TeenScreen Keeps its Locations Secret

Some may wonder just why the TeenScreen program keeps its locations a secret from parents. Maybe because they don't want the parents to know when and where their children will be screened. Also, it may be that the directors don't want the public to get hip to their schemes.

According to TeenScreen's director, Leslie McGuire, TeenScreen is fearful there will be an uprising against mental health screening (quite correctly), therefore TeenScreen refuses to divulge their locations. At any rate, see what one of the directors of the TeenScreen program once said:

"We generally don't divulge that information. Some sites want to share where they are and they want to connect people but generally we don't make that list public and that's so that they don't get swamped with lots of questions from people — you know — instead of coming to us where this is our job and we're paid to do that and it's also so they don't get targeted by some of these anti-screening groups."

Listen to her statement here: Leslie McGuire Speaks

Is there really a need for mental health screening?

Some would say that there is a dire need to screen America's teens for mental illness, but when all aspects of the issue are examined, there are more risks than benefits. For the sake of the argument, the TeenScreen program has been widely proclaimed as a breakthrough method of tracking down mental illness before it gets out of hand. But what is it really? As discussed in previous articles on this site, the TeenScreen project is nothing more than a scheme by the pharmaceutical companies to cash in on America's hardworking families.

The tests are given by computers, not humans specializing in mental health, and there is a false positive rate of well over 90%! When a child receives a false positive result, he or she is labeled as "Mentally Ill" and are immediately put onto psychiatric drugs like Zoloft, Paxil, Xanax, and more. These drugs are known to produce suicidal and homicidal side effects! The program boasts its ability to identify suicidal teens. We would have to agree, if their way of "identifying" suicidal teens is by CREATING suicidal teens. Because that's all they really do.

So, is there a need for mental health screening in schools? Possibly in the RAREST of occasions, but not in any usual school.

TeenScreen: A Menacing Presence

Citizens in the United States need to know that the first target population for this forced massive screening for "mental illness" are America's children and pregnant women. This initiative has already been in operation since July 2003 in 168 of America's schools under the auspice of the "TeenScreen®" program, developed by Columbia University physicians (under leadership of David Shaffer M.D, spokesman of Eli Lilly Pharmaceuticals), [the same group that has been designated by the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) to review the studies on SSRI-antidepressants inducing self-harm & suicide in children].

Fifty two million American school children and six million school personnel are ordered to undergo screening tests for hidden mental illnesses (as if mental illness needs to be ferreted out and captured like a rabid animal). This is not science fiction... this is harsh reality and it is happening now!

ACT NOW! Stop TEENSCREEN! Sign the online petitition

Legislation Prohibits Mental Health Screening for Children

NMHA (National Mental Health Association) is very concerned with this type of proposed legislation because of the potential effect on access to preventive care and early intervention for children with mental health needs. Moreover, this type of legislation is often backed by powerful groups that argue that mental illness and mental health diagnoses do not exist and do not require treatment. With statistics showing that mental health problems affect one in every five young people at any given time and that an estimated two-thirds of all young people with mental health problems are not getting the help they need, the enactment of this type of legislation could have further negative impact on children with mental illness.

George Bush’s New Freedom Commission on Mental Health addressed disparities in services in what it called a…”mental health delivery system is fragmented and in disarray” by proposing in its Goal 4 that “In a transformed mental health system, the early detection of mental health problems in children and adults - through routine and comprehensive testing and screening - will be an expected and typical occurrence.” The report added a further recommendation that “Quality screening and early intervention will occur in both readily accessible, low-stigma settings, such as primary health care facilities and schools, and in settings in which a high level of risk exists for mental health problems, such as criminal justice, juvenile justice, and child welfare systems.”

The proposed legislation clearly targets early intervention and fosters stigma around behavioral health disorders in children. NMHA is developing tools such as legislative language and media pieces to assist MHAs in fighting such bills. NMHA is committed to advancing the agenda for promotion of sound public policy for children’s mental health. Below are materials that address the importance of access to comprehensive mental health services for children:

• Investment in Children's Mental Health Services (pdf)
• NMHA’s position statement on The Use of Psychotropic Medication to Treat Children’s Mental Health Needs
• NMHA’s position statement on Access to Health Services.

NMHA is including with this issue alert media talking points, a sample letter to the editor, and a sample press release (MS Word). NMHA recommends that states facing this legislation utilize these materials to do the following:

• Apprise fellow stakeholders and coalition members of this legislation.
• Inform local education agencies and associations that we are tracking this legislation and identify opportunities for collaboration.
• Determine which policymakers are chairs of committees that will be addressing this legislation and communicate with them about our concerns using the media talking points, the NMHA position statements, or the NMHA investment in children’s mental health services brochure.
• When appropriate, adapt NMHA media materials to your local situation and to publicize your commitment to children’s mental health issues.

As a parent of a son with attention deficit disorder, Utah’s Governor Huntsman underscored that the recently vetoed HB 42 could "have a chilling effect on communication between parents and teachers."

10 Anti-Depressant Related Killings

Here are the last major school shooters and the link under each name is a reputable news source that connects them all with SSRI's (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) like Prozac, Ritalin, Zoloft, Luvox, Paxil, and others:

1) May 20 1999: T.J. Solomon, a 15-year-old wounds six at Heritage High School in Conyers, Ga.. http://add.about.com/health/add/library/weekly/aa052599.htm CNN Reports That T.J. Solomon was on Ritalin.

2) April 16 1999: Shawn Cooper, a 15-year-old sophomore wounds one at Notus Junior-Senior High School in Notus, Idaho. http://www.boiseweekly.com/archive/v7i42/cope/cope_col.html Reports that Cooper was abused and medicated.

3) April 20 1999: Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold kill thirteen and wound twenty three at Columbine High School. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/national/daily/april99/antisocial04299.htm Eric Harris, The apparent leader of the attack had been on Luvox.

4) May 21, 1998: Kip Kinkel, a 15-year-old kills four and wounds twenty three at Thurston High School in Springfield, Ore.. http://www.drugawareness.org/washtimes.html Kinkle Had been taking Prozac.

5) March 24, 1998: Mitchell Johnson, 13, and Andrew Golden, 11, opened fire on their classmates and killed five and wounded eleven at Westside Middle School in Jonesboro, Ark..

Arkansas Online http://www.ardemgaz.com/prev/jonesboro/brygolden24.html Andrew Golden's Medical Records released to Courts but not open to the public!

From Jon Rappaport of the Truthseeker foundation: http://www.nfgcc.org/schoolviolence.htm A Doctor from Georgetown University commented on Network television that one of the boys had previously been treated for violent behavior. (Treated with what?)

AND According to Arianna Huffington the following events are linked to Anti-Depressants as well:

6) Julie Marie Meade from Maryland who was shot to death by the police when they found her waving a gun at them. http://www.ariannaonline.com/columns/files/070998.html

7) Ben Garris, a 16-year-old in Baltimore who stabbed his counselor to death. http://www.ariannaonline.com/columns/files/070998.html

8) Kristina Fetters, a 14-year-old from Des Moines, Iowa, who stabbed her favorite great aunt in a rage that landed her a life sentence. http://www.ariannaonline.com/columns/files/070998.html

9) Pfizer, The Manufacturer of Zoloft is being sued by a Kansas family for the Suicide of their 14 year old son on Zoloft. http://www.ariannaonline.com/columns/files/061099.html

10) The estate of Brynn Hartman, Wife of the Saturday Night Live Comedian, Phil Hartman, is also suing Pfizer, since Mrs. Hartman had been on Zoloft when she killed her husband and herself! http://www.ariannaonline.com/columns/files/061099.html

Paxil Not Safe for Children & Teens

In 2003, the FDA broadcast a warning about the dangers of teens and children using Paxil, an antidepressant drug. But still the TeenScreen program and its pharmaceutical sponsors force children and teens to take Paxil (among other drugs) under the presumption that they (the teens) are mentally ill. But considering the public warning below posted by the FDA, it leaves you to wonder: Who really IS mentally ill?

FDA Warning of 2003
IT IS ESSENTIAL THAT PATIENTS TAKING PAXIL (paroxetine hydrochloride) DO NOT SUDDENLY DISCONTINUE USE OF THE DRUG. ANY CHANGES MUST TAKE PLACE UNDER MEDICAL SUPERVISION. More on the warning here

Notable TeenScreen Quote

"...virtually all of the gun-related massacres that have made headlines over the past decade have had one thing in common: They were perpetrated by people taking Prozac, Zoloft, Luvox, Paxil or a related antidepressant drug."


If your child has been misdiagnosed by the TeenScreen program, and are on one or more of the drugs listed above, please seek help now! It is not too late!

Deceitful Laurie Flynn: TeenScreen Director

You'll be amazed at how unprofessional TeenScreen directors and key players act while not being watched. Case in point, Ms. Laurie Flynn, TeenScreen Director. An email by Laurie Flynn was obtained and made public. See how Ms. Laurie Flynn feels about the children, and the TeenScreen programs manupulative ways. Flynn, well connected to pharmaceutical companies through NAMI, now works diligently through the media and her connections in Washington, DC, to expand TeenScreen using every possible avenue. One of the tactics, which was contrived by one of TeenScreen’s PR firms, is to keep track of teen suicides all over the country and then write letters to the editors of those local newspapers to market TeenScreen and take advantage of vulnerable communities in mourning. Flynn has “authored” most of those letters and comes across as very professional and caring in these letters. However, this is how she really talks with fellow marketing allies.

Laurie Flynn's Email -
“I'm looking for a horse to ride in here! ... I need to get some kids screened—if the schools are a road block we are interested in community organizations. Next week we are talking with the Boys and Girls Club in Pinellas. ...I also think we should see if local agencies or businesses could be engaged in ‘community screenings.’ Issue here is assuring the link to follow-up…”

—Laurie Flynn, from an email to Jim McDonough

Ron Paul objects to TeenScreen

Ron Paul Says :
“Congressional Control of Health Care is Dangerous for Children”
This week Congress is again grasping for more control over the health of American children with the expansion of the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP). Parents who think federally subsidized health care might be a good idea should be careful what they wish for.

Despite political rhetoric about a War on Drugs, federally-funded programs result in far more teenage drug use than the most successful pill pusher on the playground. These pills are given out as a result of dubious universal mental health screening programs for school children, supposedly directed toward finding mental disorders or suicidal tendencies. The use of antipsychotic medication in children has increased fivefold between 1995 and 2002. More than 2.5 million children are now taking these medications, and many children are taking multiple drugs at one time.

With universal mental health screening being implemented in schools, pharmaceutical companies stand to increase their customer base even more, and many parents are rightfully concerned. Opponents of one such program called TeenScreen, claim it wrongly diagnoses children as much as 84% of the time, often incorrectly labeling them, resulting in the assigning of medications that can be very damaging. While we are still awaiting evidence that there are benefits to mental health screening programs, evidence that these drugs actually cause violent psychotic episodes is mounting.

Many parents have very valid concerns about the drugs to which a child labeled as “suicidal” or “depressed,” or even ADHD, could be subjected. Of further concern is the subjectivity of diagnosis of mental health disorders. The symptoms of ADHD are strikingly similar to indications that a child is gifted, and bored in an unchallenging classroom. In fact, these programs, and many of the syndromes they attempt to screen for, are highly questionable. Parents are wise to question them.

As it stands now, parental consent is required for these screening programs, but in some cases mere passive consent is legal. Passive consent is obtained when a parent receives a consent form and fails to object to the screening. In other words, failure to reply is considered affirmative consent. In fact, TeenScreen advocates incorporating their program into the curriculum as a way to by-pass any consent requirement. These universal, or mandatory, screening programs being called for by TeenScreen and the New Freedom Commission on Mental Health should be resisted.

Consent must be express, written, voluntary and informed. Programs that refuse to give parents this amount of respect, should not receive federal funding. Moreover, parents should not be pressured into screening or drugging their children with the threat that not doing so constitutes child abuse or neglect. My bill, The Parental Consent Act of 2007 is aimed at stopping federal funding of these programs.

We don’t need a village, a bureaucrat, or the pharmaceutical industry raising our children. That’s what parents need to be doing. Paul’s blog may be found at http://www.house.gov/paul/

Interview with a Columbine Shooting Victim

The Columbine shooters were both on psychological drugs. A tragic ending.

We can live without TeenScreen - Zizza

"It's about hoping, it's about dreaming, it's about never not believing. It's about taking a walk out on the wall, and....never looking down. It's about living, instead of dying, it's about spreading your wings and...flying. It's all about trying." - Pam Tillis, Country Music Superstar

I think it goes without saying that the last thing we want children to do is stop trying. This is especially true given the stark reality that far too many children these days possess an unhealthy sense of entitlement. Not to mention, they have an insatiable urge to seek instant gratification no matter the consequence.

As parents, we own a duty to insist that children do their best. We must show them how to work towards the proverbial "stars." Think about it. Even if children do not make it to the stars, at least being half way there, is a lot farther than they ever would have been if they only worked towards satisfying low expectations.

So, yes. It's all about trying.

We can do so much within our power to raise children with a proper sense of vision. Raising children to be at least semi-normal takes plenty of hard work and dedication. We can ensure that children live a life full of good mental health. This often takes making an effort to be aware of bad mental health programs/ideas within our culture.

Certainly, there are things that children - especially those in middle school and high school - should live without. Low frustration levels. Low resistance to peer pressure. High regard for the easy way out. High regard for bashing this great country of ours.

Let us not forget to mention something else that children and their parents can do without.

It's a child suicide screening initiative that goes by the slick name of - TeenScreen.

TeenScreen claims it is needed to screen middle school/high school students so potential suicides can be prevented. But then again, what can we really believe that comes out of Columbia University anymore? If you can allow the President of Iran to speak at a once honorable institution, the chances are quite good you're lying about what TeenScreen does. No, TeenScreen does not prevent suicide. In fact, it turns normal to semi-normal children into mental health patients. Yeah, right. This is just what we need more of!

TeenScreen operates in 43 states, and at 450 locations. Mostly middle schools and high schools. These children are fresh meat for those who want to provide more young minds with more psychiatric labels and drugs. TeenScreen is a multi-level process that does not simply end after a young student takes a computerized ten minute questionnaire.

God help us all if this is the working standard of psychiatry today.

Well, if hacks at Kaiser Permanente Behavioral Health think that they can properly diagnosis someone as mentally ill in six minutes, I suppose anything is possible.

Now, if certain responses are received, students are referred for mental health services. Mental health services that you know damn well include psychiatric drugs. I mean, what else do mental health services have to offer these days other than - drugs? Parental consent here is a scam, and you must know something is wrong about TeenScreen since NAMI thinks there are so many things right about it.

Interestingly, and what seems to fuel support for scams like TeenScreen, are lies concerning the number of "youth" who are either suicidal or have other mental health issues. It seems the percentage changes daily. Perhaps it depends on where you get your news. It's safe to say that the average accepted lie is that 20 percent of America's youth could be defined as having a mental disorder. To make matters worse, there is a second lie. And that lie goes like this - only 20 percent of all youth who can be "identified" as mentally ill receive mental health services.

Sorry, but I think that number is a lot higher. Consider all the children in this country who are on drugs and forced into therapy. In some school districts, I wouldn't doubt that half the student body are improperly drugged, labeled as mentally ill. All the while, we are led down the slippery slope of this "pill for every ill" mind-set in an alleged effort to quell the alleged epidemic of youth suicide. Talk therapy - yes. Psychiatric drugs and labels for growing brains - no.

We must do something hard and fast to prevent programs like TeenScreen from entering even more states and locations. Shouldn't we wonder why they operate so secretively? Shouldn't we wonder why so many folks on their advisory board have ties to Big Pharma? Shouldn't we wonder why so many of the organizations that support TeenScreen directly benefit from its referral system?

So many contradictions. So many questions. So many platitudes.

Life is all about allowing your children to spread their wings and fly. It's also all about knowing things they should stay away from. After all, they're your children, and YOU know their mental health better than any other weasel who claims to be a "mental health professional."

zizza

We can do without TeenScreen.

Encouraging Positivity to Ward Off Teen Depression

Remember: If your child seems depressed, do not leave it to the schools and the teenscreen program to figure out the problem! Your child will end up on mind-numbing drugs and suicidal...

Teenagers can quite be vulnerable. After all, they're in a stage when peer pressure is influential. They tend to be idealistic, expecting perfection from themselves, from others and the world. They may feel like they have to keep up with so many rules and standards. Until they may fail to keep up, and this could lead to frustration, and eventually teen depression. It is an awkward stage indeed- the teenage years. It is a transition period, and oftentimes a teenager could be at a loss. One primary issue is the search for identity. Such is crucial and this can be a struggle.

Emotional hang-ups are often a major concern among teenagers. And this would be where parents come in. What are parents for but to guide and protect and not only to provide. Parents serve as role models to their children, and this is a very significant responsibility. It's often not what parents preach that teenagers follow, but what parents do, and what they are. In the teenage years, one might be taken aback by problems and issues of adolescence. These can lead to teen depression. Teenagers are in that stage when they are molding themselves and their attitude. It doesn't come so easy until one is able to define themselves.

It is in fact a trial and error method, hit and miss. Problems can crop up in the whole process and there is the inevitability of emotional growing pains. These can make one susceptible to teen depression. Parents must strive to lift off the heavy weight that their teenager may harbor. It would not so much be in nagging or preaching, but in being positive. When one has a positive outlook, they would be buoyant and confident. They're ready to face life head on and anticipating only what is best. When parents are like this, their positive energy can rub off on their children.

Positivity is contagious, as often said. And so their children would become positive people, too. That even though problems arise, they are confident that they can keep up with the challenge. They would not easily back down or get discouraged. Positive energy would pull them up in confidence rather than sinking into teen depression. A teenager may have self-esteem issues. This owing to peer pressure, or perhaps due to their upbringing as well. This is where parents must strive to encourage their children to believe in themselves. To be confident in their own capabilities and to cultivate their own talents.

It could be a tough world being in the arena of teenagers. Competition can be stiff, and one could be exposed to criticism. A sensitive and unconfident teenager may find it arduous to struggle in such an environment. But parents ought to be there to dispel the negative energy that their children carry. It's all about positivity and inculcating them on to children until they become stable adults. This is to prevent any damage that might be caused on the children's self-esteem during adolescence. Only then can they become better individuals and able, mature and well-rounded adults in the future.

The author of this article Rose Windale is a Health and Wellness Coach who has been successful with several natural health programs for many years. Rose decided to share her knowledge and tips through her website http://www.healthzine.org. You can sign up for her free newsletter and enjoy a healthy and happy life.

Teen Depression Facts and Myths

Depression is a mental health disorder that can have a serious effect on a person's life. Although it can affect people of all ages, it can be especially tough for a teenager to deal with. While it's normal for a teen to act out or be moody at times, depression is different and isn't something to be shrugged off. Untreated depression can lead to the increased possibility of risky behavior, including alcohol or drug abuse, and even suicide.

In the United States, approximately 20% of teens will experience some form of depression before they reach the age of 18, but it's important to know that depression is a very treatable disorder. Through awareness and education, teens will be more likely to receive the proper treatment. One of the ways to bring about greater awareness is by debunking the myths commonly associated with depression.

Myth: Teens don't really get depressed. It's just hormones or moodiness.

While it's true that bouts of sadness or occasional moodiness can be part of the teen years, these moods usually pass quickly. But when feelings of intense sadness linger for several weeks, it may be a sign of clinical depression. Some other signs of clinical depression include:

• A loss of interest in things they normally enjoy
• Persistent sadness, frequent bouts of crying or tearfulness
• Lack of interest in personal hygiene
• Changes in appetite (either overeating or lack of appetite)
• Changes in sleep patterns, either oversleeping or insomnia
• Frequent irritation or bursts of anger
• Acting out, such as getting into trouble at school
• Alcohol or drug use

Myth: Teens who get depressed are only making excuses. They just need to toughen up and pull themselves together.

This type of thinking will only make the depression worse. Depression is not a sign of weakness; it's a very real and treatable disorder.

Myth: Talking about depression will only make it worse.

Talking with a trained therapist will help them find positive ways to deal with their emotions, work on coping and communication skills, and develop better ways to handle relationships. If it's necessary, medication may be prescribed by a physician to help them cope. Whether it's therapy, or a combination of therapy and medication, teens can find relief from depression and get their lives back.

If you feel your teen is experiencing depression, let them know that help is available and that you are there to support them. With proper help and attention, things can get better.

TeenZeen serves parents and teenagers by providing them with teen drug abuse and alcohol prevention information. Almost 40% of teens admit to having used an illicit drug or alcohol and two-thirds admit to binge drinking. Save a loved one from the dangers of drugs and alcohol, including addiction and even death, by visiting http://www.teenzeen.org

Bills that Protect Children from TeenScreen

Believe it or not, there ARE bills passed by the American government that actually protect children from TeenScreen. Get educated about these bills and exercise yours and your children's rights as American citizens.

Two bills now before Congress will prevent this kind of abuse and prevent the use of Federal funds for mental health screening such as Teen Screen. S. 891, the "Child Medication Safety Act" was introduced into the Senate by Senators Inhoff and Coburn on March 15, 2007. Here is the heart of the Act:

SEC. 2. REQUIRED POLICIES AND PROCEDURES.

(a) In General- As a condition of receiving funds under any program or activity administered by the Secretary of Education, not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, each State shall develop and implement policies and procedures prohibiting school personnel from requiring a child to obtain a prescription for substances covered by section 202(c) of the Controlled Substances Act (21 U.S.C. 812(c)) or a psychotropic drug as a condition of attending school or receiving services.

(b) Rule of Construction- Nothing in subsection (a) shall be construed to create a Federal prohibition against teachers and other school personnel consulting or sharing classroom-based observations with parents or guardians regarding a student's academic performance or behavior in the classroom or school, or regarding the need for evaluation for special education or related services under section 612(a)(3) of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (20 U.S.C. 1412 (a)(3)).

(c) Prohibition of Payment of Funds- No Federal education funds may be paid to any local educational agency or other instrument of government that uses the refusal of a parent or legal guardian to provide a substance covered by section 202 (c) of the Controlled Substances Act (21 U.S.C. 812(c)) or a psychotropic drug for such individual's child of a charge of child abuse, child neglect, education neglect, or medical neglect until the agency or instrument demonstrates that it is no longer using such refusal as a basis of a child abuse, child neglect, education neglect, or medical neglect charge.

TeenScreen: Manipulating Normal Children

Teen Screen Makes Children Think That They Are Mentally Ill, when In FACT, they are normal... Look at some of the questions raised during the survey.

Next, the child is given a paper and pencil test over about 10 minutes with highly suggestive and/or meaningless questions like:

• Has there been a time when nothing was fun for you and you just weren't interested in anything?
• Has there been a time when you felt you couldn't do anything well or that you weren't as good-looking or as smart as other people?
• How often did your parents get annoyed or upset with you because of the way you were feeling or acting?
• Have you often felt very nervous when you've had to do things in front of people?
• Have you often worried a lot before you were going to play a sport or game or do some other activity?
• Have you tried to kill yourself in the last year?
• Are you still thinking of killing yourself?
• Have you thought seriously about killing yourself?
• Have you often thought about killing yourself??
• Have you ever tried to kill yourself?

Normal children answering honestly will endorse at least one of the first 5 questions. That is enough to get them "diagnosed" with one supposed mental health disorder or another.

TeenSceen: How it Works...

How Teen Screen Works

TeenScreen lures kids as young as 9 years old into taking the suicide survey by offering them free movie passes, food coupons, "I completed TeenScreen" stress balls, pizza parties, and candy bars - if they consent to the procedure.

One tactic TeenScreen officials use is to sell the child on the suicide survey first, and after they have the child's agreement, they later contact parents.

TeenScreen Project Coordinator, Kathleen Cigich, was quoted as saying: "We found early on that sending out letters directly to parents is prohibitively time consuming and gets a low response rate. We thought, why not go to students themselves and offer a $5 video store coupon to anyone who brings back a parental consent form within a two-day turnaround period. It works. Our response rate is extremely high."

TeenScreen, State-Drugging and Suicide

This pharmaceutical industry backed pill-pushing scheme cons school kids into taking a survey full of loaded questions and then uses the results to convince parents that their kids need to be on dangerous mind-altering drugs that have now been linked to suicide and other violent acts in children.

Enough cannot be said when it comes to the power of mental persuasion with kids. Most children feel lonely, depressed, like they don't fit in, like they are different than others, like they are not smart enough, good-looking enough, or popular enough at one time or another. This is normal thinking for all adolescents.

The TeenScreen pill-pushing squad takes advantage of normal and vulnerable kids when it goes into schools with a survey that them loaded questions about these normal notions and feelings, forever planting in their minds that such thoughts are abnormal.

The survey phrases questions calculated to produce one answer, yes. It asks whether you have EVER felt this way or that way?

Until then, sure kids have these thoughts sometimes, but they don't dwell on them and they usually pass as quickly as they came. However, after taking a survey that suggests that these feelings are abnormal, kids will dwell on them. Because according to the promoters of TeenScreen, if they ever feel this way they are not normal.

So next thing you know, Susie and Tommie go running to a teacher and say, ìyou know, now that you mention it, I do have these feelings, I must be mentally ill.î

Mission accomplished. It's that easy.

Just like that, the scheme nets two new customers for the pharmaceutical industry. All the survey had to do was plant the idea in Susie and Tommie's mind.

In the words of anti-drugging advocate, Ken Kramer, "So even the kids who are not tested "positive" on TeenScreen get sent to the shrinks because the booby trap has been setup to catch them later!"

Ken gets it.

Then its time for step two of the scheme. Although Tommie and Susie are hooked, they still have to convince mom and dad to hurry to the drug store to purchase some very expensive (but magic) pills to keep Susie and Tommie from committing suicide.

And if mom and dad won't agree to put their kid on drugs, they will be accused of being horrible parents, surely guilty of neglect, for not caring about saving their poor suicidal children.

So in the end, often against their better judgment, Mom and Dad buy the pills. This is where the danger lies. Tommie starts taking the drugs, goes out and does something really crazy, like shooting up a classroom or killing his parents, and ends up in prison.

Next thing you know, Tommie thinks to himself, I am not only nuts, I am a horrible rotten person and hangs himself in his jail cell.

How often does something like this happen in real life? Too often.

Its time to start placing the blame for the rise in teen suicide where it belongs; on the greedy bastards involved in programs like TeenScreen who invent schemes to get our kids hooked on these dangerous drugs in the first place.

They are the real drug-pushers and suicide-enablers.

Evelyn Pringle is a columnist for Independent Media TV and an investigative journalist focused on exposing corruption in government.

TeenScreen Documents Exposed

The goal of TeenScreen, the very controversial child screening program, is to do a mental suicide screening of every U.S. child before they graduate from high school. According to their website, they utilize screening instruments called the Diagnostic Predictive Scales (DPS) and the Columbia Health Screen (CHS).

Children as young as 9 years old are asked to answer the DPS or CHS questions. Afterwards, summary forms are then filled out by a clinician. TeenScreen's high false positive rate has many schools and parents alarmed that normal children will be labeled with mental disorders. For example the San Francisco Chronicle has just reported that "Local public schools have resisted TeenScreen. San Francisco Unified School District, for example, passed on TeenScreen because it can generate false positives and drain counseling resources. Other critics worry TeenScreen could send kids unnecessarily into treatment and land too many on psychiatric drugs."

Certainly pharmaceutical companies will benefit from mass screening of our children.

Below you can find links to all 4 documents: The DPS, DPS Summary Form, the CHS and the CHS Summary Form

The documents are being made available for educational purposes, to advance understanding of the ramifications of mass mental screening as related to human rights, scientific, moral, ethical, and social justice issues. This material is distributed without profit.

The Washington Post reported in an article entitled Suicide-Risk Tests for Teens Debated on June 16, 2006. "Shaffer said the screening test he developed is now in the public domain".

Shaffer, is the psychiatrist who invented TeenScreen.

CHS-Summary Form.pdf

CHS-Questionnaire.pdf

DPS-Summary Form.pdf

DPS-Questionnaire.pdf

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LibertyCoalition

7 year old Drug-Induced Suicide

*St. Petersburg Times
A Times Editorial
May 12, 2009

A little boy in foster care is dead by his own hand, but a poorly
functioning child welfare system also is responsible. Last month,
7-year-old Gabriel Myers hanged himself on an extendable shower hose
while in a South Florida foster home. At the time he was taking a
combination of psychotropic medications, one of which carries a warning
that it might lead to suicidal behavior in children. State law was
ignored in giving the child the medicines without consent from his
mother or a judge. In the final outrage, this child was given risky
drugs but not the intense attention he so obviously needed.

St. Petersburg Times staff writer Kris Hundley reported that at the time
of his death, Gabriel was taking Vyvanse, an ADHD drug, and Symbyax, a
combination antipsychotic and antidepressant, which warns of heightened
suicide risk in children particularly when first prescribed.

Six times, Gabriel's caseworker had documented that the Department of
Children and Families had parental consent for the medication. But there
was no such consent. Gabriel's mother signed a general medical
authorization on the same day she was found unconscious in her car with
powder cocaine, crack and oxycodone in her possession. But when a child
is in state custody, a parent must give explicit consent after being
"expressly informed" about changes in a child's medication, including
being told of medications' benefits and risks and about alternative
treatments.

That never happened in Gabriel's case, and it appears this case is not
unique. It has been a common practice for DCF workers and physicians to
fail to obtain parental consent when a psychotropic drug is for a
nonpsychotherapeutic use, under the mistaken impression that the law
didn't require it.

And foster care advocates say that DCF's internal records are abysmal in
tracking children taking psychotropic medications. This also suggests
that proper consents are not being obtained.

DCF Secretary George Sheldon is responding appropriately to Gabriel's
tragic death. He is closing the loophole that allowed the prescribing of
mood-altering drugs without parental consent. He has named an impressive
committee to investigate Gabriel's death and make recommendations.
Sheldon also made public the details of Gabriel's situation rather than
try to cover up DCF's failings. That alone bodes well for an honest
accounting and a sincere desire to reform.

But to prevent a similar situation, Sheldon will have to look beyond a
caseworker's failure to inform a parent and address a system's failure
to adequately meet Gabriel's needs.

Gabriel said he had been a victim of sexual abuse before moving to
Florida, which means he should not have been placed in any foster home
where there were small children present. As Gabriel started engaging in
inappropriate touching, he was bounced from one foster placement to
another to protect other children. This kind of shuffling can add trauma
to a child who is already at risk.

Gabriel also didn't receive all the behavioral therapy he needed, and he
lost the therapist with whom he had established a relationship. Sheldon
noted that in the days before his suicide Gabriel changed medications,
moved to a new foster home and received a new therapist.

Sheldon has it right when he says that Gabriel's death "ought to mean
something." State law needs to be followed when prescribing medication
for children in foster care. And particularly when it comes to damaged
children, there has to be a recognition that drugs are no substitute for
basic human care and attention.

Exclusive: An Actual TeenScreen Survey

Review these questions carefully and see what is on the actual survey. Keep in mind that when these children taking these survey score a false positive, they are labeled as mentally ill and put on mind-altering psychiatric drugs. Would YOU (as a parent or guardian), pass this Teen Screen test?
-----------
Diagnostic Predictive Scales DPS-8 (Youth)

1. “This interview (survey) is designed to be used by qualified professional as an aid to diagnosis. It is not a substitute for a thorough clinical evaluation”.



1. “Who spent the most time taking care of you in the past 3 months?:

Both parents

Mother, only

Father, only

Grandparents (s)

Sister/brother

Aunt/uncle

Foster parents

Other adult”

2. “In the last three months did you have trouble seeing the chalkboard”?

3. “Do you wear glasses”?

4. “Have you seen an eye doctor about this”?

5. “In the last three months….did you have a toothache”?

6. “Have you seen a dentist about this”?



SECTION A

1. “In the last three months….have you often felt very nervous and uncomfortable when you have been with a group of children…say, in the lunchroom at school or at a party”?

2. “Have you often felt very nervous when you had to do things in front of people”?



SECTION B

1. “For this question, I want to know if you have ever had a sudden attack of feeling very afraid. In the kind of attack, I mean someone becomes very afraid even though there is nothing around them to frighten them. Sometimes they feel they can’t breathe…sometimes their heart beats very fast. The attacks come on very suddenly, then goes away, but they get afraid that the attacks might come back. In the last three months have you had an attack when all of a sudden you felt you were very afraid or strange”?

2. “Have you had a time when you were suddenly feeling like you were suffocating or you couldn’t breathe”?

3. “Do you have asthma”?

4. “The only time you felt afraid or couldn’t breathe was when you were having an asthma attack”?



SECTION C

5. “In the last three months….Have often worried a lot before you were going to play a sport or game or some other activity Have you had a lot of headaches”?

6. “In the last three months have you had other aches and pains”?

7. “Are you the kind of person who is often very tense, or finds it very hard to relax”?



SECTION D

8. “Some young people have times when one thought comes into the mind over and over again. When people have these thoughts they usually get upset, because the thoughts are strange. No matter how hard they try the thoughts keep on coming back.

Now I am going to ask you if you have had thoughts like these in the last three months. Have you had to count things over and over again? Or make yourself do things a certain number of times”?

9. “In the last three months…was there a time when you washed your hands or body over and over again or changed your clothes many times each day because you thought they were dirty”?

10. “Have you often felt you should check on things over and over again? For example: checking that the front door is locked…or the stove is turned off or that something else was done, though you knew it had been done”?



11. “In the last three months….have you often worried that things you touch are dirty or have germs”?

12.“Have you had any other thoughts that kept coming into your mind over and over again that you couldn’t get rid of”?

1. “In the last three months…

Have you done things like counting, checking, washing, over and over again because you like to do these things”?

2. “Have you done these things like counting, checking, washing, over and over again, only because you’ve been told by someone else to make sure that you’ve done them right”?

3. “In the last three months…

Have you wished you could stop yourself doing things like counting, checking or washing over and over again”?

11. “Have you spent a lot of time each day doing things like counting, checking or washing over and over again…say, for as long as an hour”?



SECTION E



12. “In the last three months…

Has there been a time when nothing was fun for you and you just weren’t interested in anything”?

13. “Has there been a time when you had less energy than you usually do”?

14. “Has there been a time when you felt you couldn’t do anything well or that you weren’t as good-looking or as smart as other people”?

15. “In the last three months…

Has there been a time when you thought seriously about killing yourself”?

16. “Have you tried to kill yourself in the last year”?

17. “Has there been a time when doing even the little things made you feel really tired”?

18. “In the last three months…

Has there been a time when you couldn’t think as clearly or as fast as usual”?



“I have just asked you about the last three months. Now, I want you to think about the last year”.



SECTION F



19. “The next questions are about you use of alcohol-beer, wine, wine coolers, or hard liquors like vodka, gin or whiskey. Each can or bottle of beer, glass of wine or wine cooler, shot of liquor, or mixed drink with liquor it it counts as one drink.

In the last year…Have you had six or more drinks”?

20. “Did you get in trouble with the police when you were drunk or because you had been drinking”?

21. “In the last years…

Did you get into arguments with your family or friends because of drinking”?

22. “Did you miss school to go drinking or because you were hung over”?



SECTION G

23. “In the last year…

Have you used marijuana six or more times”?

This would be a normal affirmative as it is a likely chance that many “normal” adolescents today would use marijuana six times or more in a year.



24. “Did you miss school to use marijuana or because you were too high

on marijuana to go to school”?

25. “In the last year…

Did you get into arguments with your friends and family because you were using marijuana”?



SECTION H

26. “Have you used any opiates to get high. This includes things like codeine, Demerol, morphine, percodan, methadone, Darvon, opium, Delaudid, Talwin and so on”.

“In the last year…

Have you used any of these to get high””?

27. Have you used any kind of hallucinogen? This includes LSD or “acid”, mescaline, peyote, DMT, psilocybin and so on. Have you used one of these?

28. In the last year…

“Have you used stimulants or amphetamines…like speed, diet pills, Benzedrine, methamphetamine or anything like that to get high”?

29. “Have you used cocaine or ‘crack’?”

30. “In the last year…Have you used heroin”?

31. “Have you used PCP or “Angel Dust”?

32. “In the last year…Have you used ecstasy”?

33. “Have you used any inhalants…like glue, cleaning fluid, gasoline or paint to get high”?



34. “How often did your parents feel worried or concerned about the way you were feeling or acting?

a. A lot of the time

b. Some of the time

c. Hardly ever

d. Not at al”

35. “Were they worried or concerned because of:

a. You were feeling anxious or worried?

b. You were feeling sad or depressed?

c. Problems with your behavior?

d. Problems with alcohol or drugs?

e. Other things you did?

36. How often did you parents get annoyed or upset with you because of the way you were feeling or acting?

a. A lot of the time

b. Some of the time

c. Hardly ever

d. Not at all

37. Were they annoyed or upset because of:

a. You were feeling anxious or worried?

b. You were feeling sad or depressed?

c. Problems with your behavior?

d. Problems with alcohol or drugs?

e. Other things you did?

38. How often were you not able to do things or go places with your family because of the way you felt or acted?

a. A lot of the time

b. Some of the time

c. Hardly ever

d. Not at all



39. Were you not able to do things or go places because:

a. You were feeling anxious or worried?

b. You were feeling sad or depressed?

c. Problems with your behavior?

d. Problems with alcohol or drugs?

e. Other things you did?



40. How often did the way you were feeling or acting make it difficult to do your schoolwork or cause problems with your grades?

a. A lot of the time

b. Some of the time

c. Hardly ever

d. Not at all

41. Did you have problems with your schoolwork or grades because of:

a. You were feeling anxious or worried?

b. You were feeling sad or depressed?

c. Problems with your behavior?

d. Problems with alcohol or drugs?

e. Other things you did?



42. How often were your teachers annoyed or upset with you because of the way you were feeling or acting?

a. A lot of the time

b. Some of the time

c. Hardly ever

d. Not at all



43. Were you teachers annoyed or upset because of:

a. You were feeling anxious or worried?

b. You were feeling sad or depressed?

c. Problems with your behavior?

d. Problems with alcohol or drugs?

e. Other things you did?



44. How often did the way you were feeling or acting make you feel bad or feel upset?

a. A lot of the time

b. Some of the time

c. Hardly ever

d. Not at all



45. Did you feel bad or upset because of:

a. You were feeling anxious or worried?

b. You were feeling sad or depressed?

c. Problems with your behavior?

d. Problems with alcohol or drugs?

e. Other things you did?



46. Have you been to see someone at a hospital, or at a clinic because of the way you were feeling or acting?

a. yes

b. no

47. Did you go to see someone because of:

a. You were feeling anxious or worried?

b. You were feeling sad or depressed?

c. Problems with your behavior?

d. Problems with alcohol or drugs?

e. Other things you did”?

END

Drug Induced Murder in a loving family

Seventeen days after taking his first dose of Prozac, Kurt Danysh shot and killed his father, the one person he loved most in the world, by firing a shotgun blast into his head. The shooting was a complete shock and made no sense to anyone who knew Kurt and his father. Kurt had no history of violence prior to taking Prozac. He was convicted of murder and sentenced to 22.5 to 60 years in prison. Finally, in 2004, eight years after Kurt's conviction, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has recognized that SSRI antidepressants, including Prozac, can cause suicidal and/or violent behavior particularly in adolescents and children, and in 2005 has required a "black box" warning on all antidepressants. Additionally, it has been discovered that Eli Lilly & Co. (manufacturer of Prozac) knew about and concealed information as far back as 1988 linking Prozac to violent behavior.

The Mean And Unclean TeenScreen: An Essay

The Mean andUnclean TeenScreen is a seven page expository essay written to discuss TeenScreen programs' transparent and manipulative flaws. Read it here.

No Justice for Nikki

Nikki was a vibrant 16 year old high school sophomore. Nikki had her whole life ahead of her. Her parents had planned to send her to one of the best colleges in their state. But Nikki never made it to college. In fact, Nikki never made it to the end of her sophomore year. Soon after being diagnosed as mentally ill, Nikki was prescribed several anti-psychotic drugs to help "heal" her perceived mental illness. And just as quickly, the light in Nikki's eyes started to dwindle, the innocence in her face turned gloomy. Five months after Nikki started on the medicine prescribed by doctors after taking the TeenScreen survey. Nikki was dead. A victim of a self inflicted gunshot wound to the head. In her suicide note she said: "I never thought I was crazy, but the doctors said I was. The medicine they gave me made my head hurt and I began to hear voices telling me to kill myself and spare my parents the pain of having a crazy daughter. Mom, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to turn out crazy. Maybe you and dad can have a better child. One better than me..." With those words, Nikki ended her life.

Another victim of TeenScreen

Virginia Tech Shooter on Psych drugs

The fact remains that the Teen Screen program fosters false positive results, inevitably landing unaware children, teens, and young adults on psychiatric medications such as prozac, paxil, zoloft, and more. The side effects can be DEADLY. Watch this touching video clip that talks about many people, young and old, who have turned violent while on drugs that were supposed to help them. One such person is the Virginia Tech shooter who claimed so many innocent lives.

School Shootings Map

This map shows school shootings all over the United States within a 10 year period of 1996-2006. The Columbine High School shootings and the Padukah, Kentucky shootings are including in this map. Mind you, it is almost 2010 and several other school shootings have taken place since then. The most shocking fact that alot of these shootings were drug induced and the children were on mind altering adult psychiatric drugs! We are in no way trying to excuse the violent acts, we are just trying to show you the REAL culprits behind all of this school shooting violence. The Bush imposed Teen Screen program and the pharmaceutical drug companies that fund them

Shocking Facts

If you are still one of those parents who do not think TeenScreen is "all that bad", take a look at these shocking facts that are the end result of a false positive result on the Teen Screen survey. Remember, it's highly likely that your adolescent normal teen will get a false positive and then put on some serious psychiatric drugs:

Did you know that:

• Eight out of 13 U.S. school shootings were committed by teens taking psychotropic drugs known to cause violent and suicidal behavior.

• At least five teens responsible for school massacres had undergone a psychiatric program called “anger management” or other psychological behavior modification programs such as “death education.”

• For decades, schools around the world have used “death education,” a psychological experiment in which the children are made to discuss suicide, what they would like placed in their coffins, and made to write their own epitaphs in an effort to “get kids more comfortable with death.” Anger management aims at stopping aggressive or violent behavior but virtually no reliable information exists to prove it can eliminate the problem. In one class, a boy beat up a classmate so badly that six days later the boy was still in the hospital.

• 18-year-old Eric Harris (right) and 17-year-old Dylan Klebold took “anger management,” “death education” and psychiatric drugs. As students at Columbine High School, Colorado, they were asked to imagine their own death. After that “exercise” Harris had a dream where he and Klebold went on a shooting rampage in a shopping center. In addition to attending these classes, Harris was taking an antidepressant drug known to cause violent behavior. He even wrote about his killing spree dream and handed it in to the psychology teacher. Not long after, Harris and Klebold acted out the dream by shooting and killing 12 students and a teacher, and wounding 23 others.

• On May 21, 1998, in Oregon, USA, 14-year-old Kip Kinkel shot and killed his parents and then went on a wild shooting spree at his high school, which left two dead and 22 injured. He was taking a psychiatric drug and had undergone a psychological “anger management” program.

• April 16, 1999: Notus, Idaho: 15-year-old Shawn Cooper fired two shotgun rounds in his school narrowly missing students; he was taking a mix of antidepressants.

• May 20, 1999, Conyers, Georgia: 15-year-old T.J. Solomon was being treated with a mix of antidepressants when he opened fire on and wounded six of his classmates.

• March 7, 2000, Williamsport, Pennsylvania: 14-year-old Elizabeth Bush was on the antidepressant Prozac when she blasted away at fellow students wounding one.

• March 22, 2001, El Cajon, California: 18-year-old Jason Hoffman was on two antidepressants, Effexor and Celexa, when he opened fire at his high school, wounding five. Hoffman had also undergone an “anger management” program.

• April 10, 2001: Wahluke, Washington: 16-year-old Cory Baadsgaard took a rifle to his high school, and held 23 classmates and a teacher hostage. Cory had been on a high dose of an antidepressant.

• March 21, 2005: 16-year-old Native American school shooter Jeff Weise was the 8th school shooter who had been taking a mind-altering antidepressant. He killed 9 people, injured about 10 others before shooting himself.
  

TeenScreen Parents Speak Out: Miranda Wilson

Hello, my name is Miranda Wilson. I was given the opportunity to tell you how I feel about the Bush Administration's "Teen Screen" program. I'm grateful for this opportunity because I feel it's important for parents and families to be educated about the TRUTH behind Teen Screen's "mental health screening" in schools. And it's not a pretty side of the truth whatsoever.

Miranda's View---

What saddens me as a parent about teen screen is that they are only out for themselves they do not seem to out here trying to help our children neither to they seem to be concerned about the welfare of these kids. During one of their interviews a child is asked this question, “Do you ever feel nervous in front of an audience?”

Many adults are nervous in front of an audience and that does not mean that we have mental disorders. So why should it mean that for a child? Why would anyone put to question a child’s mental state in their time of peek growth? Some kids act out for attention, or because they’re being bullied at school.

This does not mean that they need a "mental check up" or that they need medications. Sometimes just sitting down and talking with your child instead of at him can really be helpful. These days, being a teen is hard enough and it’s harder when they have someone other than their parent questioning them about personal issues or a "doctor" drugging them up.

I cannot put my child through such harsh treatment and I wouldn't expect any other loving parent to do so either, I will not allow these pharmaceutical companies to get rich on my child. Parents need to think twice before allow these people to change the lives of their children forever. Once you get into this situation it’s hard to get out.

Jake's Diary

Dear Diary,

I honestly think it's stupid to write in a diary. After all, diary writing is for girls. But my counselors told me that students "like me" with mental issues need to record their feelings. So here I go:

It all started when my parents started fighting. My stupid dad cheated on my mom and she found out about it. Man! I was so mad at him. How could he take that beautiful woman that God gave him and toss her out with the garbage...? Anyways, he started on my case, and it made me depressed. I couldn't sleep at home, so I slept at school. I couldn't eat at home, and pure worry about my mom, caused my stomach to feel not hungry.

I became angry every time I saw her cry and angrier when I saw him in town one day with his girlfriend. I confronted him when he came home and told him how I felt. I wanted him dead. Then one day I get called to the office and the counselor gives me this form to fill out. I said NO WAY whatever! But they gave me a free movie ticket to go see anything I wanted to see. I took the survey.

Later I was contacted at home by a doctor of So called Medicine and Psychiatry. My mom was very worried, but I assured her: "There's nothing wrong with me, Mom!" Or at least I thought there wasn't. A week later I was on these kick ass drugs that make me feel invincible. I almost feel strong enough to take on my dad. He's going to pay for what he did to us. I'll make sure of that.

Anyways, I'm getting tired of writing... These meds make me numb in the brain. I can't stop thinking about hurting my dad more now. Maybe the test was right. Maybe I do have a mental problem. Who knows. I'm going to go get a drink now. A glass of booze and a pill makes me fly. And I like that feeling. At least I don't have to hear my mom crying.

Peace out,
Jake

Politicians Under Obama Fighting to STOP Teen Screen

Kent Snyder, Executive Director of Ron Paul's grassroots organization, exposes the President's "No Child Left Un-drugged" program, offered under names such as "Teen Screen" and TMAP. These programs force or coerce children and adults into "mental health" testing which is highly unscientific and too often results in prescriptions for dangerous psychiatric drugs. These are of a class known as 'psychotropic' drugs-meaning 'mind-altering' drugs. We must keep our children from being given drugs and labels--it's time to stop any type of forced psychiatric testing and drugging of our children.

This program discusses the "New Freedom Mental Health Commission" and how this scheme started under Governor George W. Bush in Texas and continued in his presidency and to the present. The scheme to drug the creativity and initiative out of America's schoolchildren continues under Obama. Don't let your children have their energy, creativity and enthusiasm for life drugged out of them so they become dull and docile robots, doing only as they are told.

TeenScreen: A Parent's Testimonial

Teen Screen wants to reward my child with free movie passes in order to sign a waiver for him to get screened for mental health disorders. It's called a mental physical. If I want to take my child to get any type of physical I will do that on my own. Teen screen has put into my child's head that he has a mental problem.

NOW he is acting very depressed and frustrated because he thinks that there is something wrong with him. How dare these people put this worry and falsehoods in my child's head!! Kids have enough to worry about as it is, now they have to worry that if they have a bad day at school, their teachers are going to assume that they are mental.

I do not believe that these children are being helped. I do not believe that they are in this out of concern for our children, but I do believe that teen screen is out for their own personal gain. That is to combine their clinical knowledge with pharmaceutical companies to diagnose kids with some fake mental disorder in order to get the big bucks. Teen Screen is not the best way to go in order to find help for our children they are in this business for selfish reasons and the children are not benefiting from what ever it is these people are trying to accomplish.

I would never allow my child to go through such torture. If my child needs help, I will go through the proper channels to get my child the help he needs; and drugs aren't always the answer. The children can become depended on these drugs for their whole life and if you read up on the side effects of the medications, they are worse then the actual problem!!! I will keep my child away from any type of teen screening.

Harriette Miller, California

Drug Induced Shootings?

These poor kids are put on psychotic drugs and are induced into a violent state of mind. Teen Screen and it false positive results cause all of this. Watch and Learn...

Pharmaceutical Drug Pushers

When we think of pharmaceutical companies, we may think of them as a positive influence on our economy and society as a whole. After all, they provide us with some of the best medicines and remedies when we are ill. They provide our children with cold relief when needed, and pain relief when necessary. When we are sick we count on the pharmaceutical companies.

But what about when we are not sick. What usually happens when you give a person who is not sick medicine for a particular ailment that they do not have? Usually it will make them sick. Well, another side effect that could happen, if given the "right" kind of drugs is that the person will experience a drug high.

These days, kids and teens are getting hooked on prescription drugs that are being prescribed to them for their "mental illness" that is not there. Parents think that marijuana is a big problem with kids, but think again. Prescription drugs are becoming the most popular drugs in school. Most of these prescription drugs are being prescribed by these pharmaceutical companies under the pretense that the child is mentally ill. The child or teen then gets hooked on the medications such as Xanax and Zoloft, and in turn shares with their friends, and so on and so forth... A vicious cycle begins!

The Teen Screen program is very dangerous for America's youth. Many American teenagers and youth are being misdiagnosed as Mental Ill and put on these mentally crippling drugs. It's time to wake up to what is really going on here with the Teen Screen program.

Not Worth It!

There hasn't been any scientifically credible studies found that can prove that each or any child for that matter, may have suicidal tendencies. If the child wanted to commit suicide or had any thoughts of committing suicide, wouldn't it be better to sit down as a family and figure out why this is and what they are feeling instead of drugging them up then shut them up and out?

Our children should be vibrant and full of life. These drugs prescribed by the Teen Screen sponsors only make them tired, withdrawn, and possibly sadder than what they were at first.

Is it worth it?

Drugs and Teen Screen

What role does drugs play is this screening, most of these teens screened are eventually medicated so the pharmaceutical companies rack in some serious cash through these teens. Insured or not the pharmaceutical companies are also working with these mental health professionals to continue to make money.

The sale of anti-depressants will continue to rise even after some of these drugs are said to cause suicidal tendencies. Isn't that what they are supposed to prevent? This is a multi-billion dollar industry drugging up children.It is supposed to prevent harmful tendencies or actions to themselves. These drugs may in fact cause them to harm themselves anyway. How is it (medicating the child) in the child's best interests at this time?

In a British Journal it said that "antidepressants are eroding our well being and dismiss life as a simple spark of synaptic electricity." Point blank we should see these kids as the normal energetic kids that they are, not some robotic, zombie-like individual that depends on a drug that is supposed to help them to function better. All the while making the pharmaceutical companies richer.

Teen Screen makes the pharmaceutical companies richer, at the expense of our children. Is it worth it

Dissecting the Teen Screen Survey Process

In these days of pressured academic achievement, many teens are exhausted and have a high pressure class load and just may need some rest. That does not mean (in any way) that they are suicidal or need drugs in order to function. The process for the Teen Screen situations are not extensive enough to fully determine if a child has a mental disorder.

The beginning of the process is a parental consent given through the child's school that is participating in this program. This is called an Active Consent which explains the program and what could potentiality happen if their child is found to be mentally ill. The second part is participation consent, teens are given a form to sign which explains that their participation is voluntary.

A question may arise: If it is voluntary, then why are the parents required to sign a form as well?

It's not the same as the children signing up for an after school club, it's diagnosing a mental defect. Most teens do not feel that there is anything wrong with them so most will decline. The next part is a screening questionnaire which is used to see what level the child may be on and to see what areas to look further into.

A sheet of paper can not determine mental defects and who is to say that the teen is being completely honest about their feelings? Then there is the clinical overview of one session. This is supposed to be done by a mental health professional because the teens are questioned and are asked to discuss what they are feeling.

Those that score a positive or high on the screening is said to have some problems and will need further help. The others that scores a negative or low marking will not go further with the program. So the more mental the teen seems to be, the more beneficial the program supposedly is. The last part of the screening are the results.

There has been a high rate of false positives that have been produced from the Teen Screen Program. False positive? Think of a pregnancy test. If a woman receives a false positive, the test shows that she is in fact pregnant, but biologically she is not. The same goes with the Teen Screen program. When a child scores a false positive, the program labels him or her as "Mentally Ill", when in fact he or she is NOT!! The false positive result precentage is from, are you ready for this?

84-90%

Now, how much faith do you have in the Teen Screen Program. These poor 84-90 percentile kids get put on psychiatric drugs to contain and maintain mental illnesses that are not even there! Teen Screen is DANGEROUS. How much do you value your child.

Teen Suicide and Teen Screen

Nearly 2/3 of teens that attempt suicide exhibit some signs of suicide. Teen Screen is supposed to help or assist parents in screening their teens that may have some of these potential signs to stop any harm to themselves. Some of these screens are being done throughout many schools after George Bush's recommendations through the Freedom Commission.

Teens everywhere are being diagnosed with one or more of the 400 mental disorders through the supposed manual of diagnostic and statistical disorders. Some of these disorders range from sleeping and reading disorders, to fictitious defiant disorders; which in many cases the teen will have to be on some type of medication to help to treat this disorder.

Not all of these disorders lead to suicide. In many situations, once these disorders are treated the teens will and can be very productive. Some of these teens just need someone that they can trust to talk to. Misdiagnosing a teen can cause a serious problem and turn a adolescent's life upside down. Teen Screen is the culprit. Don't trust it.