The APA Tries to Script the Press on Mental Illness

Republished with permission from AbleChild.

The American Psychiatric Association (APA), the premier mental health organization in America, whines on its website that “headlines about mental health too often focus on rare, sensational cases that lead to violence or death.” The APA then proceeds to provide “useful tips” so the media can accurately cover mental illness. What a great idea, but has anyone noticed that the status of anyone’s mental health is the last thing made public, if ever, and the APA never calls for mental illness transparency for any perpetrator?

Moreover, one might also wonder why any reporter would cover mental illness unless there was a reason to do so, like a mass killing or that violence thing?  Obviously, it’s fair to say that the public may benefit from knowing which deadly perpetrators have a mental illness background and what “treatment” had been provided. Having this information would enlighten the public to the number of perpetrators who have been diagnosed with mental illness and also what psychiatric drug “treatments” show up on a regular basis by those committing deadly violence.

In short, this mental illness information may actually reflect patterns in diagnoses among perpetrators and apparent failed drug “treatments.” For example, in March of 2023 28-year old Audrey Hale killed six people at the Covenant School in Nashville, Tennessee. Only after first reporting that Hale had no mental health background, was it finally made public that Hale had been a mental health patient at Vanderbilt University Hospital since the age of seven.

Hale’s possible mental illnesses, like depression, anxiety, bi-polar or schizophrenia, have not been made public. And her apparent life-long drug “treatments” have been withheld from the public. The twenty years of drug “treatments” would be an eye-opener for sure so why hasn’t the APA jumped into Hale’s case requesting that the public be given all the information so that information “can increase awareness and reduce stigma around these conditions?”

Naturally, the APA might not want the public to know that Hale, for example, had been put on cocktails of prescribed psychiatric drugs that other mass killers may also have been prescribed. That kind of information, the APA may surmise, would lead to suggestions that the psychiatric mind-altering drugs may be implicated in the deadly actions. And, of course, this kind of correlation is not conducive to convincing others to take the mind-altering “treatments.”

However, the APA has been good enough to list some helpful questions that reporters should ask when reporting on mental health conditions. First, the APA asks “is mental illness relevant to this story?” Well, in the case of Audrey Hale, twenty years of mental health “treatment” seems pretty relevant. Then the APA suggests reporters should not “rely on hearsay to report that a person has a mental illness” and if reporting on a specific condition, “make sure you are talking to a mental health professional to provide the facts.”

Indeed. A mental health professional can provide the facts, but do they? For example, a recent article in the on-line DailyMail.com highlighted the health difficulties of a young woman who took the ADHD drugs Adderall and Ritalin without a prescription, having never been diagnosed with ADHD.

The writer explains that the drugs “for people with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), they can be valuable medical tools as they simply replenish depleted levels of chemicals in the brain that help patients concentrate.”  The writer further explains that “for those who don’t have the disorder, they overstimulate the brain with pleasure hormones, leading to performance-enhancing effects and an addictive euphoric ‘high’ that can prove dangerous.”

Clearly, the author of this article would have benefited from information and guidance provided by a mental health professional, as it’s clear that the write hasn’t a clue about mental health diagnosing or psychiatric drugs.

First, ADHD drugs DO NOT “replenish depleted levels of chemicals in the brain that help patients concentrate.” “Concentration” chemicals? Surely the APA’s mental health professional would have called this out, as the professional would explain that there is no test known to man that will measure any chemicals in the human brain, least of all the alleged “concentration” chemicals. But of course, the mental health professionals that the APA suggests are the go-to experts never call out this misinformation. Never.

But let’s move along. The writer of the article further states “for those who don’t have the disorder, they (drugs) overstimulate the brain with pleasure hormones, leading to performance-enhancing effects and an addictive euphoric ‘high’ …”

Clearly the APA’s mental health professional would have schooled the writer that there is no known abnormality in the brain that is ADHD. The alleged abnormality doesn’t exist. And the APA professional further would have advised the writer that the extremely addictive mind-altering ADHD drug’s effect does not delineate between those who have been diagnosed with the alleged ADHD and those who do not have the alleged ADHD.

Further, the makers of the ADHD drugs, Adderall, Ritalin and Vyvanse, explain that “the action in man is not completely understood…there is neither specific evidence which clearly establishes the mechanism whereby Ritalin produces its mental and behavioral effects.”

In short, the pharmaceutical companies have no idea how the ADHD drugs “work” in the brain as a “treatment.” For the writer to suggest that the drug will affect a non-diagnosed person differently from a diagnosed person is ridiculous on its face and, hence, the illegal use of the ADHD drugs which are snorted like cocaine.

While it is reassuring to know that the APA is available to assist when it comes to reporting on mental illness, it would be much more helpful if the APA used its considerable leverage to directly provide the public with honest information about mental illness.

For example, the APA could use its website to explain that there is no objective, confirmable abnormality that is any alleged mental disorder. That all of the mental disorders listed in its Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM-V) are voted into existence by a show of hands, not peer-reviewed scientific data of brain disorders. And the APA could devote space on its website to reiterate that none of the psychotropic drugs prescribed to “treat” the alleged mental illnesses don’t “treat” any known abnormality.

The above information, along with the APA’s assistance in having mental illness data released to the public, would go a long way in providing accurate information about mental illness to the public. AbleChild will take the APA at its word and accept that the premier mental health organization would like to get accurate information to the public. For starters we’ll await the changes to the APA’s website. Afterall, accuracy in mental health matters.

Be the Voice for the Voiceless

AbleChild is a 501(3) C nonprofit organization that has recently co-written landmark legislation in Tennessee, setting a national precedent for transparency and accountability in the intersection of mental health, pharmaceutical practices, and public safety.

What you can do.  Sign the Petition calling for federal hearings!

Donate! Every dollar you give is a powerful statement, a resounding declaration that the struggles of these families will no longer be ignored. Your generosity today will echo through generations, ensuring that the rights and well-being of children are fiercely guarded. Don’t let another family navigate this journey alone. Donate now and join us in creating a world where every child’s mind is nurtured, respected, and given the opportunity to thrive.  As a 501(c)3 organization, your donation to AbleChild is not only an investment in the well-being of vulnerable children but also a tax-deductible contribution to a cause that transcends individual lives.