Posted on 08/02/2007 7:05:34 AM PDT by Lennyq
For Immediate Release
Media review copies and interviews available on request
Contact: Fred Baughman, MD fredbaughmanmd@cox.net Author: The ADHD Fraud: How Psychiatry Makes "Patients" of Normal Children http://www.trafford.com/4dcgi/view-item?item=9628
Is your child taking Ritalin? Is there a plague of psychiatric diseases in children?
This is a true story.
On March 21, 2000, fourteen-year old Matthew Smith was having a good time skateboarding with two of his cousins. Suddenly, he collapsed to the floor and started turning blue. His cousins called 911 but the paramedics couldn’t revive him. At the hospital he was pronounced dead from a heart attack – a heart attack caused by Ritalin.
Matthews parents had been giving him Ritalin since he was six years old. Ritalin is classified as a Schedule II drug, which the DEA reserves for the most dangerous and addictive drugs that can be prescribed legally.
But to the educators at Matthew’s school, Ritalin was simply a magic pill that made troublesome students easier to manage.
Prior to being diagnosed as having Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Matthew was an energetic, boisterous highly social child who did not focus on his school work quite the way his teachers wanted him to.
Was he in dire need of medication?
The push to label Matthew occurred when he was in the first grade. School officials said that he was fidgety in his seat and would sometimes disrupt the class, and that he often had trouble staying focused on his work.
The school social worker called Matthews parents and said that Matthew needed to take medication saying, “He’s got ants in his pants”.
This unqualified social worker made the diagnosis and recommendation for medication and handed them a list of physicians who would provide them with a prescription.
Even though this constitutes the practice of medicine without a license, this same process is applied in school districts across the nation by teachers, administrators, counselors, psychologists and social workers.
According to Dr. Fred Baughman, there is an epidemic taking place all across America.
Parents are told to place their children on Ritalin or Adderall or their child will be refused attendance at school and they will be charged with “medical neglect.”
“Parents are succumbing to the threats from school officials without any idea of the possible side effects of these addictive, dangerous drugs.
In San Diego at just one school, 65 percent of the fifth graders had been diagnosed with ADD and were on medication.
There are over 6 million children in the United States who have been diagnosed with ADHD and drugged for ADHD.
“We are drugging normal children so that they act less like normal children and forcing them to act like the docile adults who are supposed to be teaching them”.
Dr. Baughman is one of numerous medical professionals who recently testified in front of the FDA and Congress.
“ADHD is not a disorder, disease, syndrome or chemical imbalance of the brain. It is not over-diagnosed, under-diagnosed, or mis-diagnosed. It doesn’t exist. It is a total, 100%, Fraud.”
Nowhere in world’s literature is there proof that a single psychiatric diagnosis is an actual disease.
“ADHD and all of psychiatry’s “chemical imbalances” are manufactured diseases- invented diseases that results in huge profits for psychiatrists and pharmaceutical companies.”
We have allowed school and health care professionals to blanket classify behavior and establish bounds for student conduct in the school environment. We hand out drugs to kids as freely as we give them Flintstone vitamins.
In spite of schools with posted signs everywhere that say “drug free zones” it turns out that nearly everywhere, the most effective drug pushers are the legal ones.
Dr. Baughman, author of the new book, The ADHD Fraud: How Psychiatry Makes “Patients” Out of Normal Children says that parents and educators have to stop thinking that the use of drugs is safe or necessary.
“We’ve gone on a diagnostic frenzy and sought out a chemical means for achieving peace and quiet in the classroom. Ritalin may solve problems for teachers but it’s not helping the children.”
Once children are labeled as ADHD they are no longer treated as normal. The first drug they ingest is an intoxication, a poisoning, their first and only disease. ADD and ADHD simply do not exist.
“The real question is how we go about destroying the monster we’ve created. We’ve been conned into believing that our normal children are abnormal--diseased. We’ve been lulled into believing there is a collective madness.
The real evil forces reside in our schools and physicians offices.
Our children act in ways that bother adults. We’ve got to now teach the adults that the solution is up to them. We know that there are sane people who are horrified at the thought of participating in a massive abuse of children.
It’s horrifying. There are over half a million children between the ages of 2 and 5 now being treated with powerful drugs for ADHD. Nobody has any idea of the effects these drugs will have on children so young.
We have got to stop putting children on drugs.
The ADHD Fraud How Psychiatry Makes “Patients” Out of Normal Children By Fred A. Baughman Jr., MD With Craig Hovey
ISBN 1-4120-6458-9
US$24.95, C$28.69, EUR20.49, £14.35 Published by Trafford Publishing Soon to be translated into Spanish
Dr. Baughman’s book is filled with real life case studies of children who have been harmed as a result of a diagnosis of ADHD. He also describes the evolution of the epidemic, and how Ritalin was created and it’s history as a drug in search of a disease.
Dr. Baughman presents the 14 symptoms that appear in the 1987 Diagnostic and Statistical manual that for the basis for most diagnosis of ADHD and shows that most of them really amount to a list of the things that normal children do that irritate adults who do not have the patience compassion or interest to tolerate them.
Dr. Baughman urges parents, teachers, and physicians to recognize the basic truth of the scientific literature; no proof exists. For a disease to be present there must be a macroscopic (visible to the naked eye, a palpable lump, an audible heart murmur), microscopic or chemical abnormality in life, or at autopsy.
With ADHD – there is NO abnormality at all. No psychiatric disorder/chemical imbalance/disease is an objective abnormality—a disease--not one.
These are normal child behaviors. That is all.
It is a problem of adults who cannot deal with these children.
The ADHD Fraud How Psychiatry Makes “Patients” Out of Normal Children is available in bookstores and online.
For more information visit www.adhdfraud.org or visit the website of the publisher www.trafford.com
Dr. Baughman can offer insights and comments and reports on the latest ADHD facts:
Where did ADHD come from?
"They made a list of the most common symptoms of emotional discomfiture of children and in a stroke that could not be more devoid of science or Hippocratic motive-termed them " diseases"/ "chemical imbalances" each needing/requiring a "chemical balancer"- a pill." Thirty-five years of research into "biological" psychiatry's "chemical imbalances"/"diseases.” In 1970, when "hyperactivity"/ ADHD was first represented to Congress to be a brain disease, only 150,000 had it. Today, not by science, but by the "big lie" -saying it is a disease often enough, 6-7 million have it! Nor is ADHD the only "chemical imbalance"/"disease" of the brain. They give us conduct disorder (CD), oppositional-defiant disorder (ODD), major depressive disorder (MDD), OCD, PTSD, GAD, SAD, etc., a total of 374 psychiatric disorders from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM-IV) of the American Psychiatric Association (APA); “chemical imbalances” of the brain said to need "chemical balancers" –pills. How convenient.
How many people are affected?
In 2003 Congressional hearings it was said that 17% of the nation's school children, 8.8 million, were labeled and drugged by psychiatry. Toady it is 20%; one in five; 10.4 million! As if this were not enough the President's New Freedom Commission on Mental Health is set to foist upon us the compulsory, government-mandated mental health screening of all 52 million US schoolchildren. Clearly, it is a psycho-pharm-government cartel. When normal people are told they have a disease to make "patients" of them, we have a violation of informed consent which equals medical malpractice. When normals are lied to, to make "patients" of them, to drug, for-profit, we have a battery - poisoning. Undoubtedly, this is the greatest health care fraud in US history.
Media review copies and interviews available on request.
About the Authors
Fred A Baughman Jr., MD, is an adult and child neurologist certified by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology and a Fellow of the Academy of Neurology. He has discovered and described real diseases. He has testified before the US Congress, the European Union, and innumerable other national and international government bodies. He is an expert witness in lawsuits and legal cases regarding psychiatry and invented diseases.
Dr. Baughman is an experienced media guest and has appeared on many national radio and television shows. He has authored over a hundred articles in medical journals and the national press. He resides in San Diego with his wife Annette.
Craig Hovey teaches economics at Nazareth College in Rochester, NY. He is a writer who’s interest in the book's subject was sparked when told by school personnel that his oldest son suffered from ADHD and had to take Ritalin.
Read about the March 22 Congressional Hearings:
ADHD EXPERTS HEAD TO WASHINGTON - IS THE FDA UP TO THE TASK? -- HTTP://WWW.OPEDNEWS.COM/ARTICLES/GENERA_EVELYN_P_060314_ADHD_EXPERTS_HEAD_TO.HTM
FEEL FREE TO REQUEST A COPY THE TESTIMONY OF FRED A. BAUGHMAN JR., MD, TO THE MARCH 22, 2006, MEETING OF THE FDA-PEDIATRIC ADVISORY COMMITTEE.
What People Are Saying
Read this book before someone you love is labeled and drugged.
Nicholas A. Cummings, Former President, American Psychiatric Association
All parents with a child in school need to read Fred Baughman’s book to learn the reasons to be skeptical when informed that their child has “Attention Deficit Disorder” and must be treated with psychotropic drugs.
Representative Ron Paul, 14th District (Texas), U.S. House of Representatives
This book documents (how) the charlatan psychiatric profession abuses normal, healthy children with brain destructive drugs for the unconscionable purpose of creating so-called ‘mental illnesses’ such as ADHD for financial gain.
Dr. Robert L. Simonds, Chair, National Association of Evangelicals
I wept as I read this book. As a retired teacher, school trustee, and grandmother of a Ritalin/SSRI/Risperdal damaged grandson, I know that Dr. Baughman speaks the truth.
Sharon Steele Kientz, 1995, National Right to Read Foundation, Teacher of the Year
Dr. Baughman has written a powerful expose of psychiatry and its hydra-headed influence with the FDA, drug companies, and public school personnel who pressure parents into unwittingly poisoning their children with dangerous drugs for the non-disease-ADHD. A must read for every parent of a school aged child.
Dr. Robert Sweet, Former President & Founder of the National Right to Read Foundation, Professional Staff, Committee on Education and the Workforce, U.S. Congress
The ADHD Fraud provides much needed, detailed, and practical advice as to how to prevent children from being earmarked as victims of ADHD. This book deserves the attention of every parent… all educators and policy makers.
Dr. Patrick Groff, Professor of Education Emeritus, San Diego State University
Media review copies and interviews available on request
Contact: "Fred Baughman, MD" at fredbaughmanmd@cox.net
Makes “Patients” of Normal Children, Marylander wrote:
Psyhciatric diagnosis has always been a tool used to control political enemies. What is hard to believe is that anyone would use a political tool against children. But not all children are the targets.
I taught courses on this subject in the 70s. One of the diagnositc criteria was that the child is not a minority. The reason? because minority status is already a negative label and they don’t need another negatvie label.
-—<>-—<>-—<>-—<>-—<>-—
This is a very scary thread. Thank all of you who participated in this ADD/ ADHD discussion. I’m now completely comfortable that if I’m ever asked for advice about this, or get assaulted by the school system about this in any way, that I’ll just be saying “NO!!!”
There are some seriously criminal charges that should be considered here for the way the educational system is damaging America’s children.
Thanks again.
Another valuable resource is www.breggin.com
I’m not talking about ADD or ADHD.
I’m talking about Schizophrenia and Bipolar Affective Disorder. If you had READ my original post you would have noticed I also am skeptical about ADD or ADHD.
And by the way smart guy, how do you think pain medication is managed? Duh. Emperically, as there is NO PARAMETER OR TEST FOR PAIN. I guess that means it doesn’t exist huh?
Any psychiatric diagnosis is a behavioral diagnosis. It’s a person with “abnormal” behavior, meaning the person doesn’t behave like the rest of society.
There are no physical tests for these diagnoses, like there are for, say, epilepsy and brain tumors.
The history of psychiatry reads like a history in behavioral control. It should scare most people silly.
Are you a scientologist? If not you should consider it. They’d be a perfect fit for you!
That's what my post was referencing - re your post #37.
Need more help ?
Uh huh - so anyone who is a consultant gets tainted by association with any of their clients, even if they don’t ascribe to all the aims of the organization ? Most consultants, lawyers, accountants and so on would have a hard time staying in business by your standards.
Baughmann’s not a shill for scientology; he speaks out against psychiatric abuse.
You clearly have a problem distinguishing the difference.
Did you neglect to read this ? There is no consensus on a definition ?
Gee, now we're back to behavioral analysis to determine schizophrenia.
Busted...again...
OK, dear, name one.
Let’s test your credibility. Easy to assert, harder to prove.
Now there’s a post that adds insight to this thread.
That's a Scientology talking point.
You're busted, Clam!
Pain is not characterized as a disease or a disorder. Duh. It’s a symptom of an underlying physical problem.
I’m talking about EVERY psychiatric diagnosis. They are all behavioral diagnoses, not physical.
You like behavioral control thru drugs - so did Stalin, Hitler, and some experiments performed by our government in prior years.
If that’s the company you like to keep, then just say so.
And no, I’m not a Scientologist, nor will I ever be. I just believe in individualism and self-control.
I use facts and debate to make my points. You use emotions.
So are you saying that you believe that all mental illnesses can be cured/prevented/controlled by individualism and/or self-control?
I agree with you. But alot of teacher-bashing goes on without recognizing that often, parents DO want excuses for kids they DID indeed never bother to discipline. Both “parents” and “teachers” are human, often are the same thing, and are products of the same society.
Believe me, I am aware of how teachers/admin can make life hell for a kid - my nephew was 1 (although he IS “special” - but certainly not a “fidgety” type - more like a slug at school). I am aware how many just want to “make it stop” and put labels on them and hope for an easy fix. But part of the blame has to be put on parents. Not (nearly) all the kids are ADD, and parents likewise have to own up to that.
Of course, your teacher sounds a bit psycho. Which is a bit beyond the norm for most.
So are you stating that Schizophrenia and Bipolar Affective Disorder don’t exist as diseases?
Primarily, yes, as well as a change in environment and circumstance. The most effective therapy I know of is one that helps a person to either adjust to their environment, finds rational solutions that are supportive of the individual, or change the environment such that the person is more comfortable and secure in that environment. That should not involve any involuntary treatment of any kind.
You would find Peter Breggin’s books to be very interesting reading on the subject.
Depression, for example ? Most often caused by circumstances and state of mind. If you are a pessimistic thinker, you will have more perceived problems than an optimist will. An interesting read: http://clearinghouse.missouriwestern.edu/manuscripts/155.asp
And, you can control which type you are, if you so choose.
An anecdotal account:
A neighbor of mine, a total pessimist, was diagnosed with depression a short time after her husband lost his job, had been out of work for a few months, their credit was maxed out, and their twin boys were going to have to leave college because there was no money to pay for the next semester. She was put on drugs - wellbutrin to be exact. After 9 months on the drugs she decided she didn’t like how they made her feel; they gave her a very flat affect and she felt like her days just went by with no highs or lows. She quit the drugs, her husband found a new and better job, the boys remained in school, and there was no more talk of depression. Clearly, it was her circumstances and her thoughts about it that caused her problem.
Yes, I know she wasn’t a hard case, but there are millions just like her out there who are given drugs instead of coping skills.
You can’t read, can you ? Did you miss my post #128 ?
There are none so blind as those who will not see.
It’s you who need to do the research. Reading the link you posted, from top to bottom, would help. You disprove your own assertions.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.