Comments on: Another letter to the editor… http://www.theatheistmama.com/2006/02/another-letter-to-the-editor.html An atheist woman, mother, wife, Ohioan and American citizen blogs. Tue, 06 Jan 2009 09:08:57 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.3 by: Cassandra http://www.theatheistmama.com/2006/02/another-letter-to-the-editor.html#comment-320 Thu, 23 Feb 2006 23:24:35 +0000 http://www.theatheistmama.com/2006/02/another-letter-to-the-editor.html#comment-320 Herb, I just wanted to say that I have nothing against medication. I take Effexor for anxiety (started taking that when I was 24), I take a medication for high cholesterol (thanks to my genes) and I'm also very pro-marijuana, LOL! I think that medication have their place in society for sure. I don't even have a desire to stop taking Effexor. The problem that I have is with this program, and how they are trying to medicate children. Also, asking a teenager if they get depressed is like asking a teenager if they get pimples. Medication is good for some, but it's not the answer for everyone. Another thing that I thought of - what about the kids who are trying to get a perscription. I can tell you for certain that most of the kids I knew in highschool would have failed that screening just to get the drugs. Herb, I just wanted to say that I have nothing against medication. I take Effexor for anxiety (started taking that when I was 24), I take a medication for high cholesterol (thanks to my genes) and I’m also very pro-marijuana, LOL! I think that medication have their place in society for sure. I don’t even have a desire to stop taking Effexor.

The problem that I have is with this program, and how they are trying to medicate children.
Also, asking a teenager if they get depressed is like asking a teenager if they get pimples.
Medication is good for some, but it’s not the answer for everyone.

Another thing that I thought of - what about the kids who are trying to get a perscription. I can tell you for certain that most of the kids I knew in highschool would have failed that screening just to get the drugs.

]]> by: Herb Schaffler http://www.theatheistmama.com/2006/02/another-letter-to-the-editor.html#comment-319 Thu, 23 Feb 2006 19:18:48 +0000 http://www.theatheistmama.com/2006/02/another-letter-to-the-editor.html#comment-319 Let me present the other side of the coin. Antidepressants do help some people. My 17 year old boy takes Lexapro for his social anxiety. Although he is not 100% anxiety free, he said he knows for the first time in his life what it feels like to be normal. Lexapro has also helped me with my OCD and it has helped my brother with his anxiety. My brother doesn't feel the need to drink alcohol everyday anymore. Never judge a person until you've walked a mile in their moccasins. Scientologists have the wacky idea that people just imagine their mental disorders. Let me present the other side of the coin. Antidepressants do help some people. My 17 year old boy takes Lexapro for his social anxiety. Although he is not 100% anxiety free, he said he knows for the first time in his life what it feels like to be normal. Lexapro has also helped me with my OCD and it has helped my brother with his anxiety. My brother doesn’t feel the need to drink alcohol everyday anymore. Never judge a person until you’ve walked a mile in their moccasins. Scientologists have the wacky idea that people just imagine their mental disorders.

]]> by: Ellen Pisa http://www.theatheistmama.com/2006/02/another-letter-to-the-editor.html#comment-318 Wed, 22 Feb 2006 23:17:47 +0000 http://www.theatheistmama.com/2006/02/another-letter-to-the-editor.html#comment-318 Screening for "depressed" teenagers is the same as screening for "hyperactive" preteens. Use Ridlin to control them as children, and Prozac to stop them from feeling as young adults. Screen them, label them, and then....drug them. Nice. Screening for “depressed” teenagers is the same as screening for “hyperactive” preteens. Use Ridlin to control them as children, and Prozac to stop them from feeling as young adults. Screen them, label them, and then….drug them. Nice.

]]> by: Dave http://www.theatheistmama.com/2006/02/another-letter-to-the-editor.html#comment-317 Wed, 22 Feb 2006 14:04:27 +0000 http://www.theatheistmama.com/2006/02/another-letter-to-the-editor.html#comment-317 Hey Cassandra, Thanks for the kick in the pants I needed to get back to paying attention to CPS issues. Sounds like there's lots to be wary of. I'd love to use my local public school, just don't know if it's possible. By the way all the CPS news stuff is aggegated at <a href="http://www.columbus.k12.oh.us/applications/NewsClips.nsf/WebWeeklyDisplay." rel="nofollow">http://www.columbus.k12.oh.us/applications/NewsClips.nsf/WebWeeklyDisplay.</a> Thanks again for the info. Hey Cassandra,
Thanks for the kick in the pants I needed to get back to paying attention to CPS issues. Sounds like there’s lots to be wary of. I’d love to use my local public school, just don’t know if it’s possible.

By the way all the CPS news stuff is aggegated at http://www.columbus.k12.oh.us/applications/NewsClips.nsf/WebWeeklyDisplay.

Thanks again for the info.

]]> by: stardust1954 (Debbie) http://www.theatheistmama.com/2006/02/another-letter-to-the-editor.html#comment-316 Wed, 22 Feb 2006 05:40:30 +0000 http://www.theatheistmama.com/2006/02/another-letter-to-the-editor.html#comment-316 Ron -- In doing my research on this, I have found that you are absolutely correct...Ken Kramer founder of psychsearch is indeed a scientologist...so we all must keep that in mind. However, we can't ignore that even TeenScreen's co-director Rob Caruano does not make the claim that Teenscreen is proven to prevent teenage suicides. (as I have posted in my above comment.) If I find anything else from other sources, I will post it. Ron — In doing my research on this, I have found that you are absolutely correct…Ken Kramer founder of psychsearch is indeed a scientologist…so we all must keep that in mind.

However, we can’t ignore that even TeenScreen’s co-director Rob Caruano does not make the claim that Teenscreen is proven to prevent teenage suicides. (as I have posted in my above comment.)

If I find anything else from other sources, I will post it.

]]> by: stardust1954 (Debbie) http://www.theatheistmama.com/2006/02/another-letter-to-the-editor.html#comment-315 Wed, 22 Feb 2006 05:19:03 +0000 http://www.theatheistmama.com/2006/02/another-letter-to-the-editor.html#comment-315 If you want a list of credible criticisms, here is a link to many links of newspaper articles across the country and abroad about TeenScreen and mental health screenings <a href="http://www.psychsearch.net/teenscreen-media.html" rel="nofollow">http://www.psychsearch.net/teenscreen-media.html</a> If you want a list of credible criticisms, here is a link to many links of newspaper articles across the country and abroad about TeenScreen and mental health screenings
http://www.psychsearch.net/teenscreen-media.html

]]> by: stardust1954 (Debbie) http://www.theatheistmama.com/2006/02/another-letter-to-the-editor.html#comment-314 Wed, 22 Feb 2006 04:52:05 +0000 http://www.theatheistmama.com/2006/02/another-letter-to-the-editor.html#comment-314 I found some more info from CatholicCitizens.org: "Although the resolution states that TeenScreen has been "proven" successful, TeenScreen co-director Rob Caruano does not make that claim, Caruano told the Indiana's South Bend Tribune, "Teen suicides, while tragic, are so rare that the study would have to be impossibly huge to show a meaningful difference in mortality between screened and unscreened students...you'd have to be screening almost the whole country to reach statistical significance." The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) agrees with Caruano and found "no evidence that screening for suicide risk reduces suicide attempts or mortality." Whole article is here: <a href="http://catholiccitizens.org/printer/article.asp?c=26419" rel="nofollow">http://catholiccitizens.org/printer/article.asp?c=26419</a> I found some more info from CatholicCitizens.org:

“Although the resolution states that TeenScreen has been “proven” successful, TeenScreen co-director Rob Caruano does not make that claim, Caruano told the Indiana’s South Bend Tribune, “Teen suicides, while tragic, are so rare that the study would have to be impossibly huge to show a meaningful difference in mortality between screened and unscreened students…you’d have to be screening almost the whole country to reach statistical significance.”

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) agrees with Caruano and found “no evidence that screening for suicide risk reduces suicide attempts or mortality.”

Whole article is here:
http://catholiccitizens.org/printer/article.asp?c=26419

]]> by: Ron Zeno http://www.theatheistmama.com/2006/02/another-letter-to-the-editor.html#comment-313 Wed, 22 Feb 2006 04:07:41 +0000 http://www.theatheistmama.com/2006/02/another-letter-to-the-editor.html#comment-313 psychsearch.net = scientologists teenscreentruth.com is much more interesting. It's someone that has an axe to grind against the current mental health system, knows how to wage a propaganda war, and has no professional medical ethics to speak of. I'm betting on the Scientologists again, though it could be some well-funded alties or both. Yes, we need a BUREAUCRACYANDBULLSHITSCREEN. psychsearch.net = scientologists

teenscreentruth.com is much more interesting. It’s someone that has an axe to grind against the current mental health system, knows how to wage a propaganda war, and has no professional medical ethics to speak of. I’m betting on the Scientologists again, though it could be some well-funded alties or both.

Yes, we need a BUREAUCRACYANDBULLSHITSCREEN.

]]> by: Cassandra http://www.theatheistmama.com/2006/02/another-letter-to-the-editor.html#comment-312 Wed, 22 Feb 2006 04:03:30 +0000 http://www.theatheistmama.com/2006/02/another-letter-to-the-editor.html#comment-312 vjack, you bring up some really good points. I have actually witnessed mental illness slip right through schools and have seen parents not act on it. The outcome is tragic. The public education system is at fault for this, as well as the parents, in my opinion. Maybe if there was a real program out there that wasn't being funded by drug companies, I would have a different take. Education in the U.S. needs serious work. We need educators that are paid well and educators that care. We also need parents that give a damn. Maybe that would be a good way to screen our children for mental illness. vjack, you bring up some really good points. I have actually witnessed mental illness slip right through schools and have seen parents not act on it. The outcome is tragic. The public education system is at fault for this, as well as the parents, in my opinion. Maybe if there was a real program out there that wasn’t being funded by drug companies, I would have a different take.

Education in the U.S. needs serious work. We need educators that are paid well and educators that care. We also need parents that give a damn. Maybe that would be a good way to screen our children for mental illness.

]]> by: stardust1954 (Debbie) http://www.theatheistmama.com/2006/02/another-letter-to-the-editor.html#comment-311 Wed, 22 Feb 2006 03:11:42 +0000 http://www.theatheistmama.com/2006/02/another-letter-to-the-editor.html#comment-311 Pittsburgh Post-Gazette October 21, 2003 "Authorities in schools should be very cautious about these kinds of screening programs. It is easy to overidentify adolescents with problems, when they in fact don't have any problems. This in itself creates more problems." —Louis A. Chandler Chairman of the Psychology in Education Department University of Pittsburgh. PsychSearch.net <a href="http://www.psychsearch.net/teenscreen.html" rel="nofollow">http://www.psychsearch.net/teenscreen.html</a> Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
October 21, 2003

“Authorities in schools should be very cautious about these kinds of screening programs. It is easy to overidentify adolescents with problems, when they in fact don’t have any problems. This in itself creates more problems.”
—Louis A. Chandler
Chairman of the Psychology in Education Department
University of Pittsburgh.

PsychSearch.net
http://www.psychsearch.net/teenscreen.html

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