by Alannah Ryane

Created on: February 14, 2008

A few weeks before Heath Ledger's death I was in Hollywood on a video shoot. I met up with some friends who wanted me to take the Citizens Commission on Human Rights (CCHR) tour with them. For those of you (and I was among you) who hadn't heard of this organization, the CCHR was started in 1969 by The Church of Scientology. Now before you either dig in or turn away from that controversial subject let me just say that it was an extremely enlightening and frightening exhibit that left a very strong impression on me.

We walked from room to room viewing documentaries on the history of the alliance between the pharmaceutical companies and the psychiatric profession. Each room was designed like a set (this was Hollywood) starting with the lobotomies, shock treatments and torture they performed on orphans, the poor and sick. There were hidden camera sessions showing how anyone can walk into a psychiatrist office, say they are depressed and can't sleep and get a prescription for sometimes 3 medications. These are prescribed without any tests at all because there are no tests. I started thinking about my friends, family members and children I have taught and the horror stories they have with these anti-depressant drugs.

Then the documentary that alarmed me the most. We sat in little school desks. Then came the statistics of how many of our children are being "diagnosed" with "mental health" issues. They are quickly put on SSRIs, or selective serotonin re uptake inhibitors and what are now commonly called Chemical Babysitters, Prozac, Zoloft, Paxil, Ritalin and a host of others. It stated that the psychiatric community has a goal ..to get as many children diagnosed and on these "medications" as they can. They also stated some alarming facts about the number of high school shootings committed by young men on or having just come off of these "prescribed" drugs which is now just coming to light.

The family of the late Phil Hartman are suing Pfizer and claiming his wife was on Zoloft when she killed him and herself. Kurt Cobain overdosed on Rohypnol in March of 1994 a month before he shot and killed himself. Stevie Nicks said her 8 year addiction to Klonopin was worse than her cocaine addiction. Anna Nicole Smith and her son both died from prescription drug cocktails. And now we are getting a clearer picture of Brittany Spears bizarre behavior, prescription drugs again.

This is a very scary epidemic but not exclusive to movie stars, its as easy for anyone to get the same drugs as it is for the rich and famous thats the point and one they hope we will not wake up to.

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