Statement of APA President in Response to Florida Shooting

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APA President Jessica Henderson Daniel has released a statement on the recent school shooting in Florida emphasizing the lack of correlation between gun violence and mental health.

“While law enforcement is still piecing together the shooter’s motives, some public figures and news reports are focusing on his mental health. It is important to remember that only a very small percentage of violent acts are committed by people who are diagnosed with, or in treatment for, mental illness. Framing the conversation about gun violence in the context of mental illness does a disservice to the victims of violence and unfairly stigmatizes the many others with mental illness. More important, it does not direct us to appropriate solutions to this public health crisis.”

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8 COMMENTS

  2. I am kind of amazed that the media has avoided the obvious major causal factor in this mass murder: racism and hatred, promoted and supported by a white supremacist militia this young shooter belonged to. Why do we need to go to the “mental health” argument when white supremacy appears to be the clear motivation? If the guy were Latino, we’d be shouting about illegal immigration. If he were Muslim, we’d be shouting “terrorism” from the highest buildings. But he’s a white supremacist, so he must be “mentally ill?” Help me understand this!

    I am also wondering if he was being “treated” with benzos or SSRIs, but we’ll have to wait for more data on that point.

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    • I read somewhere that he was on significant doses of “medications”, so they’re likely the cause of this massacre.

      What got me about the APA statement, though, was that it was basically a promo, and touting for business.

      Call me cynical, but f they’re so concerned, why have they helped the military in the development of torture techniques and why aren’t they very actively campaigning against psychiatric drugging?

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  3. The fear or threat of violence is a way for APA members to drum up business. This is what this statement says to me.

    “Mental illness” itself is a metaphor, that is, not illness at all.

    So when “mental health” becomes the solution to school violence, that matter is being resolved through scapegoating, the traditional scapegoat being the “mental patient” or mad person. It’s like blaming bad things on Jews, blacks, Arabs, witches, or you name it. While it is ‘politically incorrect’ in today’s world to blame those other groups, it’s still considered very ‘politically correct’ to blame violence and so forth on “mental illness”.

    Two words, ‘insanity defense’. E. Fuller Torrey wrote a book titled, The Insanity Offense. When the perpetrator of a crime is seen as “insane”, the perpetrator is not seen as a moral agent. It is his “illness”, his “lack of agency”, that is said to be “responsible”. Problem is, this exoneration of criminals condemns everybody in the “mental health” system by association.

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  4. Neuropsychiatric prescription drug toxicity is NOT “Mental Illness”. Nor is Akathisia, nor akathisia induced violence.

    Without documenting precisely, every detail of the timing, dose-changes, drug discontinuations and drug introductions, and correlating the drug timeline with changes in thinking, changes in emotions and in behaviours (which are associated with distress, and with problems functioning in social, working, family and other activities) none of these devastating school shootings can ever be adequately investigated.

    How can there be any hope of learning and any hope of prevention when the so-called “investigation” denies the opportunity to assess to what degree prescription drug induced violence may have contributed or caused such incomprehensible suffering and such overwhelming, terrible loss?.

    TRM 123. Retired Consultant Physician.

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  5. Let’s see- some media reports suggest this young man was labelled with a mild form of autism and ADHD and had sought “help” for issues he was having a year b4 the shooting. He was also “on the small side”.
    I may be wrong, but bet he was medicated early with anti-psychotics and ADHD drugs that stunted his growth and drove his violent behavior.

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  6. THE UK DAILY MAIL

    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5401023/What-mental-health-treatment-did-Nikolas-Cruz-receive.html

    “….Some prescription medications used to treat depression or psychosis have a side effect of causing murderous thoughts, but it’s unclear if Cruz was taking any drugs at the time or what they were. …”

    “…..XANAX – used to treat anxiety and panic disorders

    ABILIFY – used to treat schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, depression, and Tourette syndrome. It can also treat irritability associated with autism.

    PAXIL – used to treat depression, anxiety disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD).

    ALPHRAZOLAM – used to treat anxiety and panic disorder

    PAROXETINE – used to treat depression, anxiety disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD).

    ARIPIPRAZOLE – used to treat schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, depression, and Tourette syndrome. It can also treat irritability associated with autism…..”

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