I am not an "unfortunate parent"

I follow several blogs and one of them totally pissed me off.  The author appears to be attempting to justify the bio-disease model and the treatment of schizophrenia with neuroleptics. Neuroleptics DO NOT WORK, are not in effect or in fact, "antipsychotic" for a significant percentage of people with a diagnosis of schizophrenia.    

The writer takes liberties with the truth about what is and is not known about the diagnosis of schizophrenia.  Apparently, having access to information that is not readily accessible to a mere mortal like myself, Dr. Allen authoritatively states, "However, the vast majority of neuroscientists, physicians, and psychologists no longer believe schizophrenia to be primarily a "functional" (psychological or behavioral) disorder."  I would like to know when did a consensus of shared opinions or beliefs become an ethical or scientific method to validate the nature of a subjective diagnosis, much less the etiology of a phenomena? If the practice of Psychiatry were a religion, and it's symptomatic manifestation/s were a religious belief system whose doctrine required prescribing and/or taking neuroleptic drugs as an act of faith; Dr. Allen's assertion would make sense.

"The fact that our current treatments for psychosis suck big time, while an important issue in itself, is not really relevant to the argument about the nature of the illness."  WTF?  Since when is safety and effectiveness of a standard treatment that  a person can be Court Ordered to take, not relevant to the nature of the illness (theoretically) being treated?!

The author ends with,  "So, if you are the unfortunate parent of a person with schizophrenia who is dead set on blaming yourself for the condition of your child, I would ask two questions.  These are rhetorical questions, since I have no way of evaluating the accuracy of your answers:

First, were you an abusive or neglectful parent or the spouse of an abusive or neglectful parent?  If not, what on earth are you feeling so guilty about?"

I left this comment: 
You have missed the mark. 

A better question would be, why on earth more psychiatrists don't feel guilty for perpetrating such massive fraud? Or about how they have harmed hundreds of thousands with "off-label" i.e. "experimental" drug use?

The only thing I feel guilty about is allowing my son to be drugged at all, when he was young. The deleterious effects of the DRUGS were attributed to his "condition." The denial on the part of mental health professionals that experience(being traumatized)had anything to do with my son's difficulties--

I am outraged at the unethical psychiatric profession. NO accountability, no ethical integrity and it is NOT medicine--psychiatry's "treatment" record speaks for itself.

the response from Dr. Allen:

Yobluemama,

You said, "A better question would be, why on earth more psychiatrists don't feel guilty for perpetrating such massive fraud? Or about how they have harmed hundreds of thousands with "off-label" i.e. "experimental" drug use?"

I hope by now you know I am incomplete agreement with you about the validity of that question. It just was not the question addressed in this post.

There are so many things glaringly wrong with this post, it's hard to know where to begin.  I take particular exception to his characterizing, parents, (abusive or otherwise) of a person with a diagnosis of schizophrenia, as "unfortunate."   Obviously, if a person with a diagnosis of schizophrenia has abusive parent/s, it is not the PARENTS who are unfortunate!   If the person has unsupportive and /or controlling parent/s, who believe they are "unfortunate parents;" it is still not the parents who are "unfortunate," IMHO.   They are infected by the same kind of stigmatizing, discriminatory attitude towards people with a diagnosis of schizophrenia which this phrase exemplifies.  The truth is, by having this false self-perception; i. e. "I am so unfortunate, woe is my sorry parent self," hurts everyone.  It seems to me, the 'parent as victim' would place an additional burden of stress on both the parent and the minor or adult child with a diagnosis of schizophrenia.  It could also keep the parent from ever being truly supportive of their son or daughter---It seems to me casting parents in the role of victim is detrimental to the parent and to their minor or adult child with a diagnosis.  When the parent becomes the victim, the minor or adult child with a diagnosis of schizophrenia, effectively becomes "the problem" they are "victimized" by---and the reason the parent/s is: "unfortunate."  How supportive are they going to be able to be?

I can see how this manipulation is used to coerce the parent into believing they are "supporting" their child, by using coercion and manipulation to ensure "treatment compliance."  This primarily serves to support the psychiatrist's diagnosis and treatment recommendation; which is not at all the same thing as supporting the person who was given a psychiatric diagnosis...Why would anyone, (especially parents) not consider the fact that interpersonal relationships (especially within the family) are important to all humans, this importance does not diminish when a person is given a psychiatric diagnosis; I believe it increases, just as it would in any type of crisis, or potentially life-altering event.  Regardless of a diagnosis of any kind, coercion and manipulation breed mistrust within relationships; why would these methods of control and abuse of power be seen as anything but what they are?  Why would these methods of social control be used supposedly as 'therapeutic tools'?  How we act towards one another does not become less important when a family member has a crisis and is given a psychiatric diagnosis; and being given a psychiatric diagnosis does not mean that a person is   unaware that they are being conned, manipulated, invalidated or disrespected!   

The only thing I feel guilty about is trusting psychiatrists and other so-called professionals as long as I did. I trusted them to my son's detriment, when my son was in grade school.  The deleterious negative effects of the neuroleptic drug, Risperdal, that was prescribed off-label, were attributed to my son's "condition!"  The denial on the part of psychiatric professionals is astounding.  The known adverse effects of neuroleptic drugs are NOT magically made less harmful, nor do they become less disabling  simply because psychiatrists call these iatrogenic injuries, "side effects."  Drug-induced fatalities cannot become "natural" or "accidental" deaths, simply because it is an unwritten public mental health policy not to track the iatrogenic fatalities of psychiatric patients. The serious life-altering effects were minimized or attributed to my son's  diagnosis. Even worse, his iatrogenic injuries were and still are, medically neglected. 

It is fraud being committed; certainly not ethical medicine being practiced. No matter the efficacy, the safety; the harm done to MY SON, without Informed Consent, neuroleptic drugs were given to my son in spite of my protests. In the State of Washington's psychiatric research facility for children, Child Study and Treatment Center, (a facility I had been led to believe is a hospital, it is not; it is a research facility) my son was used in research; Human Experimentation is not  'medical treatment.' Claiming that it was 'medical treatment' did not give Jon McClellan, or any agent of the State of Washington, the right or the authority to use my son as a guinea pig in drug trials while violating State, Federal and International Laws--even if these state agents were acting Under Color of Law! It was an egregious abuse of power and authority that violated our individual rights under the U.S. Constitution.        

Psychiatry's historical record speaks for itself. Some of psychiatry's victims never knew they were supposed to be heard and respected.  How many gave up after being repeatedly traumatized by psychiatric diagnosis and treatment? How many were robbed of their cognitive abilities, deprived of their ability to self-advocate; not protected from drug-induced disease or iatrogenic injuries that psychiatrists cause, but medically neglect?

Read Dr. Allen's post here