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"We are facing a massive mental health problem as a result of our wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. As a country we have not responded adequately to the problem. Unless we act urgently and wisely, we will be dealing with an epidemic of service related psychological wounds for years to come." - Bobby Muller, President Veterans for America
"The multiple nature of it [multiple tours and longer deployments] is unprecedented. People just get blasted and blasted and blasted." - Maj. Connie Johnmeyer, 332nd Medical GroupAccording to official Defense Department (DOD) figures, 332,000 soldiers have suffered brain injuries since 2000, although most independent experts estimate that the number is over 400,000. Many of these are mild traumatic brain injuries (mTBI), a term that is profoundly misleading.
"... 661,000 prescriptions are dished out annually in Britain to treat childhood ADHD - double the figure of five years ago. These medicines are being given to very young children - one aged just 15 months ... despite official guidelines from the manufacturer and the fact that the UK's National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) prohibits their use for those under six."In the New York Times article linked below, internist Danielle Ofri also talks about the effects of depression. Her childhood friend Michael killed himself during his sophomore year of college. And just two weeks before writing the article, she called one of her patients to reschedule an appointment, and was told that the patient had been found dead in his apartment, most likely a suicide.
Many legislators in Congress still do not get it! The largest contributing factor in the outrageous cost of prescription drugs is advertising and promotion, estimated to be about 37% of the price we pay for those drugs. More money is spent on lobbying, advertising and promotion by the pharmaceutical industry than is spent on research and development.
"The women on pills preferred men with similar MHC genes. Studies indicate that, 'women consider the olfactory domain to be an important factor in their assessment of potential partners.' Thus, due to serious alterations in odor preference, the use of oral pills could influence partner choice."
Comment: To learn more about The Over-Prescribing of Psychoactive Drugs to Children: A Scourge of Our Times read the following articles:
UK: 3,000 children were given unlicensed anti-psychotic drugs despite safety fears
"I think in 10 years time we will ask ourselves what we were thinking giving these children amphetamines."
Prescriptions for teens and young adults on the rise
More Children on Drugs Than Ever: Chronic Prescriptions Increase Dramatically
Drugs for ADHD 'not the answer'
SSRI's Prescribed for Autistic Children Make them Worse