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Alternative perspective on psychiatry's so-called mental disorders | PHILIP HICKEY, PH.D.

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The Link Between Psychiatric Drugs and Violence

September 7, 2013 By Phil Hickey |

Thanks to a tweet from Ginger Breggin for the link to a new article on AbleChild.org.  The article is called CT AAG Nervous About Releasing Adam Lanza’s Medical Records:  Disclosure “Can Cause A Lot of People to Stop Taking Their Medications.“  The AbleChild contact person is Sheila Matthews.

AbleChild is a national parent rights organization that has been pressing for full disclosure of all records pertaining to Adam Lanza, the Sandy Hook mass murderer.

The essential point here is that for many years, there has been growing suspicion that some psychiatric drugs, particularly SSRI’s, may be inducing strong feelings of violence, and may actually be playing a causative role in many of the school shootings and other mass murders that are becoming an almost regular feature of our social landscape.

In addition, let’s not forget that a petition to formally investigate this matter was removed from the White House petition website in December of 2012 without explanation, even though it was well on the way to obtaining the requisite number of signatures.

In the present matter, AbleChild has sued the Chief Medical Examiner of the State of Connecticut for disclosure of the pertinent records under the Freedom of Information Act.  AbleChild’s argument is that these records need to be released “…to protect the public.”

There is certainly a long-standing legal tradition of keeping medical records confidential, and in most cases this is entirely appropriate.  But given the concerns surrounding these drugs, and the enormity of the offense, the opening of these records – or at the very least, a list of the prescribed drugs – seems a very reasonable request.

But the State of Connecticut thinks otherwise.  And the reason they are giving for this position is that releasing Adam Lanza’s records could “…cause a lot of people to stop taking their medications.”

If they had said that they have a duty to protect patient confidentiality, even when the individual is deceased, that might have had some legitimacy.  If they had based their argument on the rights of Adam Lanza’s family to have their confidentiality respected, that also might have had some validity.

But to withhold this kind of information because it might “…cause a lot of people to stop taking their medications” is simply beyond belief.  If the government had information that a certain airliner had a fault that could lead to fatal crashes, would they conceal that fault on the grounds that the disclosure might induce people not to fly on that particular model?

The very wording of the State’s reason implies that Adam Lanza was taking psychotropic pills of some sort.  The fact that the government of Connecticut won’t tell us which ones raises the suspicion of a closer-than-appropriate relationship with a pharmaceutical company.

Or perhaps they are just so sucked in to the spurious mental illness drugs-for-life philosophy that they can’t see the reality.

In the AbleChild article, the comment that releasing Adam Lanza’s record could “…cause a lot of people to stop taking their medications” is attributed to Patrick B. Kwanashie, AAG, who was arguing the State’s case for  the office of the Attorney General.  Mr. Kwanashie can be emailed at patrick.kwanashie@ct.gov

I have, today, sent him the following email:

Patrick B. Kwanashie,

I urge you to open Adam Lanza’s record in the AbleChild case (FIC Docket No. 2013-197).  There has been growing suspicion for years that certain psychotropic drugs are inducing violent urges in some people.  Releasing this information in the Lanza case is in the public interest, and is simply the right thing to do.

I don’t normally ask my readers to take any specific course of action, but in regards to this matter, I have become convinced of two things:

1.  SSRI’s, and possibly other psychotropic drugs, are inducing strong violent urges in certain people
2.  The facts are being systematically suppressed.

If you feel there’s merit to my position, please consider sending a similar email to Mr. Kwanashie.

 

Filed Under: A Behavioral Approach to Mental Disorders Tagged With: antidepressants, conflict of interest, SSRI's

About Phil Hickey

I am a licensed psychologist, presently retired. I have worked in clinical and managerial positions in the mental health, corrections, and addictions fields in the United States and England. My wife Nancy and I have been married since 1970 and have four grown children.

 

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