Boy made into cause by group - Houston father shot by son on Prozac

[Guest guest]

Check this out, we now have a new disorder that can explain why a child

shoots his father while on Prozac. Wonder who the psychiatrist is advising

the family........

http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/metropolitan/2969257

Dec. 29, 2004, 1:39AM

Boy made into cause by group

Advocates say father's death a case of alienation syndrome

By ANDREW TILGHMAN

Copyright 2004 Houston Chronicle

A 10-year-old child accused of fatally shooting his father this summer has

become a national poster boy for a controversial and unofficial psychiatric

disorder: Parental Alienation Syndrome.

Parents and others seeking formal recognition of the so-called syndrome have

latched onto the death of 41-year-old Rick Lohstroh, who was killed on Aug.

27 outside his ex-wife's Katy home.

After a bitter divorce in 2003, Lohstroh was picking up his two sons for a

visit under a joint-custody agreement when the 10-year-old shot him from the

back seat of the car, police said.

Since then, advocates have pointed to Lohstroh's death to illustrate that

acrimonious divorces can prompt an angry parent to turn a child against

another parent.

" He's become a martyr for Parental Alienation Syndrome, " said Dr.

Narrow, who heads the American Psychiatric Association's research and

classification division, which determines whether disorders are formally

recognized as legitimate mental illnesses.

Parents and others have flooded Narrow's office with e-mails in recent

weeks, urging the APA to include Parental Alienation Syndrome in its

diagnostic manual, Narrow said.

Concern of fathers' group

While the syndrome has been cited in many divorce cases and custody battles

across the country, Lohstroh's case is the first in which advocates suggest

that PAS led to a death.

The emotional harm that embittered parents can inflict on a child is a

long-standing concern for fathers' rights groups, which frequently complain

that family courts unfairly favor women in cases of divorce, custody

disputes and child-support litigation.

" What happens in these PAS cases is so cruel and demented, " said Glenn

Sacks, the host of a nationally syndicated radio show called His Side, which

focuses on fathers' issues.

Lohstroh was the topic of one of Sacks' shows in November.

" This case is so shocking and over the top that, now, people are starting to

pay attention to Parental Alienation Syndrome, " Sacks said in a recent

interview.

Medication's side effects

Prosecutors have charged Lohstroh's son with murder in the juvenile justice

system. The boy, whose name has not been released because of his age,

remains in a County juvenile detention facility.

Other factors are expected to complicate the case, including family members'

statements that the boy began taking Prozac shortly before the shooting.

Prozac is an antidepressant suspected of inducing suicidal or homicidal

thoughts.

The boy's grandparents, and Joanne Greene, of Columbia, S.C., are

suing the maker of Prozac, Eli Lilly and Co., in a Galveston court. They

contend that the company neglected to warn doctors and patients of the

medication's risks and potential side effects, especially in young patients.

During Lohstroh's bitter divorce from Deborah Geisler she alleged that

Lohstroh had sexually abused the boy.

Lohstroh, an emergency room doctor at the University of Texas Medical Branch

in Gal-veston, adamantly denied the charges. Two polygraph tests indicated

that he did not abuse his son, police said.

Social workers in and Galveston counties investigated the complaint

and took no action.

Parental Alienation Syndrome is one possible defense that attorneys could

present at the 10-year-old's trial, legal observers said.

A judge has barred attorneys and others directly involved in the case from

speaking publicly about the pending trial. No trial date has been set.

" Jurors are going to want to know what on Earth could possibly possess a

10-year-old boy to pull the trigger on his own dad, " said defense lawyer

Wice, who is familiar with the case. " The defense is going to have to

find somebody that the jury can hate more than this 10-year-old boy.

" And that role might be filled by the mom. "

Discussion of PAS began in 1985, when Dr. Gardner, a controversial

child psychiatrist from New Jersey, introduced the term.

Most mental health professionals do not believe PAS meets the formal

criteria for a syndrome, which is a cluster of symptoms with a single

underlying cause, Narrow said.

As a result, he said, it is not likely to gain acceptance as a formal

psychiatric disorder anytime soon.

" It's something like road rage, " he said. " Just because somebody thinks that

a syndrome is out there doesn't mean that, scientifically, it would meet the

criteria for a disorder. "

Psychiatrists usually are very conservative when adding disorders to their

official diagnostic manual, largely out of concern for how they may be used

in the courtroom, Narrow added.

" The APA is generally very cautious, " he said. " The potential for misuse is

very great. "

Nevertheless, some psychiatrists testify in court about the significance of

unofficial disorders such as PAS.

Judges and jurors in divorce or custody battles often consider allegations

of PAS, although it is not recognized by all psychiatrists, said Pamela

, a professor at Houston's South Texas College of Law.

" Judges take this sort of thing very seriously when they consider what is in

the best interests of the child, " she said.

" I have seen judges tell a mother, 'You have taken such incredible steps at

alienating the child, I am going to give the child to the father.' "

andrew.tilghman@...

PARENTAL ALIENATION SYNDROME

Although it has not been accepted as a true disorder, many parents and other

advocates say Parental Alienation Syndrome can be caused by actions such as:

.. Taking a side: Asking a child to choose one parent over the other.

.. Passing the blame: Telling a child that the other parent is responsible

for financial problems.

.. Collecting tidbits: Using a child to spy on or covertly gather information

about the other parent.

.. Causing a split: Cultivating secrets, special signals or words with

special meanings designed to alienate the other parent.

Source: Darnall, Ph.D, author of Divorce Casualties

[Guest guest]

Check this out, we now have a new disorder that can explain why a child

shoots his father while on Prozac. Wonder who the psychiatrist is advising

the family........

http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/metropolitan/2969257

Dec. 29, 2004, 1:39AM

Boy made into cause by group

Advocates say father's death a case of alienation syndrome

By ANDREW TILGHMAN

Copyright 2004 Houston Chronicle

A 10-year-old child accused of fatally shooting his father this summer has

become a national poster boy for a controversial and unofficial psychiatric

disorder: Parental Alienation Syndrome.

Parents and others seeking formal recognition of the so-called syndrome have

latched onto the death of 41-year-old Rick Lohstroh, who was killed on Aug.

27 outside his ex-wife's Katy home.

After a bitter divorce in 2003, Lohstroh was picking up his two sons for a

visit under a joint-custody agreement when the 10-year-old shot him from the

back seat of the car, police said.

Since then, advocates have pointed to Lohstroh's death to illustrate that

acrimonious divorces can prompt an angry parent to turn a child against

another parent.

" He's become a martyr for Parental Alienation Syndrome, " said Dr.

Narrow, who heads the American Psychiatric Association's research and

classification division, which determines whether disorders are formally

recognized as legitimate mental illnesses.

Parents and others have flooded Narrow's office with e-mails in recent

weeks, urging the APA to include Parental Alienation Syndrome in its

diagnostic manual, Narrow said.

Concern of fathers' group

While the syndrome has been cited in many divorce cases and custody battles

across the country, Lohstroh's case is the first in which advocates suggest

that PAS led to a death.

The emotional harm that embittered parents can inflict on a child is a

long-standing concern for fathers' rights groups, which frequently complain

that family courts unfairly favor women in cases of divorce, custody

disputes and child-support litigation.

" What happens in these PAS cases is so cruel and demented, " said Glenn

Sacks, the host of a nationally syndicated radio show called His Side, which

focuses on fathers' issues.

Lohstroh was the topic of one of Sacks' shows in November.

" This case is so shocking and over the top that, now, people are starting to

pay attention to Parental Alienation Syndrome, " Sacks said in a recent

interview.

Medication's side effects

Prosecutors have charged Lohstroh's son with murder in the juvenile justice

system. The boy, whose name has not been released because of his age,

remains in a County juvenile detention facility.

Other factors are expected to complicate the case, including family members'

statements that the boy began taking Prozac shortly before the shooting.

Prozac is an antidepressant suspected of inducing suicidal or homicidal

thoughts.

The boy's grandparents, and Joanne Greene, of Columbia, S.C., are

suing the maker of Prozac, Eli Lilly and Co., in a Galveston court. They

contend that the company neglected to warn doctors and patients of the

medication's risks and potential side effects, especially in young patients.

During Lohstroh's bitter divorce from Deborah Geisler she alleged that

Lohstroh had sexually abused the boy.

Lohstroh, an emergency room doctor at the University of Texas Medical Branch

in Gal-veston, adamantly denied the charges. Two polygraph tests indicated

that he did not abuse his son, police said.

Social workers in and Galveston counties investigated the complaint

and took no action.

Parental Alienation Syndrome is one possible defense that attorneys could

present at the 10-year-old's trial, legal observers said.

A judge has barred attorneys and others directly involved in the case from

speaking publicly about the pending trial. No trial date has been set.

" Jurors are going to want to know what on Earth could possibly possess a

10-year-old boy to pull the trigger on his own dad, " said defense lawyer

Wice, who is familiar with the case. " The defense is going to have to

find somebody that the jury can hate more than this 10-year-old boy.

" And that role might be filled by the mom. "

Discussion of PAS began in 1985, when Dr. Gardner, a controversial

child psychiatrist from New Jersey, introduced the term.

Most mental health professionals do not believe PAS meets the formal

criteria for a syndrome, which is a cluster of symptoms with a single

underlying cause, Narrow said.

As a result, he said, it is not likely to gain acceptance as a formal

psychiatric disorder anytime soon.

" It's something like road rage, " he said. " Just because somebody thinks that

a syndrome is out there doesn't mean that, scientifically, it would meet the

criteria for a disorder. "

Psychiatrists usually are very conservative when adding disorders to their

official diagnostic manual, largely out of concern for how they may be used

in the courtroom, Narrow added.

" The APA is generally very cautious, " he said. " The potential for misuse is

very great. "

Nevertheless, some psychiatrists testify in court about the significance of

unofficial disorders such as PAS.

Judges and jurors in divorce or custody battles often consider allegations

of PAS, although it is not recognized by all psychiatrists, said Pamela

, a professor at Houston's South Texas College of Law.

" Judges take this sort of thing very seriously when they consider what is in

the best interests of the child, " she said.

" I have seen judges tell a mother, 'You have taken such incredible steps at

alienating the child, I am going to give the child to the father.' "

andrew.tilghman@...

PARENTAL ALIENATION SYNDROME

Although it has not been accepted as a true disorder, many parents and other

advocates say Parental Alienation Syndrome can be caused by actions such as:

.. Taking a side: Asking a child to choose one parent over the other.

.. Passing the blame: Telling a child that the other parent is responsible

for financial problems.

.. Collecting tidbits: Using a child to spy on or covertly gather information

about the other parent.

.. Causing a split: Cultivating secrets, special signals or words with

special meanings designed to alienate the other parent.

Source: Darnall, Ph.D, author of Divorce Casualties

[Guest guest]

Check this out, we now have a new disorder that can explain why a child

shoots his father while on Prozac. Wonder who the psychiatrist is advising

the family........

http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/metropolitan/2969257

Dec. 29, 2004, 1:39AM

Boy made into cause by group

Advocates say father's death a case of alienation syndrome

By ANDREW TILGHMAN

Copyright 2004 Houston Chronicle

A 10-year-old child accused of fatally shooting his father this summer has

become a national poster boy for a controversial and unofficial psychiatric

disorder: Parental Alienation Syndrome.

Parents and others seeking formal recognition of the so-called syndrome have

latched onto the death of 41-year-old Rick Lohstroh, who was killed on Aug.

27 outside his ex-wife's Katy home.

After a bitter divorce in 2003, Lohstroh was picking up his two sons for a

visit under a joint-custody agreement when the 10-year-old shot him from the

back seat of the car, police said.

Since then, advocates have pointed to Lohstroh's death to illustrate that

acrimonious divorces can prompt an angry parent to turn a child against

another parent.

" He's become a martyr for Parental Alienation Syndrome, " said Dr.

Narrow, who heads the American Psychiatric Association's research and

classification division, which determines whether disorders are formally

recognized as legitimate mental illnesses.

Parents and others have flooded Narrow's office with e-mails in recent

weeks, urging the APA to include Parental Alienation Syndrome in its

diagnostic manual, Narrow said.

Concern of fathers' group

While the syndrome has been cited in many divorce cases and custody battles

across the country, Lohstroh's case is the first in which advocates suggest

that PAS led to a death.

The emotional harm that embittered parents can inflict on a child is a

long-standing concern for fathers' rights groups, which frequently complain

that family courts unfairly favor women in cases of divorce, custody

disputes and child-support litigation.

" What happens in these PAS cases is so cruel and demented, " said Glenn

Sacks, the host of a nationally syndicated radio show called His Side, which

focuses on fathers' issues.

Lohstroh was the topic of one of Sacks' shows in November.

" This case is so shocking and over the top that, now, people are starting to

pay attention to Parental Alienation Syndrome, " Sacks said in a recent

interview.

Medication's side effects

Prosecutors have charged Lohstroh's son with murder in the juvenile justice

system. The boy, whose name has not been released because of his age,

remains in a County juvenile detention facility.

Other factors are expected to complicate the case, including family members'

statements that the boy began taking Prozac shortly before the shooting.

Prozac is an antidepressant suspected of inducing suicidal or homicidal

thoughts.

The boy's grandparents, and Joanne Greene, of Columbia, S.C., are

suing the maker of Prozac, Eli Lilly and Co., in a Galveston court. They

contend that the company neglected to warn doctors and patients of the

medication's risks and potential side effects, especially in young patients.

During Lohstroh's bitter divorce from Deborah Geisler she alleged that

Lohstroh had sexually abused the boy.

Lohstroh, an emergency room doctor at the University of Texas Medical Branch

in Gal-veston, adamantly denied the charges. Two polygraph tests indicated

that he did not abuse his son, police said.

Social workers in and Galveston counties investigated the complaint

and took no action.

Parental Alienation Syndrome is one possible defense that attorneys could

present at the 10-year-old's trial, legal observers said.

A judge has barred attorneys and others directly involved in the case from

speaking publicly about the pending trial. No trial date has been set.

" Jurors are going to want to know what on Earth could possibly possess a

10-year-old boy to pull the trigger on his own dad, " said defense lawyer

Wice, who is familiar with the case. " The defense is going to have to

find somebody that the jury can hate more than this 10-year-old boy.

" And that role might be filled by the mom. "

Discussion of PAS began in 1985, when Dr. Gardner, a controversial

child psychiatrist from New Jersey, introduced the term.

Most mental health professionals do not believe PAS meets the formal

criteria for a syndrome, which is a cluster of symptoms with a single

underlying cause, Narrow said.

As a result, he said, it is not likely to gain acceptance as a formal

psychiatric disorder anytime soon.

" It's something like road rage, " he said. " Just because somebody thinks that

a syndrome is out there doesn't mean that, scientifically, it would meet the

criteria for a disorder. "

Psychiatrists usually are very conservative when adding disorders to their

official diagnostic manual, largely out of concern for how they may be used

in the courtroom, Narrow added.

" The APA is generally very cautious, " he said. " The potential for misuse is

very great. "

Nevertheless, some psychiatrists testify in court about the significance of

unofficial disorders such as PAS.

Judges and jurors in divorce or custody battles often consider allegations

of PAS, although it is not recognized by all psychiatrists, said Pamela

, a professor at Houston's South Texas College of Law.

" Judges take this sort of thing very seriously when they consider what is in

the best interests of the child, " she said.

" I have seen judges tell a mother, 'You have taken such incredible steps at

alienating the child, I am going to give the child to the father.' "

andrew.tilghman@...

PARENTAL ALIENATION SYNDROME

Although it has not been accepted as a true disorder, many parents and other

advocates say Parental Alienation Syndrome can be caused by actions such as:

.. Taking a side: Asking a child to choose one parent over the other.

.. Passing the blame: Telling a child that the other parent is responsible

for financial problems.

.. Collecting tidbits: Using a child to spy on or covertly gather information

about the other parent.

.. Causing a split: Cultivating secrets, special signals or words with

special meanings designed to alienate the other parent.

Source: Darnall, Ph.D, author of Divorce Casualties

[Guest guest]

Check this out, we now have a new disorder that can explain why a child

shoots his father while on Prozac. Wonder who the psychiatrist is advising

the family........

http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/metropolitan/2969257

Dec. 29, 2004, 1:39AM

Boy made into cause by group

Advocates say father's death a case of alienation syndrome

By ANDREW TILGHMAN

Copyright 2004 Houston Chronicle

A 10-year-old child accused of fatally shooting his father this summer has

become a national poster boy for a controversial and unofficial psychiatric

disorder: Parental Alienation Syndrome.

Parents and others seeking formal recognition of the so-called syndrome have

latched onto the death of 41-year-old Rick Lohstroh, who was killed on Aug.

27 outside his ex-wife's Katy home.

After a bitter divorce in 2003, Lohstroh was picking up his two sons for a

visit under a joint-custody agreement when the 10-year-old shot him from the

back seat of the car, police said.

Since then, advocates have pointed to Lohstroh's death to illustrate that

acrimonious divorces can prompt an angry parent to turn a child against

another parent.

" He's become a martyr for Parental Alienation Syndrome, " said Dr.

Narrow, who heads the American Psychiatric Association's research and

classification division, which determines whether disorders are formally

recognized as legitimate mental illnesses.

Parents and others have flooded Narrow's office with e-mails in recent

weeks, urging the APA to include Parental Alienation Syndrome in its

diagnostic manual, Narrow said.

Concern of fathers' group

While the syndrome has been cited in many divorce cases and custody battles

across the country, Lohstroh's case is the first in which advocates suggest

that PAS led to a death.

The emotional harm that embittered parents can inflict on a child is a

long-standing concern for fathers' rights groups, which frequently complain

that family courts unfairly favor women in cases of divorce, custody

disputes and child-support litigation.

" What happens in these PAS cases is so cruel and demented, " said Glenn

Sacks, the host of a nationally syndicated radio show called His Side, which

focuses on fathers' issues.

Lohstroh was the topic of one of Sacks' shows in November.

" This case is so shocking and over the top that, now, people are starting to

pay attention to Parental Alienation Syndrome, " Sacks said in a recent

interview.

Medication's side effects

Prosecutors have charged Lohstroh's son with murder in the juvenile justice

system. The boy, whose name has not been released because of his age,

remains in a County juvenile detention facility.

Other factors are expected to complicate the case, including family members'

statements that the boy began taking Prozac shortly before the shooting.

Prozac is an antidepressant suspected of inducing suicidal or homicidal

thoughts.

The boy's grandparents, and Joanne Greene, of Columbia, S.C., are

suing the maker of Prozac, Eli Lilly and Co., in a Galveston court. They

contend that the company neglected to warn doctors and patients of the

medication's risks and potential side effects, especially in young patients.

During Lohstroh's bitter divorce from Deborah Geisler she alleged that

Lohstroh had sexually abused the boy.

Lohstroh, an emergency room doctor at the University of Texas Medical Branch

in Gal-veston, adamantly denied the charges. Two polygraph tests indicated

that he did not abuse his son, police said.

Social workers in and Galveston counties investigated the complaint

and took no action.

Parental Alienation Syndrome is one possible defense that attorneys could

present at the 10-year-old's trial, legal observers said.

A judge has barred attorneys and others directly involved in the case from

speaking publicly about the pending trial. No trial date has been set.

" Jurors are going to want to know what on Earth could possibly possess a

10-year-old boy to pull the trigger on his own dad, " said defense lawyer

Wice, who is familiar with the case. " The defense is going to have to

find somebody that the jury can hate more than this 10-year-old boy.

" And that role might be filled by the mom. "

Discussion of PAS began in 1985, when Dr. Gardner, a controversial

child psychiatrist from New Jersey, introduced the term.

Most mental health professionals do not believe PAS meets the formal

criteria for a syndrome, which is a cluster of symptoms with a single

underlying cause, Narrow said.

As a result, he said, it is not likely to gain acceptance as a formal

psychiatric disorder anytime soon.

" It's something like road rage, " he said. " Just because somebody thinks that

a syndrome is out there doesn't mean that, scientifically, it would meet the

criteria for a disorder. "

Psychiatrists usually are very conservative when adding disorders to their

official diagnostic manual, largely out of concern for how they may be used

in the courtroom, Narrow added.

" The APA is generally very cautious, " he said. " The potential for misuse is

very great. "

Nevertheless, some psychiatrists testify in court about the significance of

unofficial disorders such as PAS.

Judges and jurors in divorce or custody battles often consider allegations

of PAS, although it is not recognized by all psychiatrists, said Pamela

, a professor at Houston's South Texas College of Law.

" Judges take this sort of thing very seriously when they consider what is in

the best interests of the child, " she said.

" I have seen judges tell a mother, 'You have taken such incredible steps at

alienating the child, I am going to give the child to the father.' "

andrew.tilghman@...

PARENTAL ALIENATION SYNDROME

Although it has not been accepted as a true disorder, many parents and other

advocates say Parental Alienation Syndrome can be caused by actions such as:

.. Taking a side: Asking a child to choose one parent over the other.

.. Passing the blame: Telling a child that the other parent is responsible

for financial problems.

.. Collecting tidbits: Using a child to spy on or covertly gather information

about the other parent.

.. Causing a split: Cultivating secrets, special signals or words with

special meanings designed to alienate the other parent.

Source: Darnall, Ph.D, author of Divorce Casualties