Breggin article-does it never end!

[Dizfriz]

A warning, hold your nose while reading this article by Peter Breggin.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-pet..._b_788900.html

I do not read the Huffington post generally but I thought it was creditable at least to some extent. After reading this article, I looked them up on wiki and they apparently have gotten a lot of criticism over this type of thing before. Wiki reports

The Huffington Post has been criticized by several science bloggers, as well as online news sources, for including articles by supporters of complementary and alternative medicine and anti-vaccine activists and censoring rebuttals written by science bloggers before publishing.

They now have posted a typical Breggin article. What shocks me more than that is that they did not allow comments and their "What is your reaction" section does not allow any negative responses. They also described him as "Reform Psychiatrist"

The article was as bad as most of Breggin's screeds. As to my thoughts, the forum rules do not allow me to express them.

This is why I think so many such as Robert, Barkley, myself and many others fight so hard to get accurate information on ADHD out there. This is the battle and it never seems to end. It can get frustrating when something like this happens.

You can be sure we will be seeing repercussions from this on the forum and other places.

Dizfriz

[dsvlil1]

Nup, too stinky for me to read to the end.
Thanks Dizfriz.

[Amtram]

You'll note, of course, that comments are closed for this article. . .

[Fortune]

My hate was cemented here:

Two principles are self-evident: First, convincing children that they have "something wrong" in their heads such as genetically crossed wires or biochemical imbalances is the surest way to rob them of self-esteem, personal responsibility, self-mastery and the hope of an unlimited future. Second, convincing children that they have a psychiatric diagnosis or treating them as if they have one and teaching them to rely on psychiatric drugs is a prescription for their becoming lifelong mental patients.

The fact that I wasn't diagnosed meant not ever knowing what my limits were, exceeding them, and suffering the consequences. Not being able to even attribute the consequences to what they were.

[Abi]

This is SO F++KING disgusting and I'm not in the best of moods so I'm not saying anything other than if I met the man face to face I would HURT him.

[ginniebean]

I've read breggin before and I'm going to save my gag reflex for something a little less predictable. Nothing we can do about this sort of thing, arianna huffington is pushing pseudo science and unfortunately there will be backlash but then there always has been.

[Fortune]

Well, being disgusted by his writing is part of my unlimited future, you know?

I'd never read it before.

[cantakeitnemore]

What if he's right ?
Or maybe he has adhd himself

[Dizfriz]

Originally Posted by cantakeitnemore

What if he's right ?
Or maybe he has adhd himself

Breggin is well known as a shill for Scientology and his stuff has been repudiated many times.. He used to testify in court cases (this apparently was a good part of his income) but now he is usually no longer recognized as a expert witness by the courts.

Right now, any reputable news source to give his views space especially without allowing rebuttals from scientists, is simply being irresponsible.

Basically Breggin is full of it and has almost no credibility among knowledgeable people.

So not only is he not right, he is so far off the deep end that he is not even wrong. He seems to be marching to the beat of an absent drummer so to speak.

He is one of the problems we have to deal with while trying to get people to recognize ADHD for what is is, a legitimate disorder.

It was an interesting question, thanks for posting it.

Dizfriz

[Fortune]

Right about what? I think there's science that refutes his claims with evidence.

Having ADHD wouldn't make his arguments more valid.

[Scooter77]

How can that rubbish be published? As a parent and person with ADHD/Aspergers I'm amazed and disgusted.
That *crap* is why people react so badly to childhood disorders.
What is wrong with our society?
ohhh that makes me mad....

[βĩο₱Ħعℓĩᶏ]

That is disconcerting... I wouldnt be so afraid and angry if I believed most people are critical and independent thinkers.

[ginniebean]

This stuff is all over the net, there are a number of people who use their credentials to prop up their opinions. They haven't actually ever worked with people who have adhd.

These people have worked hard and have orchestrated a campaign against ADHD, because it's something that many have trouble understanding.

The two camps are the scientologists who believe that all mental illness is caused by bad guys who were blown up in a volcano millions of years ago, who's spirits possess people and allyou really need to do is spend hundreds of thousands of dollars so they can get rid of them for you. There aim is not to just discredit ADHD they deny all mental illness.

These people will not identify themselves as scientologists and will pose as 'concerned parents', or even children who 'had' adhd and were 'forced' to take meds. Anytime adhd is brought up they will look for opportunities to write discriditing information in the comments section, their comments appeal to 'common sense' and write the symptoms (which everyone experiences at some time) in a way that minimizes or even distort them. They make reference to science but will only cherry pick or distort the findings of research. This is not simply a case of mis-information being spread this is an orchestrated propaganda campaign.


The other group that does pretty much the exact same thing, are a faction of libertarianism. These too are mental illness deniers mainly because mental illness inconveniences thier ideology. So if the fact doesn't fit, shave the facts regardless of how they get distorted in order to 'make' them fit.

The libertarians use certain buzzwords and very much care to cast any and every mental condition as a product of moral laxity. There is some irony here as libertarianism is amoral to begin with. At the same time they make use of rhetorical devices that they hope will invoke an opposite polarity in the minds of those they care to preach at. For instance, they use words like, liberty, personal responsibility, moral, and several others along these lines.


The use of such devices is dishonest and calculated for effect. It gives them a handy method to obfuscate the conversation and in many cases control it. If you're doing something for the same of freedom, then clearly this should not be argued against? The dichotomy of personal responsibility and being an irresponsible leech or slacker sets up a false argument that obscures the real issues. Again, the same thing with using moral arguments as even they could not discuss any common social values without coming into conflict with their ideology.

These two groups have put out countless websites with inaccurate information and do look for opportunities whether it be an article or a discussion forum to promote their propaganda.


There is a third group but it's not so much any ideology except making money. The snake oilers want to see a product, and there's billions to be made in alternative medicine. The tried and true formula is to create suspicion in the minds of the target consumer group over the medication and the expertise of physicians whom they will categorize in fairly negative ways.

[crackerbelly]

Actually I am a regular user of Huffingtonpost but this just put them in the suspicious column for me. It bothered me so much that I just tweeted the following:

Why are comments closed @huffingtonpost ? Nothing about 'how' or 'why' to close comments in FAQ. Censorship? http://huff.to/e1Mzfd #fail

Believe me, they monitor this twitter alias. Feel free to re-tweet me (@markshea) or roll your own.

[Amtram]

Originally Posted by crackerbelly

Actually I am a regular user of Huffingtonpost but this just put them in the suspicious column for me. It bothered me so much that I just tweeted the following:

HuffPo has been on my quack radar for a while. It's too bad, because there's some pretty interesting stuff there, even some good information. However, the blogging staff is full of woo-meisters, so you have to hone your critical thinking skills before you read it.