Keeping Children Safe: Alternatives to dangerous "off-label" [aka: unapproved] Antidepressant & Antipsychotic drugs

Most importantly, only Prozac [an antidepressant] and Risperdal [an antipsychotic] are approved for use in children, adolescents and young adults under the age of 25.  Risperdal was only recently approved for use in children a few weeks ago on August 22 of 2007.[1]  All of these drugs have “Black Box Warnings” of Death for children, adolescents and young adults to age 25. [2] 

Not only that, there is no scientific evidence to support that these drugs even work! [3-16]  In other words, these drugs carry little upside along with enormous risk to the life of a child. 

How can this be so? 

Let’s start at the beginning.  The methodology for diagnosing “mental illness”, along with the subsequent prescribing of antidepressant and antipsychotic drugs, is based on the bio-psychiatric model of “mental illness”.  

According to Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, “Biological psychiatry, or biopsychiatry is an approach to psychiatry that aims to understand mental disorder in terms of the biological function of the nervous system. It is interdisciplinary in its approach and draws on sciences such as neuroscience, psycho-pharmacology, biochemistry, genetics and physiology to form theories about the biological bases of behaviour and psychopathology.” [17] 

What happens with these theories? 

The American Psychiatric Association, known as the “APA”, is the “main professional organization of psychiatrists and trainee psychiatrists in the United States, and the most influential world-wide. Its some 36,000 members are mainly American but some are international. The association publishes various journals and pamphlets, as well as the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, or DSM. The DSM codifies psychiatric conditions and is used world-wide as a key guide to diagnosing disorders.” [18] 

To reiterate, the APA takes these “theories”, “codifies” them as “psychiatric conditions” and then “publishes” and “distributes” them for use as a “world-wide key guide to diagnosing disorders” in a manual known as the “Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders” or the “DSM”. 

Why then, are we endangering the lives of our children by giving them antidepressants and antipsychotic drugs with no proven efficacy in clinical trials that carry potential side-effects such as death? 

We do this because we don’t know that we have a choice.  But there is a choice. 

Alternative Medicine 

“Alternative medicine is defined as "any of various systems of healing or treating disease (as chiropractic, homeopathy, or faith healing) not included in the traditional medical curricula taught in the United States and Britain".[1] Complementary medicine is defined as "any of the practices (as acupuncture) of alternative medicine accepted and utilized by mainstream medical practitioners".[2] The term complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is an umbrella term for both branches. CAM includes practices that incorporate spiritual, metaphysical, or religious underpinnings; non-evidence based practices, non-European medical traditions, or newly developed approaches to healing.”

When we work with a Medical Doctor who specializes in Alternative Medicine, we open the door to healing with natural therapies.  Much to contrary belief, there are diagnostic blood tests available to identify and determine underlying medical issues that may be causing what we have termed as depression, mood disorders, ADD and ADHD. [20]   

There have even been many studies to indicate the efficacy of the use of Omega-3 fatty acids in the form of fish oils to relieve symptoms of depression with no risk to the life of a child! [21]  In fact, a high dosage of fish oil has been shown to relieve what we call “bi-polar” disorder. [22] 

Celiac disease can cause psychosis and/or schizophrenia! [23] 

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