Charlie Rose

jpke  08/21/2012 03:43 PM Report

Mr (Charlie)Rose,

You've had a series on the brain, brain "science" and psychiatry with various guests discussing developments and "discoveries" in their field(s). How about doing a show (or even a series) on a growing number of groups and activists in the field of "mental health" and psychiatric reform? I (and a growing number of others) believe it would be of great public service to broadcast in the "mainstream" media the views and work of individuals such as Peter Breggin, MD(author,psychiatrist), Jim Gottstein (atty, mental health activist), Robert Whitaker(psychiatric researcher and author), David Healy MD (author, psychiatrist), Ann Blake-Tracy(International Coalition for Drug Awareness), and others.

There is increasing, documented evidence on the harm done by the use of psychotropic drugs which should be made more "public".

There are also mental health/ psychiatric consumer (and "insider expert") voices rising on issues related to: Informed consent, coercion, disclosure, misrepresentation, false claims, conflict of interest, corruption, ghostwriting, fraudulent practice, physical/mental abuse, and professional ethics and standards issues in the psychiatric and mental health field.

Your response would be appreciated.

Sincerely, Jim Keiser

PS: I'm adding the following statements (by others) for your consideration and comment:

RE. DIFFERENTIAL DIAGNOSIS: "The thing that bothers me the most about psychiatry (outside of the harm done by its so-called "treatments") is the fact that psychiatrists almost NEVER look for underlying medical disorders. They just use their "Bible," the DSM, which is merely a collection of symptoms that could be caused by MANY THINGS. By not using differential diagnosis, psychiatrists are failing to practice actual medicine. Joe Blow off the street, with no medical training, could come up with a diagnosis after listening to someone describe their symptoms once he has flipped through the pages of the DSM. If I can accomplish one thing (and I have no idea of how to do this), I would like to create a standard that forces psychiatrists to do a thorough battery of medical tests before any medications are prescribed or labels given."~unk

___________________________________

STANDARD PRACTICE IN PSYCHIATRIC "DIAGNOSIS" AND TREATMENT (valid from my, and others' experiences):

"...Most people would agree that people need to (be) told accurate information about the validity of a diagnosis; including whether or not it is Biological in nature; or if this is a belief based on nothing more than a yet to be validated Hypothesis. Saying that a psychiatric diagnosis is a disease/chemical imbalance/neuro-biological in nature is a story told to 'bust the stigma' and to get people to take their meds; not because it is based on fact.

...Fraud is a crime, and also a civil law violation. Defrauding people or entities of money or valuables is a common purpose of fraud, but there have also been fraudulent 'discoveries', e.g., in science, to gain prestige rather than immediate monetary gain. ...

...Most people would agree that people need to given accurate, unbiased information about the drugs prescribed to them and their children. Most of us would agree it would be wrong to tell people that they in fact have a disease/chemical imbalance or a neuro-biological condition requiring drugs to treat it; when no imbalance, disease, defect or neuro-biological condition has been identified. These claims are being made without any physical, neurological or medical examination taking place. A conversation with the person and gathering information from others about their personal opinions and subjective observation of the patient or 'client' is not an examination; and even a consensus of informed opinions does not make the weakest of 'evidence' scientific or valid; it does not make the psychiatric diagnosis a medical condition either. ...

The fact is: no genetic condition, chemical imbalance, or neuro-biological pathology has been identified ever--in any human being alive or dead; that causes any mental illness, or psychiatric diagnosis. ...

...Failing to give people the very information which is necessary to protect their children and themselves is particularly heinous; despicable really, all things considered. ...

...For professionals to ignore their ethical duty to fully inform patients and parents of children about the nature of psychiatric diagnoses, about the potential for harm involved in taking psychiatric drugs is criminal; not just 'unethical.' It is, in reality fraud...

...This being the case, it is an unethical claim for any psychiatrist or mental health professional to make. It is dishonest, it is disrespectful and it is evidence of an utter lack of professional integrity. ...

...Many believe the drugs are treating a disease, because of the erroneous belief that doctors don't lie to patients. People take neurotoxic drugs believing that the drugs treat a brain disease they have. The drugs cause iatrogenic, or 'physician caused' diseases, neurological impairments, and can disable them; and even cause their untimely death. ...

...It is fraud. It is Standard Practice. It is criminal. "~from article in Systems of Care Yakima

trussel2001  08/14/2012 04:24 PM Report

This is a follow up to the brain series and evolution-episodes and trilogy:The episodes open up many unknowns and brings me back to many age old questions? What is life,why are we here, Throughout history The Human Condition" that makes us who we are, -curiosity, belief,desire,imagination, exploration, its all a part of us as a speices and other conditions which make-up,our unique nature which we all belong to,-the"Human Condition", Is evolution the key to solving many of our unknowns- for exp; mental issues connected with our mind and brain? Imagine someday we will evolve new or otherwise different- human conditions wich will allow us as a speices to overcome many unanswered mental disibilities within the realm of our own minds,and the hemisphers our brain. Along with the even bigger picture our sorroundings the universe, other intelligence,extrateretrial life? Solving the age old questions-what is life,why are we here? makes the earlier medical issues seem so small,however,with all that said: I believe evolution will solve the many questions we ask about the brain and its complex and deverse system and our mind. We are all part of the Human Condition". The mind"- reminds of the dark matter in our universe which we know so little about? For now we can only imagine and use our imagination to move forward in our universe and our minds. simply Karma, Imagine. Charlie, I came across this subject In an Issue of the Smithsonian magazine circa-2010 called The Human Condition, that we are all apart of, and would just like to add some of my own opinions to the episode and trilogy to your recent episode-circa,2011.

janetd_  07/07/2012 01:07 PM Report

I have been following this series and while watching the latest, the one on M.S., I wondered if you may plan an episode with the doctors answering viewer questions? I have two sons, ages 21 and 16. Their paternal grandmother, now deceased, had M.S. and my father has alzhiemer's. The 21 yr. old has bi-polar and partial complex siezures. The 16 year old has Asperger's syndrome. Should they have a baseline MRI of the brain and how often should they be re-checked. I don't want to alarm them yet if prevention is a possibility I would like them to have that option.

dianrib  05/30/2012 10:19 PM Report

Mr Rose

I love your fascinating " brain series "

I Watch your show often.. Online as well

There is so much trash on TV I just wanted to

Thank You and PBS

Patsiebert  02/26/2011 02:40 PM Report

Charlie,

I am so very grateful for the views expressed in this series. I am professionally involved with individuals wanting to understand themselves, others, and their communities in order to create a more harmonious, compassionate and empathic world. This series adds great clarity, understanding and corroboration of my life's work.

I have three areas of interest in my life: movement (The Feldenkrais Method of Somatic education), emotions and communications (Marshall Rosenberg's work on Nonviolent Communication), and the relationship of individuals to society (Dominic Barter's work on Restorative Circles). All of these innovators and social entrepreneurs emphasize the use of ones entire self and personal responsibility for our individual and collective actions.

This program seems to hit every major aspect of what I am doing with great clarity and scholarship. When integrated in its entirety this series summarizes what I am so eager to express, a compassionate integration of the individual with their environment. I am thrilled and encouraged by the emphasis these interviews stress on the neurological and biological aspect of life. What also excites me is that I have practical information that I have synthesized from my personal studies that would be of value to the scientific and artful work the men and woman in your series are so passionate about sharing. Let me know how I might be of service. Until then, dance on!!!

rrawat02  02/06/2011 10:15 AM Report

Excellent summary of a great series.