound guy had previously worked on the Seroxat documentaries and we had an interesting discussion about the individuals who featured in those series of programmes.

Cameras roll. The Panorama film crew filming us during lunch - Photo taken by Leonie.

We sat around a colourful table at Katinka's house in Brent and basically just talked naturally about our experiences on the various drugs. Leonie spoke eloquently of her son, Shane, who was prescribed citalopram after the break-up of his relationship with his girlfriend. Shane, after citalopram induced psychosis, killed a young man then himself and Leonie has been campaigning since.

Brian of antidepaware and his wife sadly couldn't make lunch at Katinka's.

Brian's website, to me at least, is a welcome addition to the fight in creating awareness and holding people accountable. Brian and his wife lost their son in 2009. He had never been depressed in his life, went to see a doctor over insomnia caused by temporary work-related stress. He was prescribed citalopram, and within days he had taken his life.

Brian has a list of UK inquest reports from 2003 - to present, all of which mention the use of antidepressants, the majority of which have resulted in coroners concluding the death was suicide. It's an important website and yet another angle to come from when trying to seek the truth. Coroners, just as much as drug regulators and the mainstream press, need to seriously wake up and see what is in front of them. They need to give the dead a voice so future generations can be, at the very least, warned how some people can have a severe reaction to antidepressant use; namely completed suicide. Katinka talks about the 'defective genes' in her book.

Also missing from the lunch was Australian author Rebekah "Becks" Beddoe (Dying for a Cure). Becks had travelled over a few days before but had to travel back unexpectedly for family reasons.

All in all it was two days spent with remarkable people, each with their own heart-wrenching stories. Tears, laughter and strong friendships were born. I love them all ~ There was a lot of pain felt in the room but this was enshrouded with an overwhelming presence of love. I'd like to think that those who have passed were present in the room too, offering us all their guidance and love.

It's something that will remain with me forever.

Thanks Tinks for making it happen.

Leonie, Steph and I. (Three caged monkeys)
SEE NO EVIL, HEAR NO EVIL, TELL NO EVIL.

We see it - we hear it - we tell it!

Bob Fiddaman.

Q&A With Leonie Fennell

Imagine, if you will, a Sunday morning. You have that extra hour in bed with your partner. You can hear the kids downstairs playing, the TV is blaring, their laughter makes you smile.

You climb out of your slumber and head for the kitchen, breakfast is soon on the go and you all sit down as a family to eat.

Imagine, if you will, a knock at your door. On answering you see two police officers.

They are the bearers of bad news ~ they tell you that your son is wanted for questioning, moreover, they tell you that he is suspected of killing someone.

Imagine, if you will, during this visit a message comes through on one of the officer's walkie-talkies. "We've found the suspect, he's at the rear of the property... he's dead."

The unthinkable.

Leonie Fennell and her husband Tony don't need to imagine. This is their reality.

I first met both Tony and Leonie at an award ceremony in East Grinstead. We stayed up until the small hours talking about their son, Shane. It, for me, was heart-wrenching to hear and see two broken parents, particularly as my roots stem from Ireland (my mother being born and raised there)

We kept in touch and I've popped across the Irish sea to see them both on a number of occasions. Words cannot describe this beautiful couple, this beautiful family ~ all plodding along after such a tragedy. I've met Leonie's extended family too, a wonderful bunch (clan) who made me feel so welcome.

Leonie, as you will see from the Q&A's, has been very vocal in her mission to raise awareness about antidepressants. Shane was just 22 when he broke up with his girlfriend. He was heartbroken - he was prescribed the powerful antidepressant, citalopram (known as Celexa in the US). A month or so later Shane committed homicide and then killed himself, two acts brought on by induced psychosis, an adverse side effect of citalopram.

Tony and Leonie have been a part of my 10 year journey with this blog. I love them both dearly.





Full name: Leonie Fennell
Age: 50
Location: Wicklow, Ireland.



Q: Leonie, now that you have established yourself as a blogger, do you feel that your work over the years has brought about change in the way that many feel about antidepressant use?

A: Surprisingly, I do. The feedback suggests that the public are far more enlightened to the harms that come directly from putting harmful chemicals into our bodies. It has taken a long time for people to realise that medicines (prescribed by a friendly GP), while often doing good, can equally cause huge harm. When I started out in 2009, antidepressants were mainly seen as harmless happy-pills. People now seem far more cautious and whether they believe me or not, is irrelevant. Being aware of issues can often mean an adverse reaction is recognised for what it is - caused by the drug and not the supposed ‘illness’.  I think, in Ireland at least, largely due to the work of Irish doctor David Healy, people are questioning over-medicalization, particularly of our children. The tide is definitely turning on the pharmaceutical industry.


Q: They say that behind every good woman is a good man (or something like that). Your other half, Tony, has, I know, been a tower of strength for you and your family. How important is it, for you, to have the support of Tony?


A: He’s amazing - my rock. Don’t tell him I told you though, wouldn’t want him to get a big head. Joking aside, Tony has kept us all going, through thick and thin, through the laughter and the tears. He’s like a big soft cuddly toy - a bit battered and bruised, but totally-loved teddy bear. He was a broken man when Shane died and while the scar tissue must surely be visible under a microscope, he’s survived to battle on, especially for Shane. As a family we still laugh often - sometimes at Tony, but usually with him. I think he quite likes it.

Q: Back in 2011 you and Tony travelled to Denmark to meet with Lundbeck. The subject matter, in the main, was about citalopram (Celexa), the antidepressant that induced psychosis is your son, Shane. Can you tell me more about that meeting and how you feel it went?

A: To be honest, it wasn’t too surprising. I think the Lundbeck officials we met actually expected us to accept their denials and walk away hand-in-hand into the Copenhagen sunset. Instead, they just confirmed what we knew already, that most pharmaceutical companies will lie and cheat in order to cover up the harms done by their chemicals. The many deaths, like Shane’s, are brushed aside as collateral damage, a nuisance. The meeting was a bizarre experience.

Q: On average, how much time do you spend with work that relates to your blog?

A: Many, many, hours. I could often spend entire days doing research, which may or may not turn out to be useful. It’s my form of relaxation and I could quite happily sit in the midst of chaos while working on a particular subject.

Q: 2011 was, it appears, a busy year for you. In the summer of that year you were contacted by solicitors with regard to something you wrote about Irish psychiatrist, Patricia Casey. Can you tell me what all that was about and what was the outcome?

A: Casey is probably one of Ireland’s most widely recognised psychiatrists. She often sends people solicitor’s letters when she gets offended – which is quite frequent. I have never been reticent about being shocked and distressed when she commandeered Shane’s inquest, arriving uninvited to offer her assistance to the coroner. After her offer was ignored, she then wasn’t happy with the jury’s decision (an ‘open’ verdict). Directly after the inquest, on the steps coroner’s court, she proceeded to speak to the waiting media, stating there were aspects of the evidence that the college (of psychiatry) took issue with. I think her issues were with Dr David Healy, who testified that these drugs can be dangerous, in particular that SSRI antidepressants can cause suicide and violence. Later, she took offence against a blog I wrote about her and sent me a solicitor’s letters for my troubles. I then published the letter saying I would not be bullied or intimidated by Lundbeck or anyone else – so she sent me another one and I published that too. I think you know you’re on the right track when you get a ‘Casey Correspondence’.

Q: Congratulations on graduating with a law degree. It's a wonderful achievement. What made you decide on studying law?

A: I started studying law the year after Shane died. I basically wanted to find out how the pharmaceutical companies were getting away with harming people on this side of the Atlantic, when in the U.S. cases are regularly settled or the pharmaceutical industry are found guilty. Same drugs, same humans but warnings provided in the U.S. and none here – it’s a ridiculous situation. There will be no accountability until the legal system and our governments takes steps to sanction wrongdoing by these enormous companies. At the moment companies like GlaxoSmithKline and Lundbeck are being permitted to run rough-shod over Europe. The law degree helped me to understand the situation, but not accept it. I should say though, that I thoroughly enjoyed every second of doing law with my lovely colleagues and lecturers -  it was a great distraction.

Q: Would you recommend blogging to parents, or anyone for that matter, who had lost someone dear to them through antidepressant induced suicide?

A: I certainly would. Apart from being another great distraction, it’s a cheap form of therapy. It helps to get things in perspective and enables many diverse conversations. I do know that my family was helped enormously by other bloggers, particularly you and Truthman. It’s such a huge revelation when you find others in a similar situation, having thought you were alone. Sadly, there are many more victims and bereaved families since – yet, as there are more experts willing to speak out (Peter Gøtzsche for example), I think positive changes are coming fast.

Q: As an outsider looking in (kind of) I am amazed at your commitment and tenacity. What is it that keeps you going?

A: That’s easy – Shane. He was just so lovely, kind, funny and caring. I think of him every second of every day and the injustice of his death keeps me going. He was very like me and would have fought many injustices in his 22 years. I believe with every fibre of my being that Shane died because of Citalopram.  Therefore, I could never have moved on, taken the other option - to live a relatively easy life, albeit one without Shane.  To do that would have been to actively enable similar deaths to happen to others. It was never an option. It helps that there are so many of us in the same boat, helping each other out.

Q: Have you ever considered writing a book about your journey?

A. I have and it’s about 2/3 of the way finished. It’s just a matter of time, which I never seem to have enough of. The goalposts keep moving, with so much emerging pharmaceutical information. Shane’s personal story is fighting with my academic side and I’m trying hard to marry both and still keep it interesting.

Q: What do you say to people who believe that antidepressants are safe and effective?

A: Some people seem to be able to take antidepressants without coming to any harm. Whether through the placebo effect, or otherwise, some say they are helped by them. There are many reasons for this, not least that people usually get better with or without medication. Nevertheless, we know that these drugs are neither safe nor effective for the majority of people that take them, with experts saying they are causing ‘more harm than good’. We know they can double the risk of suicide and violence, cause mania, increased depression and a myriad of other harmful effects, including heart problems and stroke (causing many fatalities). Two innocuously-sounding effects that fascinate me are emotional-blunting and disinhibition – effectively meaning that a huge percentage of people could be walking around with sociopathic tendencies. No doubt future generations will look back and see this era of mass-prescribing, as ludicrous. I would advocate vehemently for fully-informed-consent, a practice sadly lacking in Europe.

Q: I see from your Facebook profile that you have an annual dip in the river each December. Can you tell me more about that and other charity work that you are involved with?

A: My family do the Christmas Day swim in Sandycove every year, to raise money for the Simon Community. I don’t if I can get away with it and instead, I pay to get out of it. I spend from January to December dreading it, so I bribed Tony into doing it last time and happily looked on from the side-lines at all the blue bodies. For some strange reason, one that I could never fathom, my mother, brothers, sisters and cousins love jumping into the freezing Irish sea – I don’t.

Q: When I spent time with you and Tony in Ireland you told me about Shane's gesture on his 21st birthday. (Church) For the benefit of this Q&A can you tell the readers about this wonderful gesture?

A: It wasn’t the church, it was the St Vincent De Paul, a charity he was very fond of - he worked there as a volunteer. Shane was very kind-hearted, always eager to help those who were unable to help themselves - so much so that he was referred to by his lecturers as ‘an chroi mór’ (Irish for the big heart). For his 21st birthday party in 2008, Shane asked everyone to make a donation to the St Vincent de Paul rather than buy him a present.  He told everyone he didn’t need presents, that he had everything he could possibly need.  He wrote the following words on his official 21st party invites...

“…despite the fact that my parents neglect me [joke], believe it or not I am spoiled.  So instead of spending money on a card or anything else, please make use of the St. Vincent de Paul box on the night where you can give the money to someone who needs it as I have everything, thanks. Shane”

Q: For you, what is the most frustrating part about being a patient advocate?

A: What frustrates me most is lackadaisical journalists who come looking for newspaper fodder. They often look for contacts details (of medical experts and bereaved parents) and I’ll happily do what I can to help. Occasionally though, they look for ‘all the up-to-date evidence’ and I can spend days doing research, effectively doing their job for them. Nevertheless, I persevere just because I’m thankful that iatrogenic harm will be discussed – how sad is that? I wish there were more good scientific journalists, who would use their own initiative and do their own research. We could do with some good medical and science writers over here – I wonder could we adopt Robert Whitaker or Mikey Nardo?

Q: Where do you see yourself in 10 years time?

A: Besides pottering around Wicklow with Tony, having recovered from the empty-nest syndrome and if I haven’t kicked the bucket, I see myself teaching Pharma-Ethics (unethical ethics), or something similar. I hope to put my years of studying, research and life-experience to good use and have many projects in the pipeline. However, I wouldn’t have predicted living the life I now lead, so who knows?

Q: Finally Leonie, some personal questions...

1. What book are you currently reading?

A: I’m studying at the moment, so the book that comes everywhere with me is ‘Principle of Biomedical Ethics’ by Beauchamp and Childress. It’s actually not as bad as it sounds.

2. What was the last CD you listened to (in full)?

A: The Best of John Denver (in the car while I waited for the boys to come out from Jiu-Jitsu training).

3. What is the best movie you have seen this year?

A: ‘Daddy’s Home’ with Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg (in the cinema with my 17-year-old son Jack). Absolutely Hilarious - although I think Jack was a little mortified in certain parts.

4. What country would you most like to visit?

A: Italy. We went for a day-trip to Ventimiglia last year (from Monaco) and it was just so incredible. It made us want to return to see more: the old buildings, the markets, the food, the people, the sun, the double decker trains –  sweet memories!

5. If you had the choice of being either a defence or prosecution lawyer, which would you choose and why?

A: Not sure I understand the question, a good lawyer should do both I think. While we’d all love to change the world like Erin Brockovich, if the defending lawyer doesn’t defend the accused to the very best of his ability (particularly if he believes him to be guilty), that may leave the option open for a re-trial or a mistrial. We can all have subjective opinions, but a good legal system should be based on objectivity. HOWEVER, I can’t say I’d be very objective if I was to represent a victim of the pharmaceutical industry.



Leonie Fennell Blog

Leonie's Twitter Page



Bob Fiddaman



Previous Q&A's

Q&A With Ablechild's Sheila Matthews-Gallo

Antidepressant Induced Suicide - The Mothers and Wives

Watch.

Listen.

Learn.


They have the pharmaceutical industry, medicine regulators and psychiatry to thank for their grief.

There is nothing left for me to say.

Leonie Fennell - Ireland

For Shane
Causation: Cipramil (Celexa, citalopram)

--

Stephanie McGill Lynch - Ireland

For Jake

Causation: Prozac (fluoxetine)

--


Mathy Downing - USA
For Candace
Causation: Zoloft (sertraline, Lustral)





--

Wendy Dolin - USA
For Stewart
Causation: Paxil (paroxetine, Seroxat)

--

Kim Witczak - USA

For Woody

Causation: Zoloft (sertraline, Lustral)

Bob Fiddaman

She Feckin Did It!

Imagine waking up Sunday morning to a knock on your door. Your Saturday night quickly forgotten as you open the door and are greeted by the Police, in this instance it was the Irish Garda (An Garda Síochána)

They ask you if you know the whereabouts of your son, furthermore, they tell you that he was involved in an incident where someone was killed.

What would your reaction be?

As your Sunday unfolds you are once again contacted by the law enforcement of your particular country. "Your son," they tell you, "has been found." They continue, "I'm sorry to inform you that your son is dead."

Just comprehend the above scenario. I've tried but plummeting myself into such a scenario really means nothing. Rik Mayall is on my TV, I don't need to put myself in anyone's shoes to feel their pain. I have potatoes on the hob boiling - why would I want to paint a picture of someone else's problem?

Leonie Fennell is a friend, more importantly, she is a mother. It was she that endured the above scenario, along with her husband, Tony.

I've heard them both relive that day and felt sickened. It would be a lie to say I felt their grief, how could I, how could anyone? Yes, of course, as a human I felt their pain, at least a very small amount of it. It's a pain that both Tony and Leonie carry around with them every day.

As the years have rolled on their nightmare has been rehashed in various newspapers and documentaries. Their dead son, Shane, has been labelled and mocked even though an inquest on his death returned an open verdict. This, after it was learned, that Shane stabbed himself in the chest 19 times after fatally wounding a young Irishman.

Psychiatrists, who, in the main, make their name through column inches in the press, have offered their opinion. Shane had a mental illness, he was driven to a mad rage of jealousy, etc, etc, etc.

These same interfering white-coated buffoons ignore the suicide/homicide link related to the drug Shane was taking at the time, Cipramil (citalopram) - marketed in the US as Celexa.

Anyway, I don't want to dwell on the past. Shane's story (the honest truth) can be read on Leonie's blog (link at the end of this article)

So, to the title of this post, "She Feckin Did It!"

Well, I can imagine Leonie now, speed reading through this piece of mine, uttering under her breath words such as 'fecker'. She'd be embarrassed by it all.

You see, despite suffering the heartache of losing her son, despite having fingers pointed at her and her other children, despite the chin-wagging of those that never really knew her son, Leonie has battled on. A popular blog, threatening letters from lawyers representing an Irish psychiatrist and even a trip across to Denmark to visit Lundbeck, the manufacturers of the drug that killed her son, a meeting that was covertly recorded too - much to my delight :-)

So, what do you do when something as hellish as losing a son in such a bizarre manner?

Leonie did what she was driven to do and now she has graduated with a LLB (Legum Baccalaureus or Honours Bachelor of Laws) from ITCarlow.

Leonie set out five long years ago on a journey, she writes...

Five years ago I ventured out of my comfort zone as a scared, scarred and grieving ‘40 something’ – as a third level rookie. I had decided on a ‘Foundation in Law’ course in Dublin’s Institute of Technology, Aungier Street, more by accident than any foregone design. Having attended an information evening (and handing over my Visa card), before I could utter “erm, not quite sure…”, I was duly plonked on a chair and photographed. Soon afterwards I found myself standing on the steps of DIT with a student card in hand, complete with obligitory dodgy student photo. I wasn’t sure whether to laugh or cry, but when I adjusted to the shock – it turned out to be one of my better decisions (the course, not the photo).

The whole story, ITCarlow – My Alma Mater, can be read here.

It's quite an achievement to pass any sort of course, particularly in that of law, which frankly is a mindfield of mind-boggling rules and regulations that we must all, apparently abide by.

I like Leonie's style, not her fashion sense, last I heard she was still wearing flared trousers and tartan scarves around her wrists. I just like her approach to blogging, her approach in offering support to those who need it, her approach to life in general.

Leonie is a funny woman, full of that stereotypical Irish wit. It's a pleasure to know both herself and Tony and their beautiful children. It's also my pleasure to publicly say, Leonie, you feckin did it!

Eiridh tonn air uisge balbh.


Bob Fiddaman.

Tenacity Pays Off For Irish Mom.

Leonie and I. A friend and fellow ass-kicker.

I just love it when the David's are recognised.

I just love to see the Goliath's put firmly in their place.

Irish mom, blogger, law student and thorn in the side of Lundbeck, Leonie Fennell, has just been honoured by the Well-Being Foundation...and rightly so.

The Well-Being Foundation have given Leonie an award so richly deserved for her work in the field of creating drug awareness. Woman of the Year is quite an achievement when one takes into account the brick walls Leonie has been faced with when trying to unearth the truth.

She's swallowed hard and met with Lundbeck officials where she grilled them about their antidepressant Cipramil [known as Celexa in the US] - She even secretly recorded this meeting! Video footage here, audio footage here.

She has met opposition, in the form of threatening attorney letters, from Irish psychiatrist Patricia Casey, yet still she continues her pursuit for the truth.

Leonie and I first met a few years back. She and her husband Tony relayed their story to me about their son, Shane. We have since met up a further 3 times where I have met her wonderful family and circle of friends.

I have watched from a distance and witnessed a truly great woman take on the might of the pharmaceutical industry. I have nothing but sheer admiration for any person that shows the strength and courage that shows the world that they will never take things lying down.

Leonie has stood up - she has been counted.

One word.

Proud.

Here's a Podcast I did with Leonie back in 2011.





Leonie Fennell Blog


Bob Fiddaman

First do no harm... providing it's no longer than 8 minutes

Dr Bhamjee, caused controversy back in 2011 when he called on the Irish Government to add lithium salts to the public water

Dr. Moosajee Bhamjee, a soon to be retired psychiatrist from Ireland, showed exactly why the profession of psychiatry needs to take a long, hard look at itself when he was a guest on the George Hook radio show in Ireland on Thursday [11 April]

Hook had been contacted by Irish blogger, Leonie Fennell regarding a GP he had interviewed a week previously on his show.

The GP, Dr. Ciara Kelly, offered her opinion to a recent article that had appeared in the Irish press [Irish Examiner] that highlighted how GP's handed out antidepressant medication at the drop of a coin. An undercover journalism student, Niamh Drohan, had approached 7 GP's in Ireland and told them she was suffering from stress and anxiety problems from her final year in college. On each visit a prescription for an antidepressant was written for Drohan. Her article ‘Depressing Truth about Treating Depression In The Young’ can be viewed here. Fennell gives her take on it here.

Hook's interview with Ciara Kelly enraged Fennell so much that she emailed the show to set the record straight. Kelly had claimed , during the course of her interview with Hook, that “the drugs themselves are not dangerous, they’re not addictive, they’re not even dangerous at high levels of overdose.”

Fennell's son, Shane, took 39 Cipramil in 17 days and his toxicology report showed a ‘toxic to fatal’ amount in his system. On the 17th day Shane, under the influence of the antidepressant citalopram, killed himself and another man. Podcast with Leonie Fennell here goes into more detail.

Fennell, along with antidepressant expert Prof. David Healy, were invited by Hook to offer their opinion as was Dr. Moosajee Bhamjee.

The interview [below] is interesting in as much that Bhamjee argues that in his 40 years as a healthcare professional he has never seen any patient who has experienced aggressiveness on these types of drugs. He also argues that Dr's only get an 8 minute slot to determine if someone is mentally ill and needs prescription medication. And there I was thinking that the Hippocratic oath taken by Dr's carried no disclaimers!


Bhamjee, caused controversy back in 2011 when he called on the Irish Government to add lithium salts to the public water supply in a bid to lower the suicide rate and depression among the general population.

Anyway... here's the debate from the Hook show.

Podcast Powered By Podbean

If you are having trouble with the audio player then the audio can be downloaded direct to your computer by right clicking and 'save as' HERE

Leonie Fennell's blog

Bob Fiddaman

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Irish Minister Kathleen Lynch Meets With Patient Advocates

Seeking changes. Leonie Fennell meets with Irish Minister, Kathleen Lynch

Two days ago Leonie Fennell and Tony Donnelly, along with a supporting cast of patient advocates, met with Irish mental health minister Kathleen Lynch.

It was a meeting that Lynch wished to remain private and out of the public domain.

One has to ask why?

Is Lynch trying to suppress voices here? Is she merely playing lip service and wishes to be seen as an advocate that is pro-antidepressant use...but doesn't want people to know about her stance?

I cannot fathom why a mental health minister would make such a suggestion, does she not think this is a matter of great public concern?

Leonie...being Leonie, has published details of the meeting on her blog...and so she should.

I'm fed up of governments telling us what to do when by suppressing voices only serves to make them look good.

Well, the meeting isn't private any more, it's in the public domain and if Lynch doesn't like it then boo hoo.

The focus is solely on her now. What is she going to do with the evidence supplied to her at the meeting, is she going to ignore it or just pass it on to departments that have a template specially designed for queries involving antidepressants and suicide? You know the types of letters that contain the words 'benefit outweigh risks' and how they [SSRi's] have 'benefited millions of people worldwide'.

Lynch, or any other politician for that matter, cannot suppress voices, to even think that she has that power distances her from the real people. She's not the only politician or minister that use their power like wand-waving wizards.

We have a huge problem here and throwing a blanket over it, as Lynch wanted to, merely serves the purpose of burying ones head in the sand in the hope that the problem will disappear.

Lynch is in for a surprise as I envisage that Leonie Fennell will not let go of this.

I suspect that the template is already in place and those present at this meeting will receive the kind of limp-wristed response that ensues when politicians, ministers and regulators are backed into a corner regarding antidepressant use.

I sincerely hope I'm wrong.

Read about the meeting HERE

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The Legacy of Shane Clancy

I've been fortunate enough to meet many people since I started writing this blog, sadly most of those I meet have suffered a great loss be it their wife, husband or child.

There can be nothing worse than losing your child particularly when that loss comes out of the blue as a result of suicide. There are no words of comfort I could possibly offer those I have met, I just listen and then, when the time is right, I ask about the life of those tragically taken from loving, caring parents.

I have, in the past, been fortunate to meet with the parents of Sara Carlin, a beautiful teenage girl prescribed Seroxat, an antidepressant that was supposed to help her, one that was supposed to keep her from harm - it didn't...she hanged herself.

This weekend I travelled across the sea to Ireland, the short 45 minute flight from Birmingham took me into Dublin where I was met by the father of Shane Clancy, yet another victim of suicide. Shane was prescribed the antidepressant Cipramil, known as Celexa in the US. 17 days later Shane took his life and the life of another. Shane didn't hang himself, he plunged a knife into his chest 19 times.

Shane's parents, Tony and Leonie, have become great friends over the past two years or so and I felt compelled to spend some time with them and their children. It was a social visit and one that I am so happy I made. Meeting Shane's siblings plummeted me into a world where pain is a daily occurrence, the feeling of loss hit me head on. You see, Shane Clancy wasn't just someones child, he was someones brother.

Leonie, Tony and I ventured out, an Indian curry followed by drinks and socialising with more of Shane's relatives ensued, all had memories of Shane, all told me of this kind-spirited human being who was loved by so many and who, in turn, showed so much love back.

Critics and the pro-antidepressant brigade will argue that his family members are bound to say nice things about him but Shane left a story behind for everyone he met. Restaurant owners, publicans [even though he didn't drink] friends who, like Tony and Leonie, were shell-shocked when they heard the news that such a mild-mannered young man had died in such a brutal manner.

One only has to look at his family home and meet with his brothers and sister to get a sense of how illogical those fatal events were. They make no sense and trying to piece together the reasons why leaves one frustrated and angry.

I am in no doubt that Cipramil turned Shane against all his beliefs. Those moments of madness induced by a drug that is widely prescribed across the UK and Ireland and one that is given a clean bill of health by those limpless wonders who regulate the drugs we all take.

It's a mockery to label a drug an antidepressant when in actual fact it's not anti at all, if it were then Shane's depression [a relationship break-up] would have been magically cured and not magnified. We drink water to quench our thirst, we don't expect it to make us thirsty.

Something is wrong with this world when children and adolescents are given such powerful drugs on prescription. Shane was actually given a month's supply after a short trip to see his doctor. Any person, be they a child or adult, are at risk during the first few weeks of taking an SSRi, to be given 30 days worth of medication was, in my mind, an act of insanity by his prescribing physician.

If a prescription drug is known to cause suicidal thoughts, particularly when first taking it, then why on earth would such a huge amount be prescribed? It leaves me baffled yet understanding the reasons. I understand because I've been involved in this cesspit of pharmaceutical manipulation for the past 6 years, I understand because I took an SSRi, I became suicidal, I became violent, I became a zombie who didn't care much for anything or anyone. It was only when I came off Seroxat [a 22 month withdrawal] that I found myself again. I also understand because I know how this industry works, how they are driven by money and how they will stop at nothing to sell a product to an unsuspecting public, a death here and there matters not a jot, not even in clinical trials.

Doctor's, in the main, believe SSRi type drugs are life savers, nobody under their care would ever die from them...that just doesn't happen on their patch. Well, it does and it did in the case of Shane Clancy.

Now we have a family left behind to pick up the pieces, a unit so strong and united that it overwhelmed me. Shane's family plod along because they have to. They weren't given an option. That's just the way it is and they are expected to deal with it.

On the flip-side we have key opinion leaders from Ireland who claim these drugs do not cause suicide or acts of violence. Their opinions only serve to reinforce the conscience of doctor's who prescribe these types of drugs on a daily basis. It must be safe because so and so said so.

My time with Shane's family and friends in Ireland was enjoyable yet tinged with sadness. I enjoyed the company... I would have enjoyed it so much more if Shane were there.

Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam

Leonie and Tony - I salute you.


Leonie Fennell's blog can be found HERE.


Fid

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The Times They Are Changing...

...or not, as the Casey may be.

Irish Times Columnist and Psychiatrist, Patricia Casey

On Saturday 14th April the Irish Times published an extremely well written account regarding the use of antidepressants. The article, entitled, 'Bitter pills to swallow', should have created much debate, alas the powers that be at Ireland's best selling newspaper seem to cherry pick comments for approval.

The account itself was an unusual step for the Irish Times particularly as it threw up the question that many people have been asking for some time now. Do antidepressants really work? Regulary quoted by the Irish Times, Patricia Casey, seems to have all the answers and, it appears, is wrapped in cotton wool by the Irish Times staff.

I left a comment at the end of 'Bitter pills to swallow', sadly the moderators didn't allow it through. Maybe the mention of Patricia Casey raised a red flag. It seems that anytime an opinion is offered about Casey she threatens with a warning letter from her solicitors. The Irish Times have, in the past, fallen foul of Casey's iron fist. They had dared to allow a comment through that had criticised Ireland's darling of psychiatry, a comment that, apparently sent Casey running to her solicitors threatening the newspaper with legal action. Their apology to Casey came in August 2010 where they wrote:

On May 23rd, a comment related to this article was moderated and published by The Irish Times on its website in the “have your say” section. The comment concerned Professor Patricia Casey. The allegations published in the comment were without foundation and were seriously defamatory of Professor Casey and have caused her great personal hurt and distress. The Irish Times accepts that Professor Casey is an internationally-respected psychiatrist of the highest standing and reputation.

The content of the offending comment is unknown, as is the level of 'personal hurt and distress' it casued Casey. How would one measure levels of personal hurt and distress anyhow? Maybe the same way the field of psychiatry magically measure levels of serotonin in the brain's of their patients?

This isn't the first time Casey has ran to the protection of law firms. Last year Casey didn't like what she saw on Leonie Fennell's blog - Fennell, whose son, Shane, suicided after 17 days on Cipramil [citalopram] had wrote a piece involving a statement from another woman that prompted Casey to turn to her legal team. The opening paragraph of the letter from Brophy Solicitor's reads: "Our client has instructed us in relation to comments appearing on your internet blog in which you repeat a statement that another lady made to you that “Patricia Casey ruined my son’s life”.

I can only assume that my comment left yesterday was deemed inappropriate because I mentioned Casey's name. The Times, it appears, wouldn't dare allow a comment through that mentioned Casey - why would they want to go through the legal battlefield again?

It appears that many folk are frightened by Casey, I've spoken to one such person this week, he wishes to remain anonymous, sufficed to say he didn't speak too favourably of her.

Casey, like me, is opinionated. Where she believes that antidepressants cannot cause suicide, I, on the other hand, think the complete opposite. Where she claims there is no evidence that supports the antidepressant/suicide link, I, once again have an opposing view to hers. Quite why Casey believes there is no suicide link is a mystery given that the manufacturers of these drugs have admitted that there are suicide events associated with their products.

Casey, like me, is entitled to her opinions. She's wrong on the antidepressant/suicide link though, so very wrong.

My comment is below. I think it's fair and balanced. Casey, can use the comment section on this blog if she wishes to respond. Any move toward solicitor's offices will be seen, by me at least, as being rather churlish.




An extremely good article, not before time too.


The mainstream press seem to tow the pharmaceutical company line when reporting on antidepressant drugs due, in part, to being cautious as any negative reporting of SSRi type drugs may make those on them abruptly stop taking them.


The industry along with medicine regulators and healthcare professionals claim that the "benefits outweigh the risks" - What are the benefits? Do these drugs actually cure anything or do they merely paper over the cracks?


SSRi's are not just handed out for depression or anxiety - the marketing genius of pharma has branched out and now we see these drugs prescribed for all sorts of human emotion.


It's not okay to feel blue anymore because we are told feeling blue is a mental disorder, it's become as common as a sore throat and runny nose, one only has to look at the prescribing statistics to see this.


We have regulators in place to safeguard human health but are they really doing so? What do they actually do with the thousands of adverse events sent to them by patients and doctor's? Do they follow-up by visiting the GP or patient or do they just add the report to their bulging database of adverse events? We know the answer to this already, right?


Key opinion leaders have a huge part to play too. Those who oppose the over medicating of normality are rarely given their own newspaper columns where those who are pro-antidepressant are given weekly columns promoting the use of these drugs, it's advertising by proxy and really should be regulated.


Case in point being Irish psychiatrist, Patricia Casey, who is often quoted in The Irish Times where she speaks about the dangers of various mental illnesses and various 'fixes'. I don't see the Irish Times offering the same column inches to those who oppose her views.


In essence Casey's musings come without the black box warning or patient information leaflets, they are sugar-coated, unbalanced and all based without any scientific data.


What surprises me most about this is that the Irish Times always strive to report on the facts, they have to for fear of being dragged through the courts on a defamation charge. The reporting has to be accurate and backed up with evidence. It's the Editor's mantra but one that, it appears, does not apply to the thoughts and scribblings of an influential psychiatrist in Patricia Casey.


Carl O'Brien has offered readers a superb balanced argument in this article, one that is worthy of debate. The Irish Times should give themselves a huge pat on the back and maybe offer regular column inches to those who have a different opinion to that of Casey, what have they to lose by offering a different opinion?

Fid


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Irish Minister To Meet With Antidepressant Experts

Kathleen Lynch, the Irish minister responsible for mental health, has agreed to meet with former state pathologist Declan Gilsenan, Leonie Fennell, the mother of Shane Clancy, who killed a man and took his own life after a short time on Cipramil [Celexa], psychiatrist Prof David Healy, and a former government minister.

Gilsenan had earlier this month spoke about his concerns regarding the amount of suicides he had seen where the victim had recently started taking a course of antidepressant type medication.

Today's Irish Examiner writes:

He [Gilsenan] said in his 30-year experience carrying out postmortems, he had seen "too many suicides" after people had recently started taking the drugs. At Mr Clancy’s inquest, Dr Gilsenan testified there were "toxic" levels of citalopram (brand name Celexa or Cipramil) in Mr Clancy’s blood. 

This move by the Irish minister comes after many patient advocates, including Healy himself, have raised concerns about the antidepressant/suicide link to the British drug regulator, the MHRA. Years of campaigning and meetings with the MHRA have, it appears, fallen on deaf ears and the MHRA continue to give drugs, such as Cipramil, a clean bill of health.

Fennell, who has been threatened in the past by Irish psychiatrist Patricia Casey, hopes the meeting will give Lynch an insight into the lack of warnings provided with these medications.

It will be interesting to see if Kathleen Lynch takes this huge problem by the horns and actually does something about it. A meeting with pharmaceutical executives would be a start as would access to the raw data used in clinical trials to determining whether or not taking these drugs is proving to be more risky than beneficial.

My glass is half-empty on this but I applaud the efforts of Healy, Gilsenan and Fennell for bringing it to the attention of Lynch. It seems Ireland is waking up, my only hope is that Lynch doesn't, like the MHRA, hit the snooze button.




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Spotlight on the Irish Medical Council - In Whose Interests?

The Irish Medical Council [IGMC], like its English counterpart, has a duty, it claims, to license medical practitioners to practise, and has the power to place restrictions on or revoke such licences, in cases of questions about a doctor's fitness to practise.

One such question was put to them by the parents of Shane Clancy, the 24 year old who, whilst under the influence of citalopram, killed a young man before stabbing himself repeatedly to death - Shane had taken an abnormal amount of citalopram [known as Cipramil in the UK and Celexa in the US]

His parents, Leonie Fennell and Tony Donnelly, approached the IGMC and asked why their son was prescribed a month's supply of citalopram considering it is a well known fact that when starting these types of medications [SSRi's] there is a marked increase of suicidal and violent thoughts.

One would assume that the IGMC would have been able to answer such a simple question without the need to call upon "specialists" - alas, the road they took is baffling to say the least.

If the likes of you or I wish to make a compliant to the IGMC we have to wait until they meet and decide if the complaint should go further. In the case of Shane Clancy, the IGMC have decided from their infinite fountain of knowledge that there is no room for such a complaint...furthermore, they have decided not to warrant any investigation because. and I quote, "there is insufficient cause to warrant further action."

Well, I've news for them. There are two young men that have died, Cipramil has been implicated in their deaths and whether or not the IGMC agree with that should not be an issue here.

Shane Clancy's parents don't want this to happen again to another Irish teenager, the IGMC, it appears, couldn't give a toss if it does or not because, it appears, they can brush the suicide/hostility/SSRi connection under the carpet with such sweeping statements as "there is insufficient cause to warrant further action."

There's more to this than meets the eye, something Shane's mother has pointed out on her blog.

The star "expert" for the IGMC was one Philip J. Cowen, MD, FRCPsych from The University Department of Psychiatry, Warneford Hospital, Oxford.

Cowen's links to Cipramil manufacturers, Lundbeck, are plain to see. In the past he has advised Lundbeck, served as a paid member of advisory boards for Lundbeck, been a speaker at the Royal College of Psychiatrists Annual meeting which was jointly sponsored by Lundbeck and as recent as April 2011, Cowen was a speaker at the Athens Lundbeck Symposium.

Like most people whose complaints are rebutted, Fennell asked for the evidence provided to the IGMC by Cowen to be submitted to her. They refused.

There's much more over at her blog where she shows how simple research, using Google as a tool, can throw up some startling results.

Fennell has, in the past, been threatened by Irish lawyers [twice] because she spoke out about an Irish psychiatrist called Patricia Casey who took umbrage to what Fennell had to say about her - I fully anticipate Fennell won't let this drop either, who can blame her? The IGMC have a lot of questions to answer, most importantly about their ethics and why they allow people like Cowen to give evidence then seal that evidence when the parents of dead teen ask for it.

It would appear that the only duty being carried out by the IGMC here is the duty to conceal what should be publically available. If Cowen thinks Cipramil, or any other SSRi for that matter, should be prescribed in large quantities to vulnerable teens then let's hear it, from the horse's mouth, so to speak.

Leonie Fennell and Tony Donnolly are a couple of tough Irish warriors, a few months ago they confronted Lundbeck, they secretly recorded that confrontation. The IGMC owe them, at the very least, a chance to rebut any of Cowen's claims regarding the safety and efficacy of Cipramil...if only to highlight how the IGMC are letting down future patients with the right to an informed choice when deciding to go down the route of SSRi therapy.

Full story HERE




Fid


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Lundbeck Under the Spotlight

The parents of Shane Clancy, the young man prescribed citalopram, who committed an act of homicide before taking his own life, recently met with pharmaceutical giant Lundbeck. The meeting was covertly recorded and both Leonie and Tony, Shane's parents, have now had the audio enhanced and published it in full on their blog.

It's a fascinating insight into how big pharma show skill in the art of deflecting questions put to them.

Both Leonie and Tony have showed tremendous courage in getting this out to the public. I, for one, applaud them. You should too.

Full audio recording and transcript can be found HERE

Fid 


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Lundbeck 0 Leonie Fennell 1

Shane Clancy - Citalopram induced homicide/suicide

Here is a shining example of a normal person, with no skills in the legal field, cross-examining two officials of the pharmaceutical company, Lundbeck.

Leonie Fennell is a mother who lost her son to Cipramil [Celexa in US] - She sticks it to Lundbeck...and they just don't know how to answer her line of questioning.

The audio recording, which will be uploaded to Leonie's blog at a future date, has now been transcribed, part of that transcription is now available.

Leonie asked Lundbeck official, wannabe psychiatrist, Dr Masden, if a months supply of citalopram [brand name Cipramil/Celexa] is too much to give to someone who is depressed. Masden is obviously skilled in the art of deflection as is evident from the exchange with Fennell HERE

Here we have a grieving mother confronting officials of the pharmaceutical company who manufacture the antidepressant her son took.

I would seriously recommend that Lundbeck do not take this woman for granted. She can and will kick your ass.

Leonie Fennell...I salute you.

Fid 


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Audio Recording of Meeting With Lundbeck to Hit the Internet

Tony Donnelly and Leonie Fennell, parents of Cipramil victim, Shane Clancy

Courage (also bravery, fortitude, or intrepidity) is the ability to confront fear, pain, danger, uncertainty, or intimidation. [Source]

On August 15 2011, the parents of Shane Clancy travelled to Denmark to confront Lundbeck, the pharmaceutical company that manufacture Cipramil [citalopram] and Lexapro [escitalopram]

Back in 2009 Shane attacked a group of teens [killing one] before stabbing himself 19 times.

Armed with a hidden video camera and audio recorder, Tony Donnelly and Leonie Fennell, Shane's parents, recorded their meeting with Lundbeck.

I have been privy to hear the full recording, it's explosive and is likely to cause a bit of a stink.

A pre-cursor to the audio recording, video footage, appears on Leonie Fennell's blog [HERE]

I have the utmost respect for any parent who confronts the might of the pharmaceutical industry. Their bravery boils down to an act of unselfishness in wanting to create awareness to others about the dangers of taking SSRi mediction.

Tony and Leonie...I salute you.

Fid


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Lundbeck Open Doors To Grieving Parents

Tony Donnelly and Leonie Fennell, parents of Cipramil victim, Shane Clancy

Last week Danish pharmaceutical giant, Lundbeck, opened its doors to Leonie Fennell and Tony Donnelly, the parents of 22 year old Shane Clancy.

Shane had been taking Lundbeck's antidepressant, Cipramil [known as Celexa in the US] for just 17 days before ending his life in bizarre fashion by attacking three people [killing one] before stabbing himself 19 times.

The resulting inquest returned an open verdict, a finding by a coroner's jury of death without stating the cause.

Both Tony and Leonie are convinced that Cipramil played a major part in Shane's decision making that day, research by experts would suggest that they have a point. Lundbeck, on the other hand, deny that their drugs citalopram and escitalopram can cause suicide.

It takes immense courage to face the murderer of your child, Tony and Leonie believe Lundbeck manufactured a product that resulted in their child brutally killing himself.

With this in mind they both travelled to Copenhagen earlier this week and met with Lundbeck officials, Dr. Madsen and a Public Relations Officer, Anders Schroll. It was the second anniversary of Shane's death.

Tony and Leonie also handed out 1500 leaflets outside the Lundbeck building [Fig1]

Leonie has wrote a precursor regarding this meeting, she has much much to come over the coming weeks on her blog.

It would appear that Shane's parents asked some hard hitting questions, many of which were deflected by Lundbeck's spokespersons Madsen and Schroll. It's one thing to open your door, but another to be less than forthcoming with the truth when answering questions put to you by your guests.

I have a deep admiration for anyone that takes on the might of the pharmaceutical industry. Leonie and Tony could have done what Lundbeck wanted, they could have accepted Shane's death and moved on with their lives but for them to 'move on' it is incumbent for them to seek the truth. That truth has not been forthcoming and I suspect Tony and Leonie are in this for the long haul.

Lundbeck won't like that.

Leonie's account of her meeting with Lundbeck is a must read, if only to see how their probing questions were deflected and...well, not really answered at all.

Full story HERE

Related:

Interview with Leonie Fennell [FIDCAST]


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**Breaking News - Family of Shane Clancy Let Down By the Irish Medical Council

Shane Clancy - Victim of Cipramil

In August 2010 the parents of Shane Clancy made a complaint to the Irish Medical Council [IMC] about their son's treatment from the Doctors he saw in his last 17 days.

The basis of their complaint was “Why were these doctors not aware that when a person starts an antidepressant, there is a markedly increased risk of suicide ideation and also that there is a certain percentage of people who can react violently and deadly to this medication?”. They also wanted to know why Shane was allowed to get a prescription for a months supply of this drug and if this is common policy, then surely this practise should be revised.

The IMC have now conducted a preliminary hearing. The response to Shane's parents can be viewed on the Leonie Fennell Blog HERE


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Lawyers of Psychiatrist, Patricia Casey, Pile on Pressure for Grieving Mother

Professor Patricia Casey, Professor of Psychiatry, UCD and Nora Broderick, product manager psychiatry, Lundbeck (Ireland) Ltd

Last month I wrote about Leonie Fennell, the mother of Cipramil victim Shane Clancy, and how she had received a letter from Brophy Solicitors, a law firm representing Irish psychiatrist, Patricia Casey.

Fennell had posted a series of articles on her blog, Leoniefennell.wordpress.com, that linked Casey to Lundbeck, the pharmaceutical company that manufacture the SSRi Cipramil.

Casey has, in the past, supported the use of SSRi type drugs and, according to Fennell, has publicly stated that there is no evidence to suggest that antidepressants can cause suicide or homicide. Fennell's son, Shane, who was prescribed Cipramil, had took the life of a young man before stabbing himself in the chest [19 times].

For a psychiatrist to contact solicitors over someone who has an opinion is a strange move. Casey either thinks the Leonie Fennell blog reaches out to millions or thinks she is important enough to suppress the opinions of what people have to say about her. Fennell posted the threatening letter from the law firm on her blog HERE.

Fennell removed the offending comment back in June but it appears Casey's solicitor's won't let the matter drop.

Yesterday Brophy solicitors wrote once again to Fennell.

It is extremely disappointing that your reply to this letter consisted of you posting it on your blog along with the comment in bold “I will never be bullied, intimidated or silenced by Lundbeck or Professor Casey”

It's disappointing that the client they represent holds the views that there is no evidence to suggest that antidepressants can cause suicide or homicide...when there is much evidence to suggest that they do. I don't see LeonieFennell employing the services of solicitors to quash Casey's claims.

We need to point out to you that when our client first came to us, we advised her that the comments you have now removed from your blog were seriously defamatory and that she would be quite entitled to issue legal proceedings against you. She did not wish to do so because she has enormous sympathy for the tragedy you have suffered.

I find this very odd. Fennell removed the comments and that should have been it. Even by their own admission, Casey did not wish to issue legal proceedings against Fennell - begs the question why Brophy solicitors felt the need to write again? Maybe the next few paragraphs of the letter will explain why?

You have removed the defamatory comments from your blog but you now accuse our client of bullying you and trying to silence you. This is despite the fact that we specifically stated that our client did not want you to remove your blog but only wanted you to remove the defamatory comments you made about her. What part of this constitutes bullying? What part of this constitutes an attempt to silence you? Are you saying that the simple fact that you received a solicitor’s letter asking you to remove certain defamatory comments which you subsequently removed, constitutes intimidation?

We must now insist that you remove this sentence from your blog as it is absolutely clear that our client is not trying to bully you or intimidate you or silence you. What she is trying to do is to protect her good name and she will not allow herself to be defamed again. We hope you will accept that the allegation that our client is a bully and that she is intimidating you and trying to silence you is both wrong and extremely damaging for her.

It's unusual for a law firm to ask questions in a letter, Brophy's have asked three!

1. What part of this constitutes bullying?
2. What part of this constitutes an attempt to silence you?
3. Are you saying that the simple fact that you received a solicitor’s letter asking you to remove certain defamatory comments which you subsequently removed, constitutes intimidation?

Quite why Brophy's, or indeed Casey, wish to pursue this matter has bamboozled me. If Casey thinks one person's opinion can damage her reputation then she needs to join the long list of psychiatrists whom have been the subject of various opinions over the years, the long list of pharmaceutical companies that have a vast army of critics and even bloggers whom have each had to endure various mud-slinging critics because their opinions don't fit in with the blinkered views of the small minority who support the use of SSRi type drugs in children and adolescents.

What is wrong with any person offering an opinion that he/she feels intimidated and bullied by a letter? Wasn't that the effect that Casey wanted? Send a letter to the blogger and let's hope she removes what she has wrote about me - why else would such a letter be sent out?

The final paragraph answers the three questions above:

We have strongly advised our client that she should issue proceedings to prevent this repetitive defamation but once again our client has said that she does not wish to do so given the background to this case but she absolutely insists that you remove the defamatory comments that are appearing on the website at the moment and confirm that you will not repeat any defamation in the future.

Yours faithfully,

BROPHY SOLICITORS

What we have here is the good cop/bad cop scenario. Casey playing the role of the good cop whilst Brophy's appear as the bad cop, at least that's the way I see it.

What does Casey have to gain by taking a grieving mother to court? Does she honestly believe that highlighting the opinion of a blogger will make the matter go away? Does Casey think the letters will do the trick and stop Shane Clancy's mother from offering an opinion?

I can just picture it. The Irish newspapers awash with headlines, 'Irish Psychiatrist to Sue Grieving Mother', Irish Psychiatrist, Patricia Casey, "I Am Not A Bully"'

I'm not a lawyer, nor am I in a position to offer any legal advice but I'd bet my left nut that the last thing Irish psychiatrist, Patricia Casey, wants is her name plastered all over the Irish press, she won't like the journalist's who dig and find and make association to her connections with Lundbeck. They will and I am sure they will print their findings too. If Casey thinks the opinion of a lone blogger is tarnishing her good name then the audience that awaits her if she does decide to pursue a case of defamation will do far more damage.

Are Brophy solicitors going to issue letters to other bloggers that have commented, do they wish to silence the opinion of everyone and anyone?

They may wish to look at the laws of Wordpress.com, where Leonie Fennell's blog is hosted.

Defamation, liability: WordPress.com is an internet service provider. We are based in the US, as are all of our servers. As such we are covered by section 230(c) of the US Communications Decency Act which states that internet service providers are not held liable for content (such as allegedly defamatory, offensive, inaccurate, or harassing content) that is posted on the sites they host for their users. We host millions of web sites for our users and are not able to control or police the hundreds of thousands of blog posts our users create every day. However, if you have a complaint about one of our blogs, please follow our complaints procedure.

Rather than put pressure on a grieving mother with an opinion maybe Brophy's time and money would be better spent following the procedure set out by Wordpress.

Short-cutting this procedure serves only one purpose as far as I can see, I'm of the opinion that Casey/Brophy's are intimidating and trying to stifle.

If my opinion is deemed defamatory then Brophy's, or indeed Casey, may debate with me.

Brophy's latest letter to Leonie Fennell can be read in full, HERE.

Fid


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