The Adhd Fraud or Who Killed Rebecca Riley?

Fred A. Baughman, Jr., MD, Neurologist, Child Neurologist ^ | 06/22/07 | Fred A. Baughman

[austinaero]

“IOW, if we can’t detect it with our present tests, it doesn’t exist”

Yep, so, wonder if they were saying the same thing before microscopes were invented.

You hit the nail on the head.

[austinaero]

“if this author doesn’t believe in biochemical brain diseases, what mechanism does he suggest for the behavior of people who have demonstrable mental illnesses? Bad spirits? Dementors? Karma?”

I got it, I got it!

The cause? Vitamin Deficiencies. Just ask Tom Cruise.
(sarc, of course)

[bert]

Are you a psycharitist? We wonder, How was your ox gored?

[cinives]

Not if you do your research.

Why do many assume that someone’s assertions are “tainted” without even looking into it below surface level ?

Here, I’ll help you out...
http://www.freedommag.org/english/vol38i/page30.htm

“Interviewer: I’m not a doctor or a neurologist. But I know I will talk to doctors who tell me that, 70 percent of the time, they’re confronted with symptoms, and we don’t find biological markers before diagnosis or prescription.

Baughman:There are a lot of ... busy family practitioners, busy pediatricians, busy general internists, who, under the pressure of time, do make diagnoses and do prescribe, based primarily on history. But when it comes to diagnosing something that’s serious—and if we’re talking something abnormal about a child’s brain or something abnormal about an adult’s brain—that has lifelong consequences. A diagnosis of ADHD, most psychiatrists will tell you, is going to require lifelong psychotropic medication, usually Schedule II control psychostimulants, amphetamines, of which Ritalin is one. That’s an extraordinarily serious diagnosis. ...”

or this:

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/medicating/interviews/baughman.html

“Baughman:You’ve got to demonstrate the characteristic confirmatory physical abnormality before you obligate that patient to lifelong treatment. I can suspect diabetes based on the history, but I’ve got to confirm it. I’ve got to know whether the blood sugar is 420 or 800. ... I can’t ever start insulin treatment or any oral anti-diabetic treatment without confirmatory evidence.”

or how about this for being discredited by association:

“Interviewer:But the charge that the psychiatrists and the pharmaceuticals have joined together in a joint common mercenary interest is quite a charge. How can you say that?

Baughman:I’m not the only one saying this. In October 1995, in the DEA background paper on methylphenidate, which is Ritalin, the DEA says that they have been contacted by the United Nations International Narcotics Control Board (INCB), that had expressed concern about the financial ties of Ciba-Geigy, then the manufacturer of Ritalin, to CHADD. They noted that CHADD had received over $775,000 from Ciba-Geigy, I think up through 1994, and eventually the figure went over $1 million. The INCB charged CHADD with being a vehicle for marketing a controlled substance directly to the public in violation of the Controlled Substances Act of 1971, and international statute by which all countries, all signatories, agreed.

Ciba-Geigy confessed at that point that CHADD was their conduit to the public. CHADD personnel and NIMH personnel were regularly in-house at the Department of Education office of Special Education authoring ADHD materials. I think CHADD made a grant, I believe, of $700,000-some to the Office of Special Education to make a video about ADHD. Then when John Merrow, in his video production in about 1995 ... pointed out the financial ties between the Ritalin manufacturer, Ciba-Geigy and CHADD, I think that money was then given back by the Department of Education, back to CHADD. “

Search is your friend, my friend.

[cinives]

Uh huh. I’ll ask you the same question I’ve asked everyone.

In what study, by anyone, are there specific proofs of “normal” brain chemistry, the proper ratios or levels of whatever chemicals make up a “normal” brain, and then how “diseased” brains such as those diagnosed with schizophrenia, differ from those “normal” brains.

I’ll be waiting for your response.

[cinives]

Not really.

Psychiatry is claiming they have physically defined “normal”. Where is that study ?

[Triggerhippie]

I’d seriously consider any “fact” shared by a Xenu-phile.

I would encourage you to do the same. (Or are you a scientologist? If so, that’s great, but disclosure would seem to be in order.)

[PGalt]

Outstanding post. Thanks.

[Lennyq]

I am not a scientologist. I am roman catholic. I have no interest in promoting any religion. I read the doctors book and their is nothing about scientolgy in there. The scientologist’s may have hired him because they agree with his point of view.

[agrace]

Why do many assume that someone’s assertions are “tainted” without even looking into it below surface level ?

Let me try this again.

My point, that being that if Baughman is a scientologist then his opinion is rightfully suspect, is based on what I know of scientology, NOT Dr. Baughman.

He could be a rocket scientist for all I know, and frankly, I don't care what his credentials are. My point remains, regardless if we're talking about an accredited neurologist or Tom Cruise.

IF (I don't know and I don't care to search to find out) the good dr is a scientologist, he loses credibility based on the utter lack of such in a religion that believes that housed in and around each one of us are alien souls that were stashed around volcanos and blown up with hydrogen bombs by some intergalactic ruler named Xenu 75 million years ago, a religion that is rumoured to have been created out of whole cloth based on a bet between a science fiction author and his occultist friend, a religion that by many accounts effectively fleeces its followers out of countless millions each year.

Again, to reiterate, my point is based on what I know of scientology, not Dr. Baughman. If the man has no direct association or membership in the COS, his opinions carry just a bit more weight than otherwise.

[Lennyq]

You are welcome. I post this in the hopes that I can spread the news of the danger of these drugs. If you can please repost this on other sites.

[achilles2000]

I have done a great deal of research and writing on this subject, and you are right - the studies and data aren’t there. Periodically reports appear in the MSM that that the genetic basis of ADHD has been identified or that clear physical markers have been found. A little digging, however, reveals that the MSM is exaggerating what the researchers are claiming or that the study was obviously flawed (The Castellanos study and the reporting on it incorporated both of these phenomena).

Unfortunately most people (and I was like that before I started investigating) tend to assume that because of the many well funded “prestigious” voices on the side of ADHD industry that there must at least be some arguable basis for their views. Unfortunately, what is actually happening is a vast, uncontrolled pharmacological experiment - mainly on children - that is driven by careerism, agendas, money, but not much science. Worst of all, no one has any idea what the long term consequences to children are of giving them psychiatric meds.

[Fairview]

You might benefit by reading Peter Breggin's book "Reclaiming Our Children: A Healing Solution for a Nation In Crisis".

And you might benefit from reading books, journals, and papers on psychopharmacology or acquiring credentials to attend one of the annual meetings of the Society for Neurosciences. Exploring the serious scholarly literature on these issues would show you that indeed the neural/chemical pathways implicated in the etiology of schizophrenia, major depression, and bipolar disorder are well characterized. And plenty of assays have been done of normal brains. The particular drugs and dosages used to treat these ailments are also widely and successfully used. I don't know who the "numerous people" are whom you've asked about this, but the research does exist. Whether or not you're willing to go to the National Library of Medicine and dig it out is another question.

I'm not disputing that outside influences--a horrible upbringing, abuse, neglect, bad training, severe trauma, etc.--can cause behaviors that are unacceptable. What I'm saying is that whether the origin of the illness was outside of the patient or was internal (like the genetic flaw that predisposes to schizophrenia or depression), the result is a change in brain chemistry which can actually be seen in PET scans.

I'm not in any way disputing what you're saying about this child and the abuse she clearly suffered. I agree that drugs are far too often prescribed for children who just need good parenting. I'm not even addressing this case in particular. I'm just saying that many major mental illnesses, like schizophrenia, can and should be treated with medications as well as therapy.

[cinives]

Then you and I differ immensely.

If you can’t distinguish the message from the messenger, if facts do not stand alone from their delivery mechanism, you close your mind to anything outside your comfort zone and facts become just a belief to you, then that’s called situational relativism and is no way to discover truth of a fact or not.

If the messenger makes you ignore any further information proving the facts, then you are no better than a willing follower for anyone who can convince you by words and not by facts.

You don’t know what this man credentials are or what his research affiliations are; but you are willing to accept blindly someone’s assertions that he’s a Scientologist and dismiss everything he says or writes accordingly.

And no, FWIW, he is not a Scientologist but he has been affiliated with CCHR, http://www.cchr.org/index.cfm/5258, an organization started by Scientology but joined by many non-Scientology types.

What does that association mean ? That they, Baughman and Scientology, share a desire to propagate these truths, and no more.

Why should that invalidate anything he says ?

From the CCHR website:
Mental health can be created, but only through:

* Effective mental healing delivered in a calm atmosphere characterized by tolerance, safety, security and respect for people’s rights

* By restoring individuals to personal strength, ability, competence, confidence, stability, responsibility and spiritual well-being

* Using highly trained, ethical practitioners who are committed primarily to their patient’s and patient family’s well being

This description bears no resemblance to mental treatment under psychiatry today. Psychiatry does not produce mental health, but rather mental ill health and millions of ruined lives.

At CCHR we work to help bring about an environment for mental healing that is based upon human dignity and decency. As a result of our work, millions have avoided the ravages of psychiatric treatment.

Gak, those are really scary beliefs, aren’t they ?

Baughman’s work has been picked up by many other oranizations, as reported here:
http://christianmind.blogspot.com/2006_09_01_archive.html
Oh gosh, they are Christians! Does that mean he has no credibility to a Jew ?

[cinives]

Read this link:

http://christianmind.blogspot.com/2006_09_01_archive.html

It’s around, it just needs to get more mainstream.

[cinives]

Exactly. It’s been fraudulent for 40 years and it’s getting worse. Can you say Soma, everyone ?

Most people don’t go to the trouble to look up anything about it; they prefer to believe those raising the alarm are kooks and moonbats. I guess many feel that thinking is too hard. In the history of this world research cannot be any easier, but people still refuse to do it.

It’s only those who have been affected negatively by these things who research enough to see the truth. It has nothing to do with Scientology and everything to do with mental well-being.

[Clam Digger]

Here we go again, another thread infested with idiots.

[xsmommy]

invasion of the scientologists.....

[cinives]

You mean like this ?

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/553844

And the conclusion ?

Conclusion: Given variable results on dopamine transporter levels in ADHD, the authors postulate that differences in DAT levels are unlikely to be the primary abnormality in ADHD and speculate that lower-than-normal DA release further characterizes individuals with ADHD. However, the finding of a positive correlation between DAT and inattention symptoms support the mechanism of action of stimulant medications.

Gee, I see the word “correlation” here associated with self-reported “inattention” symptoms. I don’t see any references to “normal”, other than those who self-reported as “normal”.

Again, it’s a behavioral diagnosis with researchers trying to find the science. I can’t find a single piece of research that says in essence “if DA levels are such, then a dosage y of drug x is indicated”.

The research you do find for ADHD ?
http://www.playattention.com/attention-deficit/articles/drug-updates-adhd-drug-methylphenidate-linked-to-chromosomal-changes/
“It was pretty surprising that all of the children taking methylphenidate showed an increase in chromosome abnormalities in a relatively short period of time,” El-Zein said.

Research for epilepsy ?
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?Db=PubMed&Cmd=ShowDetailView&TermToSearch=12651078&ordinalpos=1&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_RVAbstractPlus
This is great reporting on the potential conflicts of interest, but there isn’t a single word in the article explaining that epilepsy drugs are ones for which there is a narrow “therapeutic window” between the level needed for efficacy and the level that causes debilitating side effects. Epilepsy drugs are among the few drugs for which doctors test blood levels and titrate doses carefully. Furthermore, some epilepsy drugs such as phenytoin have zero-order kinetics, meaning that the body gets rid of the drug at a constant rate that is independent of the level of the drug in the body, making it very hard to maintain a therapeutic drug level. For these reasons it matters a lot whether the patient gets a particular dose of the drug, and 10% variations that are negligible with other drugs can be hugely important in treatment of epilepsy.

I ask again - show me a specific study that identifies “normal” in terms of specific ratios and levels of brain chemicals. What we see in the literature is unspecified “lower” or “higher” this or that, but there is no definitive science.

[cinives]

Welcome ... so nice of you to bring your idiocies with you.