Advocates for the Sisterhood Part II

Following on from my previous post regarding those female advocates who kick ass, I'd like to put some more names forward. These are women advocates who, I believe, are making changes with their blogs/websites. They have each stood up to be counted.


Susan Schechter - Blog - If You're Going Through Hell...Keep Going

Susan amazes me with her drive. She is suffering as a result of various medications given to her over the years by 'professionals' yet is always willing to promote the work of others via the medium of her blog.

The various meds she has taken took their toll on Susan last year and she was admitted to hospital after she was found slumped on the floor in her home.

Susan's love for her cat, Holly, features in many of her posts. She writes brilliantly, often describing the pain she is going through with the concoction of psychiatric drugs she has been prescribed. Always stands united when others seek her help. A truly wonderful patient advocate.

Gianna Kali - Blog - Beyond Meds

Gianna's blog is seeped in eloquently written articles. Her struggles through life are apparent but she shares her own experiences to help others. On occasions Gianna takes a hiatus away from her blog but always returns to inform others and to highlight various articles and books. Her sidebar links are impressive and blog layout one of the best I've seen. She has also won many awards for her blog, all of which can be seen by visiting Beyond Meds.

Altostrata - Website - Surviving Antidepressants Forum

It takes a lot of time and effort to run and maintain a web forum, spam filtering, deleting posts from knuckleheads hired by pharmaceutical companies etc. Altostrata has created a quite superb forum for people who are struggling at the hands of antidepressant medication. Subscribers share stories, tips and articles with each other and warn of the dangers of antidepressant type drugs. Surviving Antidepressants was recently launched, I suspect that it will grow huge as more and more people flock to it for answers, answers that the drug companies, medicine regulators and doctors cannot give.

Alison Bass - Blog - Alison Bass

Alison is an award winning writer, her book, "Side Effects: A Prosecutor, a Whistleblower, and a Bestselling Antidepressant on Trial", focuses on the way GlaxoSmithKline promoted Paxil and the way they concealed negative side effects from physicians. If you haven't read it yet then do yourself a favour and purchase it - I COULDN'T PUT IT DOWN.

Alison keeps her finger on the pulse with her blog, often taking articles and adding her own commentary to them. Another advocate who has come under fire from the anonymous knuckleheads. Like Evelyn Pringle, featured in Part I, Alison is one of my all time favourite journalists. Her in-depth research leaves no stone unturned, her voice an Achilles heel to the pharmaceutical industry.

Janice Simmons - Website - Seroxat User Group

Janice and I have become firm friends over the years. The amount of 'behind the scenes' work Jan puts in is vast. She has met with the MHRA on numerous occasions, GSK's mouthpiece, Alastair Benbow and even former Prime Minister, Gordon Brown.

Over the years Janice has received a staggering 60,000 emails, most of which are from patients struggling to taper from Seroxat. Janice has been the voice of thousands over the years, taking their concerns to the front door of GlaxoSmithKline, politicians and the MHRA.

If ever there were a person who needed recognition for her hard work then it is Janice.

I had the pleasure of meeting Janice in person a couple of years ago, we both grilled a now ex MHRA employee.

Despite all her efforts and proposals to politicians and the MHRA being largely ignored, she has continued to battle on. She's a star, a diamond, a fine example of what a patient advocate should be.

Citizens Commission on Human Rights - Website - CCHR

Okay, I know this is a post about the sisterhood advocacy world but I couldn't pass up this opportunity to big up the jewels in the crown at CCHR.

When one walks through life, seemingly alone, it's a thrill to have company, to have someone walking by your side, someone who is on the same wavelength as you, someone who puts people first, be they toddlers, children, teens, adults or the elderly.

There is a strong woman presence within CCHR, from the top down. I won't name individuals, each are equal to me, each work 7 days a week kicking ass in various parts of the world. They have given voices to many victims, stuck to their guns over the years by going after the core of the problem - they never give up. A glimmer of light at the end of the dark psycopharmaceutical monopoly tunnel just drives them forward. A glimmer is not good enough, they seek more and they do so by producing DVD's, printed material and ground-breaking videos, uploaded to YouTube.

I can't big them up enough.

I'm proud to be walking by their side.



Previous Post - Advocates for the Sisterhood Part I

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NEW VIDEO FROM CCHR

Another belter from the stable of the Citizens Commission on Human Rights [CCHR]

All those pharma whores who continue to throw mud at this organisation, please carry on. I just love to see snazzy photos of people with egg on their faces.

I'm baking a big humble pie and shall dish it out in equal portions to those that have knocked CCHR.

The attacks on them by those Anonymous knuckleheads keeps me entertained. When you come under attack you pretty much know you're being effective - CCHR are effective, the knuckleheads know it.

Their latest video highlights the elderly, a generation that we all too easily forget. The folk in this video could be your parents...just stop and think about that for a while.





Thank you CCHR for, once again, giving the vulnerable a voice.

I salute you.



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Samantha Parnell - Caught in the Mental Health Trap

Samantha Parnell -  8 different psychiatric drugs

When Samantha Parnell was just 15 she, like many teenage children, experimented with recreational drugs, her choice being skunk, a selection of selectively bred cannabis strains.

Her parents, Sharon and Steve, became aware when she started behaving out of character, in fact her mother thought that her daughter had a brain tumour such was the drastic change she had seen in her. Alarmed by this Sharon took her daughter to a local hospital whereupon Samantha finally admitted that she was smoking cannabis.

Confused and showing signs of agitation a doctor injected Samantha and told her that it would help calm her, the hospital then prescribed her Risperdal, an antipsychotic used to treat schizophrenia. The hospital told her parents that Risperdal was a standard drug they used to treat teenagers who had taken street drugs. Samantha's parents were also informed that the "medicine" was well tolerated.

As weeks turned into months Samantha found it difficult to tolerate the Risperdal, in fact, recalls her mother, "the Risperdal made things worse." When Samantha told the health care professionals about her intolerance they simply upped the dose. She was told by medical staff that they needed to keep adjusting the dose until "they got it right" as everyone needed "different amounts."

In 2007, seeing no marked improvement, Samantha was prescribed Zyprexa. Concerned, her mother told the prescribing doctor that she was not happy that her daughter was being prescribed drugs and asked if there were any alternatives.The doctor told her there were no alternatives and that this was the standard treatment.

Things went downhill for Samantha and her behaviour became worse, so bad was her behaviour that she was sent into an acute young persons unit where she was given more psychiatric drugs.Her parents noticed that Samantha became lethargic and showed little or no emotion and also learned that she was self-harming, she also lost track of time and didn't know what day it was, recalls her mother.

In a phone conversation with Sharon, she told me:

It was just a downward spiral, by this time she was a shadow of her former self. She asked Steve and me several times please help me too die. Can you imagine that, she even said I’ll write you a letter so you and daddy don’t get into trouble.

Samantha was becoming more violent and her mother noticed that it became worse just a couple of weeks prior too her menstrual cycle. Sharon relayed this to Samantha's doctor as she felt it may be of importance. Her doctor, apparently, never investigated this finding.

During 2007 Samantha was in and out of hospital units and was also sectioned under the mental health act where she was prescribed Clozaril, an atypical antipsychotic, her parents had to sign a consent form and were told that their daughter's blood would be checked regularly as it could interfere with her white blood cells.

Sharon:

I didn’t like the sound of it at all but it was said this was the last she could try as this is the drug they use for treatment resistant people. 

At this point Samantha was taking three drugs, Zyprexa, Abilify and Lamictal, a fourth, Clozaril, was added to the mix and each time medical staff tried to 'up' the dose Samantha's heart reacted which ultimately saw Samantha admitted to a cardiac unit where she was told the Clozaril had to be stopped with immediate effect. Her mom recalls:

Whilst introducing Clozaril they reduced her from Zyprexa. Each time they tried to raise Clozaril her heart reacted so the cardiac doctor said it must be stopped immediately. They then proceeded to put her back on Zyprexa and also adding Abilify and lamotrogine.

Samantha's Clozaril was substituted with Diazepam, a benzodiazepine used for the short-term relief of symptoms related to 'anxiety disorders'.

Sharon:

Hindsight is a wonderful thing, if we knew then, what we know now, I would have said no. Sam’s life at this moment in time is a mess; I never want to hear of another child being abused by so called doctors again with these so called medicines. Sam has been so violent and she has hurt people and damaged lots of things too but their drugs have done that to her.

On 20th May 2011 Sharon took Samantha to a private hospital too see a consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist. She explained all of her daughter's mood swings and violent outbursts. After discussion, he prescribed Oestrogen patches for Samantha to wear two weeks on and two weeks off and said, "if you get a 10% difference after the two cycles then I will put her on the lowest dose to start just too see and then maybe go up to the next dose if it works for her."

The patches seemed to calm Samantha down somewhat, although she was still experiencing rage. The patches,recalls her mother, "stopped her more violent outbursts, she stopped attacking people and smashing up the place."

Unfortunately, Samantha, had previously attacked a bus driver who had refused her on a bus, Samantha had tried to board the bus with a train travel card and lashed out when she was refused to board.

Yesterday, Samantha, now 19, was sent to a medium secure unit. Her mother wrote a letter to the court explaining what she believes to be the reasons why her daughter acts the way she does. It bore no weight with the magistrate.

The final words goes to Sharon:

I know from the research that I have done on these so called medicines that two of the drugs Sam was on, clearly says can interfere with women’s hormones and they never told us that in the beginning. The same as they only chose too tell of what they call minor side effects. Anyone who has been on these drugs and anyone who has looked after anyone on these drugs know they are actual side effects.

Sharon Parnell has been creating awareness about the use of psychiatric drugs in children and wishes for parents across the UK to research any psychiatric drug prescribed to their children. Her website, Revelations UK has been running since 2010.

To date Samantha Parnell has been prescribed the following psychiatric drugs;

Diazepam
Phenergan
Olanzapine
Lamotrigine
Risperidone
Clonazepam
Aripiprazole
Clozaril

She is currently spending time at a secure unit, a young woman trapped in the mental health system, hooked on psychiatric medication that has escalated her problems and eradicated nothing.

Her mother sought the help of professionals, that help resulted in misery starting in 2006 and, it appears, continuing throughout 2011. Samantha Parnell has been punished enough, it's time for those responsible to remove their heads from the sand, it's time to stop the chemical cosh whipping of this young woman.

She is one of many thousands of children, teenagers, adults and elderly caught in the mental health trap.

Bob Fiddaman.




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THE INFLUENCE OF THE PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRY IN IRELAND

Nuria O'Mahony lost her husband through suicide. He committed suicide just two weeks after starting Seroxat. Nuria has since been campaigning in Ireland and has recently drafted a report for the Oireachtas Subcommittee for Health. Her complaint had previously been turned down by the EU Ombudsman... but she continues to battle on in search of the truth.

In her own words, Nuria writes:

I believe that the Health Committee should make recommendations to the Government similar to the ones drawn up by the UK Parliamentary Health Committee in their report on the influence of the pharmaceutical industry last year to improve this awful situation TODAY. Auditing should take place regarding the prescription patterns of GPs today. Irresponsible, unnecessary, expensive (patent) prescription practices should be curtailed regardless of the reasons for them as it is causing more harm than good to the people of Ireland. I believe independent pharmacists can play a major role in doing so as part of a nationwide programme to improve the way we use prescription drugs today in Ireland, this is in the best interest of the patient and it would encourage best practice in prescribing medicines when necessary. Informed consent is vital and fundamental in any part of health care where the patient’s health is at stake & therefore the patient should be fully involved in any decision that affects their health. To do so we need to inform our doctors/health care professionals/patients and the pharmaceuticals need to release all information to enable INFORMED CONSENT to take place. The IMB should be demanding nothing less from the industry and if those companies do not comply they should be reprimanded heavily. If we do not make those responsibilities mandatory we have no way of checking that any drug is safe in a community setting or forewarn of any possible adverse reactions in the clinical setting until the HARM is overwhelming.

The full 16 page report is well worth a read and can be downloaded HERE



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Biederman's Antics Throw Spanner Into McGorry's DeLorean

Joseph Biederman and 'best buddy', God

Self-proclaimed "2nd to God" psychiatrist, Joseph Biederman, has had his ass severely kicked this week. The Godly one, along with two of his colleagues, Thomas Spencer and Timothy Wilens, said they were "sorry" for an 'honest' mistake - the  mistake being they forgot to declare the millions of dollars they received from drug firms.

Biederman and his two partners in this 'honest' form of forgetfulness were paid the millions by various pharmaceutical companies, money that promoted dubious research and mislead the public.

Harvard Medical School and the Massachussetts General Hospital issued the three naughty boys with a stern telling off. 'Naughty, naughty boys.' Apparently they were made to stand in a corner for the duration of their lunch break.

Where Harvard Medical School and the Massachussetts General Hospital failed in their pathetic disciplinary procedure, the Australian authorities may show them how it's done.

The Australian newspaper has an enlightening article today. Australia's National Health and Medical Council have been waiting patiently for the outcome of this investigation, in fact they have been waiting since 2009.

The Australian writes:

Australia's National Health and Medical Council held off approving the draft guidelines for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder issued in 2009 as it awaited the outcome of the US conflict-of-interest investigation.

Ouch! I'm guessing this could have serious ramifications for Australian psychiatrist, Patrick McGorry's early intervention program, a program devised to predict if a child will fall foul of a 'mental disorder' in future years, a disorder such as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.

It's a brave move by The National Health and Medical Research Council, seeing as the Australian government have already thrown McGorry millions of dollars for his time-travelling DeLorean machine.

The Boring Old Man blog has been following the demise of Biederman closely and has some fantastic articles up for your perusal. Stephany Newman, who writes the Soulful Sepulcher blog, has also been keeping dibs on Biederman since news broke of his faux pas.

Is the tide turning? Will this mean that fewer children will be given mind-blowing drugs because they are basically going through the motions of being a child?

Joseph Biederman has a lot to answer, maybe when it's his day of judgement, he can answer to his good buddy, God.

I'm thinking of an elevator ride... going down?

You can read more about Biederman over at Evie Pringle's Catalogue of Articles blog.

As for more background info on McGorry, just Google McGorry + Seroxat Sufferers

Here's God's best buddy Joseph Biederman and his, now infamous, God quote.

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2012 Olympics - Team Glaxo

Scientists at GlaxoSmithKline have teamed up with the World Anti-Doping Agency [WADA] to investigate medicines that could having performance enhancing potential in sport.

I just love seeing the word doping in the same sentence as GlaxoSmithKline.

It amazes me that a sporting event, which brings nations together, would opt for help from a pharmaceutical company who have, let's just say, a rather tainted history when it comes to helping people.

Paxil and Avandia are just two of their products that spring to mind, not to mention their best selling fruit drink, Ribena, the drink that wasn't really full of the vitamin C that they proclaimed.

The Mirror mobile writes:

GSK will supply WADA with confidential information about medicines in early stage development that could be abused by athletes once they are licensed for use.

Excuse me while I change my underwear...I've just pissed myself laughing.

GSK providing confidential information about drugs in early stage development?

Have I awoken this morning in another dimension?

Would it be ethical for a depressed athlete, who is taking Seroxat [Paxil in US] to enter the archery competition? Look out spectators, that arrow may just be coming in your direction [see Tobin v GSK]

Maybe an advantage will be gained by Pole Vaulters if they are taking Paxil? If memory serves me correct [difficult when you've been on Paxil for a number of years] Paxil keeps the wolf from the door but the blood in the pole...if you catch my drift. **Winks.

Maybe Glaxo can provide WADA with information on beta blocker type drugs, those types that slow the heart rate down and give an advantage to sports men and women? Speaking of matters of the heart, maybe WADA are comfortable working alongside a company whose own suppression of information regarding their diabetes drug, Avandia, put lives at risk of those taking it. [U.S. Senate Investigation of Avandia]

Or maybe WADA are perfectly happy working hand in hand with a company who were fined for code violations in regard to three doctors' conferences sponsored by the company? [Medicines Australia Code of Conduct Violations]

Perhaps Glaxo could provide the soft drinks to the athletes. The gruelling marathon runs can be testing for the long distance runners - Never fear, they can always refresh themselves with Glaxo's Ribena, the nutritional drink that is full of vitamin C... or so we thought?

Two New Zealand schoolgirls humbled one of the world's biggest food and drugs companies after their school science experiment found that their ready-to-drink Ribena contained almost no trace of vitamin C.

Students Anna Devathasan and Jenny Suo tested the blackcurrant cordial against rival brands to test their hypothesis that cheaper brands were less healthy.

Instead, their tests found that the Ribena contained a tiny amount of vitamin C, while another brand's orange juice drink contained almost four times more.

The outcome of this saw Glaxo fined [New Zealand fines GlaxoSmithKline for misleading ads]

If Ribena isn't on the agenda for the athletes then maybe Glaxo could branch out into the bottled water market...then again, maybe not. In 2008 Glaxo were one of three companies who were each fined for system failures that led to the release of trichloroethylene, TCE, into the public drinking water system in Scottsdale, Arizona. Trichloroethylene is a colorless liquid which is used as a solvent for cleaning metal parts, should come in handy for the javelin throwers.

In fact GSK have a history of pollution.

According to the Factory Watch website, GSK’s chemical plant in Ulverston is one of the most carcinogenic polluters in the UK. Factory Watch’s information, compiled from Environment agency data, looked at over 1,500 factories nation-wide. The Ulverston site was ranked number three on Factory Watch’s list, emitting 773 tonnes of carcinogens in 2001, 10 per cent of the national total.

In September 1992 the Ulverston site (then owned by Glaxo Wellcome) dumped several toxic chemicals in the river Leven, without authorisation. The chemicals included trichloroethylene [again], chloroform, and chlorobenzene. [Friends of the Earth, Factory Watch press release, 8 February, 1999]

Also, in May 1994, the Ulverston site discharged, again without authorisation, 1,350m3 of “ineffectively treated effluent” into M. The company was required by law to notify the authorities within 24 hours, but they didn’t until six days later.[ENDS Report 292, May 1999, pp. 33-34]

I'm sure the Olympic Committee must be delighted to have on board a company who were fined back in 2006 for tax evasion too. GlaxoSmithKline agreed to pay approximately $3.4 billion to settle charges by the IRS that the company under-reported profits to avoid paying U.S. taxes. The Internal Revenue Service accused GSK of a practice called "transfer pricing," by which a company claims most of its earnings belong in a country where taxes are low. The transactions at issue, which concerned the way GSK priced drugs for sale through its U.S. subsidiary, occurred between the years 1989 and 2005. [Underreporting Profits]

Yes, I, for one, am so happy that Glaxo are part of the breath-taking spectacle that is the Olympic Games.

Memo to the Olympic committee: Perhaps you could entice some bank robbing prisoners from Wormwood Scrubs to work in your financial department.

Good old Glaxo - flying under the radar yet again.

I have asked WADA to comment on this article. I shall let readers know if they decide to answer.

4th of July - Just Another Dependence Day For Millions of Americans

Inform yourself...and others.

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Child "Protection" Services Dope 3 Year Old On Risperidone

HOUSTON, TX - This is one of those stories that highlight how perverse the justice system can be, not only that, it also shows how utterly incompetent the whole system of child protection can be.

Three year old Rachel Harrison was taken off her parents because they had dabbled in recreational use of cocaine. As an outsider looking in I was preparing myself for a story of neglect and abuse and would have applauded the quick thinking of the Child Protective Services [CPS]

However, watching the video [below] leaves me scratching my head and makes me wonder why the CPS are not up on a charge of abduction and child abuse.

It's hard to know where to start with this story. Rachel's parents had their child taken away because they both occasionally took cocaine for recreational use. Evidence, that came out in court, showed that their 3 year old daughter was never abused or neglected, this evidence coming from the CPS!

Once in 'care', Rachel was put on Risperidone, an antipsychotic normally prescribed for schizophrenia. According to the reporter Rachel was also put on other drugs. Nobody, not even the CPS, seem to know,or want to divulge, who made that decision.

Now I know that one should never judge a book by its cover but watching the video I don't see two cocaine addicts. I see two parents who are holding their hands up and admitting their recreational activity was a tad silly. Rachel was never around when they took cocaine - her mother, Christina, tested positive while having her appendix out in hospital.

This was enough for the CPS to take Rachel away, pass her around from facility to facility and medicate her to the point where she sat in a corner looking dishevelled and dribbling from the mouth.

Who are the abusers here? A healthy child is plucked from her surroundings, thrown into a system and given mind altering drugs. Do we blame the CPS for this wanton neglect, do we blame the basket case whose idea it was to drug a 3 year old or do we blame her parents?

If Rachel's parents had passed some cocaine onto their child there would be uproar. If they had passed her around from relative to relative making sure she had her daily fix of cocaine then I'd be the first one shouting to lock them up for life. Thing is, they didn't. It was the CPS who took charge of her, it was the CPS who stood by and watched as she was prescribed Risperidone by some lunatic.

Watch the video...you will be amazed as I when you learn that the CPS still want custody of little Rachel Harrison.


Full report can be read at Fox News

CPS Puts 3-Year-Old on Psychotropic Drugs: MyFoxHOUSTON.com

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Long Term SSRi Use - Possible Link To Brain Damage

An eye opening article has appeared in Psychology Today that suggests that long term use of SSRi's is linked to brain damage. Rather than cut and paste the whole article I suggest you read it. It comes from esteemed author Robert Whitaker, who writes:

Three recently published papers, along with a report by a Minnesota group on health outcomes in that state, provide new reason to mull over this question: Do antidepressants worsen the long-term course of depression? As I wrote in Anatomy of an Epidemic, I believe there is convincing evidence that the drugs do just that. These latest papers add to that evidence base.

I've always been a firm believer that long term use of these drugs can cause damage. Many people are forced to continue taking these meds because they are so damned hard to withdraw from!

I'd like to thank GlaxoSmithKline for manufacturing a drug that was so difficult for me to withdraw from. Thanks for leaving me with the short term memory loss, intolerance to sudden loud noises and sleep disturbances. I think we can safely assume that those three adverse drug reactions can be brain related, don't you?

Whitaker's article is a MUST read.

Now Antidepressant-Induced Chronic Depression Has a Name: Tardive Dysphoria

MHRA On GSK's Dr Alastair Benbow

What are Dr Alastair Benbow's sources?

From: fiddaman robert
Sent: 25 June 2011 13:08
To: MHRA Central Enquiry Point
Subject: FOI Request

- Show quoted text -

MHRA Information Centre


The following request I make under the Freedom of Information Act.



To whom it may concern,

1. In a 2002 interview with BBC TV's Shelley Jofre, GlaxoSmithKline spokesperson, Alastair Benbow, claimed that, "... the majority of patients who experience withdrawal symptoms - and the majority of patients actually do not experience any withdrawal symptoms - of those that do the majority of those symptoms are mild to moderate in nature and will go away without any treatment within two weeks." He was, of course, referring to the antidepressant Seroxat. Under the FOIA I would like the MHRA to provide me with the study/studies that substantiate Dr Benbow's claim.

2. Furthermore, in the same interview, Dr Benbow claimed, "maybe that a small proportion of patients do get more severe symptoms...". Under the FOIA I would like the MHRA to provide me with the study/studies that substantiate Dr Benbow's claim.

The full transcript, which has recently been released, was part of disclosure and used in litigation against GSK in the United States and is attached for your perusal.

Yours sincerely,

Bob Fiddaman

Dear Mr Fiddaman,

Thank you for your recent enquiry to the MHRA.
We cannot give you a definitive answer, we would advise you to contact GSK directly to ascertain what studies Mr Benbow considered supported his statement. Any studies he may have considered should have been published on our website. You may wish to review the SSRI Expert Working Group report published on our website (link below), the report outlines all the data the Agency has considered in relation to the issue of withdrawal reactions with Paroxetine.

http://www.mhra.gov.uk/Safetyinformation/Safetywarningsalertsandrecalls/Safetywarningsandmessagesformedicines/CON1004259

The Agency has previously released relevant data that has been submitted to us with regards to withdrawal reactions and also data submitted to us by GSK in the context of this review and the European Article 31 referral, which is also available on the GSK website.

Please contact us again if you need further assistance with this, or any other queries.


Kind Regards,

Central Enquiry Point
Information Services
Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency
Tel: 020 3080 6000

I sent the same FOI to GlaxoSmithKline - they never even bothered to acknowledge receipt of it.

Transparent as ever!

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If You Build It...They Will Come - CCHR March, Brighton, Tues 27th June

Yesterday I joined the kick-ass machine in Brighton for a march from Victoria Gardens down the the Hilton Hotel where a psychiatry symposium was underway. The day started off hot and sticky as many protesters gathered for the one and a half mile walk down the esplanade to amass outside the lavish Hilton.

A lone drummer followed by a group of children led the chanting as the Brighton traffic come to a standstill and passers-by looked on smiling and taking photo's of the 200 or so banner-waving protesters.

CCHR's Lady Margaret McNair and Brian Daniels stood outside the Hilton lobby to prise a response from the psychiatrists, many of whom were taking their own personal photographs of the protest across the street.

The hot, sticky summer soon vanished as thunder rolled in, huge bolts of lightening flashed over the sea but it did not deter the 200 - strong crowd.

What could beat this experience?

CCHR, not content with just a 'protest' erected a huge tent under the Hilton, inside the tent was their travelling Industry of Death museum, it's going to be there for a week or so. [If you build it...they will come]

Human Rights winner, Sharon Parnell, who is a campaigner against psychiatric drugs and founder of Revelations UK, gave a moving speech outside the Industry of Death tent, mine came shortly after but it was interrupted by a huge clap of thunder and a downpour of epic proportions.

The whole day was a great show of solidarity and one that was another huge step toward creating awareness regarding the dangers of psychiatric drugs.

Myself and Sharon had the honour of officially opening the Industry of Death, first time in my life I've cut a ribbon!

It was a day to remember and one that should never be forgotten.

What we have here is a group of people who are trying to bring about change, they've been successful since forming in 1969 and have achieved much in the way of helping victims. Their history speaks for itself and despite the mud-slingers who fail miserably to discredit them, they continue to rock AND roll, kicking ass along the way. If CCHR were a woman, I'd marry her!

Big thanks to Phil for the journey down and Vicky and Lindsey for the journey and company, back to Birmingham.

Huge thanks to CCHR for...well, for being who you are.

CCHR UK

CCHR Industry of Death Interactive Tour

DSM-V Slammed By The British Psychological Society

Assorted nuts

The proposed DSM V has come under fire from The British Psychological Society after they expressed concerns about over medication of the general public.

The DSM V, due to be published in May 2013, is widely used by psychiatrists and healthcare specialists to diagnose patients whom they think have some sort of 'mental disorder'.

Three of the new proposals that have been slammed by The British Psychological Society are:

Attenuated Psychosis Syndrome

Gender Dysphoria

Oppositional Defiant Disorder

The authors of the DSM V [Psychiatrists] believe that the above are all signs of a mental disorder. Here's what the American Psychiatric Association [APA] have to say about Attenuated Psychosis Syndrome.

"Young people at risk for later manifestation of a psychotic disorder can be identified. It has been established in follow-back studies that early signs and symptoms of schizophrenia, for example, are present years before diagnosis is established."

Yup, that's right, it appears the APA are privy to that time-travelling DeLorean that Australian psychiatrists such as Patrick McGorry and Graham Burrows are privy to. The APA claims that Attenuated Psychosis Syndrome can be predicted even in infants!

The Dimensional Assessment for Gender Dysphoria in Children is quite revealing and leaves me wondering what kind of mind comes up with these questionnaires.

This from the APA website:

Dimensional Assessment for Gender Dysphoria in Children

Questions A1-A8 are the dimensional metrics for the corresponding categorical criteria.

Instructions: Please circle the letter next to the statement that applies to your child the best.

For Male Children (Parent-Report)

A1. Over the past 6 months, how intense was your son’s desire to be a girl or insistence he is a girl?

a. None
b. Mild
c. Moderate
d. Strong
e. Very Strong


A2. Over the past 6 months, how intense was your son’s preference to wear girls’ or women’s clothing during dress-up play or activities (e.g., during dress-up play or at other times)?

a. None
b. Mild
c. Moderate
d. Strong
e. Very Strong


A3. Over the past 6 months, how intense was your son’s preference for female roles in fantasy or pretend play?

a. None
b. Mild
c. Moderate
d. Strong
e. Very Strong


A4. Over the past 6 months, how intense was your son’s preference for the toys, games, and activities typical of girls?

a. None
b. Mild
c. Moderate
d. Strong
e. Very Strong


A5. Over the past 6 months, how intense was your son’s preference for girl playmates?

a. None
b. Mild
c. Moderate
d. Strong
e. Very Strong


A6a. Over the past 6 months, how intense was your son’s rejection of typically masculine toys, games, and activities?

a. None
b. Mild
c. Moderate
d. Strong
e. Very Strong


A6b. Over the past 6 months, how intense was your son’s avoidance of rough-and-tumble play?

a. None
b. Mild
c. Moderate
d. Strong
e. Very Strong


A7. Over the past 6 months, how intense was your son’s dislike of his sexual anatomy (e.g., that he dislikes or hates his penis or testes)?

a. None
b. Mild
c. Moderate
d. Strong
e. Very Strong


A8. Over the past 6 months, how intense was your son’s desire for the sexual anatomy of a girl (e.g., sits to urinate, pretends to have breasts, would like to have a vagina)?

a. None
b. Mild
c. Moderate
d. Strong
e. Very Strong

The questionnaire then moves on to the criteria for female children.

Finally, Oppositional Defiant Disorder, they claim, is a persistent pattern of angry and irritable moods along with defiant and vindictive behavior as evidenced by;

Angry/Irritable Mood
1. Loses temper
2. Is touchy or easily annoyed by others.
3. Is angry and resentful

Defiant/Headstrong Behavior
4. Argues with adults
5. Actively defies or refuses to comply with adults’ request or rules
6. Deliberately annoys people
7. Blames others for his or her mistakes or misbehavior

Vindictiveness
8. Has been spiteful or vindictive at least twice within the past six months

The British Psychological Society's response to the American Psychiatric Association's DSM-V Development can be downloaded here.

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Video contains adult language [written word]