[New-Poetry] Jensen's dim view of psycho-pharmaceuticals

[Anny Ballardini]

Sorry for this, I don't even know why I sent this in. I read so many mails yesterday that probably I was full up to the rim.

I do have a touchy spot with medicine in general, and I forget that it has been beneficial in many cases. 
  From: jforjames at aol.com 
  Sent: Thursday, April 19, 2007 4:40 PM


  Frank Jensen--
  My heart goes out to those who died... ALL of them
  Yes, I mourn the dead. Do not mistake my skeptical thinking with a
  lack of compassion for those individuals and families traumatized by
  this event. But unlike most tabloid reporters, I don't end my story
  with the 32 dead at Virginia Tech. I mourn the 100,000 Americans
  killed every year by FDA-approved prescription drugs, and the millions
  more killed all around the world by pharmaceuticals, regardless of
  whether they were killed in a headline-grabbing act of extreme
  violence. And unless we restrict the use of antidepressant drugs and
  find a way to help young men achieve genuine mental health through
  nutrition, sunlight, and avoidance of toxic chemicals, mark my words:
  We will see more antidepressant-induced violence in America.

  The shootings will not stop until the pills are banned.

  --
  Jensen's painting a one-sided view of pscho-pharmceuticals.
  I'm sure he could cite reams of case studies showing that millions of people 
  haven't committed suicide (or done worse) due to getting the right perscription 
  drugs. I'd bet it's 100,000 per DAY worldwide, saved by the right meds.

  We have bi-polar issues in my family and having seen people off their
  meds, I don't know that I'd recommend it as a course of care. And Jensen
  fails to account for all the situations in human history (pre-psychopharmaceutical)
  where people who were clearly in deranged states created deadly mayhem.
  It's not a human phenomenon that started with the advent of Prozac.

  First, I think I would focus my concern on the ability to purchase firearms without
  undergoing a psychological evaluation. I also wonder if fair to ask whether
  most people outside of law enforcement & certified gun enthusiasts need 
  9mm automatics? A common argument for handguns is self protection; but
  it seems fair to surmise that most people don't need rapid-fire, easy reloadable 
  handguns for self-protection. The death toll probably would have been less had 
  the troubled young man been contrained to purchase a 6-shot revolver of some sort.

  Second, the privacy barriers that colleges face, keeping family 
  unaware of  'adult' relatives having troubles. Keeping valuable information 
  about certain behaviors from those who might be most able to intervene
  effectively and those with a familial interest in doing so.

  Lastly, the general mess that is our health care system in this country
  puts up barriers for getting psychiatric care and treatment in a timely and 
  low-cost fashion. The expense, lack of inavailability along with paperwork requirements
  are certainly keeping many people away from the help they desperately need.
  I don't know this to be the case in this situation, but many people at an early
  stage in their illness recognize they need to get help, but are either turned
  away from care or they're ill-equipped to navigate the bureaucracy to get
  the care they need and want.

  Finnegan



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