Author Archives: cchrstl

Missouri’s Fiscal Year 2013 Operating Budget

Posted on August 1, 2012 by cchrstl

Missouri’s Fiscal Year 2013 Operating Budget By the numbers: Income General Revenue $8,013,837,330 Federal Funds $7,905,327,402 Other Funds $8,112,490,994 Total available income after refunds $24,031,655,726 Where it goes Missouri Department of Mental Health gets 5.8 cents out of each budget … Continue reading →

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Aurora shooter was a psychiatric patient

Posted on July 28, 2012 by cchrstl

Colorado shooting bombshell: Defense says suspect was psychiatric patient Exposed by The Christian Science Monitor Information on the Aurora, Colorado shooting suspect, James E. Holmes, was in a defense motion submitted to the judge in which it accused the prosecution … Continue reading →

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The Aurora Colorado Tragedy

Posted on July 21, 2012 by cchrstl

The Aurora Colorado Tragedy – Another Senseless Shooting, Another Psychotropic Drug? We are horrified, saddened and shocked over the Aurora, Colorado movie theater shooting that has left 12 dead and dozens more wounded (see full story here). As the world’s … Continue reading →

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False Memory Syndrome

Posted on July 19, 2012 by cchrstl

Both the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and the St. Louis Riverfront Times this week carried stories about possible shenanigans at Castlewood Treatment Center, a private St. Louis facility specializing in the treatment of “eating issues involving post-traumatic stress often caused by … Continue reading →

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Mary Richardson Kennedy’s Suicide

Posted on July 8, 2012 by cchrstl

The estranged wife of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had three antidepressants but no alcohol in her system when she hanged herself in May, according to an autopsy report released Friday, July 6, 2012. Mary Richardson Kennedy, 52, had trazodone, venlafaxine … Continue reading →

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Settlements and Lawsuits Galore

Posted on July 7, 2012 by cchrstl

We’ve mentioned the GlaxoSmithKline settlement this past week where GSK will pay a $3 billion fine, the largest health-care fraud settlement in U.S. history (to date) for illegally marketing psychiatric drugs Wellbutrin and Paxil for off-label use, and making false … Continue reading →

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Knacking

Posted on July 4, 2012 by cchrstl

Recently I read this marvelous wordsmithing in the book Kraken by China Miéville: “You have to persuade the universe that things make sense a certain way. That’s what knacking is.” So, having a knack for something means, in this sense, … Continue reading →

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The Florida Baker Act

Posted on June 24, 2012 by cchrstl

The Florida Mental Health Act, commonly known as the “Baker Act,” is a Florida statute allowing for involuntary “examination” (otherwise known as involuntary commitment) of an individual. It can be initiated by a court, law enforcement officer, physician, clinical psychologist, … Continue reading →

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Prenatal Antipsychotic Exposure

Posted on June 17, 2012 by cchrstl

“Prenatal Antipsychotic Exposure” refers to the harm done to a child in the womb when a pregnant mother takes antipsychotic drugs. Apparently this is a relatively common occurrence. There has been a 170% increase over the last decade in antipsychotic use … Continue reading →

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Risky Rise of the Good-Grade Pill

Posted on June 14, 2012 by cchrstl

A June 9th article in The New York Times describes the rising number of high school students who are abusing ADHD drugs. “At high schools across the United States, pressure over grades and competition for college admissions are encouraging students … Continue reading →

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