Citizens Commission on Human Rights protested outside the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Convention in Seattle, calling for an end to the overdrugging of youth
Dozens of protesters from the Citizens Commission on Human Rights (CCHR), a mental health watchdog founded in 1969 by psychiatrist Thomas Szasz and the Church of Scientology, marched through Seattle, demanding an end to the widespread drugging of children in Washington state. They cited the dangers posed by psychotropic drugs, many of which carry black-box warnings due to the increased risk of suicidal thoughts and behaviors in children, adolescents, and young adults.
CCHR has long warned about the potential harm of labeling inattentive and overactive children with psychiatric terms such as attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and prescribing stimulant drugs as treatment rather than addressing the underlying causes of the behavior.
A recent study published in the American Journal of Psychiatry warns that high doses of ADHD drugs, particularly amphetamines like Adderall and Vyvanse, can increase the risk of psychosis or mania by more than five times. Dr. Lauren Moran, the study’s lead researcher, emphasizes the need for stronger warning labels to alert the public to these dangers.
The Washington State Department of Social and Health Services reported in its Behavioral Health Treatment Needs and Outcomes among Medicaid-Enrolled Children in Washington State that 222,678 young people were identified with mental health needs in 2021. Of these, 136,668 received a mental health diagnosis and 78,982 of those diagnosed were on psychiatric drugs.
To raise awareness of the need for immediate action to end these and other harmful practices, CCHR brought its Psychiatry: An Industry of Death Traveling Exhibit to Seattle prior to the psychiatric convention.
The
exhibit documents
human rights abuses in the psychiatric industry.
The
exhibit documents human rights abuses in the psychiatric industry, exposing the
devastating results of the psychiatric drugging of children and the direct
relationship between psychiatric drugs and mass shootings.
After touring the exhibit, visitors commented that they now understand the dangers of psychiatric drugging of children and the need to reform the industry.
- A mental health counselor who works with kids said he was very upset with his job and the industry because he gets pushed to put very young children on Ritalin and other psychiatric drugs.
- A project manager voiced concern that “The quick diagnosis for a quick buck is still happening. Now they are targeting our kids.”
- Another individual said: “I am an ex-user of psychiatry, being fed pills from (ages) 13-25; it ruined my life.”
Citizens Commission on Human Rights was inspired by author, humanitarian, and Scientology Founder L. Ron Hubbard and his commitment to abolishing damaging practices in the field of mental health.
