July 4, 2005, 1:22:00 PM
To: National Desk
Contact: Christine Head of Newshound Investigations,
731-868-4271 or
christinejournalist@hotpop.com
PADUCAH, Ky., July 4 /U.S. Newswire/ — The following was
released today by Newshound Investigations:
Many have watched with growing concern the misdirected controversy
over Tom Cruise and his remarks about psychiatric drugs.
It is amusing that the mental health industry is slamming Cruise for
having a conflict of interest because he belongs to a church that
opposes the use of mind altering drugs, while completely ignoring the
fact that psychiatrists receive untold billions from
pharmaceutical companies and then produce "research" on the
same drugs developed by those who pay them. Hmmm....
As the saying goes, 'he who pays the piper calls the tune.'
Unlike members of the American Psychiatric Association, (APA),
Cruise is earning his money from public, (movie fans) not private
interests.
Of course, the APA and big Pharma would love to convince the public
that it's only Scientologists who are raising concerns about
psychiatric drugs.
But nothing could be further from the truth.
Just this past week, on July 1, after more than 15 years of denial
that a suicide risk exists for adults taking one of the so-called
"selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors" SSRI antidepressants,
the Food and Drug Administration posted a public health advisory
acknowledging: "Adults being treated with antidepressant medications,
particularly those being treated for depression, should be watched closely
for worsening of depression and for increased suicidal thinking or
behavior."
The FDA also plans to analyze all the antidepressant clinical trial
data maintained by the drugs' manufacturers spanning more than 20 years.
"The FDA has asked these manufacturers to identify all
placebo-controlled trials conducted in adults in their
development programs for their antidepressant products, regardless of
the indication studied, and to provide information from these trials
to FDA."
According to Dow Jones News, the FDA also announced that it would
make labeling changes to Johnson and Johnson's drug Concerta, which
belongs to a certain class of drugs used to treat
attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, describing psychiatric events
such as "visual hallucinations, suicidal ideation, psychotic behavior
as well as aggression or violent behavior."
As if that weren't enough, this week, the Wall Street Journal —
not exactly a bastion of anti-corporate sentiment — reported that
the FDA also posted information about patients who displayed
suicidal tendencies during trials of Eli Lilly 's antidepressant
Cymbalta (duloxetine).
The FDA site states that a "higher-than-expected
rate of suicide attempts was observed" in the studies after the
formal portion of the trials had concluded. According to an
investigative report by Jeanne Lenzer and Nicholas Pyke, a review of
the FDA adverse drug report data shows that there have been 13 suicides
and 41 deaths reported among patients taking duloxetine (Cymbalta).
However, five suicides that had occurred during Cymbalta clinical
trials — including that of Traci Johnson, the 19 year old
Bible student — are being concealed and are unavailable when
requested under the Freedom of Information Act from the FDA.
The Wall Street Journal also reported that the FDA acknowledged
Lilly's efforts to prevent the agency from posting safety information
about Cymbalta. Lilly questioned FDA's authority, raising
"legal issues including our use of
confidential commercial data." The Journal reports:
"The agency took the action despite earlier objections
from Lilly."
Let's not forget that in fall, 2004, the FDA also decided to
affix warning labels about suicide risk for the SSRI class of
psychiatric drugs.
Using the APA's logic, I suppose we must now conclude that
members of the Food and Drug Administration's
Center for Drug Evaluation and Research are all Scientologists.
Or what about officials in the United Kingdom who banned the
antidepressant Paxil for use on children under 18. Does that mean all
the drug monitoring officials in the UK are also Scientologists?
Earlier this year, officials in Canada pulled the drug Adderall
off the market. The drug, also used to treat ADHD was pulled from
shelves after sudden deaths, heart-related deaths, and strokes in
children and adults taking usual recommended dosages. I suppose we must
now conclude that Canadian officials are also part of Tom Cruise's
conspiracy.
The public is growing tired of psychiatrists who have become nothing
more than drug company shills, passing their "research" off
as legitimate medical treatment at the expense of peoples' lives.
So you think psychiatric drugs are so safe?
Thousands of people were told the same thing in the 1960s about
Thorazine (chlorpromazine) and who now have a disease of
involuntary movement called Tardive Dyskinesia, for which there is no
cure. It's caused directly by psychiatric drugs. I've seen the
damage first hand and it's not pretty.
So, you think psychiatric drugs are wonderful and worth the risks?
Talk to the families who've had loved ones commit suicide after being
put on psychiatric drugs such as Prozac.
Skeptical? Go to your local psychiatric hospital and just
observe for yourselves the long-term effects of these drugs. Look at the
patients, watch them, talk to them and then ask yourselves
"does this constitute life improvement?" Ask the patients the
last time they were given a medical exam.
The voices of these patients can barely be heard because of the
billions drug companies and their psychiatric puppets have spent
advertising their specious concern to the world. Sadly, for the most
part, big media — which receives hundreds of millions in
advertising dollars from this industry — has also bought into
Big Pharma hype at the expense of public safety.
Nobody, including Tom Cruise is stating that depression isn't real;
just that there are other, alternative and effective therapies to mind
altering drugs.
Meanwhile, the adverse side effects, deaths, suicides and lawsuits
keep piling up.
Many mental health consumers, religious organizations, libertarians
and others are concerned about the Brave New World of psychiatry; it is
not limited just to Scientologists.
But bravo to Scientologists for having the courage to speak out and
share the truth in an era when "truth" for psychiatry is
defined by Big Pharma's bottom line instead of genuine concern for
their patients' well being.
Psychiatrists, heal thyselves.
Source:
http://releases.usnewswire.com/GetRelease.asp?id=49907
Copyright © 2005 U.S. Newswire 202-347-2770/
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