Comments: 7 Year Old Boy On Prozac, Zyprexa Combo Hangs Self
Unfortunately, I think the bigger picture needs a look at in this little boy's case: the 19 yr old foster family's son, the alleged molestation of the 7 year old....and questioning a 7 yr old's thought process or ability to hang one's self from a showerhead....I hate to say it but I question who did it. (as in possible murder)
Of course the medicating of foster children is alarming, and as I have written before a local hospital that caters to teens (a private facility)is full of foster kids/wards of the state on antipsychotics and waiting for placement in RTC's.
The drugging of innocent children such as this 7 year old who already appears to have had a very sad beginning to his life just to have him die this way is heart wrenching!
I cannot imagine for the life of me how ppl can give kids these meds!!!!!!!!!
Posted by Stephany at April 22, 2009 10:19 AM
My god, that's just horrific. Nobody should be on that many medications at once (and I can't imagine they weaned him off the Lexapro and Zyprexa slowly before throwing him on the Symbyax), especially not kids. And for that despicable doctor to overmedicate children and fail to remember his patients and assert that lack of studies is due to drug makers being reluctant??? Reluctance is hardly the issue, with Big Pharma or medical "professionals" like Biederman. This is just tragic collateral damage in the battle for profits.
I notice the kid was in Florida - wonder if the doctor kept up with all the paperwork required to put kids on such meds (I'm assuming Gabriel was on state health care, being a foster kid). Truly proof that such minor hassles are not enough of an obstacle to shoving dangerous pills down the throats of children.
Posted by Jordan at April 22, 2009 10:30 AM
There is so much wrongdoing in that story you could stage a protest for each paragraph. And the p-doc had two leashes on him that were absolutely meaningless.
He personally was under watch for a history of overmedicating and Florida has a new law to review drugging kids with psychotropics, which was allowed anyway and over the guardian's objections. What else is there? Where can you go from encoding state laws that are summarily ignored?
Of course the shrink didn't remember him,
Gabriel was in foster care and his mom was in jail. That's one less inconvenience from the expendable population.
Posted by flawedplan at April 22, 2009 11:00 AM
I've long felt that the use of hard psychiatric drugs on children is nothing more than law-sanctioned child abuse. In one respect it's worse than physical abuse, because a child facing physical violence can at least be apprehended from the home and heal from such abuse. Forcing psychotropic drugs on kids almost certainly has permanent brain impacts which they will never recover from. It makes me sick when I run into these holier-than-thou parents who have been hoodwinked by their family doc or psychiatrist, talking about child drug therapy with an almost religious fervor.
If the human race does survive climate change and peak oil, I really believe that a hundred years from now people will look back in utter horror at how casually we gave drugs to kids - without any real scientific justification. Just terrible.
Professor Biederman has led the youth of today into a dangerous, deadly valley of drug-induced darkness - for absolutely no reason at all other than personal fame and financial gain.
Posted by The Skeptic at April 22, 2009 12:12 PM
I just thank the Lord I'm in shock.
After seeing many reports of children taking their lives under these drugs - I will remember again Tracy Johnson the healthy 19-years old who hanged herself at Elli Lilly-s facilities during Cymbalta clinical trial - I never see it as another number.
This is a crime. Prescribing these drugs to children is a crime and should be seen as such.
I will never understand why it's done by hanging.
I will never understand many things.
Posted by Ana at April 22, 2009 12:39 PM
Such a darling looking little boy! It just breaks a person's heart.
There are now six cases of children ages 7 and under who are listed on SSRI Stories as having died from these drugs, usually antidepressants but also the atypical antipsychotics.
Has the medical community no shame.
Posted by Rosie at April 22, 2009 01:06 PM
As a former foster child that was subjected to these drugs, I am doing everything in my power to keep my babies away from these monsters.
Posted by Dody Bush at April 22, 2009 06:07 PM
Was it the drugs or the environment that caused him to suicide?
Part of me wants to blame the drugs totally and cry with the child, the other part of me recalls I was 4 when I tried my first suicide attempt- and I was not on any drugs at all. Complicated issue, and all I know is there is one less boy who will grow up and look forward to all that life has to offer and experince.
May he rest in peace.
Posted by susan at April 22, 2009 06:39 PM
Foster kids are big money for child psychiatrists. The kids can't say no and the gov't pays for it. They can keep that going as long as they want.
Just look at what they're doing to children in Texas.
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/texassouthwest/stories/DN-psychdrugs_01tex.ART0.State.Edition2.4ac00bc.html
Posted by Lisa at April 22, 2009 06:41 PM
If they had handled his case properly, that boy could have gone on giving to the Florida social services economy and the GDP for years to come. But look, they broke their piggy bank.
/snark>
Posted by Lilly NC at April 23, 2009 02:24 AM
Alot ofpeople in the community of Ohio,remember Gabriel has a bright and very helpful child. He was a leader very wise beyound his years.heart broken in Portsmouth Ohio.pris....
Posted by priscilla at April 24, 2009 04:24 PM