Re: To Those Who Are Unhappy With AAL Series on Exposing the Fraud of ADD / ADHD:

December 6, 2004

Hi, annie , just wondered if you ever looked into INDIGO children.. ones that

are now being told they are Add and adhd.. and other things.. they are very

special children coming into this world. Ro

To Those Who Are Unhappy With AAL Series on Exposing

the Fraud of ADD / ADHD:

Dear Listeners:

I have received several emails expressing your concerns and discomfort

regarding AAL Series on Exposing the Fraud of ADD / ADHD.

I read through your emails and appreciate your concerns.

How about I share a bit from my childhood experience before my response to

your emails:

I, myself was labeled " hyperactive " as a child at age 5, and only because I

asked inquisitive questions, was very analytical by nature, and teachers did

not know how to handle me for lack of better words. They chose to respond to

my

" why " questions by labeling me disruptive to the class and sending me to the

principal's office.

In sixth grade, I will NEVER forget this, we had a teacher who labeled a

fellow student " retard " for asking a " stupid " question in class, at least

those

were her words.

First of all, we all know, there is no such thing as asking " stupid

questions. "

I stood up in class and said the following: " You are not here to insult your

students. You are here to teach. We come here to learn, not to feel bad

about ourselves when we ask questions to understand what we learn and why.

You

need to apologize to so and so... " Well, needless to say, her response to me

was: " Annie... you have a screw loose in your head as well and need to see a

shrink right away. Get out of my class and go to the principle's office.

I'll

deal with you later. " Well.. what is sad in all of this is that parents are

not with us as children 24/7, and as adults, we typically would take the word

of a teacher, a doctor, a lawyer, or anyone in power / respectable positions

over a child - assuming such individuals in such positions know best. It is

truly unfortunate, in my humble opinion that children have no voice. I

recognized this at an early age, and used action through my grades to be heard

later

on when I was to speak out.

For years, I transferred all my pains by focusing on getting high grades, so

that one day, if I was to speak, someone will listen. This was my way of

coping with abuse, labeling, and bullies in school.

Up to 6th grade, I earned an honor roll every year. While in 6th grade, this

teacher made sure I would not receive an honor roll and deliberately failed me

in " social studies " class for standing up for a fellow student. Of course,

this was reported to my parents as well. I will leave out the ramifications

for what transpired thereafter as to what I went through, when my parents were

told " THEIR VERSION " (school's version) of what had happened and intentionally

kept silent.

However, once in 7th grade, I was on a mission. I was going to raise my

grades back up to honor roll status. I did, and landed a 4.00 GPA. Then, I

went

to the principal's office and spoke out.

I reminded him and explained to him what had really happened in 6th grade,

and that if I was such a defect, with a screw loose in my head, who can't

concentrate and disturbs the class with unrelated " stupid " questions, then why

this

4.00 in 7th grade, and why the honor rolls every year, except in 6th grade.

All I ask is you check her background and find out why she is so mean spirited

with the students in her class.

Low and behold after several months of digging, they found the following:

This teacher was a cocaine addict, and an alcoholic, and taking it out on us -

her students. Let's put it this way, she was caught in the act by a fellow

staff member at school. Basically projecting her image on students who HAVE

NO

VOICE, and utilizing her position in power because she knows she can. This

was

a private school no less.

So, with that said... I wish, idealistically speaking, parents can be with

children 24/7 to see what really goes on in schools whether private or public

and not take the teacher's word as gospel when a child is labeled with ADD /

ADHD, or with any other convenient label they can come up with because THEY

KNOW

THEY CAN due to their credible positions in schools. I've heard so much worse

than what I ever went through... but abuse is abuse no matter how we

categorize it. No child should ever be labeled mentally ill - and I for one,

stand

against all drugging, and make no secret of that fact or the fact that I am

against mental screenings. I personally have experienced the labeling, and

witnessed horrific scenes and abuse as a result of such labeling and so called

" treatment " because a child was just being a child. I've seen students who

were

perfectly fine before, and because of one subjective label, were " treated " for

a

nonexistent disorder (please visit www.adhdfraud.com) , and went from healthy

to pale, weak, withdrawn from students, and flunk classes - this being the

surface of what I witnessed. I have helped and tutored many students along

the

way who were suicidal because of these " so called " treatments. These same

students prior to this so called " treatment " and labeling, were energetic,

with

decent grades, had a healthy appetite and zest for life.

No child and or adult should ever have to live through any labels, let alone

a " MENTALLY ILL " label. I would not wish this on my enemy.

I firmly suggest that if any child and or adult is labeled with having such

an alleged disorder, to go research some more before ingesting any drug as a

final solution.

Drugs should be an absolute LAST resort, if and only if it will help save

that individual's life. Outside of that, drugs are not to be seen as " quick

fix "

solutions.

This is why I invite top notch experts on AAL to explain why ADD / ADHD are

trumped up disorders.

For those of you who stated " How many people will die because you haven't

told both sides? "

My response: Look at how many WHO HAVE ACTUALLY DIED ALREADY because there

hasn't been enough exposure on the side I present -

" exposing the fraud of add /adhd series. " With these series, I am bringing

about the balance, as this part of the equation has been missing from

corporate

media and press for years. If only that same question was presented to them

years ago, Shaina Dunkle, , and Hall among so many

would be alive today. Hear Gloria speak out together with 15 year old

TEEN

SURVIVOR NOAH in Exposing the Fraud of ADD / ADHD part 4; hear Vicky

Dunkle speak of her Shaina on exposing the fraud of ADD / ADHD part 2; Hear

Larry speak out about his in part 5; Hear what child advocate

Dora

Meccia (who recently passed away on 11/21/04 had to say in the 4 minute

tribute on AAL, 1st segment:

http://www.worldtalkradio.com/archive.asp?aid=2813

Regarding the statement: " I have helped people deal with the pain and

loneliness of a society who fails to see this as what it is - a neurological

condition.

Shame on all who dismiss it! Medication is an important tool in helping

kids. Kids got better and went on to lead normal lives. "

My response: Again I say, please visit www.adhdfraud.com. If you still have

questions, I'm sure you can find out how to contact Dr. Baughman himself

through his website.

If not, you are welcome to come on AAL anytime on the next " exposing the

fraud of ADD / ADHD " series, and you are welcome to take it up with Dr.

Baughman,

since you are a psychotherapist / expert in your field. Speaking as a

nonexpert, shame on those who haven't shared with the public about the dangers

of

Ritalin and like drugs that may result in actual deaths, like it did with

Shaina

Dunkle, , Hall, and so many more. Shaina was labeled

with ADHD because she got up from her seat in the middle of a class session,

and went to the window to admire a bird. Where is the neurological condition

there? How sad.. now her family suffers because of this very helpful

" treatment " you speak of that killed her daughter a couple or so years ago.

Had I not kicked and screamed as a child refusing to take medication, I may

be dead today myself, or a walking vegetable in need of drugs to function void

of independent thought and action, and there certainly wouldn't be an AAL Talk

Radio where experts, survivors, child advocates, teens come together to voice

the truth and stop the silence within, stop the abuse throughout.

Regarding the statement: " You may be trying to help children, but you are

doing a disservice to those adults who know they have ADD. Where is your info

about people who's lives have improved with the use of drugs and coaching???? "

My Response: First and foremost, and again speaking as a nonexpert with my

mentors and AAL experts being Dr. Fred Baughman, Dr. ial Lehrman, Dr.

Breeding, Dr. Effrem: How does one know they have a nonexistent,

non

scientific disorder based on subjective diagnosis? I would love to hear your

answer. I firmly believe that those who diagnose children and/or adults with

trumped up disorders are the ones who are doing a disservice to such

individuals, because such individuals are then conditioned to believe that

they cannot

function without the help of a dangerous, life threatening drug(s). Coaching

is a whole other arena, and I am not against coaching, talk therapy, and so

forth, so long as again - keeping a drug regimen is not the focus for ADD /

ADHD

victims throughout said coaching in terms of healing and progressing in life

DRUG FREE.

And just as FYI: I have contacted experts on the opposite side who firmly

believe ADD / ADHD are actual disorders and believe in drug treatments (names

will be excluded), and such experts will not come on AAL to present the very

balance those of you who are concerned speak of because they don't want to go

up

against Dr. Baughman. Dr. Baughman is the authority figure on this issue, and

there are many organizations and experts who support his findings.

Therefore, I say to those who wish to have the other side presented on a

future AAL program - i.e. ADD / ADHD being a real disorder, and that people's

lives are improved with the use of drugs " , you are welcome to email me

personally

if you know of an expert who wishes to come on board on AAL, and I will be

more than happy to produce a program with that expert together with Dr. Fred

Baughman in the form of a debate.

In the meantime, if you already haven't, I strongly encourage those of you

who argue the side of ADD / ADHD being a scientific disorder and the benefits

of

medication,

to visit the following sites for factual, resourceful information:

http://psychrights.org

Check out Dr. Breeding's A Few Simple Truths About ADHD and Stimulant Drugs

http://www.ablechild.org/bulletin%20board/a%20few%20simple%20truths.htm

Get The Real Story Dr Baughman's comments and facts on recent news issues.

http://www.adhdfraud.com/frameit.asp?src=commentary.htm

There are many more noteworthy resources out there... I am quite aware of the

organization CHADD, and others like Chadd...

Respectfully,

Annie Armen

Annie Armen, J.D.

T.V./Radio Talk Show Host, Producer

ANNIE ARMEN LIVEâ„¢ - " Let's Talk "

P.O. Box 4399

Glendale, CA 91222-0399

(818) 731-0577 Phone

info@... --> Email

http://www.anniearmenlive.org/ (Under Construction)

http://www.worldtalkradio.com/show.asp?sid=97

> Speaking of CHADD, thanks to Vera Sharov, here is the latest on Chadd which

> was emailed to me on 12/03/04:

>

> ALLIANCE FOR HUMAN RESEARCH PROTECTION (AHRP)

> Promoting Openness and Full Disclosure

> www.ahrp.org

>

Leading ADHD Researcher Blows Whistle on Concerta & CHADD

FYI

A newly released report by the Center for Disease Control-Health US

2004--reveals how effective the pharmaceutical industry is in marketing its

drugs-whether or not they are beneficial; whether or not they cause severe

harm--they sell. Antidepressants showed the largest increase in

use-prescriptions for children of both antidepressants and psychostimulants

soared. See: http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/hus.htm

Confessions by insiders and an examination of the evidence leave little

doubt that the that the promoters of these drugs claims are unsubstantiated,

that integrity of medicine and the biomedical literature have been

systematically corrupted thanks to collaborative efforts of the

pharmaceutical industry and their paid prominent academic consultants.

Dr. Pelham, a leading ADHD researcher for 30 years, is the latest

insider to come forward: " In recent years, I have come to believe that the

individuals who advocate most strongly in favor of medication - both those

from the professional community, including the National Institutes of Mental

Health, and those from advocacy groups, including CHADD - have major and

undisclosed conflicts of interest with the pharmaceutical companies that

deal with ADHD products. "

Dr. Pelham was paid by McNeil to conduct one of three studies used to get

FDA approval for Concerta, a stimulant prescribed for ADHD. But when the

evidence was not favorable, he recounted in an interview with AlterNet,

McNeil-Alza engaged in dubious methods to ensure that the published reports

would be favorable for Concerta. He said " The company currently uses the

three studies to claim that 96 percent of children taking Concerta

experience no problems in appetite, growth, or sleep. But Pelham says the

studies were flawed. two of the three studies, including Pelham's, required

that the subjects had to already be taking MPH and responding well to it in

order to enter the study. In other words, by stacking the studies with

patients already successfully taking stimulants, McNeil ensured the subjects

would be unlikely to register side effects. "

Dr. Pelham notes: " It's really misleading and I'm surprised the FDA is

letting them use the studies to advertise no side effects. They had no side

effects because they took only people with only a positive history of

medication. This is really pushing meds without telling the full picture. "

Pressure was also brought to bear to shape Dr. Pelham's written report: When

his paper was in the galley proof stage at the medical journal Pediatrics,

Pelham says he joined a conference call with a number of senior people from

the corporation who lobbied him to change what he had written in the paper.

" The people at Alza clearly pushed me to delete a paragraph in the article

where I was saying it was important to do combined treatments (medication

and behavioral). " They also pushed him to water down or eliminate other

sentences and words that did not dovetail into their interests. " It was

intimidating to be one researcher and have all these people pushing me to

change the text. " In the end, Dr. Pelham says, they published a report with

his name penned to it without his authorization.

Last week, the New York Times referred to the pillars of American psychiatry

as " data-deprived academic researchers " when caught issuing an

unsubstantiated report claiming that antidepressants do not increase the

risks of suicide in children. These " data-deprived " researchers represent

psychiatry's elite research establishment-including a former director of the

National Institute of Mental Health. The report was issued by the

prestigious American College of Neuropsychopharmacology (ACNP)-whose members

are by invitation only. Their dominance in psychiatric research practices--

and their influence on practice guidelines and public policy cannot be

overstated.

The Alliance for Human Research Protection calls upon medical journal

editors to disinfect the scientific literature by putting these authors'

other published reports through rigorous re-assessment-not by the authors'

collegial peers--but by independent scientists. Otherwise journals such as

JAMA may be accused of publishing " junk science. "

See: Leo J and Cohen D. Broken Brains of Flawed Studies? Journal of Mind and

Behavior, Winter, 2003, Vol 24, pp 29-56, available online at:

http://psychrights.org/research/Digest/NLPs/criticalreviewofadhd.pdf

*Dr. Cohen is a member of the board of directors of AHRP.

December 6, 2004