Sunday, February 21, 2016

Examining the Internalized Oppressor Complex

BY MIGUEL MORIN, aka Rey Salomón of the ALKQN

“Every act of conquest implies a conqueror and someone or something which is conquered. The conqueror imposes his objectives on the vanquished, and makes of them his possession. He imposes his own contours on the vanquished, who internalize this shape and become ambiguous beings ‘housing’ another…” -Paolo Freire
Introduction
This article was written as a result of lessons learned in the reading of Paolo Freire’s Pedagogy of the Oppressed. For the most part, the paper is a reflection on the work and is constructed around the theme of internalization – the theme that sounded to me the loudest, as a representative of the lumpen-proletariat of North America.
Throughout Freire’s Pedagogy this theme of internalizing the ways of the oppressor has rung out to me. But also throughout every day of my life – both within the concrete jungles of society that I was raised, and the ones now within the penal system in which I am being buried – I have noted this phenomenon and scourge amongst my kind: the lumpen.

Because of the example set by the oppressor, who is the possessor of power and wealth, the oppressed individual who is deprived of these things tends to aspire to become more like the oppressor himself. The oppressed individual would naturally aspire to become more of a ‘man,’ due to the model of ‘manhood’ projected to him by the oppressor, but this aspiration is mutated from its conception. As a result of this psychology, the oppressed individual more and more subconsciously or otherwise attempts to identify himself with the traits of the oppressor. In this move, the oppressed individual becomes unable to be clearly objective about his oppressor because he has embraced in himself those very same traits.
He may still be able to see himself as the oppressed, but because he now psychologically identifies with his oppressor, whatever quest he may endeavour towards true liberation will be hindered. Instead of striving for true liberation, he will ultimately strive to become the oppressor himself.
Furthermore, this identification (or adhesion) with the oppressor affects the oppressed’s concept of the ‘new man’ into one of a more individualistic nature. For him, the ‘new man’ is the new oppressor. Because they have adopted the traits of the oppressor through a process of psychological internalization, they are bound – as long as they continue to ‘house’ the oppressor – to reach a point of actually accepting themselves as oppressors who are only aspiring to attain their ‘rightful place’ upon the throne of oppression. This is why an oppressed person who is promoted to any position of authority often tends to be actually more oppressive than the original taskmaster himself…
The oppressed are afflicted with a fear of freedom. This fear will either lead them to desire the role of the oppressor or bind them to their own existent state of oppression. True freedom would actually require them to eject the internalized image of the oppressor that they possess and thence awaken to a more clear reality. It would threaten the ‘security of conformity’ they have grown accustomed to and force them to act more independently, responsibly and critically toward the contradiction of the oppressor/oppressed relationship.
The oppressed individual who possesses this ‘fear of freedom’ is often evident in his personal preference for gregarious friendship, rather than for authentic comradeship. Because of his inability to clearly objectivize the oppressor, due to his own adhesion to him, the oppressed individual will desire the oppressor’s ‘freedom’ to oppress.
This is the tragic dilemma of the oppressed: their having to suffer from the duality which has established itself in their inner-most being. They see that without freedom they cannot exist authentically, yet although they may desire authentic existence, they fear it. In this way, and thanks to the oppressor’s consciousness, which they have internalized, they are at one and the same time themselves and their own oppressors.
Some of the outstanding characteristic flaws of those oppressed individuals (who have internalized the image of their oppression) can be seen in the senseless violence that they inflict upon their immediate peers. This may be an indirect attack on the oppressor, where the oppressed see in each other the reflections of the internalized oppressor. Their tendency to buy into the oppressor’s myths such as that destiny, fate, fortune (inevitable forces) etc. are to blame for their condition (leading to an overbearing and sad grasp on an overall attitude of fatalism); their self deprecation which comes from their internalizing the oppressor’s opinion of them; and their feelings of impotence which are expressed in their blindly submitting to and sympathizing with the dictates of those in power so as to feel as if they themselves are a part of that controlling (and oppressive) power…
The oppressed are so insecure, due to their duality as beings who actually “house” the oppressor, where on one hand they wish to resist the oppressor, but on the other, they are so attracted to him. As such, the oppressors easily reap their desired results from a number of tactics such as conquest, divide and rule, manipulation, cultural invasion and such. Because the oppressor wishes to invade the consciousness of the oppressed (to more fully dominate him) and because as a successful invader in this respect he is subconsciously viewed by the oppressed as being superior, the oppressed become more and more alienated from even themselves and hence grow to want to become more and more like their oppressors.
“The oppressor elaborates his theory of action without the people, for he stands against them. Nor can the people – as long as they are crushed and oppressed, internalizing the image of the oppressor – construct by themselves the theory of their liberating action. Only in the encounter of the people with the revolutionary leaders – in their communion, in their praxis – can this theory be built.” – Paolo Freire
The oppressor uses a practice of teaching that births and encourages a passivity of the mind of the oppressed. From childhood, they repetitiously fill the oppressed’s mind with ‘deposits,’ creating in the oppressed an inability to critically see the world. Because this practice ultimately corresponds with the oppressed’s inability to objectively view the oppressor (because he has internalized the oppressor), throughout the oppressed’s adult life, he continues to fill his resultedly passive mind with mechanized slogans etc. which create in him an even deeper subconscious fear of freedom.
The humanist revolutionary cannot use the same practice of ‘depositing’ slogans etc. but must both present the oppressor’s slogans, myths etc. as a problem (so that he can then begin to eject those slogans etc. from within his own mind) and do so through the revolutionary practice of dialogue and solidarity.
One of the myths of the oppressor is the “ignorance of the people.” The scientific and humanist revolutionary must never believe in this myth. They must never attempt to “impose” themselves and their knowledge onto the people with the mind that they know and the people don’t. They cannot “sloganize” the people, but must enter into dialogue with them. To fail to do this would not only be a threat to themselves, where opting for the methods of the oppressor could in essence actually turn them into future oppressors – products of their very own internalized concepts and practices of the oppressors. Each time they say their word without hearing the people’s word, they become more and more accustomed to an illicit form of power, misleading themselves into acquiring a taste for ordering, commanding and subsequently doubting the people.
This could result in one of two ways with the oppressed. They will either become domesticated drones to the new concepts the “revolutionaries” have deposited into them, or they may eventually become frightened by certain words, phrases, etc. that the oppressor “housed” inside of them and pre-programmed them to fear. In the first instance, the “revolution” is for them but an illusion; in the second, it is quite bluntly an impossibility.
He who does not, or no longer, “houses” the oppressor is able to critically recognize his natural relationship or antagonism toward the oppressor. In such a position of clarity he is able to take up the struggle to overcome the contradiction of the oppressor/oppressed relationship and replace “class necessity” (preached by the oppressor), with “class consciousness.”
It is most important for the revolutionary leaders to be able to identify the difference between the oppressed who still “house” the oppressor within, and he who has fully overcome this contradiction. As fundamental as it is for the revolutionary to trust and have faith in the oppressed people, it is also necessary for the revolutionary to be aware of those oppressed people who “house” an image of an oppressor that is stronger than they themselves. These kind inevitably pose the potential threat of coming to actually denounce the revolutionary leaders, desert and even betray the cause at any given stage of their still “housing” the oppressor within.
The ability to detect the phenomenon of “housing of the oppressor” is vitally important in light of the fact that it is essential in an authentic revolution that the oppressed participate in the overall process. If they do this, without having fully discarded the oppressor within, the likelihood is that the revolution will ultimately be undermined.
Their aspiration to accumulate power will be one of an aspiration for revenge opposed to that of a legitimate aspiration for true liberation.
Furthermore – and this is a historical problem for so many “revolutions” – those oppressed people who are under the illusion that they have risen to power in a revolution, without ever having fully ejected the “housed” oppressor within, present the greatest threat of all to the overall aims of the revolution itself. Where before the revolution, it was the oppressors themselves who directly invaded the minds, culture etc. of the oppressed and thereby dehumanized and dominated them, the oppressors, now through their existence still being “housed” in the oppressed, indirectly threaten to eventually invade the revolution itself. Because the oppressor is still “housed” in the oppressed people of the new “revolutionary” society, the people themselves will tend to accept a power that more so reflects the repression they are accustomed to, having existed in and still being subconsciously submerged in the reality of oppression that still dominates their innermost being.
“Only as they discover themselves to be ‘hosts’ of the oppressor can they then contribute to the midwifery of their liberation. As long as they live in the duality in which to be is to be like, and to be like is to be like the oppressor, this contribution is impossible.” Paolo Freire
The task of the humanist revolutionary is to see that the oppressed become aware of the fact that as dual beings “housing” the oppressors within themselves, they cannot, nor can they ever be, truly human.
The oppressed must break this form of adhesion and internal “housing” of the oppressor in order to see himself in clear contradiction to the oppressor. Once he does, he can begin to consider the dehumanizing reality of the oppressor/oppressed structural relationship; and this change in his perception can be achieved through the praxis of revolutionary dialogue.
Michael Morin (R04862)
Florida State Prison
7819 NW 228th Street
Raiford, FL
32026 USA

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What is inner peace?

inner peace
The Taoist answer is: Self Acceptance.

Inner Peace can be as simple as letting go, and resting under the shade of an old tree.

The path taken to find inner peace is as hard or simple as a person makes the journey of self acceptance to be.

A Taoist will embrace inner peace by always taking the moment to be present in their life.

I received this question the other day: The full text of the question goes as:

I have no idea how to go about resolving the constant questions that go through my head! Asking these questions just makes my life miserable as it always leads to no answers over and over again.
I can’t see any light at the end of the tunnel all I see is more questions! Is it possible for people like me to find inner peace?
Everyone can find inner peace. The path is through acceptance. However, countless paths for finding acceptance exist. Some seekers take a longer path than others as they work out to resolve personal inner conflicts within their life. So the answer requires two parts. It first is important to understand the nature of questions. Then we will teach how Taoism helps a person find acceptance.
The Nature of Questions

Countless practices and systems of belief exist to help people find answers. The challenge is finding a practice or system that matches to your nature.
For example: Zen practice teaches a person to just keep asking questions and then more questions until the mind literally says enough is enough and the mind just lets go. Of course Zen then takes this a step further and you ask a few more questions just to be sure you mind has learned to be empty of questions.


In Taoism you learn everything is relative. This means most answers are not worth chasing. So you let go of the questions to skip straight into acceptance.

In fact, Taoism takes this a step further to teach many questions don’t have a “larger” answer at all, that in fact the only answer possible is that you yourself are the answer. In other words, a Taoist reaches the point of acceptance where you, “as you are” literally becomes the answer for a majority of the questions you face…

In Taoism, questions fall into two categories: Outer Truth and Inner Truth. Questions that fall in the zone of Outer truth are questions that could be consider universal in nature. For example : What is Red? Red is a color… pretty clear cut right? Nope.

Since many questions end up being relative:

For instance What is Red? Well depending on how you perceive the world, Red can mean something different. So to someone who is color blind their RED may not be the same as your RED.

So questions which are dependent on your nature fall into the category of Inner Truth.

Even more confusing: questions could have different answers depending if you are trying to answer relative to an Outer Truth or Inner Truth such as the “What is Red?” question illustrates. So when considering this: it isn’t hard for a person to get stuck in endless loops chasing questions and semantics. A Taoist knows that answers are infinite. A person can spend an entire lifetime chasing answers only to left still chasing after more.

A problem is many people try to force questions which are Inner Truth in nature as if they were only Outer Truth based issues.

This is the root reason for religions causing so many problems: trying to force a personal answer as an universal truth upon others. A perfect example was the question I answered the other day about Taoism’s View on Homosexuality.

So back to the question about finding inner peace.

Taoism teaches this:

Inner Peace can be discovered when understanding many questions are actually asking about Inner Truth.

Inner Peace is a matter of accepting your life
as an answer towards questions of Inner Truth.

How Taoism helps a person discover acceptance

Taoism teaches:

The past is just… the past.. long gone and passed on by.
The future is not here yet…
Taoism teaches you are here now, firmly in the moment: dancing from moment to moment. By embracing the ride of now, a person quickly learns: to let go of false attachments to past pains, learns building a future is just a way of deceiving oneself away from now… In this process of embracing life now… a person can let go enough to actually have a chance to see themselves truly by being present in their life.
If you are too busy holding on to the past or chasing the future:
it’s hard to take the time to then see yourself clearly now.

A strange thing happens at this point… A person discovers all the internal fractures once considered to be flaws and weaknesses… are actually beautiful… That in the light of living now… all aspects of our life makes us what we are… and that is wonderful. In living now… all futures are possible: opening up new “Possibilties” of 10,000 dreams where each one is valid… and it’s fun to play about, to flow as life weaves together into something unexpected…. Because it’s always possible to accept who you are now. Inner Peace opens up as a person releases into their own nature.

Is it an easy path to let go of the past?No… since being able to remember the past always gives strength to avoid issues.
Is it an easy path to stop holding onto the futureNo… since it’s by planning and slowly building with a good plan that humans have built so many marvelous wonders.
Is it easy to accept oneself?No … not when so much strength can be gained through community: and in turn we are taught to base personal acceptance upon other viewpoints over our own personal values.Initially as a Taoist you learn to let go of everything in order to see oneself clearly and to embrace oneself as is. In time acceptance comes at the point of relaxing into oneself.Later in this process a Taoist mixes together all aspects of themselves… to truly live as oneself… this means being fully human. In harmony with the past and future to now.
Living with a Taoist outlook doesn’t mean to stop being yourself…

It simply means to not hold former shapes of the past.
It simply means to stop limiting yourself to expectations for the future.
It simply means to accept yourself now… honestly upon your own terms.
To take all the whimsy, experiences and your nature to where ever it might lead. So for myself the goal is just to enjoy, discover and swirl in wonder. Along the way to move gracefully while giving a helping hand as we can.

This Taoist approach keeps everything simple and honest. The most beautiful part is being present now, where acceptance is in each moment as it happens…

One step at a time.

Having no illusions: since the dance of life comes both with hard days and easier times. The Taoist just takes it as it comes… One moment, one step, one breath at a time.

This is the Taoist’s path for inner peace.

Quick clarification on my thoughts of, "God".


I love my God

 I've been often criticized because I don't pray like others. I don't go to church nor do I ever ask anything of the Lord.

 Why?

 Everything that I ever needed in Life He has already Given me. It's my "job" to search for the sequence or sequences to complete the equation.

 I don't forgive or forget.

 Why?

 In order to forgive I must have judged. To forget? People don't forget, that's just a flat out lie.

 I have found it to be more productive to simply see All people as, "People being people".
 Guess what, no matter what people do they can no longer surprize me. They're people being people, that's what people do.

 I was created in the specific at a certain place and time and I shall end, physically & Spiritually, in very much the same fashion.

 I'm not going to church or the Mosque with you, it's never going to happen!
 I'm not a herd or pack animal.

 Here's the funny thing about "belief systems", everyone has a different opinion and everyone is correct in their opinion "for themselves".
 You need more carrots? I need more kelp.

 It has become err apparent the true endeavor is to simply mind your own business.

 I have associates and friends from all walks of life, to look into their religious belief or belief system is as intrusive as looking into their bedroom windows as they make love, have sex or jerk off - whatever the case may be.

 Hell? Have you bumped your head? My God has toooo much love to have created or allowed to exist such a place....except..."in my own mind!
 There is no yeaterday, if there is, find it! Bring it to me so we can look at it. There is no tomorrow, watch the clock up until 11:59 and count the seconds down. A more intelligent being will see that by the time the clock clicks past 12:00, it's now today.
 Tomorrow simply never came.

What does that leave me with?

 It leaves me with the only operating room I have which is "now".
My now is my Heaven or hell "self imposed".

 My Spirit has been here since the Original Creation of All things. My physical body just jumped on my Spirit for a limited time ride here on earth.
 My body was designed to fall back off my Spirit allowing my Spirit to continue tumbling throughout eternity.

 My advice to myself is to continue to be happy, "Now" as I am uncertain that I can change the octave once the body falls off freeing my Spirit "once again".


 Live your life happy knowing you are correct in your belief "for you". No one else has to cater to your beliefs.
 You'll have a much happier life.

"Niko J"

15 Things That Are Way Bigger Than You Thought

1. The Pacific Ocean


2. Jupiter



3. A Manta-Ray



4. Africa



5. Texas



6. A Blue Whale



7. A Blue Whale’s Heart



Have some fun, Stumble.



How to Make Money Right Now

If a person gets his attitude toward money straight, it will help straighten out almost every other area in his life.
If you need to make money quickly, there are several ways that you can do so without becoming overwhelmed or stressed. First, you need to ask yourself just how quickly you need it. Do you need it today to pay a bill or do you have a few weeks? Do you have to have the cash in your hand or can you wait a month to send an invoice? Asking yourself these important questions can help you to decide exactly what you need to do to make this side cash happen. If you need ideas, please check out the examples below, which are broken down by category.

Extremely Fast

If you need money today, there are a few ways that you can get it. First, head to Facebook and ask if any of your friends need a babysitter for that night. Make sure that you describe why you would be a good babysitter, including any previous experience you may have had working with children and ideas you have for making the night fun for them.
While you are waiting for someone to respond, head to your closet and see what clothes you no longer wear. Take these clothes to a store like Plato’s Closet, where they will sort through items and give you cash on the spot. Remember, many secondhand stores also take shoes, purses, and jewelry. When you bring your items, make sure they are clean and organized. If you go to Plato’s closet and dump out wrinkly clothes on the counter, they will not be impressed. If you go in there with ironed clothes that are all sitting neatly on hangers, you will have a much better chance of selling them.
If that doesn’t work, remember that you can head to a Pawn Shop. Pawn Shops can give you loans on items you love or cash for items you no longer want. Remember to read the contract of any Pawn Shop you do business with. For example, most of them will claim ownership of your item if you don’t pay the loan back in a few days. If you have a unique item and they aren’t sure what it is, be sure to describe it to them in detail so that you can get the best offer possible.
Lastly, if you have a few pieces of furniture you no longer want, you can list them on Craigslist. If it’s a desirable item, it’s very likely that someone will come pick it up the same day you list it and give you cash for it. Make sure to take pictures of your item for your ad in a bright, sunny room. Stand back far from the item and zoom in. This is better than trying to get a detail shot. You don’t need a fancy camera to sell items quickly. You just need a simple camera and a lot of sunlight to get the job done.

A Few Days

If you have a few days before a large bill is due, you’re in good shape. One of the best things you can do to make money is hold a garage sale. I try to hold a garage sale once a year, and I consistently make $200-$500 every time I host one.
If you’re going to have a garage sale, the only way for it to be successful is to be organized. Make sure you sort through your items carefully andlabel them with prices. Many people are too bashful to ask what the price of an item is, so if they are unsure, they might walk away. Also, check to see that everything you sell is clean, washed, and tidy. Clothes that are pressed and hung up on a line will sell much faster than a pile of clothes in a box. You should also advertise your sale with big, bright signs that have large letters and are easy to read. Also, place an ad on Craigslist.com with great pictures of your products. This will act as a “sneak peek” to those who love frequenting garage sales.
Plato’s Closet 2
Craglist garage sales
eBay Sales
Another way to make money if you only have a few days is to sell items on eBay. You can typically set items to sell in just a few days, and you can have the money in your PayPal account instantly. If you are going to sell on eBay, you have to have excellent pictures. To achieve this, make sure to take photos of your items in a place where they have enough light. Make sure pictures aren’t blurry, and write as much detail as possible in the itemdescription in clear, easy to understand English.

A Few Weeks

If you have a few weeks to spare, and you want to try to make some side income, you definitely have the time to develop a side businessAll you need to do is identify a talent that you have. This could mean refinishing furniture, freelance writing, mowing the lawn, building websites, helping a business with their social media, editing videos, or anything else you can think of. These jobs might take a few weeks to create and promote, but once you do, you could easily make thousands of dollars a year.
Fiverr
elance
Some great websites to look into for promoting your side business areFiverr.comElance.com, and Odesk.com. Remember that when you set up profiles for these websites, you are representing your company and your brand. Describe your services in great detail. Make sure that you have no grammatical errors in the description. It’s also wise to include a portfolio, links to your work, or recommendations from others. Additionally, remember that if you choose to build up a side gig business, reputation is everything. Whether you are working for a close friend or a stranger online, make sure that you always produce top quality work so that it can lead to referrals down the line.
All you need for this money making tactic to work is a little bit of time, patience, and a very strong work ethic.
Ultimately, you can see that making money quickly is not as hard as you think. Once you know your time frame and exactly how much extra money you need to make, you can set goals and work your hardest to achieve them.
Do you know of any other ways to make money quickly? Have you ever tried one of the tactics above?

11 Herb And Spices As Salt Alternatives

 Here goes a saying, nothing beats the taste of salt. True as it sounds, salt is widely used by all of us to cook. Most of the packaged food that we die to eat is preserved using salt as this acts as a main preservative. 
 However, salt to a larger extent is a component that is the basic cause for people to get various kind of diseases. These disease varies from hyperthyroidism to high blood pressure. Sodium is the main element found in salt. And at the same time, sodium can also be found in most of the natural herbs that we use in our daily cooking. 
 Most of the foods contains a decent amount of sodium in their natural state. Many herbs and spices that we find in our kitchen are not just known for their distinct taste but also for their medicinal values. 
 In order to enhance the taste of your food, without adding salt, substitute it with natural herbs and spices. These can act as salt alternatives or salt substitutes. Herbs and spices like pepper, garlic, ginger, basil and cardamom have the ability to transform a simple dish into a sensuous eating experience of lively and refreshing flavors. These spices surely promises to excite your taste buds.
 Here are few salt alternatives or salt substitutes that can be used to prepare meals. These spices and herbs are low in sodium, and are equally healthy & tasty.







Read more at: http://www.boldsky.com/health/wellness/2013/ten-herbs-spices-as-salt-alternatives-032240.html

8 Great Reasons To Start Seeing A Shrink Now

shrink
Talk therapy gets a bad rap sometimes. For many, it is something only weak people do, a thing they would never need and something to be deeply ashamed of doing. To them "analysis" is a self indulgent, obnoxious thing to talk about and something only crazy people utilize.
This is not the background I come from. It might be because my mother WAS a shrink, but in my family and among many of my friends, having a therapist was par for the course.
It's actually a great thing to do. Even if you don't have a "reason" to go to therapy (like a trauma or some deep secret), the reality is that therapy can be beneficial for everyone. It's a chance to talk and talk to someone who has nothing to gain or lose from you. A neutral party whose sole purpose is to help you What could be wrong with that? Here are 8 great reasons to consider therapy now:
  1. You are not sure what to do with your life: A therapist can help you determine a good path that utilizes your best qualities and helps you downplay your worst.
  2. You keep having the same fight with friends: If you are like many people, you keep making the same friendship mistakes again. And again. And again. A therapist can help you figure out why.
  3. You want to make your marriage stronger: You know what helps a marriage? Time apart. Time to reflect. Better ways of communication. These are all things a good shrink can help you with.
  4. You have a boss you hate: Don't vent to your boss. Don't storm out in a huff. Talk to your therapist. He or she can help you find ways of making work more tolerable.
  5. Motherhood is overwhelming you: You know those moments you just want to SCREAM? Talk to someone about it. Spend an hour working on coping mechanisms. It's better than Yoga.
  6. Your schedule is overwhelming: It may seem counter-intuitive to add YET another appointment to your insane week, but therapists can actually help you figure out what you can let go of, what you can outsource, and what you need to keep come hell or high water.
  7. You stress eat: If you are using other unhealthy means of coping -- eating, smoking, drinking -- therapy can give your head the space to figure out why. And help you to stop it.
  8. You are having nightmares: No matter what the reason, a good therapist can help you sort out what is happening in your waking life that is making it all worse.
Do all these things sound normal? It's because they are. People can go to therapy to help make their every day lives a little easier. The end. No shame in that, right?
Would you ever see a shrink?
*I speak by phone with my shrink often and see him twice a year.

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Are Children Medicated for Convenience, or Necessity?

By Dr. Mercola
Millions of children are taking powerful mind-altering drugs, often before they're even old enough to attend school. The long-term effects of psychotropic drugs on children are largely unknown, while serious short-term side effects are unfortunately common, including seizures, suicidal ideation, violent behavior and more.
According to WebMD,1 nearly five million American children have been labeled with some type of serious mental disorder. In any given year, 20 percent of children will be diagnosed with a mental illness.
The most common diagnosis for kids age 3 to 17 is ADHD, followed by behavioral problems, anxiety and depression,2 and many of these children are being prescribed powerful and potentially dangerous psychiatric drugs.
The BBC documentary "America's Medicated Kids" takes a look at several families with children on psychiatric medications. Journalist Louis Theroux gets a close look at some of these kids and their families by actually living with them for a time, hoping to understand what drives parents to put their kids on drugs.
 

Bad Behavior or Pathology?

Theroux identifies a fine line between ordinary bad behavior and pathology and poses the question of whether the latest drugs are taking the place of "good old-fashioned parenting."3
What happens to children when they are medicated at a very young age, during some key formative years? Do they grow up never knowing who they really are? What passions might they have developed were it not for the drug's influence?
Psychotropic agents can influence a child's brain development, and chronic drug exposure during sensitive periods can produce alterations of his or her nervous system that have unpredictable and potentially harmful effects.
Behavioral problems in children—including what might appear to be serious mental disorders—are frequently related to improper diet, emotional upset and exposure to toxins. These underlying issues should be resolved before suppressing symptoms with potentially dangerous medications.

The Diagnosis of Mental Illness in Children Is Subjective

The diagnosis of mental illness in children is far from an exact science. Modern psychiatry has expanded its reach to the point that even the most normal of emotions and mental states are now labeled as one "disorder" or another.
In many cases a child is labeled with a "disorder" such as ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) based on subjective observations of behaviors that nearly all children exhibit at some time or another, such as excessive fidgeting or becoming angry after losing a game.
Ironically many of these behaviors are a result of forcing children into unhealthy patterns like sitting in a chair at their desk for 6-8 hours, which will not only contribute to the restlessness diagnosed as ADHD, but also increase their risk for a variety of diseases.
 

The Rampant Misuse of Psychiatric Drugs

Data from the National Health Interview Survey (2011-2012)4 revealed that 7.5 percent of American children ages 6 through 17 take a medication prescribed for emotional or behavioral difficulties.
In recent years, there has been a stunning increase in off-label use of atypical antipsychotics. While most are approved only for the treatment of serious mental illnesses such as schizophrenia, this class of drugs is now increasingly prescribed for children anxiety, insomnia, and/or behavior problems.
Children as young as 18 months are now receiving them, despite the fact that the diseases they're designed to treat rarely develop before adolescence.
Sales of antipsychotic drugs for children have increased eight-fold since 1993. Sales to teens have quintupled, while adult sales doubled in the same time frame. In 2008, an estimated $6 billion was spent on off-label antipsychotics in the US, of which $5.4 billion was for uses based on uncertain science.
Aggressive, and oftentimes illegal, marketing by drug companies is believed to be a major contributing factor to skyrocketing misuse of antipsychotic drugs in children. In recent years, a number of major manufacturers of atypical antipsychotics has been caught illegally marketing their drugs for unapproved uses in children and adolescents.
Foster children are prescribed psychotropics at a rate 12 times higher than other children on Medicaid. The high rates of psychotropic drug use among foster children and poor children are likely a direct result of drug company tactics that target doctors in the Medicaid program, influencing them to prescribe more drugs to this population.

ADHD Is Overdiagnosed and Overmedicated

ADHD seems to have become the catchall designation for children who do not "behave well," which is the subject of another excellent documentary, The Drugging of Our Children. One study5 estimated that 20 percent of children have likely been misdiagnosed, which amounts to nearly one million children in the US alone.
In 2010, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) claimed that one in 10 American children had ADHD, representing a 22 percent increase since 2003.6
Many of these kids are diagnosed based on highly subjective observations of parents, teachers and guardians, and about two-thirds of those children were put on some form of prescription medication. In 2011, 48.4 million prescriptions for ADHD stimulants were written, up 39 percent from 2007.
ADHD drugs are indeed powerful mind-altering  hard-core drugs, regulated by the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) as controlled substances because they can lead to dependence.
ADHD drugs include amphetamines (Adderall) and stimulants (Ritalin and Concerta)7 with well-established risks, including heart attacks, strokes, and seizures. ADHD drugs can also stunt your child's growth or delay puberty.
It isn't just stimulants that have exploded in number—benzodiazepines (for anxiety) and narcotics (for pain) are on the rise as well, and all pose serious risks for children. Taking a narcotic painkiller for 180 days or longer can increase your risk of depression by 53 percent.
ADHD drugs, by definition, stimulate a child's central nervous system and may interfere with the intricate workings of his or her brain and personality. In 2011, ADHD drugs were responsible for nearly 23,000 emergency room visits, representing a 400 percent increase in just six years. For example, according to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA),8 Ritalin's potential side effects include the following:

 Full > http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2014/12/20/medicated-kids.aspx 

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