Re: Re: TeenScreen hiding in health education programsw/response

[Guest guest]

Hi ,

You said:

<<I don't suggest drugs and I don't prescribe them.  Doctors do that.  I am not

the villian here. I talk about them if they come up.  They are a fact of life. 

I also talk about the downsides of drugs.  That's what counselors do, we help

people talk and think about things.  That does not mean that I suggest them. >>

** Who said you suggested them? I quoted you, used your words, in my

question. You referred to drugs as an option. I asked you how you could see

them as an option. That's all.

You said:

<<I am not going to argue with this list any more about drugs.  I understand

this list is very anti drug.  I am, too.  You guys are so angry that you are

jumping on anyone, including me.  My only issue was that I believe counselors do

a lot of good in schools and I wanted to speak up for that. Kids who are having

suicidal thoughts or who are depressed cannot learn well.

>>

** I don't see it as arguing. It's an exchange of thoughts. You want to be

able to say these things and have nobody respond back if they disagree in any

way. Disagreeing is not arguing. I don't think you have the right to pronounce

anyone angry. I'm not angry, I'm frustrated by the propaganda that seeps

through at every level in schools.

You have a right to your opinion as I have a right to mine. I wonder if you

actually read my thoughts and experiences and think about them or are getting

too defensive to do this.

In an ideal world, counselors in school might be helpful. The major drawback

is you have to take what you get. In the real world you get to choose your

counselor. As long as schools are full of interns with no experience as

counselors and counselors in general are not vetted by parents, I don't believe

it's a good thing. Take away the position of counselor and fill these positions

with mentors who know not to try to counsel and instead offer friendship and

compassion and I think the school as a whole would benefit and have less at

risk.--

________________________________

To: Withdrawal_and_Recovery

Sent: Wed, January 5, 2011 4:25:03 AM

Subject: Re: TeenScreen hiding in " health education

programs "

 

Hi ,

You said:

<<, where I come from " schools " do not recommend drugs. In fact,

schools, and teachers, and school personnel around here are afraid to suggest

drugs because they might be held to pay for them (as part of a student's special

needs). As a counselor, I might mention medications as a possible option, but

only after many other routes are pursued. Counselors are not big on drugs as a

rule, either.

Insurance companies, however, are big on drugs because they are cheaper than

counseling and doctor's appts and other treatments.>>

** Bottom line- if companies want to pay only for drugs, the kid will end up on

drugs.

You said:

<<It is debatable whether drugs are more effective. >>

** It'd not debatable at all. Even the drug companies themselves now admit that

the drugs are " ineffective " in 2/3rds of people. Add to this the 1/3rd who

respond to placebo (proven) and who's left? Of course, they only began admitting

this in order to sell other drugs as add-ons (Seroquel,Zyprexa, Risperdal,

etc.).

The most stunning study done was one that is now a book called The Emperor's

New Drugs. It used all the trials sent to the FDA when drug companies were

seeking approval for the top-selling 6 antidepressants. The evidence is damning.

As someone who works in a school you should be reading all the latest on this

subject. I posted a list a couple of weeks ago. All of these books have strong

references based in science and all show the lack of efficacy of psychotropic

drugs.

Before you tell me you've seen people improve on these drugs, consider this --

I've seen people who were depressed improve after taking opiates or smoking pot.

Does this make these drugs antidepressants? In other words, any improvement you

see is merely a " side effect " of the drug.

Are you aware that when seeking approval a drug maker does not have to show the

FDA efficacy. They only need to exhibit safety.

You said:

<<I have never seen counselors who see children in schools be paid by insurance;

the school counseling services are free (and therefore not influenced by

insurance companies and pharma) or paid for by MediCal.

Counselors who see children in schools do so with their parent's permission,

except in crisis situations. No one is forcing you to let your child talk to

someone. But I still think that help should be available through having

counselors at school for the people who want and need them. >>

** Optional is fine -- as log as people don't step over the boundaries. One of

the big issues in schools today is them getting away with forcing parents to

give drugs to kids based upon counselors' evaluations by involving CPS when

parents refuse to drug their kids. This, to me, is a really good reason to not

have counselors in schools.

I have a question, why, after all you've experienced, would you even mention

drugs as an option?

Regards,