my advice to the parents of 6 year old with schizophrenia: get out of the mental health system

Read these links first for background

6 year old has schizophrenia-soulful sepulcher blog, with link to the LA Times

there is a genius factor happening-soulful sepulcher blog

advice from a schizophrenic to my daughter: "antipsychotics don't work"-soulful sepulcher blog (the woman was at the clozaril blood work lab)

It saddens me to say the least to read on the Jani's father's blog that the father talks about beating (hitting) , and starving Jani, taking away her toys, and ultimately drugging her spirit. (to break her) before she was placed on psychiatric medications this child suffered child abuse.

I have left these comments on a blog authored by the parents of Jani, the 6 year old diagnosed with schizophrenia. David Oaks, of MindFreedom left a comment there that was not received well by the father, because, though David has suffered on the drugs and is now off of them, a mental health crusader and advocate--the father wants to hear from a parent with a child who has lived this life. (I assume, due to the father's reaction toward David Oaks)

My intent is to share my daughter's story, because I know her outcome and it is less than desirable, to say the least, and there still are no definitive answers, just drives in the country on outings with a silent daughter who used to be a free spirit, like Jani.

My comments

I'm the mother of a 21 year old. My daughter has been on antipsychotics for a decade, due to a adverse reaction to an anti depressant given for bed wetting at age 11.

I would like to say, that the end result is now permanent psychosis, most likely brain damage from a decade of psych meds and a wrong diagnosis. After a decade the doctors called her complex. No answers.

Your daughter is on Clozaril, the same as my daughter and for the first time finally my daughter is only on one drug, once she got into the mental health system, the psychiatric paradigm of medication based treatment is the only one offered and based on no biological tests, and NO drug given to Jani, including Clozaril is approved for use in children and there are NO long term trials done for safety and efficacy for use long term in a growing child's body and brain.

I speak not to promote angst here, but from a decade of seeing my daughter go from a high spirited, brilliant little girl like Jani to a 21 year old mute, brain damaged young woman, her life sucked out of her from being locked up in psych wards and her brain fried on drugs.

For her to get off of Clozaril now will be an enormous withdrawal event (these drugs cause psychosis and withdrawal psychosis). She has to be able to do it and decide to do it.

CLozaril does not cause AIDS. It can cause sudden death by cardiac arrest, and it can cause the low white blood cell count--Leukemia.

It is imperative for you to seek help from a non medication approach for Jani, permanent damage, and she may not die, she could just end up like my daughter.

Find support via MindFreedom, Soteria House, anything, listen to David Oaks, listen to me if you can, or are willing to; your daughter needs it.

I write a blog about how medications injured my daughter, the drug companies and corruption behind the scenes, all a decade of research unwanted really--because I made the mistake of taking my kid to a psychiatrist, I am not a Scientologist or extremist, just a mother who learned this is not the way for kids at all.
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PS-My daughter attempted to jump from a vehicle on the freeway, among other aggressive self-harm events--she has been in at least 1/2 dozen psych wards, including a prominent one such as UCLA and there were and still are no answers.

I think it's important for you to understand that this is how it will go for Jani, I've been in that situation and you have already found out their only answers are the medications and they do more harm/damage than good.

You can read my blog for stories about my daughter and my struggles, and I hope a long life for Jani. Her story breaks my heart, because I know her outcome. If you give up on her, her life will be inside the psych system and as an adult those places are not what anyone would ever want to see or reside--the adult psych system is what nearly killed my daughter.
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http://stanford.wellsphere.com/bipolar-disorder-article/clozaril-the-dangers-the-blood-work-the-risk-leukemia-or-heart-explodes-or-death/369596

That's one of my articles on Clozaril use. It has the fine print adverse effects that can happen while using it. It is the most deadly anti psychotic out there--it's why my daughter and your daughter go for blood work, BY LAW for the dispensing of the drug.

I wish the best for Jani.
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Jani, the 6 year old with schizophrenia, parent blog.

From Jani's father, Michael Schofield's "about me" page on his blog: (which could explain a lot here, what this father says is chilling. It causes me to wonder how long they starved Jani, how hard they beat her and the drugs now are being used to "break her", they compare her to not being a "brat" now she is "schizophrenic". )

"The violence became so bad that at times Susan and I both lost it and hit Jani as hard as we could. We hit in impotent rage." -Michael Schofield,Professor of English at California State University Northridge- Jani's father


"We tried everything. Positive reinforcement. Negative reinforcement. Hitting her back (I won't tell you how many people told us that all she needed was a good beating). We took all her toys away. We gave her toys away. We tried starving her. We did EVERYTHING we could to try and break her. Nothing worked. "- Jani's father

Childhood trauma and psychosis: Evidence, pathways, and implications

SYMPOSIUM: VIOLENCE AGAINST CHILDREN AND WOMEN
Year : 2008 Volume : 54 Issue : 4 Page : 287-293
Abstract

There is currently a growing body of research examining environmental factors in the etiology of psychosis. Much recent interest has focused on the relationship between childhood trauma and the risk of developing psychotic experiences later in life. Numerous studies of psychiatric patients where the majority are diagnosed psychotic indicate that the prevalence of traumatic experiences in this group is high. This body of research now includes many large-scale population-based studies controlling for possible mediating variables, which together provide persuasive evidence of a dose-response association and are indicative of a causal relationship. Several psychological and biological models have been proposed which offer credible accounts of the processes by which trauma may increase risk of psychotic experience. Clinically it is imperative to routinely enquire about traumatic experiences, to respond appropriately and to offer psychosocial treatments to those who report traumatic life events in the context of psychotic experiences.
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TRAUMA inside the hospitals

My daughter became more psychotic on more medications and worse when the psychiatric hospitals locked her down in seclusion rooms. The worst hospital for locking her down hard was Children's hospital, the elite one that drugged her up on 800mg of Seroquel, she became beyond description psychotic, and they locked her in a small room for days and days. Ultimately, they sent her to the state institution, where she was nearly sexually assaulted. I got her out of that snake pit by writing a letter to the Governor. She was discharged on whopping doses of Haldol, Lithium and Zyprexa, overdose amounts. She ran down a 2 lane road screaming 10 days later, and the University ER she ended up in called her "the worst case of psychosis ever seen in this ER".

She was traumatized by the mental health system itself. Her silence now, in my opinion is a result of the system, the care and the crimes most likely that happened to her when she was locked up in those wards. (sexual and physical assault).

I hope one day, my daughter will be able to tell us that part of her story, I saw enough that I will never forget. Women being restrained and shot up with B-52's (a Haldol mix) while screaming and crying for the staff not to inject them. Women, mostly were silenced with B-52's for crying.
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Mental Health awareness blogs writing about 6 year old Jani

NAMI-Pathos-Different Thoughts blog, where I found the link to Jani's father's blog

Monday, 6 July 2009-Jani: "schizophrenic", or a victim of child abuse?!-Different Thoughts blog

6 year old abuse victim or schizophrenic-Stan's blog, and Hat tip to Stan for pointing out the "about page" on Jani's father's blog where the father admits to abusing Jani

July 07, 2009-Father Of Girl With Schizophrenia Admits Hitting, Starving Girl-Furious Seasons mental health news blog, authored by award-winning investigative journalist, Philip Dawdy

Schizophrenia in children: January Schofield-Liz Spikol, The Trouble with Spikol blog-Liz Spikol is executive editor of Philadelphia Weekly. She writes the award-winning column The Trouble With Spikol, which began as a chronicle of her struggle with mental illness.

LATimes reporter defends parental abuse of Jani Schofield, blames it on parents exhaustion, lack of self-control and Jani's schizophrenia -Is Something not quite right with Stan blog author contacted Shari Roan, reporter, and posts her email response

An Unwanted Child-Different Thoughts blog