Re: Kenosha Wi Parents Union getting opposition from school re Teen Screen

December 19, 2006

, could you please forward this to the Social worker?

Thanks .

Steph

I read your letter and feel compelled to write to you, even though I

live in Ireland, and strictly speaking, some would feel it's not my

business.There is however internationally an epidemic of prescribing

SSRI's, and any attempt to increase this through which ever means

deeply concerns me...

You see in May 2003 my 18 year old daughter committed suicide after 17

days on Paxil..

I therefore am all too familiar with the pain caused by such an event

and everything else you described in your very moving letter .So are

many of the other members of our group. It is my duty to inform you of

the other side of the coin. You could read more about Sharise's story

and other's at:

www.sharisegatchell.com

http://www.antidepressantsfacts.com/Kara-12-paxil.htm

http://www.searchthetube.com/index.php?q=SSRIGUY & t=user

When a community loses someone due to a suicide, there will always be

a ripple effect. Even when we lose someone through a natural death or

an accident there will always be some level of personal guilt

involved. " Why did I allow my child to ride that bike, catch that

plane, visit that friend.. " Understandably in the case of suicide

severe feelings of guilt, whether realistic or unrealistic will be

experienced by virtually everyone who knows that person. " Why didn't I

see this coming? " Why didn't I invite that person? Why didn't I make

time for him/her? Why ,why, why... " all the " if only's " are enough

reason already to deeply depress everyone involved.This is an added

burden to the deep feelings of pain,intense shock and loss already

experienced at the time.Teenagers are already emotionally vulnerable

and overloaded to begin with. I can therefore imagine that in a close

school community these emotions can spread rapidly and very few will

be left unaffected.

I saw this with my daughter's friends.Three and a half years later and

they're still battling along.The closest ones especially. Within a

short period almost all of them were on anti-depressants

themselves!Alcohol consumption reached dangerous levels. This scared

me half to death. At least two were seriously suicidal themselves.

Most of them have now been weaned off their anti-depressants and have

been receiving counselling. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy has been a

life saver for one in particular.I cannot stress this point

enough.When kids are in pain they need someone to talk to! They need a

sympathetic ,impartial, unjudgemental ear, they need to offload the

garbage they carry with them. THEY DON'T NEED DRUGS! They don't need

their emotions blunted and be turned into zombies. They need to deal

with these emotions and pain..there is no easy way out! It's called

being alive!

You cannot file away your pain in File 13 and hope it'll go away.

It'll remain there forever,slowly consuming you from the inside. They

need to be shown that most of their guilt and thoughts are without any

merit, totally overblown and out of proportion in their minds, and a

waste of life.Most don't realize that every single person who knew the

victim will feel some degree of guilt.Not only themselves as they

often assume. Ironically the person who suicided did so because of

ridiculous , unrealistic ideas as it is...and so the vicious cycle

continues...

They now have returned to uni which I'm very pleased about as there

was a time when they all seemed to totally lack direction and motivation.

If Teen Screen was serious about helping kids, the focus would be on

training and employing Counsellors, Cognitive Behavioural Therapists

and Hypnotists to deal with self esteem issues, which plays an

enormous part in teen's problems.

The focus would be on nutrition which plays an enormous role in our

mental health. There isn't a single function in the body that can take

place without the proper minerals in place.

Omega 3's etc have been proven to do wonders for mental health.

Teenagers are especially at risk at a time when there is a spurt in

growth and the demand on the body is enormous. Ironically this is a

time when nutrition levels are often at its lowest due to the nature

of being a teen. They tend to practically live on junk food, skip

meals and avoid anything healthy at a time when they need to nourish

the body more than ever. Causing unneccessary problems .

Until society as a whole moves away from the idea that one can survive

on rubbish we will not see the end of our ever increasing mental

health problems.Good nutrition should start in the womb and be

continued through childhood. Schools can do a lot by getting rid of

vending machines and by selling rubbish in schools. I live in Ireland

but I believe that there has been a decision to remove sweetened

softdrink vending machines and only allowing diet drinks at schools in

the US.Please forgive me if I'm mistaken, but if this is the case you

are heading for even more health problems. Aspartame can cause havoc

in the body and was originally developed as an ant poison! There is

more than enough info available on the internet regarding the dangers

of this poison. Children should be educated about what they drink, the

sugarless gum they chew . Quite frankly these shouldn't be on the

market at all!

Apartame will only add to the diabetes epidemic already existing in

the Western world. Neither should the food additives like MSG etc. All

of these are toxic to the brain and children are especially vulnerable

to their effects.

All people that are concerned about children's mental health and

health in general should campaign tirelessly to have these removed

from our shelves everywhere!

Not to add MORE brain destroying toxins to their already overloaded

systems by adding anti-depressants and stimulants!!The list of side

effects and harm that these drugs cause, EXCLUDING suicidal ideation

is endless! Some we don't even know about yet.Addiction, birth

defects, Tardive dyskinesia, peripheral neuropathy,

diabetes,ETC.ETC.ETC.The list goes on and on, in fact the more I find

out, the more I realize that there is hardly a part of the body that

is NOT affected or damaged by SSRI use...our objections is NOT only

because of the suicide risk! Far from it! What about the long term

effects on the body? Especially the brain.What are we without proper

brainfunction? Nothing. No long term studies have been done!To argue

that these drugs are intended as short term solutions to help people

through difficult periods is totally unrealistic. Go and look at the

petitions regarding SSRI's on the internet and you will be shocked toe

find literally THOUSANDS are battling to withdraw, and the struggle

many had to get through that, without killing themselves in the

process is mindblowing to say the least!I know someone who has been

struggling for 16 years to quit! There isn't much point in warning

kids about street drugs on the one hand and offering them 'legal'

drugs on the other. WHAT EXACTLY IS THE DIFFERENCE?

I cannot speak for the Anti-TeenScreen Group as I'm not a member and

not even a US citizen, but what I can tell you as a grieving mother

who has lost her precious daughter due to her own ignorance at the

time, is that anti-depressants is not the solution they're made out to

be !!!.In fact the whole " restoring the serotonin balance " idea is

brilliant marketing and not based on solid science. In short, Big

PHARMA IS LYING!! We've all been deceived and I'm writing this in the

hope that I can spare you more sadness in your school, not to mention

the other longterm problems that'll be inevitable if the 'medication'

route is followed. It is clear to me that your intentions are sincere.

That you're genuinely concerned about your kids.

I'm afraid that Teen Screen is not the answer.The questionaires are

ridiculous. I don't think there is a soul on this planet who didn't at

some point feel like ending it all, for whatever reason. We ALL have

at least one reason to kill ourselves. ALL OF US. But we don't act on

it.Mind altering drugs, alcohol, etc remove that inbuilt

selfprotection mechanism...There are enough stories to prove what I'm

saying to fill endless volumes. The survival instinct is strong enough

to keep us from acting on these impulses, which usually are temporary

anyway. You win the lottery tomorrow you'll see everything in a

differnt light!Should we all then be medicated???It is absolutely

LUDRICOUS.

Every single problem these suicidal kids have in common that you

mention can be treated with the talk therapies , proper nutrition and

exercise, not forgetting adequate sunlight exposure.Why do most

suicides statistically occur during early Spring?

I'm sorry to say but I have serious doubts that Teen Screen is not at

least funded indirectly by Big Pharma..Most of those in charge seem to

have ties to drug companies ..How come such a high percentage of

pupils end up on 'medication' afterwards? Where are the funds coming

from? The Government? It is common knowledge that Bush owes Big

Pharma for election support in the past, and these debts are being

collected.Please be careful not to have blind trust in so-called

highly reputable organizations etc. For when one starts scratching

just a little bit on the surface of these seemingly impeccable

institutions you're often not very far from uncovering a cosy

relationship with Big Pharma. This could be in the form of funding,

personal fees, providing facilities, ghost writing scientific papers,

put bluntly, nobody bites the hands that feeds them. A fine example of

this is the FDA self...the institution that is meant to protect the

public is far more concerned with keeping their beneficiaries happy.

That is how far Big Pharma's influence have spread.

I totally understand your concerns. I even understand your motivation

to follow through with the screening. Most people in your situation

will come to the same conclusions with the limited amount of

information at their disposal. I'm however begging you to reconsider.

Unless you can guarantee that these kids will end up having

counselling and not medication, and that is totally

unrealistic..judging from past experiences.

Wishing you the best in your efforts in keeping our precious children

safe.

Steph Gatchell

>

> Kenosha is experiencing a children's public health crisis. To put this

> into a reality perspective ( & please excuse my candor), our children

> are choosing death by choking themselves, hanging themselves, shooting

> themselves, overdosing on multiple drugs and alcohol, and crashing

> their automobiles into other automobiles.

>

> Since 1999, and consistent with the national experience, the majority

> of Kenosha youth suicides involve:

>

> a previous history of mental illness, including depression

> a previous suicide attempt

> a history of trauma

> loss of a loved one

> alcohol and/or drug abuse

> lack of a support network, poor relationships, and feelings of social

> isolation

> In addition to youth suicide, Kenosha Unified School District students

> have also experienced higher levels of teen depression, almost double

> those of state and national averages.

>

> Schools have always played a critical and legally supported role in

> youth suicide prevention. Our state legislature recognizes that school

> staff may be able to identify and help children with depressive

> symptoms and suicidal tendencies long before family and friends become

> aware of the seriousness of the child's condition. As such, Wisconsin

> Law and KUSD Board Policy requires public school districts to deliver

> suicide prevention programming. Wisconsin Law also protects us from

> liability when " good faith " efforts to prevent youth suicide take place.

>

> In developing our suicide prevention initiatives, we've been listening

> to parents and the community agencies and organizations that families

> routinely turn to when confronted with their children's emotional

> pain. We've sponsored parent education sessions, " chat-n-chews " , and

> have had numerous individual parent and community contacts that led us

> to additional suicide prevention programming, including Teen Screen.

> Our grass-roots partners, Congregations United to Serve Humanity, and

> National Association for the Mentally Ill, have been unwavering in

> their support for additional services to our most emotionally

> vulnerable youth. Kenosha Unified deeply appreciates their valuable

> support in reaching out to the wider community.

>

> The District also played a vital role in the formation of the County

> Division of Health Suicide Prevention Committee. Since January 2005,

> on a monthly basis, 35 + human service agencies, legal officials,

> hospitals, advocacy groups, local mental health practitioners, and

> parents of children who have died by suicide meet to plan and

> ultimately implement scientifically-based, long range solutions to our

> youth suicide pattern. At the present time, this active committee is

> openly discussing gaps in services to potentially suicidal youth and

> how to build more capacity to address children's intensive mental

> health needs. Parents and community members are always welcome to

attend.

>

> When a teen dies by suicide, everyone is affected. Family members,

> friends, teammates, neighbors, and sometimes even those who didn't

> know the person well may experience feelings of grief, confusion,

> guilt - and the sense that if only we had done something differently,

> the suicide could have been prevented. Please know that school staff

> hurt as well. Our counselors, social workers, and psychologists are

> likely the most highly trained in providing trauma response services

> in the state. These Master's Level Certified Student Services staff

> spend numerous hours consulting with parents about child and family

> issues, and are always available to address parent/child needs.

>

> As you can see from the above, Teen Screen represents but one part of

> a comprehensive school-community suicide prevention effort. Contrary

> to your points in your emails, and the anti-Teen Screen Daily Kenoshan

> articles that you appear to have replicated from other anti-Teen

> Screen national websites:

>

> 1. Participation in Teen Screen is voluntary. KUSD was never planning

> on imposing Teen Screen on students or families. Active (a parent

> signed form) permission, per federal requirements, will be utilized.

>

> 2. Teen Screen is a screening program only and does not involve

> treatment or medication. Parents are always in charge of whether or

> not to follow-up on recommendations made by the outpatient mental

> health provider volunteering his/her time to care for the emotional

> needs of our students.

>

> 3. Teen Screen is not funded by pharmaceutical companies.

>

> Teen Screen is evidence-based and recommended by reputable, highly

> valued, health and medical organizations, including the Academy of

> Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, American Association for Marriage and

> Family Therapy, American Psychiatric Association, American

> Psychological Association, CHADD, NAMI, National Association of

> Nurses, National Association of School Psychologists, National Mental

> Health Association, and the School Social Worker Association of

> America. I have also attached a letter from the Department of Public

> Instruction, The Report of the President's New Freedom Commission on

> Mental Health, and the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention

> Evaluation of Teen Screen for objective program information. All

> recommend mental health screening to prevent suicide.

>

> As I reviewed the research information you provided in other emails, I

> noted the following:

>

> your referenced organizations & materials are anti-public education

> your referenced organizations & materials are anti-mental health

> your referenced organizations & materials are anti-medication for

> mental health needs

> your referenced organizations & materials present fear-based

> MIS-information to alarm parents

> the only two sites I consider to be unbiased (The Association of

> American Physicians and Surgeons, Inc. and the National Institute of

> Mental Health) actually promote suicide prevention screening with

> active parent permission

> your referenced research, particularly the work completed by the

> Citizens Commission on Human Rights, is funded & founded by the Church

> of Scientology, which promotes the biased agendas noted above

> Given the community's tragic loss of 7 children to suicide in the past

> 15 months, Board and State requirements to deliver suicide prevention

> programming, and connections to wider community efforts to build more

> hope for our children's future, significant research has gone into

> providing the best practices to enhance youth resourcefulness and

> connectedness to families and schools. Teen Screen is one vital

> element in a comprehensive prevention program aimed at identifying

> children at-risk of suicide. The district would be remiss if we failed

> to utilize the best possible programming to reduce our suicide pattern.

>

> In conclusion, as a parent of a child who died by suicide heartfully

> asked me: " Even if you were opposed to Teen Screen, why would you want

> to take aware the opportunity to save someone else's child's life? " .

>

> As always, I am available to meet with you or other KPU

> representatives for further discussion.

>

December 19, 2006