APA admits there is no test for "chemical imbalance"

Released_By: Citizens Commission on Human Rights
Date: Sunday, July 03, 2005
Time: 04:41:40 PM

For_Immediate_Release

In an explosive admission, American psychiatric Association President Steven Sharfstein did a 180-degree turnaround from his TODAY show interview (June 27) and admitted that there is no way to test for a “chemical imbalance” as the cause for mental disorders. PEOPLE magazine (July 11), quoted Dr. Sharfstein conceding, “We do not have a clean-cut lab test.”

Dr. Sharfstein is not alone. Elliot Valenstein, Ph.D. says, “[T]here are no tests available for assessing the chemical status of a living person’s brain.” The late Dr. Loren Mosher stated, “…there are no external validating criteria for psychiatric diagnoses.”

In 2004, psychiatrist M. Douglas Mar debunked the theory that brain scans can help diagnose mental diseases stating, “There is no scientific basis for these claims [of using brain scans for psychiatric diagnosis].”

Harvard University professor, Joseph Glenmullen, author of “Prozac Backlash,” said the questionnaires of symptoms used to “diagnose” depression “may look scientific,” but “are utterly subjective measures.”

“But unfortunately, the tragedy in this misinformation campaign has been the children who have been pegged with these invented illnesses and given life-destroying drugs,” said Marla Filidei, VP of CCHR International. “We’ve seen hundreds of cases where children’s lives have been destroyed as a result of these labels.”

Ten-year-old Shaina Dunkle collapsed and died from toxic levels of the psychiatric drug she was prescribed. “Shaina looked into my eyes as her life ended and I could do nothing to save her. It’s been two years and I relive those last few minutes every day. Believe me, it is a nightmare no parent should ever have to live with, said Mrs. Vicki Dunkle.

At age 7, Matthew Smith was diagnosed with ADHD. His parents were told he needed to take a stimulant to help him focus and that non-compliance could bring criminal charges for neglecting their son’s educational and emotional needs. The parents acceded to the pressure and put Matthew on a psychiatric drug and on March 21, 2000, while skateboarding, Matthew suffered a heart attack and died from the effects of the drug. “I cannot go back and change things for us at this point. However, I hope to God my story and information will reach will reach the hearts and minds of many families, so they can make an educated decision,” said Mr. Smith.

“It is a monumental injustice to these families,” said Filidei. “Psychiatrists must be held accountable for these horrific crimes.”

By their own admission, psychiatrists cannot cure. Norman Sartorius, President of the World Psychiatric Association from 1996-1999 concluded that “the time when psychiatrists considered that they could cure the mentally ill is gone. In the future the mentally ill have to learn to live with their illness."

The Citizens Commission on Human Rights has been documenting the truth behind psychiatry’s lies for 36 years. “You wouldn’t allow a nuclear scientist to mess around with atomic fission if he couldn’t define an atom. So we shouldn’t allow psychiatrists to treat with powerful behavior-altering drugs that they cannot even define or prove the cause of,” stated Jan Eastgate, CCHR’s international president.

For the facts, CCHR offers the following documented research: · Common Psychiatric Drugs and Their Effects, A White Paper · Bipolar Disorder, a Report, Conclusions and Recommendations · The Drugging of "Post Partum Depression," Clearing Up Misconceptions About "Chemical Imbalances," Antidepressant Drugs and Non-Drug Solutions · Electroshock Treatment—Therapy or Torture? · A factual account of psychiatry's history of human rights abuses · Read and print copies of more CCHR publications For more information regarding spokespeople or medical and scientific experts for your show, call Ben Williams at CCHR: 1 (800) 869-2247. humanrights@cchr.org  www.cchr.org

Post Partum Depression
http://www.cchr.org/pseudoscience/index.htm

Postpartum Depression and Paxil
http://www.cchr.org/postpartum.htm

Depression
http://cchr.org/disorders/Depression.htm