ABC NEWS - DAY 3: Mind-Altering Psych Drugs for a 7-Year-Old

ABC
Mind-Altering Psych Drugs for a 7-Year-Old
By JOSEPH DIAZ and CLAIRE WEINRAUB
Dec. 2, 2011

Not long ago, 7-year-old Brooke was on a medical regimen that might seem extreme, even for an adult: The 43-pound girl was prescribed multiple mind-altering psychotropic drugs.

Dealt a tough hand early in life — her birth mother had a history of drug dealing and prostitution — Brooke was prone to extreme tantrums and wild behavior. Her foster mother, Lisa Ward, says a Florida foster care agency instructed her to take the girl to a mental health clinic. The clinic prescribed anti-psychotic medication, often used to treat schizophrenia and bi-polar disorder.

"Within a few weeks, probably two, they decided that it wasn't working. They needed to do something else," Ward recalled. "At this point, she's getting worse, she's not getting any better."

Brooke was given 10 different prescriptions in four months, with the clinic frequently increasing her doses.

As a foster mother, Ward felt she had no choice. She worried that the state would take Brooke away if she didn't give the girl the medication.

"We were told to put our faith in the system and that's what we did," Ward said. "They kept saying she needs more medication."

Foster children are medicated with psychotropic drugs up to 13 times more than other kids. Michael Piraino, the chief executive of the National CASA Association, a foster children's advocacy group, said that, as a population, foster children tend to be more troubled than their peers.

"If you've been hurt the way these kids are, you or I would feel the same way," he said.

But Piraino said helping the children is not about always trying "to change their brain chemistry."

"When a doctor tells me that the drug is working, I would ask, 'Who's it working for? Is it working for the kid? Is it working for the caretaker? Is it working for the system? It only matters to me whether it's working for the kid," he said. "Frankly, we want the doctors and nurses who are prescribing these medicines to look at their behavior and think -- and ask this question: 'Are we doing something wrong here?' And to the extent that we are, individually or collectively, let's change that."

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• Mind
• Altering
• Psych
• Drugs
• Children

[LindaKay1948]

@dannyboidj1 I took Haldol and Cogentin for about 4 months back in 1975. At that time I was 27, and took myself off cold turkey because the psychiatrist refused to do so. Then, about a month after the birth of my second child, back in 1981, I was on Haldol and Cogentin again for a couple of weeks. I was then 33. The third time, In 1983, I was INJECTED with Haldol, and sent home to take it with Cogentin again. Thatn time I only took it for 3 days, while in the hospital. I was 35.

[dannyboidj1]

@LindaKay1948 how long did you say you were taking these drugs for and at what age?

[LindaKay1948]

@AnneFox7 Thank you, but, as I said, my memory seems to have improved. My sexual dysfunction has not. I have had genital anesthesia for over 28 yrs although I've been drug free. Just think what that kind of loss would do to a child who hasn't even gone through puberty yet. There are young people who've been given SSRIs who describe themselves as sexless. How can they marry and have normal lives? No wonder many of them commit suicide.

[AnneFox7]

@LindaKay1948 Hey there may be some exercises that you can do to improve that. New practice models permitting yourself to continually practice and get used to being with some other people may help you. Try going to self help groups and getting past some of the issues using programs like Toast-masters for public speaking. Cue cards... Expansion of your comfort zone...Educational experiences ( NOT phoney pharma education) effective advancement improving function support recovery.

[dragonseptor]

It is a very sickening thing that these doctors medicate children for the sake of big money profits

they don't give a damn about our children we are losing our country little by little to corruption and greed and being sold out at ever turn.

[DangerAbilify]

Incredible, what are we doing to our children - our future - the 'so called' system has too change !!

[LindaKay1948]

@dannyboidj1 I think that some of the damage may be revearsable. After I went off the neuroleptics, I had a lot of trouble with my short-term memory. People kept telling me that I'd already said things I could not remember saying. At parties, I would introduce people twice. It was very embarrassing, so I was afraid to say much. I think that slowly, over the years, my memory has improved. However, some damage, tardive dyskinesia, like my mother had, and dystonia may be permanent.

[dannyboidj1]

@LindaKay1948 i am very sorry to hear this i am under gone the same thing except mentally being damaged have you heard of these drugs causing brain damage and is it reversable? i am asking you because i assume you have done much research. thanks and gold bless

[tambourini]

I've never been on a page where all comments are dead on & all "on the same page" before! Thumbs up to all of you!!! I strongly agree!!!

[jcbgtr]

Health Canada and the FDA need to be put in their place. Its the government that should be on all of these drugs, not innocent foster children.