IBUP, ELi-Lilly, Department of Psychiatry of São Paulo, UNIMED and UFMG research tobacco dependence in elderly population

You can find the article here.

Valeska Marinho^{1, 2, 3} , Sergio Luís Blay⁴, Sérgio Baxter Andreoli⁴ and Fábio Gastal^{5, 6}

(1)	Center for Alzheimer Disease and Related Disorders (CDA), Institute of Psychiatry (IPUB), Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, UFRJ, Brazil

(2)	Eli Lilly and Company, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil

(3)	R. Bento Lisboa, 40/601 – Catete, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 22221-011, Brazil

(4)	Dept. of Psychiatry, Escola Paulista de Medicina – UNIFESP, Federal University of São Paulo, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil

(5)	Medical School, Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG, Brazil), Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil

(6)	UNIMED, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil

Received: 9 March 2007 Accepted: 26 February 2008 Published online: 3 April 2008

Abstract

Objective Evaluate the frequency of current smoking in elderly people living in urban areas of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.

Methods Cross-sectional design. A representative sample of 6,961 elderly, randomly selected subjects, living in a community, was examined to estimate the frequency of current tobacco smoking. Tobacco use was measured by means of a household questionnaire administered by trained interviewers that inquired about current tobacco use, sociodemographic characteristics, self-rated physical and health status. Mental health was evaluated using the Short Psychiatric Evaluation Schedule (SPES).

Results The prevalence of tobacco use was 28.9% among men, 13.6% among women and 18.8% for both sexes. Male gender (OR = 3.25), low income (OR = 1.52), years of schooling (illiterate) (OR = 1.35), non-Protestant religion (OR = 2.17) and absence of physical exercise (OR = 1.21) presented positive and independent association with tobacco use. Presence of pulmonary disease (OR = 1.93) and mental distress (OR = 1.32) and absence of cardiac disease (OR = 1.51), high blood pressure (OR = 1.51) and diabetes (OR = 1.50) were independently associated with an increased chance of current tobacco use. Increasing age (OR = 0.93) and marital status (married) (OR = 0.66) presented independent and negative association with smoking.

Conclusion Factors associated with an increased chance of tobacco smoking were: being men, illiterate, with lower income, presence of respiratory and mental disease, and absence of cardiac disease, high blood pressure and diabetes. Factors associated with a decreased risk of tobacco smoking were: aging, exercise, Protestant religion and marriage.

IBUP - Brazilian University Institute has drug-dealers among patients

I did published last year about a drug-dealer that was arrested at IPUB's facilities. I live in front of this hospital and some drug addicts of the street I live go there to buy cocaine, pot and who knows what else.
"I don't want to talk to a lunatic." was what I heard from a man that was at the garden where the patients stays during the day. A patient approached him, like they all do asking for a cigarette, and he answered this way in the most drug-dealer dialect and intonation.
When I was going away the man was leaving with a girl talking about a certain amount of money.
The Institute is known at the street, and it is already being spread over Rio de Janeiro, as a "ponto de venda" - place where people buy drugs.
I have talked to a psychiatrist that I know that works there and she said "-Oh! Yes. It comes and goes." as if it was normal and as I showed amazement and said that many of the drug addicts that are being treated at IPUB - they have a special project to treat drug addicts PROJAD - go there to get Zyprexa because it is very expensive and keep on using cocaine and other drugs at the same time.
She said: "Why don't you denounce?"
I beg your pardon?
So it is up to ME to denounce? I have already done it last year and nothing changed. I don't think it's ME who should be denouncing and as a psychiatrist she should be taking care not only of the drug addicts who are being drugged by illegal and legal drugs but the safety of the patients that are there because of a mental problem. Some drug addicts are being diagnosed bipolar and they receive all psychiatric immunity for any action they do because the are... crazy!
It is amazing. The director changed but the politics keeps the same. I wonder how much money do the Institute receives for research with medications for psychiatric problems and if they receive from the illegal drugs.
I have to publish it. This is enough.
I wonder what is happening to the other mental institutions. If this is one of the best in Brazil I don't know what is going on with the others.
I know one hospital from that made the patients clean the place had a terrible food and treatment and those who ran it put the money in their own bank account.
This is not a Brazilian privilege. It is like this in many place around the world.
I believe that IPUB will surely take the necessary steps: they will prevent people that enter the hospital to go to the garden where it is all happening.

Clonazepam - Klonopin and Imipramine are teratogen

After reading that "There are about 600 Paxil/Seroxat/Aropax birth defects lawsuits are already outstanding against GlaxoSmithKline," I am checking some of the other psych-drugs that causes birth-defects and found that the benzodiazepine clonazepam Klonopin and the antidepressant Imipramine are both teratogenic:

Klonopin:
Warnings

Pregnancy:

Recent reports indicate an association between the use of anticonvulsant drugs and an elevated incidence of birth defects in children born to epileptic women taking such medication during pregnancy. The incidence of congenital malformations in the general population is regarded to be approximately 2%; in children of treated epileptic women this incidence may be increased 2 to 3 fold. The increase is largely due to specific defects, e.g., congenital malformations of the heart, and cleft lip and/or palate. Nevertheless, the great majority of mothers receiving anticonvulsant medications deliver normal infants.

Imipramine:

Pregnancy:

The safety of imipramine in pregnancy has not been established. Neonates whose mothers had taken imipramine up until delivery have shown symptoms such as dyspnea, lethargy, colic, irritability, hypotension or hypertension, tremor or spasms during the first few hours or days.

Therefore, imipramine should not be administered to women of childbearing potential, particularly during the first trimester and the last 7 weeks of pregnancy, unless in the opinion of the physician the potential benefit to the patient outweighs the possible hazards to the fetus.

That is it! Great news! Klonopin, clonazepam is being prescribed for almost all the population in Brazil. When I go to drugstores there is always someone buying Rivotril, the Brazilian brand-name. If not I ask the pharmacist how are the sales and they say it sells at least one box every half an hour.

It's cheap but it is being prescribed for any emotional problem. As always psychiatrists claim that it helps many patients and that it only takes a slowly withdrawal. I came across with the list of clonazepam withdrawal symptoms. It is hell.

I will publish it tomorrow.

It's too much! I am tired. After having my word taken as if I was out of this planet by a psychiatrist, one more time, one more time, I don't want to talk about it.

Sometimes I believe that these people simply don't have a clue about what they are doing to patients. Seriously! Although this psychiatrist is a researcher and a very known psychiatrist with a real interest in his patients, but I have already heard from two patients that they are taking the "research drugs", ... Does this man is really...

Jesus! I cannot believe. I'm amazed to say the least.

PS He knows about my blog but he doesn't give a damn. I have already told him my story thousand of times and he never knows what has really happened to me. He will diagnose me bipolar, for sure!

Today is Humans Right Day - WHO does nothing and others keep silent - Thank you all bloggers who are fighting this war and are really advocating

And this is what WHO has written about health:

Health and human rights

WHO Constitution: "the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health is one of the fundamental rights of every human being..."

Every country in the world is now party to at least one human rights treaty that addresses health-related rights. This includes the right to health as well as other rights that relate to conditions necessary for health.

The role of the Health and Human Rights Team is to:

• Strengthen the capacity of WHO and its Member States to integrate a human rights-based approach to health.
  
  
• Advance the right to health in international law and international development processes.
  
  
• Advocate for health-related human rights.

:: For an overview of WHO's work in health and human rights, click here [pdf 98kb]


Funny because WHO is not saying anything against the hideous side effects of psych-drugs or that these drugs are addictive and I have already send them e-mails back in 2005 and got no reply.
I thank all the bloggers that are trying to raise awareness about one of the most important topics about Humans Rights violations:

Informing people about the dangers of antidepressants, anti-psychotics and other psych-drugs that are being pushed to many people either they need them or not.

I want to thanks Philip Dawdy for his work at Furious Seasons, yes I am talking one more time about Philip Dawdy, because he is the sole journalist that is doing a real journalistic approach while the mainstream media is following the rules of the pharmaceutical industry and lying to the people to say the least.
He also has made many people start their own blog and I am one of them.
Thank you Philip Dawdy. You are really helping to raise awareness on this violation of Humans Right: the right to be informed; the right to be heard; name it... too many Humans Right violations against psychiatric patients and people who started taking these drugs because of greed of politicians all over the world, shareholders and who knows WHO else.
It will be known as a crime against humanity in the future. We are talking about teratogenic medicines; medicines that affect mind, body and soul.

Happy Humans Right Day!

PS: I have joined the Blog Unites for this event Humans Right Day. They are doing a good job fighting for Humans Right in countries like Iran, China, Myanmar, China, Burundi and many others where people are physically restrained.
It seems that US and Europe are doing very well in what Humans Right is concerned.
I have this post on the list and a comment a did. I hope they publish it of they think about it's importance.

- Senator Grassley has asked 33 medical groups for information about the financial backing they get from the pharmaceutical, medical device and insura

..nce industries.
I have just read it at Furious Seasons and visited the link:
IowaPolitics.com
After receiving so many bad news about how the pharmas are working hard to sell more and more anti-psychotics, antidepressants I feel like copying the whole news:

U.S. Sen. Grassley: Grassley works for disclosure of drug company payments to medical groups
12/8/2009



WASHINGTON --- Senator Grassley has asked 33 medical groups for information about the financial backing they get from the pharmaceutical, medical device and insurance industries.

“These organizations have a lot of influence over public policy, and people rely on their leadership. There’s a strong case for disclosure and the accountability that results,” Grassley said.

Grassley said his inquiry follows a review of industry support for the National Alliance on Mental Illness, where he questioned the organization’s national office and state chapters. The Alliance subsequently adopted a new policy of publicly releasing industry support over $5,000. “It’d be good for the system if other organizations would follow NAMI’s lead in this area,” Grassley said.

For several years, Grassley has conducted extensive oversight and sought disclosure of financial ties with industry from research physicians, medical schools, medical journals, continuing medical education, and the patient advocacy community. He has worked to expose cases where there was vast disparity between drug-company payments received and reported by leading medical researchers. In response to Grassley’s work, the National Institutes of Health is working on new disclosure guidelines for federal grant recipients.

Grassley is also working for congressional passage of reform legislation he has sponsored with Senator Herb Kohl. Their bipartisan Physician Payments Sunshine Act would require annual public reporting by drug, device and biologic manufacturers of payments made to physicians nationwide.

“I’m interested in transparency,” Grassley said. “Letting the sun shine in and making information public is basic to building people’s confidence in medical research, education and the practice of medicine,” Grassley said.

This week, t he senator’s letters of inquiry were sent to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, the Alzheimer’s Association, the American Academy of Allergy Asthma and Immunology, the American Academy of Dermatology, the American Academy of Family Physicians, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the American College of Surgeons, the American Dental Association, the American Diabetes Association, the American Dietetic Association, the American Heart Association, the American Hospital Association Inc., the American Medical Association, the American Psychological Association, the American Society of Anesthesiologists, the American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons, the American Society of Consultant Pharmacists, the American Society of Health–System Pharmacists, the American Society of Hypertension, Inc., the American Society of Nephrology, the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, Children and Adults with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance, the Heart Rhythm Society, Mental Health America, NARSAD, the National Association of Chain Drug Stores, the National Organization for Rare Disorders, the North American Spine Society, Screening for Mental Health Inc., the National Center for Mental Checkups at Columbia University (TeenScreen), The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, and the American Cancer Society.

Here is the text of Grassley’s letter.

December 7, 2009

Dear _________________:

The United States Senate Committee on Finance (Committee) has jurisdiction over the Medicare and Medicaid programs and, accordingly, a responsibility to the more than 100 million Americans who receive health care coverage under these programs. As Ranking Member of the Committee, I have a duty to protect the health of Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries and safeguard taxpayer dollars authorized by Congress for these programs.

For the last three years, the Committee has been looking into various aspects of the pharmaceutical industry, including consulting arrangements, and industry funding for Continuing Medical Education (CME). My inquiry was spurred, in part by press accounts documenting the lack of transparency in the relationships between the pharmaceutical industry and nonprofit organizations. For instance, in April 2008, The Wall Street Journal reported that industry representatives, including ten major drug companies, formed a coalition to promote looser restrictions on off-label marketing. [1] The coalition asked the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) to speak in favor of this issue.

On October 6th of this year, I sent letters to all fifty state chapters of NAMI asking them to disclose income from pharmaceutical companies. In that letter, I explained that NAMI National receives almost two-thirds of its funding from the drug industry. [2] I learned recently that a few days after I sent those letters, one of the founders of NAMI and member of the NAMI National Board of Directors emailed his resignation, stating that he was shocked at NAMI’s reliance on pharmaceutical industry funding. In particular he said: “This financial dependency presents a number of problems.”

In response to my concerns, NAMI began to disclose publicly on its website, any amount of funding exceeding $5,000 that it received from pharmaceutical companies and other foundations. This decision in favor of transparency by NAMI is encouraging.

In April of this year, the Institute of Medicine issued a report endorsing transparency and stating that protections against conflicts can be established without inhibiting productive relationships between medicine and industry to improve medical knowledge and care. I am hoping you can assist me in this effort by providing additional insights into these relationships as well as any changes in transparency that your organization may be planning for in the future. Operating with transparency sends a message that there is nothing to hide.

Accordingly, I would appreciate an accounting of industry funding that pharmaceutical, medical device companies, foundations established by these companies or the insurance industry have provided to the (Organization) (The term “industry funding” means any transfer of value, including but not limited to grants, donations, and sponsorship for meetings or programs, etc.) This request covers the period of January 2006 to the present.

Because reporting practices vary widely from one charitable organization to another, I would appreciate you also placing this income into a chart, detailing annual amounts of industry funding. For each year, please provide the following information for (Organization) :

1) Year;

2) Name of company;

3) Amount of funding; and

4) Reason(s) that the funding was provided.

In addition, please explain (Organization) policies for accepting industry funding and the disclosure requirements of your top executives and board members by answering the following questions. For each question, please respond by first repeating the enumerated question followed by the appropriate answer. Again, this request covers the period of January 2006 to the present:

1) Please describe the policies for accepting industry funding and whether or not (Organization) allows companies to place restrictions or provide guidance on how funding will be spent.

2) If (Organization) allows companies to place restrictions on industry funding, then please explain all restrictions and/or guidance for each transfer of value from industry. For every transfer of value with a restriction, please provide the following information: year of transfer, name of company, and restriction placed on funding.

3) Please explain what policies, if any that(Organization) plans to adopt to ensure transparency of funding in order to provide a greater public trust in the independence of your organization.

4) Please explain your policies on disclosure of outside income by your top executives and board members.

5) Please provide the disclosures of outside income filed with your organizations by your top executives and board members.

In cooperating with the Committee’s review, no documents, records, data or information related to these matters shall be destroyed, modified, removed or otherwise made inaccessible to the Committee.

I look forward to hearing from you by no later than December 21, 2009.

Sincerely,

Charles E. Grassley United States Senator Ranking Member of the Committee on Finance

We are waiting Senator Grassley! We want the names! No later than December, 21, 2009!

Bob Fiddaman cuts off ties with MHRA over their failure to admit that Seroxat/Paxil/Aropax is teratogen

I received this e-mail from Bob Fiddaman at Seroxat Sufferers and I want to publish it:

Dear all,

I haven't sent a mass email out for some time.

Some of you will know that I have cut off ties with the MHRA, basically over their failure to highlight the fact that Seroxat/Paxil is a teratogen. They are, I believe, once again, not acknowledging the evidence that is out there.

I sent the MHRA a lengthy email stating the reasons why I no longer wish to continue corresponding with them - I have met them on 5 separate occasions.

This has resulted in the CEO of the MHRA, Kent Woods, sending me an email, an email that was 13 months overdue.

The email and my response can be viewed here - http://fiddaman.blogspot.com/2009/12/my-reply-to-mhra-ceo-kent-woods.html

There is a serious problem here that the MHRA will not address.

Please pass on this email and/or link to those on your list, tweet it or Facebook it.

I am in no doubt that the MHRA are not safeguarding the public with regard to Seroxat being a teratogen [a drug that causes abnormalities in fetuses] - and the more people that know about this, the better.

Thank you for your time

Fid

That is appalling. This is the regulatory agency that is taking care of British people health. FDA does the same and regulates not only US market but also some of those who have poor regulation.
Crimes against humanity that is what you are doing.

SSRIs To treat deviant sexual behavior by suppressing sexual thoughts and fantasies (repost)

I have publish it last year and as I think it is too serious I will post it again:

This is scary. I've just came across with this and I believe that if this use of SSRIs is not enough to convince that something very serious is happening I don't know what else is needed:

"In recent years SSRIs have been used to reduce sex offenders' deviant sexual thoughts and fantasies. Serotonin, a neurotransmitter, plays a role in regulating sexual drive, depression, obsessions, compulsions, anxiety, impulsiveness and anger. SSRIs are antidepressants that are also approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder and social anxiety. Although double-bind placebo controlled trials are needed, studies using self-report measures or PPG have found that these medications do reduce some repetitive sexually deviant fantasies and/or behavior (Greenberg& Bradford, 1997; Kafka, 1991, 1994; Kafka & Prentky, 1992, Stein et al, 1992), and to selectively decrease deviant arousal without significantly decreasing appropriate arousal (Bradford, Greenberg, Gojer Martindole & Goldberg, 1995; Kafka, 1992; Kafka & Prentky, 1994). Greenberg and Bradford (1997) have hypothesized that paraphilias may result when there is an inability to suppress conventional sexual appetites. Since serotonin affects sexual appetite, SSRIs may help alter a dysfunctional serotonergic system, thereby allowing suppression of unconventional sexual appetites."(emphasis mine)

"Furthermore SSRIs have been used in the treatment of PTSD. One study found that after a year of SSRI treatments, subjects with PTSD had a 5% increase in hippocampal volume and a 35% increase in memory function (Bremner, 2006)*. Together, these findings indicate a variety of reasons why SSRIs may be beneficial for offenders with multiple paraphilias." p. 547 (emphasis mine)

It's from this book:
Sexual Deviance: Theory, Assessment, and Treatment. edited by D. Richard Laws, William O'Donohue. New York, Guilford Publications, 1997.
A new edition fully revised was published in 2008.
This is the page from where I took the paragraph.
I had already thought reading on a fiction story, a movie or a novel, about using SSRIs to suppress arousal, women giving Paxil/Seroxat to their husbands and many other ways humankind can use this side effect.
But I never thought about this medical use.
I've stressed "deviant sexual thoughts and fantasies" because it's widely reported on SSRI-sex Yahoo group people claiming that their normal sexual fantasies and thoughts have been altered or disappeared.
Claiming that "SSRIs may help alter a dysfunctional serotonergic system" is not a good explanation. Why on earth people who have conventional sexual fantasies are also affected when they take SSRIs?
It's written here:
"Since serotonin affects sexual appetite,..." and this is what really happens along with changes in sexual thoughts and fantasies which should be investigated because normal people are having sexual problems such as anorgasmia, lost of libido, lack of sexual thoughts and fantasies even after years off SSRIs.
It should be considered as a serious iatrogenic condition and not praised because it can fix paraphilias.

*This is quite scary! I wonder what kind of alterations this increasing of hippocampal volume can do.

Quote of the day - Child abuse memories

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"There is still no excuse for it. But, I am really seeing now more clearly how people turn their heads and look the other way. I understand the horrors that people want to deny could ever happen to our children in our culture. No one wants to live in a world where this is even possible."
Marj at Survivors can Thrive!

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SSRI-stories reports a violent behavior due to psych-drugs almost daily

These are from SSRI-stories from 11/30 to 12/05. Almost daily a death caused by psych-drugs, maily antidepressants SSRI/SSNIs. It this is not enough evidence I wonder what else is necessary. These are the cases that SSRI-stories could find. How many are not there? The cases in countries that are not of English language are not included.
We do not know the real statistics and the US, UK and other governments have no interest in searching for these data because they do not want to admit the truth.
This is the psychiatry that is being practiced in countries all over the world.

Anger Antidepressant 2009-11-30 Massachusetts 16 Year Old Girl Says Antidepressant Causes her to be Uncontrollably Angry All the Time

Suicide Med For Depression 2009-11-30 India Member of Indian Administrative Services Kills Self:Totally Unexpected

Murder Med For Depression & OCD Withdrawal 2009-11-30 Florida Man Shoots & Kills 4 Relatives During Thanksgiving Dinner

Assault Zoloft & Geodon2009-12-01 FloridaWoman Assaults Another Woman on Golf Course: Was in Withdrawal from Geodon But Still On Zoloft

Assault Antidepressants 2009-12-02 EnglandWoman Assaults Police Officer

Withdrawal SSRIs/Antidepressants2009-12-03Global ++Withdrawal is Sometimes More Severe Than the Original Symptoms or Problem: Peoples Pharmacy

Violence Med For Depression 2009-12-03 Canada Son Beats Mother: Drives Car into Abutment: Out of Character: On & Off Depression Med

Aggression Effexor2009-12-03 New Jersey Police Officer Become Aggressive With Captain: Is Fired: Files Lawsuit

Suicide Antidepressant 2009-12-03 England Man's Death Forces Change in Police Policy

Infant Abuse Antidepressants 2009-12-03 Wisconsin Child Care Director On Trial: Innocent Until Proven Guilty: On Meds At Time: Trial Continues

Suicide Prozac/Wellbutrin & Adderall 2009-12-04 Massachusetts 19 Year Old Honors Student at Harvard Commits Suicide: Lawsuit

Murder Prozac2009-12-04 Iraq/New YorkSoldier Stabs to Death Two Fellow Soldiers

Suicide-By-Cop Antidepressant Withdrawal 2009-12-04 Minnesota 27 Year Old in Recent Withdrawal from Med For Depression Attempts Suicide-By-Cop

Assault Med For Depression 2009-12-04 Scotland 26 Year Old Man Assaults 16 Year Old Girl

Death Antidepressants & Sleeping Pills2009-12-04 England Woman Who Was Depressed Dies From Prescription Meds: Open Verdict: Possible Suicide

Murder-Suicide Antidepressants2009-12-05 Ohio Father Kills his Two Children & Himself

Thank you Rosie for this database.

Autism - gluten and casein free diet and marijuana

I have a neighbor who is a biologist and she has a cousin that is autistic and improved with a gluten and casein free diet. I talked to her about some parents decision to try marijuana and claiming that it helped. She said that maybe it's because of the digestive properties of the cannabis sativae.
Here is the theory of the gluten and casein free diet:

"Gluten and casein are getting a lot of attention in the autism community and from doctors in the "Defeat Autism Now!" biomedical movement. Some parents, doctors and researchers say that children have shown mild to dramatic improvements in speech and/or behavior after these substances were removed from their diet. Some also report that their children have experienced fewer bouts of diarrhea and loose stools since starting a gluten-free, casein-free (GFCF) diet. Author Donna Williams, who has autism, says she has been helped by "nutritional supplements together with a dairy/gluten-free and low Salicylate diet." (Salicylates are found in some fruits likes apples and other foods). Some people report no benefits from the GFCF diet.

Casein is a protein found in milk and foods containing milk, such as cheese, butter, yogurt, ice cream, whey and even some brands of margarine. It also may be added to non-milk products such as soy cheese and hot dogs in the form of caseinate.

There is growing interest in the link between autism and gastrointestinal (GI) ailments. A study by the University of California Davis Health System found that children with autism born in the 1990s were more likely to have gastrointestinal problems, including constipation, diarrhea and vomiting, than autistic children who were born in the early 1980s. Some people use the GFCF diet mainly to ease gastrointestinal problems and food allergies or sensitivities.

According to one theory, some people with autism and PDD cannot properly digest gluten and casein, which form peptides, or substances that act like opiates in their bodies. The peptides then alter the person's behavior, perceptions, and responses to his environment. Some scientists now believe that peptides trigger an unusual immune system response in certain people. Research in the U.S. and Europe has found peptides in the urine of a significant number of children with autism. A doctor can order a urinary peptide test to see if proteins are being digested properly.

Studies are underway to examine the effectiveness of the GFCF diet, which has not gained widespread acceptance in the medical community. One recent study found behavioral improvements in children on a GFCF diet, while another study found no significant effects from the diet.

Medical tests can determine if your child has a sensitivity or an allergy to gluten, casein and other foods such as eggs, nuts and soybeans. Any pediatrician or a physician from the Defeat Autism Now! list can order these tests before you begin the diet."

(read more here and search the web)

Hope it helps!

Quote of the day - FDA and birth defect warning for Depakote

It is Gianna's comment at the post at Furious Seasons FDA issues major birth defect warning for Depakote:



.my doc encouraged me to get pregnant ALL THE TIME while on depakote and 4 other drugs too. Good man. Thought I’d be a good mom. Luckily I was a good mom and never had those babies. Posted by: Gianna at December 3, 2009 01:58 PM



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Quote of the day - Fighting institutionalization

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"...fighting for the prevention of institutionalization is a task that i feel is hard but doable, i've done it before."
by Stephany at Soulful Sepulcher in her post Lucidity.


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Choking first aid - I needed it yesterday and now I know how dangerous choking is

Today I thought I was going to die because a piece of meat I swallowed got stuck and I could not breath.
I thought: "is this the way I'm going to die?" I could not speak either and a man started doing the subdiaphragmatic abdominal thrusts but it didn't help. I got very nervous but someone said: "Don't get nervous. Easy!" so I sat and relaxed with my head down and could expelled.
I realized how dangerous it can be because it's not very divulged. I remembered the movie Mrs Doubtfire when she helps Pierce Brosnan's character in the restaurant.
I realized that there are not people trained to help people in restaurants and maybe waiting for rescue can be fatal. So I am putting the site below that explain how to is the 1st-Aid for choking. It was a little traumatic for me. I hope it never happens to you or in case it happens someone knows how to deal with it. I needed someone to put his finger in my throat to take the meat away. Fortunately I always bend my body and put my head down when I am not feeling fine.

PREVENTION IS NO ACCIDENT

Adults:
-Cut food into small pieces.

-Chew food slowly and thoroughly, especially if wearing dentures.

-Avoid laughing and talking during chewing and swallowing.
-Avoid excessive intake of alcohol before and during meals.

Infants and Children:
-Keep marbles, beads, thumbtacks, and other small objects out of their reach and prevent them from walking, running, or playing with food or toys in their mouths.

If you observe an "conscious" ADULT choking:
-Ask, "Are you choking?"
-If the victim can speak, cough, or breathe, DO NOT INTERFERE.
-If the victim CANNOT speak, cough, or breathe, give subdiaphragmatic abdominal thrusts (the Heimlich maneuver) until the foreign body is expelled or the victim becomes unconscious. (Or in case of extreme obesity or late pregnancy, give chest thrusts.)

IIf the Victim Becomes Unconscious:

Visit the site for all the informations. We only think about 1st-aid when we need help. If you have any 1st-aid site that you believe is good leave a comment and I will publish it. I can only think about choking for the moment.
Have a good and healthy week!

Update:
I talked to a friend of mine and she told me that the mother of a friend of hers in in irreversible coma because of choking.

Quote of the day - Biederman and others hideous psychiatric model

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"I'm not certain how Biederman and others hijacked child psychiatry, but they did."

Philip Dawdy here.

RSF, Reporters Without Borders, created the Peter Mackler Award in 2008

"About the Peter Mackler Award for Courageous and Ethical Journalism

The Peter Mackler Award for Courageous and Ethical Journalism was founded in June, 2008 to honor the memory of Peter Mackler, a Brooklyn-born thirty-five year veteran journalist who championed ethical journalism, freedom of expression, and who helped transform the news agency Agence France Press (AFP) into the international competitor it is today. Mackler also founded Global Media Forum, which has helped train journalists and non-profit organizations to use the media as a tool for social change, and Project Plato, which teaches journalism as a life skill to teenagers.

The Peter Mackler award rewards journalists who fight courageously and ethically to report the news in countries where freedom of the press is either not guaranteed or not recognized. The Award ceremony will take place on October 2, 2009 at 6PM at the National Press Club in Washington, DC, 529 14th St. N.W, 13th Fl.; Washington, DC 20045. The ceremony will be followed by a networking hour. There will be a silent auction."

This year winner was:

"Published on 31 August 2009

Global Media Forum and the US branch of Reporters Without Borders are pleased to announce that respected Sri Lankan journalist and editor J. S. Tissainayagam has been selected as the first winner of the Peter Mackler Award for Courageous and Ethical Journalism. Tissainayagam will be formally awarded the prize at a ceremony at the National Press Club in Washington, DC on October 2, 2009. The key note speaker for the ceremony will be Marcus Brauchli, executive editor of the Washington Post."

RSF, Report Without Borders, do a great work and I am a supporter of their work and by singing their petitions.
I just wanted that there was an organization that could fight for ethical journalism in countries where reporters are not murdered, tortured or suffer mental and physical abuse but are not employed if they do not report what he/she is told to report and those who are ethical have to work in an independent way without any recognition.
We know the power of journalism and how important it is to have the right information.
Congratulations RFS! Keep going.
Thanks to independent journalists that work at home as in exile in their own countries.

Golden Lion Award

My dear friend Susan honored me with the Golden Lion Award and it's a very special award since it was the first she received and the person from whom she received is not bloging anymore. This is what Susan wrote about her decision

"My very first blog award I was given was by a young woman in SF named PhC, who was struggling with HIV. She has dropped off the blogosphere for the last two years, but I want to replay her gift forward. I don't know if she has left this earth, or left the blogosphere, but I miss her."

I have nothing left to say about the importance of this award. I am very happy to receive it and I hope that this young woman is at peace wherever she is.
As always it's hard to chose only six blog friends but there it goes:

Jennifer at BPC in OKC ;
Cc at Clinically clueless;
Cheryl at Wishing and discovering;
Marissa Muller at Depression Introspection;
Marj at Survivors can thrive!;
Matthew at It's quite an experience;
Mike at Rambling Stuffs;
Sandee at Comedy Plus;
Tracy at Black Holes and Barbies;

Nine? Still I didn't give it to everybody I want.

ACPP - Implementing the new general scientific paradigm to treat children with OCD in Armenia

I joined the Mental Health Resource Directory months ago when I saw it at friend's blog. The badge is still at my blog and I will leave it.
I just visited the site.
There are some good blogs but I found the Association of Child Psychiatrist and Psychologists as one of the sites as well as others that are in opposite directions. They want to implement scientific based mental health care in Armenia and, why not, Russia?

Collaboration with International pharmaceuticals industry resent PPT presentations for Janssen - Cilag and Solvay group Armenia (Year 2008).

Russian presentation for Janssen - Cilag (MS PowerPoint, 2.0 Mb)
Russian presentation for Solvay (MS PowerPoint, 1.7 Mb) (this slide-show explains how SSRI's work and take as example Paroxetine (Paxil/Seroxat) and also Fluvoxamine (Fevarin). It is written in Russian but we can understand it because it is explained as if the audience was six years-old.

Poster presentation Ziprasidone among adolescents with overlapping OCD and Tourette's syndrome (Pilot study)

This is part of the site and I put in red the laboratory and the drug.

ACPP is helping to implement scientific based mental health system in Armenia:

"In accordance with new priorities, which have been worked out by ACPP, its members are engaged in scientific work which is being covered in publications and reports at symposia, conferences and educational seminars in year 2008. The core of these works is the consolidation of the new general scientific paradigm in psychiatry and psychology representing different areas of interest to the specialty, such as affective disorders, anxiety and obsessive compulsive disorders, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, eating disorders, impulsivity and impulse control disorders, diagnosis and intervention. In Year 2008 Open post marketing study of effectiveness of Fluvoxamine (Fevarin) among adolescents with severe OCD was completed. The study was conducted by support of SOLVAY Pharmaceuticals local team in Armenia."(emphasis mine)

This is part of this ACPP 2008 report.
It seems that Armenian children will receive the same treatment of the western civilization.
Why am I not happy?

Call for action - Promoting Furious Seasons, what can we do?

I believe that many of us agree that Furious Seasons is one of the most important mental health blogs and should be top 1 in all blog directors and accessible to most people as possible not only for us who already know the problems Phillip raises.
I just found that Blogged has this rate for Furious Seasons:



This is not fair! Very good? My blog is very good and I didn't do 1/100.000.000 of what Philip is doing.
I did a review because they can change the rate according to other people's reviews.
People trust in more in numbers than in words: "Oh! A top 1 blog? It's good!"
Let's try to make of Furious Seasons a source for all of those who search for mental health problems or psych-drugs being overused and all the problems we know.
I think of Philip as a kind of spokesman for all of us and I thank him for his work.
Please leave any idea of how can we make Furious Seasons appear to the public and not only for us.
Thank you.

PS: I did an award*, I think the more we at my other blog and I am asking people to leave a comment here at Hella Heaven Independent Journalism Award.
Now I think it's time for social networkings. I am not very good at it. But I will try.
Let's do it please!
Ideas, we need efficacious ways.

*we cannot wait for official recognition so let's promote our own way.
If you think I am being naive please tell me. It took me a lot of courage to do it.

To the American and British governments

This is the story of Jeremy whose Pearl Jam's song, at this post, talks about.
He shot his mouth with a gun in front of the class.
Sometimes I get so angry about what is being done to American and British children that I have to express it in any way.
This is the way I am remembering all those children, teenagers and adults who took their lives because of SSRI's/SRNI's-induced suicidal ideation.
I don't know why whenever I listen to the music I feel like crying. But this is me.
I don't think that the American and British government carry a bean about the lives of American and British children. Health is something that is not of any interest and it even seems to me that the world is overpopulated and if people die it is better for the income of those who have money.
I am not talking about children and people from the rest of the world.
I AM TALKING ABOUT AMERICAN AND BRITISH CHILDREN!
The lasts posts I am publishing here are being done with anger.
I am sorry for that but it is beyond any explanation what American and British governments are doing to their children.

R.I.P Jeremy

Also R.I.P.
Eric Harris
Candace Downing
Sarah Carlin
Traci Johnson
Kara Baker
Kevin Rider
Woody Matters

Update:
Sharise Gatchell

There is a long list at SSRI STORIES:

Yesterday:

Suicide	Antidepressant	2009-11-04	England	19 Year Old Hangs Self
Steals Plane	Med For Depression	2009-11-04	Missouri/Canada	Student Pilot Steals Plane: Hopes To Be Shot Down For Crossing Border
Murder	Paxil	2009-11-04	Iowa	Woman Attempts Suicide for 1st Time While on Paxil: Later Kills her Son

These are considered anecdotal evidence. Good Job FDA/MHRA!

Hearing voices

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"You are jealous because it's only me who is hearing the voices."

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The Carpet Crawlers - Genesis and split personality - We've got to get in to get out

I felt like sharing this amazing song by Genesis although I know that someone taking a glimpse to one blog has no time or is in another mood to listen to this.
Soulful and ethereal are some of the words that comes to my mind whenever I hear it:

The crawlers cover the floor in the red ocher corridor.
For my second sight of people, they've more lifeblood than before.
They're moving in time to a heavy wooden door,
Where the needles eye is winking, closing in on the poor.
The carpet crawlers heed their callers:
We've got to get in to get out
We've got to get in to get out
We've got to get in to get out.


Theres only one direction in the faces that I see;
And Its upward to the ceiling, where the chambers said to be.
Like the forest fight for sunlight, that takes root in every tree.
They are pulled up by the magnet, believing they're free.
The carpet crawlers heed their callers:
We've got to get in to get out
We've got to get in to get out
We've got to get in to get out.

Mild mannered supermen are held in kryptonite,
And the wise and foolish virgins giggle with their bodies glowing
Bright.
Through a door a harvest feast is lit by candlelight;
Its the bottom of a staircase that spirals out of sight.
The carpet crawlers heed their callers:
We've got to get in to get out
We've got to get in to get out
We've got to get in to get out.

The porcelain manikin with shattered skin fears attack.
And the eager pack lift up their pitchers - they carry all they lack.
The liquid has congealed, which has seeped out through the crack,
And the tickler takes his stickleback.
The carpet crawlers heed their callers:
We've got to get in to get out
We've got to get in to get out
We've got to get in to get out.

This song is from the album ""The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway"

"The album tells the surreal story of a half-Puerto Rican juvenile delinquent named Rael living in New York City, who is swept underground to face bizarre creatures and nightmarish dangers in order to rescue his brother John. Several of the story's occurrences and places were derived from Peter Gabriel's dreams, and the protagonist's name is a play on his surname. In an interview Phil Collins remarked, "It's about a "split personality". In this context, Rael would believe he is looking for John but is actually looking for a missing part of himself. The individual songs also make satirical allusions to everything from mythology to the sexual revolution to advertising and consumerism."