Is Louise Milligan the only Australian journalist who is interested in investigating issues associated with Australian psychiatrist professors and drug company influence? It appears that an Aussie shrink boffin with conflicts of interest has got to draw attention to himself by playing a part in a controversial matter (such as testifying in a trial about a horrible crime) and also have a following of seriously unhappy ex-patients, before he need fear attracting the scrutiny of Australian journalists.
Two TV news reports about the misdeeds of Melbourne psychiatrist Professor Graham Burrows:
Medical scandal uncovered.
Louise Milligan
Seven News.
http://au.news.yahoo.com/video/vic/watch/25670720/
More complaints against Burrows.
Louise Milligan
Seven News.
http://au.news.yahoo.com/video/vic/watch/25693691/
Have you considered that the reason that Louise Milligan is the only one "investigating" this issue is that it really isn't much of an issue? The reason other media outlets aren't jumping on the bandwagon may be that they see she is trying to create a scandal out of a small percentage of mentally ill former patients, and might I add totally failing to report on the many who have called or emailed her to offer their happiness with the doctor? I think this is a witch hunt.
ReplyDeleteI would think that at the very least prescribing elephant dosages of pschiatric drugs is an issue of seriousness. There must surely be a reason why drugs have specified dosages - non-trivial matters like toxicity I would assume.
ReplyDeleteHow do you know that many ex-patients have contacted this journalist to express their satisfaction with this doctor, person with an anonymous name?
Because I work in allied health with the psychiatric patients of many different doctors and in one day 4 of them told me that they have emailed 7News and 1 has told me that she spoke to the reporter on the phone. I'm assuming if in my small sample that many contacted them in a 24 hour period then there are probably plenty of others.
ReplyDeleteBefore you assume they are "elephant" dosages you need to present information that other psychiatrists are not prescribing similar dosages. For example, my observation is that psychiatrists across the board prescribe from 800mg-1200mg of Seroquel for psychotic illnesses. So if you are investigating this doctor you need to investigate at least half the psychiatrists in the country.
Well, yes then, investigate at least half the psychiatrists in the country! I'm not one of those anti-psychiatry people who deny that real mental illness exists, but there is good evidence that many of the most widely prescribed psych drugs don't really treat the illness or correct any "chemical imbalance". It is my understanding that the anti-psychotics just slow down the body and the mind in general, with a side effect of slowing down whatever it is that gives rise to psychosis, and according to Irving Kirsch's book many of the anti-depression drugs are just active placebos. There can be no justification for over-prescribing drugs of these types, which aren't even genuine treatments, because upping the dosages surely isn't going to facilitate better treatment, but it will for sure make all the many side-effects of these drugs worse.
ReplyDeletePsycho1, I have seen you defending Prof Burrows now on a number of pages online, including 'Rate my doctor'. It makes me very suspicious of whether you are actually more closely linked to him than you let on.
ReplyDeleteI have met with and know Burrows, and can vouch for the fact that he is/was not treating his patients appropriately, and prescribing high dosages - questionable dosages, of anti psychotic medication to patients with minor psychiatric issues such as mild anxiety, PTSD and also to eating disorders patients - without trying any other method of treatment first.
You can post all the defensive comments you wish to over the internet, putting down the former patients who ARE speaking out, but they still have a right to voice their opinions on treatment.
I am sure he may have given appropriate treatment to many patients, but the point is there is a large group of whom he has treated inappropriately.
Everyone commenting here has a made-up name and does not share their real identity, including me. Is online anonymity a good thing or a bad thing? I can't check who my commenters really are or check their claims as I don't know who they are, but I suspect that if we all had to divulge our real identities before writing online, this blog wouldn't exist and these interesting comments wouldn't have been made.
ReplyDeleteThe inappropriate and/or excessive prescription of anti-psychotic drugs is an issue that pops in in so many countries in so many contexts. The inappropriate prescription of these drugs for autistic people is the issue that APANA has been concerned about and has been giving out info on for many years now (see links at this blog). The inappropriate prescription of these horror drugs in large doses is one of the most worrying aspects of the terrible story of bright young Jani Schofield in the US, and intellectually gifted synaesthete girl who is probably also on the autistic spectrum, who has been diagnosed as a schizophrenic and institutionalized for much of her childhood. I have written about her at my other blog "Incorrect Pleasures". Recently the "chemical restraint" of disabled and autistic people in group homes and institutions in the US with unjustified and/or excessive doses of anti-psychotic drugs is an issue that was reported in the New York Times and the subject of activism by ASAN, an advocacy organization by and for autistics. I wrote about this at my other blog too. I have also written many posts at this blog and my other one about the ongoing and long debate within Australia and internationally involving Prof. Pat McGorry about whether or not it is appropriate to give young people a label of "prodromal psychosis" or "at-risk" of psychosis thus exposing them to the real possibility of inappropriate prescription of anti-psychotic drugs with real harms and possibly no benefits for many individual patients. The phenomenon of large numbers of young children in the US being prescribed anti-psychotic drugs for highly questionable diagnoses has been well documented by New Scientist magazine, the writer Jon Ronson and many other sources. In my general reading it appears that anti-psychotic drugs, with many serious side-effects, are being prescribed more and more for conditions other than schizophrenia or psychosis, the conditions that they have traditionally been used for. We should all be asking where this push to broaden the use of these scary drugs into many different conditions and contexts and age groups is coming from. Couldn't possibly be drug companies pulling the strings, could it?
ReplyDeleteI would love to write as myself, but am unsure on whom 'psycho1' is and who they are connected to, and with such a high profile psychiatrist linked with so many big people & companies, I am wary...
ReplyDeleteThere was another segment on 7news regarding burrows, tonight.
I suppose anonymity is good in this case, even though it goes both ways. As I stated above I would just be too wary to reveal my identity at this stage. But I will voice my opinions on my experiences with Professor Burrows - whether they are believed by other or not, that is up to the 'others' to decide.
ReplyDeleteIt is quite clear in my opinion that Graham has reaped the rewards (and continues to) from his Seroquel drug trials, through AstraZeneca. There is much documented evidence of his prizes and gifts for the use of the drug, and also for that clear trials that he has done on patients using Seroquel, one being around 2007, where he trialled Seroquel on eating disorder patients. Patients of extremely low weights, taking dosages up to 4 times what is recommended for full grown men with mania and schizophrenia.
And from my own experience of what I have seen, sketchy diagnoses of Schizoid type / Schizophrenia / Bi Polar / Borderline Personality Disorder in order To trial these anti psychotic medications on patients, when they do not show any or many of the signs of these diseases at all, and are often minor sufferers of anxiety, mild depression and post natal depression.
I was wondering if the support group of ex-Burrows patients has a name or a website. I'd be happy to link to it from my blog.
ReplyDeleteRE the "sketchy diagnoses", the idea that Schizoid PD needs treatment or meds is utter crap. There's nothing odd about a schizoid except a lack of interesting in socializing. I'd probably meet the criteria if I were ever assessed, and it's regarded as the same as Asperger syndrome by many AS experts. Schizoid PD does not lead to schizophrenia and has nothing whatsoever to do with it. It is a good thing that it is slated to be abolished with this year's revision of the DSM.
There is yet another segment on Burrows tonight on 7news.
ReplyDeleteI will look into the support group. If I find any links or contact details I will inform you.
I agree that many meet the criteria for Schizoid PD. I believe in many instances prescribing strong anti-psychotic medications, particularly in high doses prevents the patient from being able to be 'treated' appropriately, by causing a numbness or change in behaviour due to the new medication which is not always of a positive nature.
Pulled that comment out of the spam filter. Not sure how it got there!
ReplyDeleteDamned if I can find any trace of that 7news story on the internet. Could you help with a link?
It was advertised and then was not on, but I was told it was played tonight, though I can't find a link on the 7news website, maybe it is not on there yet. As soon as I see it, I will post the link.
ReplyDeleteHere is the link to Sunday nights segment on 7 News, regarding Burrows:
ReplyDeletehttp://au.news.yahoo.com/video/vic/watch/27901358/
I watched a really strong feminist work under Burrows and put up with his stupid sexist speeches at 'Mental illness charity' art exhibitions. When you think about his open sexist attitudes he made so overbearingly public, that should be enough for people to realise he's obviously not going to be helpful to women in his 'care'. Him bribing people, trying to get the Nobel Prize for his horrific human experiments is something else. Fear makes people allow so much horror to happen. Really would like to see this obvious arrogant torturer put in prison for the remainder of his life.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comment. I wasn't aware that there was anything particularly innovative about the work of Dr Burrows. Over-prescribing seems to be common practice.
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Just don't let anyone erect a statue of Burrows!
ReplyDeleteShame the links don't work anymore. Maybe there's some court transcripts somewhere. Did any Class Action happen?
I found this from 2004. Since then the Re-assignment clinics have boomed, so obviously Graeme Burrows helped his friend Bower out there, when he was under investigation.
Complaint against: Herbert Bower, Trudy Kennedy & Graeme Burrows (he’s dead but please do not erect any statues, the complaints against this evil man are numerous and grotesque in the violence he inflicted, especially the forced Seroquel drug trials, through AstraZeneca).
In 2004 details of abuse:
Complaint against a psychiatrist, Herbert Bower, for use of coercion of a vulnerable member of the community, for the pursuit of psychiatric- endocrinology-genealogical research. His work, along with that of his colleagues, was subject to an independent review by the evil psychiatrist Professor Graeme Burrows, and Dr Bower said at the time he was, ‘Confident. Well, I know Graeme Burrows extremely well. He is a very good friend of mine. I think he is an excellent psychiatrist and I have complete confidence in him. But I would say, quite open, that I know more about transsexuals than Graeme Burrows.’
http://www.abc.net.au/7.30/content/2004/s1103101.htm