FAQ: President Bush and the Shrinking of the USA

[Guest guest]

http://www.mindfreedom.org/mindfreedom/bushpsychFAQ.shtml

 

Frequently Asked Questions: President Bush and the

Shrinking of the USA

 

Is it true that the Bush administration has announced

a plan to screen all Americans for " mental illness " ?

 

Yes, this is true. The British Medical Journal (BMJ

July 2004) reported that Bush plans to unveil a

sweeping mental health initiative that would screen

every single American for " mental illness. "

 

As predicted, President Bush did endorse the plans

promoted by the President's New Freedom Commission on

Mental Health. A task force was initiated to evaluate

the current mental health industry and look for ways

that it could be improved. These plans include

screening every single American, with youth as a

priority, for signs of " mental illness. "

 

How will people like me be screened?

 

As the BMJ reported, everyone is at risk of being

labeled under Bush's plan. Bush's New Freedom

Commission identified a program called the Texas

Medication Algorithm Project (TMAP) as the model

program to be implemented across the US to identify

people with " mental illnesses " who have previously

been undiagnosed.

 

TMAP would call for general health practitioners to

screen their patients for mental illness. The Bush

administration wants your family physician trained to

screen you for mental health problems. So if you go to

your doctor for a cough, you would also be asked

questions about your mental health.

 

Anyone involved with the public school system,

including kids, educators and other school staff,

would be especially vulnerable. Doctors are trained to

recognize that the way children act in the doctor's

office is not a good indicator of the children's

actual behavior. Because of this fact, doctors are

more likely to follow the suggestion of a teacher,

rather than their own experience interacting with the

child. This results in a situation where teachers, not

doctors, are, in essence, prescribing medication to

kids.

 

What is TMAP?

 

TMAP is a program started in Texas in 1995, which

coincidentally was when Bush was serving as the

governor of Texas. While the name might be confusing,

the Texas Medication Algorithm Project is nothing more

than a series of flowcharts to standardize the steps

taken to treat a vast array of " disorders " ranging

from schizophrenia to depression. " Algorithm " is just a

mystifying way to describe those steps.

 

On the surface programs like TMAP and a similar

program called " Teen Screen " may seem like good ideas.

After all, don't we want to find out if people have

mental and emotional problems, especially young

people?

 

Unfortunately, though, TMAP and similar programs are

like conveyor belts, bringing more and more customers

to the psychiatric drug industry. The origin of TMAP

is with powerful psychiatric drug corporations. TMAP

has come under fire recently because of a strong link

between the politicians who helped make TMAP a reality

in Texas and the large pharmaceutical companies who

stand to make a huge profit from TMAP has been

discovered. The drug corporations made sure that TMAP

is programmed so that when a person with emotional and

mental problems is identified, the first step is often

the implementation of the most expensive psychiatric

drugs.

 

This corruption is the central focus of a lawsuit in

Pennsylvania filed by Allen Jones.

 

Who is Allen Jones?

 

Allen Jones, until his recent interview with the

British Medical Journal, was a state employee in

Pennsylvania working as an investigator with the

Office of Inspector General (OIG). While working as an

inspector he discovered that politicians in

Pennsylvania were receiving gifts from drug companies

at the same time they were deciding whether or not to

adopt TMAP in Pennsylvania.

 

Throughout his investigation into TMAP, Mr. Jones met

resistance from his superiors who attempted to curtail

his investigation by telling him that, as he says in

court documents, " pharmaceutical companies are major

political contributors and that I should not continue

my probe. "

 

Mr. Jones ignored the overt threats and suggestions

made by OIG officials, and despite being removed from

the investigation he continued probing as a concerned

citizen. Through this investigation he also learned

that policy makers in Texas had also been influenced

by the drug companies.

 

He reports in court documents in his law suit that,

" The pharmaceutical industry has methodically

compromised our political system at all levels and has

systematically infiltrated the mental health service

delivery system of this nation. They are poised to

consolidate their grip via the New Freedom Commission

and the Texas Medication Algorithm Project. " His

complete lawsuit is available on-line -- check out the

links to read more.

 

What's wrong with TMAP?

 

As the BMJ reported, TMAP has been criticized by many

people of protecting drug companies' profits at the

expense of mental health consumers. What is

questionable and alarming about TMAP is that doctors

do not have the leeway to deviate from the treatment

model.

 

Whether the patient is diagnosed with " depression " ,

" ADHD " or " schizophrenia, " TMAP inevitably leads to

the most expensive, brand named drugs currently

manufactured. Doctors in TMAP are required to

prescribe these drugs, which happen to be the highest

priced, patented drugs on the market, and they cannot

prescribe less expensive, generic drugs unless the

patented ones fail to work. And of course, non-drug

alternatives are not a priority in TMAP. If

implemented nationwide, TMAP will result in millions

of dollars flowing into the pharmaceutical companies

who lobbied the politicians to make TMAP a reality.

 

TMAP is not democracy in action; rather it is big

business buying a place in American government policy.

While this might not be anything new, this is one of

the first times a presidential initiative has had the

potential to result in the screening of all American

citizens for possible psychiatric drugging. Not only

is this an infringement on our civil liberties, but

because the drugs most commonly prescribed under TMAP

are the most expensive drugs currently manufactured,

programs like Medicaid and Medicare would need

significant budget increases to support the cost of

the medication.

 

Some people have argued that the high prices of the

drugs that TMAP promotes is not a legitimate worry

because in the long run there would be a net savings

because people diagnosed with psychiatric disabilities

would receive " proper treatment " and would not end up

in jail. However, this argument is flawed because it

is based upon the assumption that the newer more

expensive drugs prescribed under TMAP work better than

the older less expensive drugs, or better than

non-drug alternatives. There is not enough empirical

evidence to support this assumption, and certainly not

enough research to implement this program nationwide.

There is also no scientific evidence of any biological

chemical imbalance despite advertising claims by the

drug companies.

 

While TMAP claims to be " evidence based, " the fact is

that the logic behind TMAP is " drug company profit

based. "

 

Are there any other lawsuits in progress like the one

that Allen Jones filed?

 

Yes, the BMJ also reported that psychiatrist Stefan

Kruszewski, was fired July 11, 2004 from his position

at the Bureau of Program Integrity in the Pennsylvania

Department of Public Welfare.

 

Dr. Kruszewski's was in charge of the state's mental

health and substance misuse programs to protect

against fraud, waste, and abuse. He was fired after he

began investigating the cause of death of four

children and one adult who were under the state's care

using TMAP. Some patients were on as many as five

powerful " neuroleptic " psychiatric drugs at the same

time. This is known as " [olypharmacy " and is extremely

dangerous .

 

He reported to his supervisors that this off-label

treatment was dangerous and potentially a liability

risk for the state. His supervisors replied that it

was none of his business and he was ultimately fired

for his continued interest in the subject. The entire

BMJ article can be read on-line and can be accessed by

following the link on the links page.

 

What happens to people that do not respond to the

drugs prescribed under TMAP? Can they be prescribed an

alternative form of treatment?

 

Actually yes. There is a back-up plan just in case the

drugs do not work. Electro-convulsive therapy (ECT),

also known as shock treatment, is part of TMAP. If

patients diagnosed with " clinical depression " do not

respond well to the first few expensive drugs that

they are prescribed, they can expect to eventually get

shocked, which causes brain damage.

 

Where can I go to see what the TMAP program looks

like?

 

There are numerous government websites that

specifically address TMAP. An effective way to find

more information on the web about TMAP is to run a web

search for TMAP and Texas. Or check out the links page

below.

 

Besides Texas, is TMAP currently in use in any other

locations?

 

As of August 2004, TMAP has been implemented in the

following places: Nevada; Ohio; Pennsylvania; South

Carolina; New Mexico; Atlanta and Athens, GA;

Louisville, Kentucky; Washington, D.C.; San Diego

County, CA; and private sector in Denver, Colorado

 

What happens if I go to see my doctor and I end up

with a label and a treatment plan that I do not agree

with?

 

Versions of " outpatient commitment " are growing

throughout the USA, and internationally. Forty-two USA

states now have laws that allow individuals to be

court ordered to take their psychiatric drugs while

living out in the community, even in their own homes.

 

Psychiatrist Sally Satel, author of the book ÒPC MD,Ó

is a fellow working for the huge corporate think tank

American Enterprise Institute (AEI) in Washington DC.

The Bush administration, which has very close ties to

AEI, appointed Dr. Satel to a position on the National

Advisory Council of the US Center for Mental Health

Services, a half-billion dollar federal agency. This

means Dr. Satel sits on a committee that privately

reviews all mental health service grants from the

federal CMHS.

 

Dr. Satel and AEI are also major proponents of

increasing the use of forced psychiatric drugging,

including outpatient commitment. During the June 2004

meeting of the National Advisory Council for CMHS,

members were asked to prioritize the main " systems

change " they would like the Bush Administration to

implement. Dr. Satel requested that outpatient

commitment be vastly increased.

 

Dr. Satel is one of the major opponents of the social

change movement led by mental health consumers and

psychiatric survivors. Her book, PC MD, contains a

chapter called " Inmates take over the asylum " that

denounces activists and groups in our movement by

name. In the chapter, Dr. Satel identified Support

Coalition (now called MindFreedom Support Coalition

International) as one of the top three groups that she

opposes.

 

Dr. Satel's opinions are cherished by the Bush

administration. If TMAP is implemented across the

U.S., Dr. Satel's vision of increased court ordered

drugging has the potential of creating a situation

where every single American is not just an easy target

for a screening program designed by big pharmaceutical

corporations, but these citizens may also be unable to

say " no " when their doctor pulls out the prescription

pad following a few minute interview that has led to

them into being branded as having a " mental illness. "

 

For the full story about Sally Satel and the Bush

administration

 

For more information see MindFreedom Ph: 541-345-9106.

 

# # # To return to " President Bush and the Shrinking

of Amreica "

 

(return to Hot News | return to Brief Alerts)

[Guest guest]

oh christ...

 

and i live in pennsylvania.

 

/:|

 

torpedo los!

 

herr kaleun

 

ps: i passed this onto two of my friends. this is just downright

scary.

 

 

, Frank

<califpacific> wrote:

> http://www.mindfreedom.org/mindfreedom/bushpsychFAQ.shtml

>

> Frequently Asked Questions: President Bush and the

> Shrinking of the USA

>

> Is it true that the Bush administration has announced

> a plan to screen all Americans for " mental illness " ?

>

> Yes, this is true. The British Medical Journal (BMJ

> July 2004) reported that Bush plans to unveil a

> sweeping mental health initiative that would screen

> every single American for " mental illness. "

>

> As predicted, President Bush did endorse the plans

> promoted by the President's New Freedom Commission on

> Mental Health. A task force was initiated to evaluate

> the current mental health industry and look for ways

> that it could be improved. These plans include

> screening every single American, with youth as a

> priority, for signs of " mental illness. "

>

> How will people like me be screened?

>

> As the BMJ reported, everyone is at risk of being

> labeled under Bush's plan. Bush's New Freedom

> Commission identified a program called the Texas

> Medication Algorithm Project (TMAP) as the model

> program to be implemented across the US to identify

> people with " mental illnesses " who have previously

> been undiagnosed.

>

> TMAP would call for general health practitioners to

> screen their patients for mental illness. The Bush

> administration wants your family physician trained to

> screen you for mental health problems. So if you go to

> your doctor for a cough, you would also be asked

> questions about your mental health.

>

> Anyone involved with the public school system,

> including kids, educators and other school staff,

> would be especially vulnerable. Doctors are trained to

> recognize that the way children act in the doctor's

> office is not a good indicator of the children's

> actual behavior. Because of this fact, doctors are

> more likely to follow the suggestion of a teacher,

> rather than their own experience interacting with the

> child. This results in a situation where teachers, not

> doctors, are, in essence, prescribing medication to

> kids.

>

> What is TMAP?

>

> TMAP is a program started in Texas in 1995, which

> coincidentally was when Bush was serving as the

> governor of Texas. While the name might be confusing,

> the Texas Medication Algorithm Project is nothing more

> than a series of flowcharts to standardize the steps

> taken to treat a vast array of " disorders " ranging

> from schizophrenia to depression. " Algorithm " is just a

> mystifying way to describe those steps.

>

> On the surface programs like TMAP and a similar

> program called " Teen Screen " may seem like good ideas.

> After all, don't we want to find out if people have

> mental and emotional problems, especially young

> people?

>

> Unfortunately, though, TMAP and similar programs are

> like conveyor belts, bringing more and more customers

> to the psychiatric drug industry. The origin of TMAP

> is with powerful psychiatric drug corporations. TMAP

> has come under fire recently because of a strong link

> between the politicians who helped make TMAP a reality

> in Texas and the large pharmaceutical companies who

> stand to make a huge profit from TMAP has been

> discovered. The drug corporations made sure that TMAP

> is programmed so that when a person with emotional and

> mental problems is identified, the first step is often

> the implementation of the most expensive psychiatric

> drugs.

>

> This corruption is the central focus of a lawsuit in

> Pennsylvania filed by Allen Jones.

>

> Who is Allen Jones?

>

> Allen Jones, until his recent interview with the

> British Medical Journal, was a state employee in

> Pennsylvania working as an investigator with the

> Office of Inspector General (OIG). While working as an

> inspector he discovered that politicians in

> Pennsylvania were receiving gifts from drug companies

> at the same time they were deciding whether or not to

> adopt TMAP in Pennsylvania.

>

> Throughout his investigation into TMAP, Mr. Jones met

> resistance from his superiors who attempted to curtail

> his investigation by telling him that, as he says in

> court documents, " pharmaceutical companies are major

> political contributors and that I should not continue

> my probe. "

>

> Mr. Jones ignored the overt threats and suggestions

> made by OIG officials, and despite being removed from

> the investigation he continued probing as a concerned

> citizen. Through this investigation he also learned

> that policy makers in Texas had also been influenced

> by the drug companies.

>

> He reports in court documents in his law suit that,

> " The pharmaceutical industry has methodically

> compromised our political system at all levels and has

> systematically infiltrated the mental health service

> delivery system of this nation. They are poised to

> consolidate their grip via the New Freedom Commission

> and the Texas Medication Algorithm Project. " His

> complete lawsuit is available on-line -- check out the

> links to read more.

>

> What's wrong with TMAP?

>

> As the BMJ reported, TMAP has been criticized by many

> people of protecting drug companies' profits at the

> expense of mental health consumers. What is

> questionable and alarming about TMAP is that doctors

> do not have the leeway to deviate from the treatment

> model.

>

> Whether the patient is diagnosed with " depression " ,

> " ADHD " or " schizophrenia, " TMAP inevitably leads to

> the most expensive, brand named drugs currently

> manufactured. Doctors in TMAP are required to

> prescribe these drugs, which happen to be the highest

> priced, patented drugs on the market, and they cannot

> prescribe less expensive, generic drugs unless the

> patented ones fail to work. And of course, non-drug

> alternatives are not a priority in TMAP. If

> implemented nationwide, TMAP will result in millions

> of dollars flowing into the pharmaceutical companies

> who lobbied the politicians to make TMAP a reality.

>

> TMAP is not democracy in action; rather it is big

> business buying a place in American government policy.

> While this might not be anything new, this is one of

> the first times a presidential initiative has had the

> potential to result in the screening of all American

> citizens for possible psychiatric drugging. Not only

> is this an infringement on our civil liberties, but

> because the drugs most commonly prescribed under TMAP

> are the most expensive drugs currently manufactured,

> programs like Medicaid and Medicare would need

> significant budget increases to support the cost of

> the medication.

>

> Some people have argued that the high prices of the

> drugs that TMAP promotes is not a legitimate worry

> because in the long run there would be a net savings

> because people diagnosed with psychiatric disabilities

> would receive " proper treatment " and would not end up

> in jail. However, this argument is flawed because it

> is based upon the assumption that the newer more

> expensive drugs prescribed under TMAP work better than

> the older less expensive drugs, or better than

> non-drug alternatives. There is not enough empirical

> evidence to support this assumption, and certainly not

> enough research to implement this program nationwide.

> There is also no scientific evidence of any biological

> chemical imbalance despite advertising claims by the

> drug companies.

>

> While TMAP claims to be " evidence based, " the fact is

> that the logic behind TMAP is " drug company profit

> based. "

>

> Are there any other lawsuits in progress like the one

> that Allen Jones filed?

>

> Yes, the BMJ also reported that psychiatrist Stefan

> Kruszewski, was fired July 11, 2004 from his position

> at the Bureau of Program Integrity in the Pennsylvania

> Department of Public Welfare.

>

> Dr. Kruszewski's was in charge of the state's mental

> health and substance misuse programs to protect

> against fraud, waste, and abuse. He was fired after he

> began investigating the cause of death of four

> children and one adult who were under the state's care

> using TMAP. Some patients were on as many as five

> powerful " neuroleptic " psychiatric drugs at the same

> time. This is known as " [olypharmacy " and is extremely

> dangerous .

>

> He reported to his supervisors that this off-label

> treatment was dangerous and potentially a liability

> risk for the state. His supervisors replied that it

> was none of his business and he was ultimately fired

> for his continued interest in the subject. The entire

> BMJ article can be read on-line and can be accessed by

> following the link on the links page.

>

> What happens to people that do not respond to the

> drugs prescribed under TMAP? Can they be prescribed an

> alternative form of treatment?

>

> Actually yes. There is a back-up plan just in case the

> drugs do not work. Electro-convulsive therapy (ECT),

> also known as shock treatment, is part of TMAP. If

> patients diagnosed with " clinical depression " do not

> respond well to the first few expensive drugs that

> they are prescribed, they can expect to eventually get

> shocked, which causes brain damage.

>

> Where can I go to see what the TMAP program looks

> like?

>

> There are numerous government websites that

> specifically address TMAP. An effective way to find

> more information on the web about TMAP is to run a web

> search for TMAP and Texas. Or check out the links page

> below.

>

> Besides Texas, is TMAP currently in use in any other

> locations?

>

> As of August 2004, TMAP has been implemented in the

> following places: Nevada; Ohio; Pennsylvania; South

> Carolina; New Mexico; Atlanta and Athens, GA;

> Louisville, Kentucky; Washington, D.C.; San Diego

> County, CA; and private sector in Denver, Colorado

>

> What happens if I go to see my doctor and I end up

> with a label and a treatment plan that I do not agree

> with?

>

> Versions of " outpatient commitment " are growing

> throughout the USA, and internationally. Forty-two USA

> states now have laws that allow individuals to be

> court ordered to take their psychiatric drugs while

> living out in the community, even in their own homes.

>

> Psychiatrist Sally Satel, author of the book ÒPC MD,Ó

> is a fellow working for the huge corporate think tank

> American Enterprise Institute (AEI) in Washington DC.

> The Bush administration, which has very close ties to

> AEI, appointed Dr. Satel to a position on the National

> Advisory Council of the US Center for Mental Health

> Services, a half-billion dollar federal agency. This

> means Dr. Satel sits on a committee that privately

> reviews all mental health service grants from the

> federal CMHS.

>

> Dr. Satel and AEI are also major proponents of

> increasing the use of forced psychiatric drugging,

> including outpatient commitment. During the June 2004

> meeting of the National Advisory Council for CMHS,

> members were asked to prioritize the main " systems

> change " they would like the Bush Administration to

> implement. Dr. Satel requested that outpatient

> commitment be vastly increased.

>

> Dr. Satel is one of the major opponents of the social

> change movement led by mental health consumers and

> psychiatric survivors. Her book, PC MD, contains a

> chapter called " Inmates take over the asylum " that

> denounces activists and groups in our movement by

> name. In the chapter, Dr. Satel identified Support

> Coalition (now called MindFreedom Support Coalition

> International) as one of the top three groups that she

> opposes.

>

> Dr. Satel's opinions are cherished by the Bush

> administration. If TMAP is implemented across the

> U.S., Dr. Satel's vision of increased court ordered

> drugging has the potential of creating a situation

> where every single American is not just an easy target

> for a screening program designed by big pharmaceutical

> corporations, but these citizens may also be unable to

> say " no " when their doctor pulls out the prescription

> pad following a few minute interview that has led to

> them into being branded as having a " mental illness. "

>

> For the full story about Sally Satel and the Bush

> administration

>

> For more information see MindFreedom Ph: 541-345-9106.

>

> # # # To return to " President Bush and the Shrinking

> of Amreica "

>

> (return to Hot News | return to Brief Alerts)