Crew,
If you're not familiar with the term "stigma", clear
it up. You're going to be hearing a lot more of it.
It means "A mark of shame or discredit" and it has
several other meanings found in a good dictionary. The
psychs are using this term as a trick to get more
people to accept their labeling and drugs. The way
they use it is very deceptive and suppressive. Psych
groups talk about erasing "stigma" from mental
illness, so it's "ok" to admit that you have a
permanent, incurable brain disease. Of course it isn't
true that they have a brain disease; it's a scam.
The way they use it is a little closer to one of its
other dictionary meanings: "A mark burned into the
skin of a criminal or slave; a brand".
The psychs totally created the stigma by claiming that
unwanted feelings and behaviors are indications of
"mental illness". Now they want it to be hidden, so
that more people will willingly become psych slaves.
Without psychiatry, such conditions would be
considered "life" and someone who suffered those
symptoms would seek out viable solutions like true
medical care, nutrition, detox, and increased
spiritual awareness. But the psychs don't want that.
The psychs want everyone to accept their marketing
line that all these behaviors and feelings indicate
"mental diseases" and the only hope is a psych pill,
electric shock through the brain, etc.
Now, the assignment:
1. Read this article:

n/Mental.Illness.Is.Nothing.To.Be.Ashamed.Of-1923243.shtml?norewrite20060510
0716&sourcedomain=www.thespartandaily.com
(text at bottom)
2. Write a letter to the editor by clicking:

You can write anything you want.
3. Report compliance by email.
Best,
Doyle
________________________
ARTICLE TEXT:
Mental illness is nothing to be ashamed of
Erin Out the Details
By Erin Caballero
Date: 5/9/06 Section: Opinion
For this entire semester, I have been debating with
myself as to whether I should write this particular
column - opening up like this could potentially lead
to ridicule, contempt and scorn from colleagues,
professors and peers. It could ruin my journalism
career, because future employers may automatically
assume that I'm too unstable and too much of a
liability to be considered for employment. What makes
the information so damning, you ask?
The information is this: I have rapid-cycling bipolar
disorder, a mental disorder in which I go from being
manic, or "high," one week to being severely
depressed, or "low," the next.
Ever since I was about 16 or 17, I rapidly went from
being so manic that I barely slept and ate to being so
depressed that I could hardly get out of bed. In 2004,
I finally got the answer to what was causing my
extreme mood swings, uncontrolled spending sprees,
crazy behavior and paranoid delusions.
When the psychiatrist told my mother this, she cried
and cried until she could cry no more, and that's when
I found out my life would never be the same again.
According to the National Institute of Mental Health,
2.3 million Americans have some form of bipolar
disorder. And I'll bet the pocket change in my bank
account that all of these people often feel the same
shame and fear that I do. It's the fear and shame of
telling your employer - what if he or she fires me or
treats me as if I have the plague?
True, there is legal protection, but at the end of the
day, the words "at-will employment" really means that
your boss can fire you for whatever reason they like.
It's also the fear and shame of telling your
colleagues, your significant other, your date, your
friends and family - what if they reject me?
It's also the fear and shame of living in fear and
shame. To make people feel as if they have to be
ashamed of something as treatable as mental illness,
is disgusting. There is a real stigma towards people
who have not only bipolar disorder, but any other form
of mental illness. Is it that much different than
having diabetes or being in a wheelchair? There are
fundraisers, public announcements on TV and cool
bracelets for every other ailment known to humanity.
It seems the only thing the mentally ill receive in
terms of public awareness is the perfunctory ad for a
new pharmaceutical concoction in Good Housekeeping.
Who will march on Washington, D.C., for me? Where's
my bracelet?
It doesn't help when dimwit celebrities like
Scientology megaphone Tom Cruise rail against
psychiatry, especially when telling fellow celebrity
Brooke Shields to just take some vitamins and exercise
for the post-partum depression she suffered from.
Brooke Shields suffered a bout of post-partum
depression when she gave birth to daughter Rowan, the
experience that was the basis of her book, "Down Came
the Rain: My Journey Through Post-Partum Depression."
Brooke, honey, do me a favor and tell Tom where to
stick those vitamins.
Mental illness is nothing to be ashamed of - it
doesn't lessen someone as a human being. In fact, so
many of history's brightest minds were chemically
imbalanced: John Forbes Nash Jr. (paranoid
schizophrenia), Ludwig Beethoven (bipolar disorder),
Sylvia Plath (clinical depression), and many, many
more. However, that didn't stop them from contributing
so much to society.
Perhaps it is the madness that makes people like that
push through, pull through and ultimately break
through the stigma and the barriers to achieve the
thought-to-be unachievable, sometimes even to know the
unknowable.
To see a psychiatrist or counselor isn't a sign of
weakness - it is a sign of strength. It means that you
refuse to let mental illness control your life. We
always hear the stories about people who seem to let
mental illness "drag them away" from reality into a
long, dark night of insanity and despair. We always
hear the lurid stories of mental illness in the news,
of crazy people snapping, people like "Unabomber"
Theodore Kaczynski. However, we never hear about the
people who fight back, the ones who seek the proper
treatment and change the world.
Imagine if every mentally ill person in America
received the proper care and treatment - we would be
that much stronger as a society and as a nation. Who
knows - that schizophrenic kid bagging your groceries
might be the next famous actor or video game designer.
I wrung my hands and cried myself to sleep for far too
long, feeling like I had some horrible secret to keep.
Now I know better: I have nothing to be ashamed of and
nothing to hide.
We need to erase the stigma of mental illness, because
to do so will allow so many who suffer needlessly to
emerge from that long, dark night of despair and
insanity into the beautiful daybreak of hope and
well-being.
Erin Caballero is a Spartan Daily co-opinion editor.
"Erin Out the Details" appears every Thursday.
__________________________________________________
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These are some good letters!
Doyle
"In a state that claims the highest number of
individuals on antidepressants, the same drugs the FDA
has warned us causes suicidality in adolescents
(please see the actual black box warning on the FDA
Web site), and that also claims such a high suicide
rate, if we are to really study this issue and save
young people, we cannot ignore the role of psychiatric
drugs. I challenge those who are claiming that only 3
percent of the young people were on psych drugs to
back up their claim."
 Sandra Lucas, Citizens Commission on Human Rights of
Utah
"While I'm in agreement with giving teens and parents
tools to prevent this, I am not in agreement with
medication and therapy being the answer. Medicine and
therapists treat 'symptoms,' not the problem.
"As a single parent of an autistic child and two
teenagers, I have my challenges. The number one most
important tool I use with my kids is communication. I
make time for them and make them feel important, which
is difficult with life being so hectic today.
"I also make sure certain basics are 'in': adequate
sleep, little to no TV, little to no sugar, a healthy
diet, vitamins, exercise and quality time. Lastly, I
make sure my kids have jobs around the house so they
have a purpose and realize that their contribution to
the family is important."
 A Florida mother A.K.A. Lisa Kolpek
__________________________________________________
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Crew,
We're going to play good letter writer / bad letter
writer. Kind of like good cop / bad cop.
If your last name ends in A-C, J-L, P-S, I want you to
write a "nice" letter, sympathetic to parents who've
lost their children to suicide and hopeful that
parents will love their children and protect them from
evil "mental health" intrusions into their lives. Tone
level = 2.5 and above.
If your last name ends in D-I, M-R, or T-Z, I want you
to write a brutal nasty letter about this politician
who messed up with his own child, resulting in the
child's suicide and now wants everyone to repeat his
mistakes (turning over his kid to psychiatry). Write
it in any tone level you want as long as it's 2.0 or
below.
And if you just can't manage to write it in the
assigned tone, no sweat, write it the other way.
Here's the assignment:
1. Read the article from today's Washington Post.
Link =

685.html
NOTE - YOU HAVE TO REGISTER TO READ IT ONLINE. IT'S
FREE BUT ANNOYING.
The text is down below.
2. Write your letter to the editor and send it to
letters@washpost.com. Follow the above guidelines but
throw in any of the usual true lines we need to
promote - "no science to psychiatry", "psych drug
dangers", "psych diagnoses are subjective and
arbitrary".
3. Report compliance by email.
Thank you,
Doyle
______________________________
ARTICLE TEXT:
The Washington Post
May 5, 2006 Friday
Final Edition
SECTION: A Section; A17 , WASHINGTON BOOKSHELF
LENGTH: 927 words
HEADLINE: Out of a Son's Suicide, a New Mission
BYLINE: Charles Babington, Washington Post Staff
Writer
BODY:
REMEMBERING GARRETT
One Family's Battle With a Child's Depression
By Gordon H. Smith
Carroll & Graf, 208 pages
Sen. Gordon H. Smith faced a fundamental choice after
his son committed suicide in 2003, the day before his
22nd birthday. He could end his political career and
live out his years in an agony of "what ifs" and
"whys." Or he could rededicate his professional life
and powerful position to trying to make something
positive come from the tragedy.
Staggered by grief, the Oregon Republican and devout
Mormon seriously weighed the first option. But a
church leader persuaded him to mourn his son and then
"get back to work." Part of that work is a new book on
a subject that cannot get too much attention: a plea
for Americans to learn more about depression and
suicide, and to confront mental illness openly,
without embarrassment or prejudice.
"Remembering Garrett" is a straightforward, simply
written account of one child's descent into despair
and the nearly unbearable heartbreak his family
endures.
Famous or powerful people can do more than suffer in
private, however, and Smith has chosen to try, as he
puts it, "to bring suicide's brutal toll and mental
health's subordinate status out of the shadows. The
shame and stigma our society feels about mental health
must stop, and our national conversation needs to
begin."
Garrett Lee Smith was the second of three children
adopted, through church connections, by Gordon and
Sharon Smith after years of trying to conceive. The
book's early chapters could be dismissed as heartfelt
but trite accounts of domestic bliss (Smith likens his
family life to "a Norman Rockwell painting"), were the
reader not aware of what is to come.
We are told how much Garrett smiled, frolicked on
camping trips and doted on his siblings. But his
father also weaves in scenes that, in retrospect,
hinted at the approaching storm and the parents'
growing sense of helplessness. Garrett struggled with
dyslexia and other learning disabilities, and once
burst into tears when he couldn't match his 5-year-old
brother in naming the 12 months in order.
" 'I can't keep them straight, and I'm seven years
older,' he cried. His face was full of sorrow and
self-loathing," writes Smith, who wondered whether his
time-consuming "pursuit and service in public office
was hurting Garrett."
Local doctors did not diagnose depression when they
treated Garrett after he was arrested for drunkenness
as a high school junior. But a year later, applying
for a two-year Mormon missionary assignment, Garrett
stated that he suffered depression (and later told his
parents he had since age 10). He salvaged his mission
by assuring adults that he "could handle his mood
swings."
"I was stunned by his self-diagnosis of depression,"
Smith writes. "I didn't want to believe it and, like
so many in our society, I didn't understand it."
Garrett's two-year mission to England was a success,
but his mental state rapidly deteriorated when he
returned and started college in Utah. In February
2003, he agreed to see a psychiatrist and take
antidepressants, although the book does not specify
which ones, and Smith questions whether his son
actually took them. By September, Garrett stopped
answering his phone and, on a Sunday night, he
swallowed a fistful of sleeping pills and hanged
himself in his closet.
Throughout the book, Smith takes care to blame no one,
except perhaps himself, for misdiagnosing Garrett's
condition or missing possible warning signs. His only
ire is aimed at several unnamed House Republicans who
complicated his bid to enact legislation intended to
combat youth depression and suicide.
Other senators previously drafted two bills, but they
rolled them into one, named it the Garrett Lee Smith
Memorial Act, and let Smith take the lead in pushing
it. It called for federally funded screening of
school-age children "to detect those predisposed to
depression and suicide," and for funds to combat
suicide at colleges.
The Senate unanimously approved the legislation, but
some House conservatives objected. Smith tried to
address their concerns, but writes that he was
"appalled by some of their responses. " 'Your bill has
Democrat sponsors!' said one. 'We don't pass bills
over here that Democrats want!' "
The House approved the bill only after several changes
were made, including a provision that permits the
school screening only for children whose parents
request it.
One wishes Smith had named names. Plausible arguments
can be made for and against federal spending for
mental health screening and intervention. But to
attack or push a bill in order to hurt the other
political party is all too typical of the partisanship
that poisons today's Congress, and Smith's account of
his House negotiations adds a bitter note to a book
already replete with heartache.
Perhaps the book's most useful section is a 13-page
appendix on resources, including Web addresses for
groups dealing with depression, mental illness and
suicide. Two examples are the American Foundation
for Suicide Prevention (www.afsp.org) and the Columbia
University TeenScreen Program (www.teenscreen.org).
Smith, generally labeled a moderate Republican, says
he gave modest thought to such issues before his son's
death. But now, he writes, "my heart has softened,"
and he proudly notes that he has defied GOP leaders by
opposing cuts to Medicaid, food stamps "and other
safety-net programs that serve the underprivileged."
Whatever one thinks of his political reawakening, none
can dispute that the price was unspeakable.
__________________________________________________
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Way to go Elizabeth!

lbDdmN3ZxZWVFRXl5NjkyMzg2NA==
Jersey goes way over the line
The recent articles describing Gov. Jon S. Corzine's
signing into law a measure that requires New Jersey
health-care providers to screen women for postpartum
depression really disturbs me.
Psychiatric drugs are known to cause suicidal thoughts
and violence, that's why the FDA issued a black box
warning for them. It's bad enough that 8 million kids
are already on these drugs, but now pregnant mothers
should be?
This is definitely crossing way, way over the line!
Screening will prevent mothers from seeking other
solutions to their problems, like, nutrition,
hormones, etc. Why be put on drugs prescribed to treat
an unscientific "disorder" when there could be an
actual medical reason for the way a mother is feeling?
Elizabeth Hallquist, Weston, Conn.
__________________________________________________
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The psychs have set their sights on this county in
Wyoming. According to this editorial, the suicide rate
in Wyoming is double the national average and it's
especially serious in Fremont County.
However, as we know from every time it's been
investigated, the people who commit suicide have been
treated by psychiatry. The public of Wyoming DO NOT
know that and may fall prey to the psych's plea to get
more people in treatment to "prevent" suicide.
We've got to put a stop to this!
Read this editorial:

f0698ca8588ea8725716000211d55.txt
(Text below)
Then write your letter to the editor.
If your last name ends in A-E, J-M or S-Z, send your
letter by email to
daniel.sandoval@casperstartribune.net
If your last name ends in F-I or N-R, send your letter
to kerry.drake@casperstartribune.net
And report compliance by email.
Thank you,
Doyle
___________________________
ARTICLE TEXT:
Suicide prevention must be priority for Wyoming
Monday, May 01, 2006
Star-Tribune Editorial Board
Alarmed after six people took their own lives in
Fremont County during the first four months of this
year, officials took a good step. They launched a
suicide prevention and awareness campaign for the
county and the Wind River Indian Reservation.
Suicide is an issue many people avoid talking about.
This is one problem, however, that silence never
helped solve.
Wyoming has the highest rate of suicide in the
country: 21 out of every 100,000 people kill
themselves each year, nearly double the national
average. It's a statewide problem, but it's
particularly troublesome in Fremont County and on the
reservation.
Twenty-one years ago, people on the reservation were
devastated when 10 young Arapaho men killed themselves
in a two-month period. Last year, Fremont County set a
record with 13 suicide deaths; if this year's pace
continues unchecked, there would be 18.
Experts say the most effective way to reduce the
suicide rate is to let people know help is available
and where they can get it. Fremont County officials
are distributing pamphlets in schools and clinics, to
publicize counseling services. They also are using an
outdoor advertising campaign that encourages people to
call 911 when a suicide threat seems imminent.
At the Meadowlark Youth Facility on the reservation,
young people are being encouraged to share what's
happening in their lives, to ask for help, and to
connect with a healthy adult. A fall conference on
suicide prevention is also planned.
Last year, the Wyoming Legislature recognized the
state needs to do more to prevent suicides and passed
a bill that created a $150,000 program. The Wyoming
Department of Health was charged with coordinating
efforts among the state's agencies, mental health
centers and local governments.
One of the results of the new law will be a suicide
prevention conference, to be held May 17-19 in Casper.
"Building Bridges to a Better Tomorrow" will bring
some of the nation's leading experts and policy makers
for suicide prevention to Wyoming to talk to a diverse
group of participants, including mental health
professionals, teachers, counselors, and law
enforcement personnel.
The efforts in Fremont County and Casper eventually
may lead to some successful strategies that can be
duplicated in other areas. As a state, we need to be
honest about our high suicide rate and committed to
bringing it to the public's attention.
__________________________________________________
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These are excellent letters!
Glad to know that the truth is getting out.
Send them to your friends! Maybe some of them would
like to write a few letters and see their name in
print. anti_psych@yahoo.com

Legge's teen suicide column creating a buzz
Letters
Culpeper Star Exponent
Wednesday, August 23, 2006
Editors note: We have received several letters from
across the country regarding Thursdays column
Broaching a taboo subject by Robert Legge.
Science doesnt back the drug companies
I was interested to read Mr. Legges comment that
there is no evidence teen screening can reduce suicide
rates, and his note that psychotropic drugs actually
increase suicide tendencies.
These points make sense to me. The pharmaceutical
companies have not provided the actual science to
prove the effectiveness of the drugs they sell. Drug
companies claim that their products change the
chemical makeup of the brain.
However, it has never been demonstrated by scientific
testing that making such a change in brain chemistry
has a direct relationship on mental illness.
Toby Cantine
West Linn, Ore.
Thanks for exposing TeenScreen program
What a well-written column! Its true that screening
teenagers for suicide probably started innocently
enough, but I too find it very odd that the founder
has such strong ties to the pharmaceutical industry.
TeenScreen also lures the children into taking the
questionnaire, which I also find suspect. The end
product of the program is to hook children onto
psychiatric drugs, which is even more dangerous. The
whole program needs to be canned and fast.
Thanks for exposing the truth.
Lelia Culpepper
Houston
Like searching for a needle in a haystack
Mr. Legges column on suicide nails the TeenScreen
epidemic fraud. Fact is a teenage suicide rate of
1,700 out of 34 million each year is only .00005
percent. There is no way youre going to find the
1,700 kids before they take their lives.
Think about it. Youd have to comb through 34 millions
teenagers every year. You could narrow your search if
you only screened kids who were already taking the
psychiatric drugs the FDA warns against. These kids,
as Mr. Legge pointed out, are more than twice as
likely to kill themselves.
Garrison Clarke
Altadena, Calif.
And we call this a viable solution?
It is refreshing to hear from someone unbiased on this
subject and not speaking out of the mouth of pharma
financial interest. The data Mr. Legge presents about
the subject of TeenScreen and mental health screening
are true and important facts.
A recent article on the subject of antidepressants and
kids, (Study backs kids drugsuicide link,
Newsday.com, Aug. 8), showed that the kids who
committed suicide were 15 times more likely to be on
antidepressants. Yet this is the solution that will be
used as a result of these screenings.
Denise Munsterman
Bonney Lake, Wash.
__________________________________________________
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PLEASE FORWARD THIS MESSAGE
In Tarpon Springs, Florida, this Wednesday, May 3rd, at 7pm, Pastor Michael
Davis of Mount Olive Ministries will deliver The Helping Someone Overcome
Addiction Workshop. This is an introductory lecture for new public who are
losing loved ones to drug and alcohol addiction.
Be there, and bring your friends! If you have a friend, neighbor or
co-worker who is a drug user or who has a family member who is, you must
bring them to this lecture.
Location: Tarpon Springs Public Library, 138 E. Lemon St., Tarpon Springs,
FL,
For directions, call (727) 943-4922
Its a very informative talk, delivered on the perfect gradient for a new
person. In this lecture, they will find out what drugs are (believe or not,
most people cannot define the term), why someone becomes addicted and, most
importantly, that something can be done about it.
Pastor Davis is a Christian minister, not a Scientologist. His church serves
an historic area of Tarpon Springs, the Union Academy neighborhood. Once a
proud center of opportunity and learning, it is now ravaged by drugs. Drug
deals take place right down the street from the church. Illiteracy, crime,
and immorality have ruined many lives in this community and drugs are right
at the heart of the problem. Theres not one family that hasnt been touched
by the problem, one way or another. There are more than four hundred
drug-related arrests each month in Tarpon Springs. Seventy-five percent of
cocaine arrests are made in the Union Academy neighborhood. Even members of
the church have sons and daughters going in and out of prison with little
hope for anything better.
Pastor Davis is doing something about it. In his quest for something that
works, he found Narconon, the drug prevention and treatment program using
technology developed by L. Ron Hubbard. He found tools in these programs
that he can use to help the members of the community. He is currently
working full time to open a Narconon center as part of his ministry.
Sincerely,
Doyle Mills, 727-871-0970
dmills_pb@yahoo.com
_____
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Great rates starting at 1¢/min.


Oops.
Forgot to put the article for you to read. In a way,
there was enough information in my write up and a half
dozen people already wrote without looking at the
article itself. That's an interesting hatting point.
We know what the psych PR lines are. You don't always
have to read the article, or the whole article, to
know what true data should be communicated.
Anyway, here you go. The link is right here and the
text is pasted at the bottom of this email:

60426021/1006
_______________
ASSIGNMENT:
In accordance with a new, horrible law in New Jersey,
doctors are required to educate expectant mothers and
their families about the bogus psych disorder,
postpartum depression, and to screen new moms for it.
That's right - required by law.
That means that each doctor is now forced to forward
the psychiatric lies. It also means that a doctor who
prescribes folic acid, zinc, extra rest and outdoor
exercise for the symptoms that the psychs call
"depression", he's violating the law. That's right,
competent medicine is now outlawed in New Jersey!
Read the article below and write a letter. You can
write anything you want but I suggest some of these
themes:
-you got it wrong, the bill doesn't help women, it
only helps drug companies
-look who spent millions to lobby for this bill.
Mothers? -no, Babies? -no. Drug companies? -YES
-Pregnant mothers will be treated with dangerous drugs
that WILL damage their unborn babies
-No science to the diagnosis
-Having this screening in place will prevent women
from seeking out true solutions, like nutrition,
hormones, real physical illness
Oh, and if you can manage it, be compassionate to
mothers who experience the very real symptoms that
they like to call Postpartum Depression. Just slam the
psychs. Make sense? The mothers are the victims. The
psychs and drug companies are the villians.
Send your letter by clicking on this link and
scrolling to the bottom:
#edle
tform
If you have trouble with that link, send your letter
by email to mcorrea@courierpostonline.com.
And report compliance by email.
Thanks,
Doyle
__________________
ARTICLE TEXT:
N.J.'s postpartum depression screening law first in
nation
Wednesday, April 26, 2006
NEW YORK (AP) -- The attention goes to celebrity
sufferers, such as Brooke Shields, or to grim cases in
which mothers kill their children. But beyond the
headlines about postpartum depression, states are
making strides in raising awareness of the disorder
and screening more mothers for it.
The boldest move has come in New Jersey, where a
first-of-its-kind law was signed this month requiring
doctors to educate expectant mothers and their
families about postpartum depression and to screen new
moms for the widespread condition.
"What New Jersey has done is phenomenal -- it's what
we want to have in every state in the union," said
Cheryl Hill, president of the Washington-based Family
Mental Health Institute.
Several other states have launched awareness
campaigns, including TV and radio spots in New York.
On May 12, advocates for more ambitious federal action
will lobby on Capitol Hill, including Edrienne
Carpenter of Texas, who was battling postpartum
depression when she won the 2004 Mrs. United States
beauty pageant.
"I learned the hard way that there is a need for more
educational awareness, emotional and physical support,
and medical resources to be at the fingertips of
women," Carpenter says. "In today's news, we've heard
of too many cases that have ended in tragedy."
Among recent criminal cases in which postpartum
depression was cited as a possible factor were the
2001 drowning of five children in Texas by Andrea
Yates, another Texas case in which a mother severed
her baby's arms, and the drowning of three sons by a
Norfolk, Va., mother.
Hill, who suffered from depression after her now-grown
children were born, said the publicity about such
cases has mixed consequences.
"People are starting to understand the disease a
little bit more -- that's been helpful," she said.
"But it hurts women who suffer from postpartum
depression. They're afraid of coming forward. They
don't want to be labeled as crazy."
Doctors and researchers say most new mothers
experience occasional sadness and anxiety, known as
the "baby blues," that does not require treatment.
Roughly 10 percent to 15 percent of new mothers suffer
postpartum depression, a more serious condition which
can affect a woman's well-being and which, experts
say, should be treated through therapy, group support
or medication.
Emily Ashby, of Marshall, Va., says depression swiftly
engulfed her after her first child's birth five years
ago.
"I had a fantastic pregnancy and was excited to be a
mom," Ashby said in a telephone interview. "But almost
as soon as she was born, I know something wasn't
right.
"All of a sudden, I couldn't drag myself out of bed in
the morning," she said. "It became this black hole I
fell into."
She told her husband, but he was unfamiliar with
postpartum depression and insisted Ashby could shake
off the malaise on her own. After six weeks, she told
her doctor, and eventually started taking drugs which
rapidly restored her sense of joy.
Though she praised her doctor, Ashby said physicians
should be more proactive generally in informing and
questioning new mothers and their husbands about
depression.
New Jersey's program stresses a proactive approach.
Over the past nine months, the Health Department has
trained more than 4,500 doctors, nurses, psychologists
and social workers to provide screening, referrals and
treatment for postpartum depression.
Celeste Andriot Wood, assistant commissioner for
family health services, said the department isn't
mandating a particular screening method. Its
recommendations include the Edinburgh Postnatal
Depression Scale, which asks 10 simple questions about
emotions.
New Jersey has roughly 115,000 births a year, and Wood
estimated that 10 percent of the new mothers will
require intervention after positive screening for
postpartum depression. Even if that increases
referrals by 50 percent, the state has sufficient
resources to cope, she said.
Dr. Paul Stumpf, head of the New Jersey branch of the
American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists,
said most of his colleagues already sought to identify
patients with depression, but he praised the new
legislation.
"It's a matter of increasing the visibility of the
problem, keeping it on the front burner," he said.
The measure succeeded partly because of strong support
last year from then-Gov. Richard Codey and his wife,
who had postpartum depression.
Nationally, the disorder has been chronicled in
memoirs by former sufferers, such as actress Brooke
Shields' "Down Came the Rain." The book prompted actor
Tom Cruise to publicly criticize Shields for taking
antidepressants.
New Jersey's initiative, based on recommendations from
health professionals, contends that medication,
counseling and support groups all can be effective.
Dr. Ralph Wittenberg, medical director of the Family
Mental Health Institute, said drugs and psychotherapy
each work in about two-thirds of postpartum depression
cases. Used together, the success rate can exceed 90
percent, he said.
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In accordance with a new, horrible law in New Jersey,
doctors are required to educate expectant mothers and
their families about the bogus psych disorder,
postpartum depression, and to screen new moms for it.
That's right - required by law.
That means that each doctor is now forced to forward
the psychiatric lies. It also means that a doctor who
prescribes folic acid, zinc, extra rest and outdoor
exercise for the symptoms that the psychs call
"depression", he's violating the law. That's right,
competent medicine is now outlawed in New Jersey!
Read the article below and write a letter. You can
write anything you want but I suggest some of these
themes:
-you got it wrong, the bill doesn't help women, it
only helps drug companies
-look who spent millions to lobby for this bill.
Mothers? -no, Babies? -no. Drug companies? -YES
-Pregnant mothers will be treated with dangerous drugs
that WILL damage their unborn babies
-No science to the diagnosis
-Having this screening in place will prevent women
from seeking out true solutions, like nutrition,
hormones, real physical illness
Oh, and if you can manage it, be compassionate to
mothers who experience the very real symptoms that
they like to call Postpartum Depression. Just slam the
psychs. Make sense? The mothers are the victims. The
psychs and drug companies are the villians.
Send your letter by clicking on this link and
scrolling to the bottom:
#edle
tform
If you have trouble with that link, send your letter
by email to mcorrea@courierpostonline.com.
And report compliance by email.
Thanks,
Doyle
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They published the last article in their series today.
Predictably it's a money grab for more psych programs.
I need everyone to write a letter on this one as soon
as you read this, especially those who did not write
to Deseret News earlier this week.
Here's the article (text at bottom):

Send your letter to letters@desnews.com. If your last
name ends in A-C, J-M or T-U, send copies to
lucy@desnews.com and romboy@desnews.com.
Write whatever you want but I suggest attacking the
fact that this is just a blatant money grab, that
there is no science proving that any of these psych
solutions prevent suicide, and that talking about it
may cause suicide. Also you can bring in the matter of
the drugs - if someone is identified and referred for
help they are going to get a drug that is labeled by
the FDA for its tendency to CAUSE suicide.
If you want to, attack the fact that NAMI, funded to
the tune of millions by drug companies, is featured
prominently in the article.
I'm counting on you to pile lots of letters on their
desks today!
Best,
Doyle
_________________
ARTICLE TEXT:
Activists offer help, hope: But programs struggle to
find funding and support
By Dennis Romboy and Lucinda Dillon Kinkead
Deseret Morning News
The mantra for Utahns dedicated to finding ways
to keep children from killing themselves is: Suicide
is not an option.
Yet despite their best efforts, young people
will take their own lives.
"I'm an expert in teen suicide," said Doug Gray,
a University of Utah child psychiatrist. "Not every
suicide is preventable, but most of them are."
Gray is among a handful of people who devote
much of their off time looking for answers to the
state's suicide riddle.
Utah loses at least three teenagers to suicide
every month and one person of any age every 30 hours.
The state's suicide rate consistently hovers among the
10 highest in the nation and has exceeded the U.S.
rate for two decades.
But prevention efforts are inconsistent at best.
Promising programs fall to the wayside for lack of
funding. Task forces form with a slew of good ideas
that eventually fizzle.
Sherri Wittwer spends her day as an advocate for
mentally ill people, one of the most misunderstood
segments of society. Many of them have suicidal
tendencies.
"People say to me all the time, 'How do you do
that?' It's because there is hope. Treatment is
available. Recovery is possible. We see it," said the
executive director of the Utah chapter of the National
Alliance for the Mentally Ill.
Image
Keith Johnson, Deseret Morning News
Timpview High students participate in a Hope Squad
that administrators credit with having prevented two
or three suicide attempts. Above, atop lockers, are
Matt Thatcher and Brenna Woolstehulme. Standing are
Hayley Brady, Mary Holmes, Kevin Kemp, Allison
Bennett, Raven Alard and Tanner Perry. And atop
lockers in back are Paige Crosland and Chelsie Osborn.
They are trained to talk to struggling classmates.
"I think hope is the answer."
Those who think about ending their lives often
don't see light at the end of the tunnel. And those
around them  friends, parents, teachers  don't know
the warning signs or how to react if they do.
"It's too late when you're reactive," said Greg
Hudnall, executive director of the Hope Task Force.
"You're already losing kids."
Some high schools and junior high schools have
taken a proactive approach.
The Utah chapter of the National Alliance for
the Mentally Ill started a school-based suicide
prevention program after what Wittwer called a "rash"
of suicides at East High School six years ago.
Called Hope for Tomorrow, the program has
reached 55,000 students in 55 junior and senior high
schools statewide. Preliminary results of a study to
measure its effectiveness show referrals to counselors
or other adults is up as a result, Gray said.
One of the biggest problems with past prevention
programs is that they didn't link people to help.
Programs also need to be aimed at the most at-risk
population. "People who are getting help don't
suicide," he said.
An alarming suicide rate in Wisconsin prompted
its state legislature to require public schools to
teach suicide prevention.
Suicide risk is usually underestimated, said
John Hisgen, a Wisconsin health and physical activity
consultant. "We tend to believe people will not go to
that extreme to end their lives," he said
Hisgen and several teachers developed
educational strategies that have become a national
model. The program teaches students to acknowledge,
care and tell an adult when a friend or peer is
hurting emotionally.
Only in recent months has there been a renewed
interest to address Utah's suicide problem.
Attorney General Mark Shurtleff brought in an
out-of-state organization last fall to provide
awareness and education. The state Division of
Substance Abuse and Mental Health has made suicide
prevention a higher priority, which reflects a new
emphasis at the federal level.
"Suicide right now seems to be a hot topic,"
said Ron Stromberg, state mental health director.
Other than a resolution in 1999 that resulted in
a youth suicide task force, state lawmakers have done
little to address what the health department 10 years
ago deemed an epidemic.
A bill in the 2006 Legislature calling for
another task force died after unwieldy amendments were
added to it.
Those who have worked on prevention and
awareness the past decade or so say the time for
talking is past.
"It's a waste of time to create another task
force," Gray said. "We've talked enough. We need to
do."
Yet there will be more talking.
The state Division of Substance Abuse and Mental
Health recently contracted with NAMI to coordinate and
oversee a task force that will develop a statewide
suicide prevention plan.
Despite his desire to do rather than talk, Gray
will be part of it as will other longtime advocates
for suicide awareness and intervention.
Wittwer says the group will not attempt to
reinvent the wheel but use the knowledge it has gained
over the years to progress.
"We have that in common. We are impatient, and
we need to move on," she said. "We are all about
implementation and moving on to focus on solutions."
Mental health division director Stromberg has
$33,000 in federal grant money for the task force to
work on a plan, but he's not sure if the state will
have funds to put it into practice when the plan is
completed early next year.
"Will there be money to do this? I don't know,"
he said.
Money has and will continue to be a hang up.
The Bryner Clinic in Salt Lake City received a
private grant to screen children for mental health
problems when they come in for checkups or with runny
noses. Pediatricians work with psychiatrists and
psychologists to assess a child's overall health.
Image
Keith Johnson, Deseret Morning News
Timpview counselor Monte Marshall and social worker
Wendi Christensen help guide the high school's Hope
Squad that works at preventing suicides.
Even though it's a team approach that works,
Gray said, it won't last indefinitely. "The difficulty
is if the grant runs out, the program disappears," he
said.
Hudnall, the Provo School District student
services director, organized the Hope Task Force seven
years ago because he could no longer bear to see
rescue teams pluck stranded youngsters from a
mountain, while suicidal teens' cries for help went
unheeded.
"We decided to build this statewide program, and
we're doing it with nickels and pennies," he said.
"It's just a group of people that got together and
said, 'How can we help each other?' "
Gray wonders what might happen if those
volunteers burn out or get sick. "How many years can
you ask someone to use their vacation days to keep a
project going?" he said.
"Why not look at government agencies to get them
some level of funding to keep them going?"
So far, the Hope Task Force has been one of the
most active prevention and awareness groups in Utah.
It also has the only "post-vention" team in the state,
which helps communities and schools deal with the
aftermath of a suicide. It has made presentations
throughout Utah and has received calls from Nevada,
Wyoming, Colorado and the Dakotas.
The Provo School District goes so far as to
compile annual statistics for suicide attempts,
hospitalizations and completions. It's the only
district in the state that does so.
"We want to monitor concerns (to see) whether
the problem is getting larger," Hudnall said. "We want
to track exactly what's going on."
Provo schools also take an active role in
suicide awareness.
Timpview High School empowers students to help
classmates who have contemplated taking their lives.
At the first of the school year, social worker
Wendi Christensen and guidance counselor Monte
Marshall survey students to see who       among their
peers they would turn to for advice. The top 25 or 30
names are invited to join the Hope Squad.
"We're just kind of there for the students,"
said senior Emily Gillespie, a three-year member and
president of the squad.
Team members are trained to talk to classmates
who struggle emotionally. They also refer them to
Christensen or a guidance counselor. They are not
afraid to ask students if they have thought about
suicide.
"It's usually a relief for them," Christensen
said.
Timpview administrators figure the program has
headed off at least two or three suicide attempts.
Photo
Deseret Morning News graphic
"It helps them to know there are people out
there that can assist them. Sometimes they forget
that," Christensen said. "(Suicide) is something we
can prevent. We just have to let them know there are
other options when they want to escape, want a way
out."
Principal George Bayles said the school is
trying to break down the notion that you can't "narc"
on friends who talk about suicide. Two Timpview
students have taken their own lives the past three
years.
"The reason we do it is to be proactive, not
because we're having a real problem with it," Bayles
said.
The Hope Squad sponsors a suicide prevention
walk, presents an awareness video and sets up an
information booth during the school year. The video is
part of NAMI's Hope for Tomorrow program.
"It didn't aggrandize suicide," he said. "It
didn't promote the thought that this is the way I can
get some attention."
Still, he has parents object to talking about
suicide in school. When people complain, Bayles says
to them, "Why don't you go tell that boy's mother we
spent too much time" on suicide prevention.
"One life makes it worth it."
Timpview is one of the few schools in Utah that
talks openly about suicide. Bayles said he doesn't
understand why schools aren't willing to address it.
"If they haven't had one (suicide), they're
going to. I guarantee you they have kids who are
thinking about it or who have tried it. . . . I don't
know how you can not do anything."
Shurtleff shares the feeling.
The topic of suicide came to his attention
during a national attorneys general meeting two years
ago. His counterpart in Tennessee talked about the
issue and his involvement with a Nashville-based
prevention group called the Jason Foundation.
The speech hit him hard because before leaving
for the conference his own son said he wanted to kill
himself. Shurtleff's response was, "Oh, come on. Don't
be silly."
Those words came back to haunt him, and he
immediately walked out to call his son. He apologized
and promised they would talk when he came home.
"I thought how awful. I can't believe I said
those things. They could really be hurting. How could
that make him feel?"
The more Shurtleff learned about suicide, the
more he became an advocate for prevention and
awareness. He doesn't mind using his position to get
the word out, even if it's uncomfortable for Utahns.
"It is a taboo subject. They don't want to talk
about it. It's an 'all is well in Zion' type of
thing," he said. "We need to do something with the
stigma."
Last November, Shurtleff brought the Jason
Foundation to Utah. Thirty-three attorneys general are
now associated with the prevention program.
"A lot of them see it as a charge for the
protection of youth in their state," said Clark Flatt,
who founded the organization in Hendersonville, Tenn.
There were some raised eyebrows among the
state's suicide prevention fraternity when Shurtleff
introduced the Jason Foundation. They didn't see the
need to bring in an outside organization.
Flatt said it isn't his intent to tread on
current efforts in the state because good local and
regional resources already exist. He's looking more
for collaboration.
"It's too big a problem for one organization,"
said Flatt, whose 16-year-old son, Jason, shot himself
in 1997. "Our main mission is to get people to do
something."
Photo
Deseret Morning News graphic
One thing the Jason Foundation has going for it
is money and national affiliations. The American
Football Coaches Association backs the foundation, and
local college coaches agreed to do public service
announcements about suicide prevention.
The foundation offers free training to
teenagers, parents and educators. It has a
school-based curriculum for students, in-service
presentations for teachers and seminars for parents.
Clear warning signs precede 80 percent of
suicides, according to the American Psychiatric
Association.
"They key is learning how to recognize those
signs and knowing what to do when you see them," Flatt
said.
Failing to act can have dire consequences.
"Sometimes," he said, "that hesitation is lethal."
E-mail: romboy@desnews.com; lucy@desnews.com
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Even if you have already written a letter to Deseret
News this week, I need you to write at least one more.
They are running a 6-part, horrible series on suicide
totally written by some PR firm paid by psychs and
drug companies.
It is designed to key everyone in and then hand them
the psych solutions. It's disgusting. I can barely
read them and keep my lunch.
Anyway, if you're up to it, here is the assignment.
Pick one of these 3 assignments below. Read the
article or at least scan over it, then follow the
directions.
1. From today:

Schools at a loss: How districts handle teen deaths
varies
Write a letter and send it to letters@desnews.com.
Write whatever you want, but if your last name ends in
R-Z, I have a particular message. The article says
that the school implemented a suicide prevention
program in the school a month before Blake Eggett and
J.J. Serassio committed suicide but it isn't known
whether they participated in the program. I want you
to SLAM the reporters for not finding out. Didn't they
do any research at all? Or do they actually just leave
out that information because it didn't fit the story
they wanted to promote. The real story is the school
implemented psych-based suicide prevention and buried
two students. That's a story!
2. From Tuesday the 25th:

5 suicides jolt southern Utah
Write a letter and send it to letters@desnews.com with
a copy to the lowlife reporters at lucy@desnews.com
and romboy@desnews.com. Write anything you want but I
suggest the usual lines of how psych drugs are
dangerous, how there is no science to psychiatry, etc.
3. From Monday the 24th:

Fighting the Demons
Write a letter and send it to letters@desnews.com. If
your last name ends in A-M, send a copy to the lowlife
reporters at lucy@desnews.com and romboy@desnews.com.
Write whatever you want.
Once you're done with your first one, send compliance
by email. If you're up to it, write more letters about
the other articles, or about any of them in the
series. You can search for the whole series at
www.desnews.com.
Thanks!
Doyle
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Bad article in today's Deseret News, Salt Lake City.
It's the first in a series of suicide article that are
complete bought and paid for ads from TeenScreen, NAMI
and the drug companies.
Need lots of letters!
I suggest you DO NOT read the whole thing. It's
depressing and long. They just want to restimulate
people with this first one. You should scan it though,
just to get the idea of what they are up to.
Here's the article (text at bottom):
Then write a letter. Send it to letters@desnews.com,
with a copy to lucy@desnews.com and
romboy@desnews.com.
There is a lot of false data in this article, plus 3
related articles in the same paper. They are making
false and misleading claims about the use of
psychotropic drugs.
Just write whatever you want on this first letter and
I may make some more specific requests for letter
topics in the next few days.
And report compliance by email.
Thanks!
Doyle
____________________
ARTICLE TEXT:
Deadly taboo: Youth suicide an epidemic that many in
Utah prefer to ignore
By Lucinda Dillon Kinkead and Dennis Romboy
Deseret Morning News
Kelly Sowell, 17, athlete and poet, Grand County
High School, died Nov. 4, 2005
Image
Keith Johnson, Deseret Morning News
Crista Eggett sits in the room of her brother, Blake,
a talented Riverton High School flute player who
committed suicide Oct. 28, 2005.
J.J. Serassio, 16, Eagle Scout, Riverton High
School, died Nov. 15, 2005.
Sierra Dawn Woodward, 15, sophomore, American
Fork High School, died March 28, 2006.
Buried in the details of carefully worded
obituaries, the tragic clues emerge.
"Sierra chose to leave this life and return to
what she believed would be a better place."
Every 11 days, a Utah teenager like Sierra
succeeds in taking his or her own life. With teen
suicide in a leading role as a killer of Utah young
people, state officials could be mounting a
full-frontal attack on the problem.
In fact, the opposite is true.
Suicide is clearly a taboo subject. And to talk
about youth suicide is to wade into the complicated,
mysterious arena of mental health and the delicate
world of teenage emotion.
This is a place few want to go.
No one wants to venture into the dark realms
where Utah young people  with the possibility and
potential they represent  meet despair and
self-destruction. Virtually no one wants to explore
factors that contribute to a teenager's private
decision to end his life with a gun, pills, carbon
monoxide or a rope.
But those who are closest to this issue say we
must.
Therapists, educators, "suicidologists" and
parents who have lost children to suicide say this
community must begin to talk about teenage suicide in
a more honest way in order to change the state's
infamous reputation.
Utah leads the nation in suicides among men aged
15 to 24.
"We have too much to lose if we don't work
together and speak out about this silent epidemic,"
said Utah first lady Mary Kaye Huntsman, who has
turned her attention to the issue in recent months.
Young women are not immune. In fact, females
attempt suicide three times as often as males. Males,
though, use more lethal means and are four times as
likely to wind up dead.
Utah also has the 11th highest suicide rate
14.3 deaths per 100,000 people  in the nation over
all age groups, according to the most recent data from
the American Association of Suicidology.
A former surgeon general who recently spoke in
Utah about suicide prevention said he was impressed
with the state's warm and friendly people, said Ken
Tuttle, director of psychiatry at Utah Valley Regional
Medical Center.
But he added, "In New York, we kill each other.
In Utah, you kill yourselves."
Brandon Cannistraci, 19, big brother, died Sept.
13, 2004.
Blake Eggett, 17, flute soloist, Riverton High
marching band, died Oct. 28, 2005.
Martika Bate, 15, honor roll student, East High
School, died Jan. 27, 2006.
The number of elderly people who take their own
lives is still higher than the number of teenagers who
do so, but the rate has stayed about the same since
1960, said Dr. Doug Gray, a University of Utah child
psychiatrist and expert in teen suicide. Meanwhile,
the youth suicide rate here has doubled, tripled and
looks like it will quadruple.
"It's one thing to consider an 85-year-old
person who suicides because of medical problems," Gray
said. "We think of that in a very different way than
when a cute 16-year-old girl hangs herself in the
basement."
"It is a significant health problem among
adolescents, and that's something that has a
significant impact on our community," said Todd Grey,
Utah's chief medical examiner.
Indeed, a Deseret Morning News investigation
into this sensitive issue found suicide among
teenagers causes profound repercussions in the
families, schools and communities where they occur.
Image
Scott G. Winterton, Deseret Morning News
Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtleff with daughter
Danielle. The teen has struggled with psychological
disorders that induce suicidal thoughts.
"It's been the toughest thing in my life," said
Kerry Bate, whose granddaughter, Martika, was living
with him when she took her life in January. Luckily,
Bate said, he and his wife are raising three other
grandchildren. The little ones are a blessing, he
says.
"It gives us a reason to go on; otherwise, it
would be really hard to face the future."
Bate knew nothing of his granddaughter's
intention.
Neither did George and Darla Serassio of
Riverton until a family member found their son in the
garage, slumped behind the wheel of his red Camaro and
dead from carbon monoxide poisoning.
Mike and Sherilyn Sowell of Moab knew about
their daughter's depression and had searched in state
and out for the perfect blend of medication, support
and therapy that would help. They did not find it
before their daughter hanged herself in the closet of
the family's home.
"We find this happening in our homes for very
different reasons, under very different
circumstances," Huntsman said. "What we need to do as
a community is put our arms around these kids and ask
why."
Research shows many more Utah young people than
one might guess are hovering on the brink of the
decision made by Sierra, Blake and Martika.
* One in six students had seriously considered
suicide in the past 12 months, according to a Youth
Risk Behavior Survey conducted by the U.S. Centers for
Disease Control.
* One in eight students had made a plan to commit
suicide in the past 12 months, according to the same
survey.
* About 2 percent of Utah young people attempt
suicide in a manner that requires medical attention.
* Almost a third of Utah high school girls felt
sad or hopeless.
Image
Blake Eggett killed himself in October 2005.
"Don't blame yourselves," he wrote in a note.
Author and television personality Art Linkletter
addressed the issue after his 19-year-old daughter
took her life:
"The word suicide is without a doubt one of the
most dreadful words in the English language. People
wince at the sound of it and avoid using it to
describe the tragic death it implies. . . .
"And yet it must be faced squarely and discussed
openly because it has become one of the leading causes
of death among both the young and the very old in this
country," Linkletter said.
So, with all the talk about underage drinking,
of illegal drug use, dangerous behavior and car
accidents involving teens, parents must be aware of a
startling fact, said Michelle Moskos, one of the
state's premier experts on this grim subject.
"What parents don't know is that their child is
more likely to die by suicide than by all of those
other factors," Moskos said. "Parents don't know
that."
Blake Eggett recognized his own depression his
sophomore year in high school after learning more
about mental health in a class. He talked about dying
and death to some friends, and one e-mailed his
parents.
Larry and Barbra Eggett talked to their youngest
son, and all agreed he should see the family doctor.
However, the antidepressants the doctor prescribed
made Blake more lethargic than he was before, and he
stopped taking the medication a few months later. As
his parents recall, Blake's moods seemed to get better
after that. He had more energy. His ups and downs
seemed like normal teenage stuff, though school
remained a struggle.
If it weren't for band, where he excelled at the
flute, he wouldn't have gone to school at all,
according to his mom, Barbra.
But Blake pulled his grades up during the first
quarter of his senior year at Riverton High School.
Image
Martika Bate, 15, an honor roll student at East High
School, killed herself Jan. 27, 2006.
"It seemed to me like things were going pretty
well for him," said drum major Jason Weimer, a
longtime friend.
His parents often asked him how he was doing.
"I'm fine," Blake would say, and Larry and Barbra
Eggett wanted to believe him.
Their son ordered a new flute on eBay a week or
so before he died. He was planning to go with the band
to a competition in California the following week.
In other conversations, Blake talked about a
future beyond high school, including a senior trip to
Japan and plans for college. "It seemed like he had a
purpose and an idea of what he wanted to do," Weimer
said.
On Oct. 27, 2005, Blake performed during the
band's fall concert. "He was just as happy as could be
that night," Larry Eggett said.
But looking back, his father doesn't know if
those upbeat moments were real or contrived.
"There were times when he seemed genuinely
happy," said Larry Eggett. "I don't know if he really
was or if he was just masking his feelings."
The day he died, Blake told his mother, who
works in the school cafeteria, that he was going home
sick. When she arrived at the house later in the
afternoon, she found the van he drove parked outside
but no sign of her youngest son. His girlfriend called
saying he wasn't answering his cell phone either.
Barbra Eggett woke Blake's older brother Kevin,
and the two of them searched the house. They found
Blake hanging from a rope in the garage.
"Don't blame yourselves," he had typed on his
computer. "I've always been unhappy and depressed.
I've learned how to hide it." He closed with,
"Goodbye, I'm going to die now."
A single event does not cause suicide  not a
bad grade, not a fight with parents, not being cut
from the team. Suicide is more complicated than that.
There are multiple causes. It is usually something
internal.
Image
Keith Johnson, Deseret Morning News
Martika Bate was found by her cousin Joshua Bate, 14,
left, who is standing in their grandparents' new home.
The family moved because the home where Martika hanged
herself held too many memories. Joshua has been
especially traumatized by the death.
Taking one's life often stems from intense
feelings of worthlessness, loneliness and depression.
The pain and anguish are too much to bear. People with
suicidal thoughts feel trapped in what they perceive
as a hopeless situation, and pulling a trigger or
swallowing pills ends the unbearable torment.
It is the formidable task of parents and mental
health experts to teach teens strategies other than
self-destruction.
Deseret Morning News reporters spent three
months researching this subject for a series of
articles, titled "Teen Suicide: Utah's grim reality,"
which begins today. This series seeks to educate the
public about what the Utah Department of Health calls
a teenage suicide epidemic and explore factors that
contribute to the phenomenon.
The series also hopes to address the blanket of
silence surrounding suicide that all parties agree is
at the root of the solution.
The stigma prevents some young people from
acknowledging destructive thoughts within themselves.
It prevents parents from seeking help for their
children and even keeps the state medical examiner
from properly classifying such deaths as suicides.
"We have got to do away with this stigma," says
Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtleff, whose daughter
has struggled with suicidal thoughts. "We need to
recognize it as a problem and address it."
Easier said than done.
Through dozens of interviews with young people,
parents, doctors, counselors and state officials
increasingly concerned about the problem, reporters
concluded several important points about teen suicide
in Utah:
 Insurance companies and lawmakers are failing
our young people in the context of this problem.
Although treatment and medication for mental health
concerns associated with suicide have improved,
experts say insurance company restrictions have a
stranglehold on preventive measures.
Image
Keith Johnson, Deseret Morning News
Mary Kaye Huntsman speaks during a Power In You
assembly at Riverton High School. Utah's first lady is
speaking out on the issue of teen suicide.
 Ninety percent of young people who complete
suicide have some form of major psychiatric disorder,
although the majority are not taking medication at the
time they take their lives.
 Utah does not have a suicide prevention
advocacy network or a crisis center, which would be a
critical clearinghouse for worried adults and
teenagers.
 Local treatment beds for young people who are
suicidal have decreased. And there is little, if any,
public funding for young people up until the point of
absolute crisis.
Research also uncovered some disturbing human
behavior that contributes to teen suicide.
It is not known, for example, to what degree
high gun ownership in Utah contributes to this issue.
What is clear from counselors and psychiatrists
though, is that parents are reluctant to remove guns
from homes, even when advised how dangerous it is to
have firearms around a young person who is depressed,
bipolar or suicidal.
And today, in the warming days of April, Utahns
should have particular reason for concern:
According to therapists and research, suicide
rates are highest in the spring. As child psychiatrist
Karen Black says: "We are headed into the manic
season."
Already this spring, a Utah girl is forever lost
to suicide.
On March 28  one week after the season
officially arrived  Sierra Dawn Woodward, 15, a
sophomore at American Fork High School, died in her
family's Pleasant Grove back yard.
Sierra and a friend went to her mother's
workplace to use a computer that Tuesday afternoon,
according to a police report. They left about 4:30
p.m. for home, and Sierra's friend dropped her off
just before 5 p.m. The girl called her mother about
that time to say she'd arrived home safely and was
starting on her math homework.
Image
Some teen suicide victims leave notes, and others
don't. This note was found in one Utah girl's bedroom
on the day of her suicide in 2004.
But Sierra did not start her studies. As near as
police can figure, the girl wearing a black hoodie and
a baseball cap wrote three notes of apology and
good-bye. In large letters she wrote "I'm sorry," on
one note her mom found later in the house and "But I
love you all" on another.
She text-messaged three friends with a simple,
"I love you."
At some point she got her father's loaded .44
Smith and Wesson handgun from a cabinet in his
headboard. Her dad told police later he didn't think
Sierra had ever fired the gun or that she knew where
it was stored.
Sierra took the weapon but left the soft leather
gun cover on her parents' bed, and when Pamela
Woodward saw the empty holster 45 minutes later, she
started searching for her daughter.
It had been raining, and the ground outside was
wet. Rock music was still coming through the girl's
headphones when Pamela found her daughter in the
corner of the yard. She tried to rouse the girl, then
saw the blood and head wound.
After her funeral, someone named "Sissy" wrote a
heart-breaking note on Sierra's online memorial page.
"I love you so much. I thought it was enough to
save you."
The Utah Youth Suicide Study, the state's most
careful analysis of this issue, provides the best
profile of those young people who "complete" suicide.
* 89 percent were male.
* 58 percent used firearms.
* 93 percent were Caucasian.
* 74 percent killed themselves at home.
* 63 percent had contact with the criminal justice
system, and half of those had referrals for substance
use, abuse or possession.
* Only 3 percent were using psychotropic
medications when they died.
Photo
Deseret Morning News graphic
* Only 2 percent were active in public mental
health treatment.
Why, parents ask. Why so many teenagers in Utah?
There is tremendous pressure on young people
today, mental health experts say. Like the
second-grade girl saddled with a bevy of
extracurricular activities and 16 pages of nightly
homework who recently came to the office of child
psychiatrist Karen Black.
"This kid is really bright," she said. "But she
looks very unhappy and is feeling pretty pressured."
There is also no question guns are a factor,
experts say.
Beyond that, there are only pieces to a complex
puzzle and questions.
Studies show 90 percent of young people who take
their lives suffer from mental illness. Though some
are on medication, most are not. Antidepressants have
lowered suicide rates, according to studies in 14
countries.
But what is normal teenage angst and what is
depression and suicidal behavior?
Combining mental illness with drug abuse is the
deadliest of combinations. "Having both of these
raises the risk another level," Gray said.
Teenage suicides are high in all the Rocky
Mountain states. Is there some fierce sense of Western
independence that contributes to Utah's high ranking?
Utah does rank near the top 10 suicide rates
nationally, but it is misleading to say it alone has
an epidemic. The Rocky Mountain states have a 30
percent higher rate than the rest of the country, Gray
said, and nobody really knows why.
The Eggetts went through a litany of questions.
Was it our fault? What could we have done differently?
Larry Eggett has a tinge of regret for not
sharing his chocolate milk with his son the night
before he died. There was one small bottle left in the
refrigerator that Blake wanted to drink. His father
wanted it for his lunch the next day.
Photo
Deseret Morning News graphic
The Eggetts have since come to know that Blake
didn't die over chocolate milk.
"You can't play that 'what if' game," Barbra
Eggett said. "If you do, you can't move on."
Margaret Jackson, who lost her son Eddie to
suicide, agrees.
"Everybody goes into their little shame corner,
and there is no healing for the families," she said.
"There is no healing."
A highly motivated honor roll student with an
ebullient personality who feeds homeless people on
Sunday mornings doesn't end her life hanging in a
closet. Not in a perfect world.
But Martika Lynn Canphone Bate didn't live in a
perfect world. Despite her loving kindness, her
laughter, her academic achievements, her beauty, the
15-year-old East High sophomore suffered inside. No
one really knew her pain because she didn't share it.
Kerry and Marilyn Bate didn't hide the fact
their granddaughter, for whom they had legal custody,
committed suicide. A line in her Jan. 29 obituary
reads:
"She hid her own vulnerabilities beneath her
need to take care of others and quietly succumbed to
depression over fear of failure to achieve her idea of
perfection, taking her own life at the age of 15."
The Bates didn't know how much Tika was hurting.
She didn't talk about suicide other than to call it
something she would never do.
Tika's life began to unravel after a rocky start
in a high school class that resulted in a failing
grade. Her identity was wrapped up in her grades. To
her family it appears that when she lost control of
her grades, she lost her grip on life.
But that wasn't all she couldn't control. She
couldn't control the strained relationship with her
mother. She couldn't control her father's mental
illness. She couldn't control the grief that came with
the death of a cousin and an uncle.
"If you have several deaths in your family, it
makes it look like an acceptable thing," Kerry Bate
said.
Her depression really wasn't revealed until she
started counseling just a few week before she died.
Bate believes had she kept her head above water in
therapy, her death could have been prevented.
Instead, her 14-year-old cousin Joshua, who also
lived with the family, found her one Friday night. She
had hanged herself in her bedroom.
As is the case with most families connected to
young people who take their lives, the impact on
Tika's family has been profound.
Joshua never slept in his room again. In fact
the boy, who goes to therapy and is on a 10-month
waiting list for grief counseling, barely slept at all
until recently. "I was always thinking about her," he
said.
For two months, he fell asleep in the La-Z-Boy
in the living room with the television on. Three weeks
ago, the family moved to a new house. Springtime. A
new start.
Her grandfather is still traumatized. He thinks
of the hundreds who came to Martika's funeral, the
unfulfilled promise, the happiness in store if she
could have just made it through the sadness.
"I don't think kids at that age know how
important they are in the larger network of life,"
Bate said. "She thought she was just a pebble."
The state clearly has not adequately addressed
the issue in the past decade. Not much has changed in
that time. There is a core of dedicated Utah
professionals who continue to study suicide, but money
for ongoing research and prevention programs is in
short supply.
"I don't think the public understands mental
health issues. . . . Because of that, I don't think
some kids are getting the support they need,"
psychiatrist Black said.
Utahns in general remain squeamish about openly
discussing the problem and its complex psychological
causes.
"I believe if the whole suicide issue wasn't so
cloaked in secrecy," said Ray Wahl, administrator of
Utah's Juvenile Court System, "then we could deal with
some of these kids at the front end, instead of after
something bad has happened."
Several doctors associated with the University
of Utah School of Medicine participated in an
unprecedented study on youth suicide on the barriers
to mental health treatment for adolescents.
For the study, officials examined the suicide
deaths of 49 Utah young people. They conducted 270
hours of interviews with parents and other survivors
to evaluate their access to mental health treatment.
The study made clear the role society's attitude
plays in this problem and concluded those who died
faced the following barriers for adequate mental
health care:
* The belief that nothing could help.
* The belief that seeking help is a sign of
weakness or failure.
* The reluctance to admit to having mental health
problems.
* The denial of problems.
* The embarrassment about seeking help.
The study concluded, "It is suggested that the
stigma of mental illness is a considerable barrier to
mental health treatment."
Shurtleff saw this dynamic firsthand.
When the state's top law enforcer first spoke
publicly  and personally  about better education and
awareness on teen suicide, he got some advice from
friends.
"Are you sure you want to be so public about
this?" they asked. "This could hurt your career."
"We have this 'All is well in Zion' kind of
thing going here," Shurtleff said.
"We'd rather not talk about it at all or maybe
to go talk to the bishop about it," he said. "If there
really is a mental health issue you need help. It
doesn't work to talk to the youth leaders or
ecclesiastic leaders."
Teen suicide is an odd issue for an attorney
general's time, but Shurtleff has a personal stake in
the topic. Her name is Danielle.
His adopted daughter deals with several
psychological disorders that induce suicidal thoughts.
Dressed in black jeans, black skater shoes and a
Green Day hoodie, Danielle Shurtleff exudes attitude.
Her auburn hair falls lazily onto her shoulders. She
can be a brawler one minute, a sweetheart the next.
But the gleam in her eye suggests more puff than huff.
Thirteen-year-old Danielle says she has
contemplated suicide for all kinds of reasons:
When her parents didn't listen. When her parents
took a sibling's side. When her parents thought they
understood but didn't. When someone was mean to her.
When friends turned their backs on her. When something
didn't go right.
Those are common occurrences in a teenager's
life. Most might be upset or angry for a couple of
days. But most aren't born with fetal alcohol spectrum
syndrome. They aren't diagnosed with ADHD, depression
and oppositional defiant disorder. Danielle deals with
all of those. She goes through periods of inconsolable
sadness and uncontrollable rage.
Shurtleff held her late one night while she
sobbed, "I want to die. I want to die." On another
evening, he wrestled a knife away from her during a
youth activity at their LDS Church ward. He cut his
hand in the process.
Danielle has learned to grapple with suicidal
thoughts and come out on top. She's learned to defuse
the bad thoughts that come fast and hard some days:
"Why am I living? What's the point if my life is so
bad? Why am I living?"
Now she can answer herself.
"If I kill myself, I won't be able to ride my
dirt bike."
"If I kill myself, I'll hurt the two young
neighbor kids who look up to me."
"If I kill myself, maybe my friends will think
suicide is the answer."
"Maybe I should wait to see how things come
out."
A regimen of antidepressants, antipsychotics and
ADHD medication keep her stable. Therapy has taught
her coping strategies: Stop. Think. Act. Review.
She shares some of her new techniques with her
dad. Recently, the two were driving together, and
Shurtleff was struggling with the complexities of his
Blackberry. He was mad and ready to heave it out the
window.
"Daddy, stop and think about this," Danielle
said. "You have some choices here."
E-mail: lucy@desnews.com; romboy@desnews.com
__________________________________________________
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For those of you assigned to copy the reporter, his
real email address is brodiefarquhar@hotmail.com.
Sorry about that. -Doyle
------------------------------------------------------
Crew,
We're going to overwhelm a small-town newspaper.
According to the article, suicides have gone up this
year to about double the national average.
Our message is that they need to take a hard look at
what is going on there, rather than simply accept the
"help" that is being offered by psychiatric
"solutions". We need to get them to look and realize
that it's the psychs that are causing the suicides and
that they should not turn to psych solutions.
The assignment:
1. Read the article:

a3c6ab87257157007d3269.txt
Text at the bottom of this email.
2. Send your message.
-If your last name begins with A, D, J, K, P, or T,
click on the article link, scroll down to the bottom
and leave your message as a brief comment.
-For all others, write a letter to the editor and send
it to clark.walworth@casperstartribune.net. If your
last name ends in A-L or S-Z, send a copy to
{M7brodiefarquhar@hotmail.com.
These are the imporantant messages to get across. You
should just pick one of these and really drive it
home:
-Most people who commit suicide are already under
psychiatric treatment. Thus it doesn't work for them,
don't push it off on others.
-The black box warning on anti-depressants stating
that they cause suicide and violence.
-Take a hard look at what changed before the suicide
rate went up. Don't just believe "experts" because
they have already gotten you into trouble.
-Psychiatric solutions don't work. Look into improving
quality of life - education, health, more community
activities and churches for the real solution.
If you need hatting on what to say, click on
www.cchr.org and search for terms like "black box",
"suicide" and "depression".
Oh, and DO NOT MENTION TEENSCREEN OR ANYTHING ABOUT
SCREENING.
3. Report compliance by email.
Best,
Doyle
____________________
ARTICLE TEXT:
Fremont County suicides on track for record-breaking
year
By BRODIE FARQUHAR
Casper Star Tribune correspondent Saturday, April 22,
2006
RIVERTON n Tribal leaders, law enforcement officers,
mental health counselors and citizens gathered Friday
to kick off a suicide prevention and awareness
campaign for Fremont County and the Wind River
Reservation.
The gathering featured the unveiling of a billboard
designed to encourage citizens to call 911 when a
suicide threat seems imminent.
As traffic roared by on nearby Highway 789, Northern
Arapaho tribal elder Burton Hutchinson led about three
dozen people in prayer and a cedar blessing ceremony.
Hutchinson spoke of the dark days 21 years ago, when
10 young Arapaho men took their lives within two
months on the Wind River Reservation. Modern mental
health workers and science seemed helpless to stem
the losses. It took a reservation-wide effort, using
traditional healers and sweat lodge ceremonies to halt
the carnage.
After Hutchinson finished, another tribal member
carried a small smudge pot burning cedar sawdust
through the crowd. Audience members waved the smoke
over their heads, into the faces and down the front of
their bodies in accepting the blessing.
Fremont County Coronor Ed McAuslan said the county has
recorded six suicides in barely four months. That
puts us on pace to set a new record, he said, one
that would beat last years record high of 13 suicide
deaths.
McAuslan said the countys suicide rate is pegged at
36.4 per 100,000 people, while the national average is
17 per 100,000 people.
The billboard unveiled features close-ups of different
faces -- young, old, male, female, Native American and
white, to show that suicide is a risk for all
populations. The billboard asks Depressed? Feel
hopeless? Suicidal? Call 911. Know the warning signs
of suicide. The billboard is sponsored by Fremont
County Suicide Prevention.
Pamphlets and brochures recommend that for
non-emergency help, people should call Fremont
Counseling at 332-2231 or 856-6587.
McAuslan said a call to county dispatch will bring a
law enforcement officer, who can take the person
threatening suicide into custody, for mental
evaluation and possible commitment to Pine Ridge
Hospital.
Lander Police Chief David Hockett said the countys
sixth suicide of the year occurred Thursday night in
Lander.
As we talked to friends, neighbors and relatives, it
became clear that this individual was depressed and
had talked of suicide before, said the chief. I
think this person was reaching out for help, and I
have no doubt people were willing to help n they just
didnt know how.
Fremont County Sheriff Skip Hornecker said prevention
and awareness is key to lowering the suicide rate. By
the time we get involved, it is too late, he said.
Hornecker said he was a deputy 21 years ago when there
was a sudden rush of suicides. I never want to go
through something like that again, he said.
Connie Robinson, director of the reservations
Meadowlark Youth Facility, said young people are uged
to share whats happening in their lives, to ask for
help and to connect with a healthy adult. Brochures
will be widely distributed through the countys
schools, public and Indian health, and Fremont
Counseling.
Robinson said there will be a fall conference on
suicide prevention.
Lamar Outdoor Advertising is donating space on one of
its billboards west of Lander. Campaign materials were
designed by Wyoming Inc. of Lander.
Brodie Farquhar is a freelance writer based in Lander,
Wyoming. He can be reached at
{M7brodiefarquhar@hotmail.com
__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Tired of spam?  Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around


Crew,
We're going to overwhelm a small-town newspaper.
According to the article, suicides have gone up this
year to about double the national average.
Our message is that they need to take a hard look at
what is going on there, rather than simply accept the
"help" that is being offered by psychiatric
"solutions". We need to get them to look and realize
that it's the psychs that are causing the suicides and
that they should not turn to psych solutions.
The assignment:
1. Read the article:

a3c6ab87257157007d3269.txt
Text at the bottom of this email.
2. Send your message.
-If your last name begins with A, D, J, K, P, or T,
click on the article link, scroll down to the bottom
and leave your message as a brief comment.
-For all others, write a letter to the editor and send
it to clark.walworth@casperstartribune.net. If your
last name ends in A-L or S-Z, send a copy to
{M7brodiefarquhar@hotmail.com.
These are the imporantant messages to get across. You
should just pick one of these and really drive it
home:
-Most people who commit suicide are already under
psychiatric treatment. Thus it doesn't work for them,
don't push it off on others.
-The black box warning on anti-depressants stating
that they cause suicide and violence.
-Take a hard look at what changed before the suicide
rate went up. Don't just believe "experts" because
they have already gotten you into trouble.
-Psychiatric solutions don't work. Look into improving
quality of life - education, health, more community
activities and churches for the real solution.
If you need hatting on what to say, click on
www.cchr.org and search for terms like "black box",
"suicide" and "depression".
Oh, and DO NOT MENTION TEENSCREEN OR ANYTHING ABOUT
SCREENING.
3. Report compliance by email.
Best,
Doyle
____________________
ARTICLE TEXT:
Fremont County suicides on track for record-breaking
year
By BRODIE FARQUHAR
Casper Star Tribune correspondent Saturday, April 22,
2006
RIVERTON n Tribal leaders, law enforcement officers,
mental health counselors and citizens gathered Friday
to kick off a suicide prevention and awareness
campaign for Fremont County and the Wind River
Reservation.
The gathering featured the unveiling of a billboard
designed to encourage citizens to call 911 when a
suicide threat seems imminent.
As traffic roared by on nearby Highway 789, Northern
Arapaho tribal elder Burton Hutchinson led about three
dozen people in prayer and a cedar blessing ceremony.
Hutchinson spoke of the dark days 21 years ago, when
10 young Arapaho men took their lives within two
months on the Wind River Reservation. Modern mental
health workers and science seemed helpless to stem
the losses. It took a reservation-wide effort, using
traditional healers and sweat lodge ceremonies to halt
the carnage.
After Hutchinson finished, another tribal member
carried a small smudge pot burning cedar sawdust
through the crowd. Audience members waved the smoke
over their heads, into the faces and down the front of
their bodies in accepting the blessing.
Fremont County Coronor Ed McAuslan said the county has
recorded six suicides in barely four months. That
puts us on pace to set a new record, he said, one
that would beat last years record high of 13 suicide
deaths.
McAuslan said the countys suicide rate is pegged at
36.4 per 100,000 people, while the national average is
17 per 100,000 people.
The billboard unveiled features close-ups of different
faces -- young, old, male, female, Native American and
white, to show that suicide is a risk for all
populations. The billboard asks Depressed? Feel
hopeless? Suicidal? Call 911. Know the warning signs
of suicide. The billboard is sponsored by Fremont
County Suicide Prevention.
Pamphlets and brochures recommend that for
non-emergency help, people should call Fremont
Counseling at 332-2231 or 856-6587.
McAuslan said a call to county dispatch will bring a
law enforcement officer, who can take the person
threatening suicide into custody, for mental
evaluation and possible commitment to Pine Ridge
Hospital.
Lander Police Chief David Hockett said the countys
sixth suicide of the year occurred Thursday night in
Lander.
As we talked to friends, neighbors and relatives, it
became clear that this individual was depressed and
had talked of suicide before, said the chief. I
think this person was reaching out for help, and I
have no doubt people were willing to help n they just
didnt know how.
Fremont County Sheriff Skip Hornecker said prevention
and awareness is key to lowering the suicide rate. By
the time we get involved, it is too late, he said.
Hornecker said he was a deputy 21 years ago when there
was a sudden rush of suicides. I never want to go
through something like that again, he said.
Connie Robinson, director of the reservations
Meadowlark Youth Facility, said young people are uged
to share whats happening in their lives, to ask for
help and to connect with a healthy adult. Brochures
will be widely distributed through the countys
schools, public and Indian health, and Fremont
Counseling.
Robinson said there will be a fall conference on
suicide prevention.
Lamar Outdoor Advertising is donating space on one of
its billboards west of Lander. Campaign materials were
designed by Wyoming Inc. of Lander.
Brodie Farquhar is a freelance writer based in Lander,
Wyoming. He can be reached at
{M7brodiefarquhar@hotmail.com
__________________________________________________
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"I thought we lived in a free country..."
That's a good line.
Check out this good letter published today. Forward it
to your friends and see if anyone else would like to
write some letters. anti_psych@yahoo.com
---------------

iZWw3Zjd2cWVlRUV5eTY5MjExOTcmeXJpcnk3ZjcxN2Y3dnFlZUVFeXkxNA==
Regarding "Postpartum lifeline" (Page L-1, April 14):
I thought we lived in a free country. Now New Jersey
has a law that requires a mother to have a mental
health exam after having a baby. What will be next:
mental health exams for mothers who have children
failing in school, or maybe who have children who
don't look like everyone else?
New Jersey legislators need to take another look at
this issue and consider making the mental health exam
optional. Do they think that women can't think for
themselves? Do they really think that a test "knows
best" what is good for an individual?
Government doesn't have the right to legislate what is
"normal" behavior. I would like to see a return of
more personal freedoms rather than the government
mandating whether we are "mentally ill" or not.
Bill Simpson
Clearwater, Fla., April 15
__________________________________________________
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PLEASE FORWARD THIS MESSAGE
I am a Christian minister with a church in Tarpon Springs, Florida. My
community is in trouble and drugs are at the heart of it. For a long time
I've looked for a solution. Now, I know that something can be done about it.
In his press release, which you can read below, Rev. Heber Jentzsch
challenges community groups to unite in a shoulder-to-shoulder effort to
address the drug problem. I'm doing it. I'm bringing Mr. Hubbard's workable
technology of drug education and rehabilitation into my community.
This February I had the pleasure of meeting with Rev. Jentzsch in Los
Angeles. For a picture, click on

It was good to find out that we share the common purpose to educate the
people of this world about drugs and offer them real hope.
I am asking you to help directly by donating the funds needed to establish a
Narconon in our community center, called The Dream Station of Tarpon
Springs. The faster we work the more lives we can save. The people in our
community have a bleak future until we bring them tools to break the endless
cycle of addiction.
I would like to extend a personal invitation for you to meet with me, and
with my friend Doyle Mills, where we can fully brief you on my plans to use
L. Ron Hubbard?s technology to help restore our community.
I look forward to hearing your ideas and working with you!
Sincerely,
Reverend Michael Davis
Mt. Olive Ministries and The Dream Station of Tarpon Springs
To meet with Reverend Davis and find out how you can with this vital
project, contact Doyle Mills at 727-871-0970 or doyle@mtoliveministries.org.
You can also send a donation to: Mt. Olive Ministries, 500 East Oakwood,
Tarpon Springs, FL 34689
Press release:

Community Groups Challenged to Unite in the 2006 Fight Against Drugs
The President of the Church of Scientology International, Rev Heber C.
Jentzsch, is challenging community groups to unite in a massive campaign to
educate people around the world on the real facts about drugs, in the face
of statistics from the United Nations Office of Drugs and Crimes World Drug
Report, showing an estimated 200 million people, or 5% of the worlds
population age 15-64, consume illegal drugs.
(PRWEB) January 2, 2006 -- The President of the Church of Scientology
International, Rev Heber C. Jentzsch, is challenging community groups to
unite in a massive campaign to educate people around the world on the real
facts about drugs, in the face of statistics from the United Nations Office
of Drugs and Crimes World Drug Report, showing an estimated 200 million
people, or 5% of the worlds population age 15-64, consume illegal drugs.
Churches of Scientology internationally have printed and distributed more
than eight million copies of booklets on the subjects of marijuana, ecstasy,
cocaine and heroin. Supplementing this massive information program have been
224,220 drug awareness billboards and posters, over 45 million fliers,
89,000 public awareness events and more than 10,200 newspaper and television
stories promoting a drug-free message - all financed by the Church of
Scientology and its members.
Here in Los Angeles the Church?s youth drug-prevention program, Drug-Free
Marshals, is a welcome sight at Police open houses, national night out
events, and at youth clubs and recreation centers. Drug-Free Marshals have
gotten the word out to 100,000 of youth over the last decade. Humanitarian,
L. Ron Hubbard, the founder of the Church of Scientology believed, "Save the
child and you save the nation."     The Church has partnered with numerous
groups, including Mothers in Action and recently had the opportunity to
issue the 7-point Drug Free Marshal pledge to lead drug-free lives to the
Marine hockey club of Camp Pendelton. The highly popular Community Day
organized through the Los Angeles County Sheriff?s Clergy Council under
Sheriff Leroy D. Baca is just around the corner, where more than a thousand
youth are expected to take the pledge and receive copies of the booklets
produced by the Church as a public service.
Pointing to the Church's experience for nearly two decades in community drug
education, Rev. Jentzsch said that many youth and young adults are
misinformed about drugs but that equipping them with the facts can reduce
drug misuse. Scientologists offer use of their drug education booklets to
other groups and organizations because they are effective said Rev.
Jentzsch.
"Many people have stopped taking drugs or decided never to start as a direct
result of reading our booklets or attending one of our public awareness
events but we need to reach everyone," said Rev. Jentzsch. "If community
groups join forces the impact would be enormous," he added. "With a populace
composed of 200 million users and billions more to educate, it's time to
move to an entirely new level."
Over the past year, the Church estimates that close to 50,000,000 people
have been reached with its anti-drug message, with one hundred thousand
children and teenagers sworn-in as Drug-Free Marshals and more than 525,000
anti-drug booklets and 5,600,000 fliers against drugs distributed
internationally.
###
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Assignment 1. If you're anywhere near Clearwater, show
up at Flag tomorrow at 1:30pm for the CCHR Seminar.
The Industry of Death Museum is all set up. If you
haven't seen it, you have to see it! The seminar is
$15 in advance, $25 at the door. Call Flag and ask for
Charlotte in Div6 to buy your ticket.
I'll be there. If you've never met me, find me and
introduce yourself. You'll also get to listen to and
meet Ken Kramer.
Assignment 2. Respond to this frightful article:

You can write whatever you want.
Go to the second page of the article, scroll to the
bottom and you'll see "Share Your Thoughts".
And report compliance by email.
Thank you!
Doyle
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Crew,
A letter was published today in the Battle Creek
(Michigan) Enquirer.
The subject was Scientology, a little off our usual
line. I just wanted you to see the letter because it
is SO good!
He was responding to a fairly nasty letter about
Scientology's presence in the town. I'm not going to
forward exactly what the original letter said.
One of the best things about this letter is that the
writer put our true messages out there without
forwarding the enemy's lines. Look how smooth it is
and how beautiful. This is kind of how we should write
anti-psych letters as well. I hope you get what I'm
saying. Read the letter and you'll see.
Best,
Doyle
Dialogue can lead to understanding
In response to Deborah Riska's letter ("Do research
before deciding on 'church,'" April 10) regarding the
Church of Scientology here in Battle Creek, I'd like
to acknowledge her observations of our presence, and a
few of the programs that we have been undertaking in
the community.
As Scientologists, we feel that we have a commitment
to contribute to the betterment of our community and
the individuals in it. We also feel that each person's
personal involvement is on a much higher level than
just sitting around waiting for someone else to do it.
So yes, you will continue to see us out and about,
doing our best to do something about it.
It is maybe a sign of our times to distrust the
efforts of others, and to feel the need to denigrate
them. One sees this in the news all of the time -
liberals bash conservatives, conservatives bash
liberals; businesses bash unions, unions bash
businesses.
And where does this all eventually lead? Hatred,
distrust, violence and even wars and death. Possibly,
just possibly, this may be a good time to take another
path. It may be that if we just worked a little harder
to communicate with each other, to see who our
neighbors are, we may find that they don't actually
bite, and may even be someone we would like to be
friends with someday.
This is a good community with a long history of
tolerance, justice, health, and fairness. I pray that
it does not slide into the hate, partisanship,
name-calling and violence that consumes so much of the
world. We can live together in an atmosphere of
understanding and tolerance. And that begins with
dialogue. I invite anyone in the community who wishes
to engage in such a dialogue to stop in and say hello.
The Rev. Michael Bredeweg
Church of Scientology
Battle Creek
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Very fine letter published in Tucson!
Anybody else want to write some letter?
anti_psych@yahoo.com

Tucson Citizen
Published: 04.17.2006
TeenScreen questioned
Re: Leslie McGuire's April 6 letter on TeenScreen:
Sorry, but I don't buy the fact that TeenScreen is a
"voluntary" mental health program.
The March 23 letter by David Agami makes valid points,
and anyone objective can see that.
If TeenScreen is voluntary, why the passive consent?
What are you afraid of?
As the mother of an autistic child, I have done
extensive research into children's "mental health"
problems and discovered some major contributing
factors to children not doing well.
Parents don't make enough time for their kids,
resulting in children who don't have an open line with
their parents. That was the first thing I changed with
my daughter.
TeenScreen doesn't solve this problem; it puts another
wedge in it by referring the child to a therapist
rather than their parent for some quality time.
Then there are the matters of adequate sleep,
exercise, little to no sugar and TV and a healthy
diet. These basics alone make major changes.
Lisa Kolpek
Dunedin, Fla.
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