Thursday, May 18, 2006

The Army Knows Better Than To Use Psych Drugs

It has long been a fact that the use of psych drugs can disqualify you for military service. One of the shooters in the Columbine Massacre school disaster had tried to get into the Army and had been turned down because he was on Luvox. But apparently once you're in, the Army has a different attitude. The current controversy is based on the Army taking psychotic soldiers, giving them psych drugs, and putting them back on the front line, where they become dangerous "loose cannons" (almost literally).

The following two quotes are from a Los Angeles Times article, "U.S. Redeploying Troops with Mental Health Issues":

"I can't imagine something more irresponsible than putting a soldier suffering from stress on [antidepressants], when you know these drugs can cause people to become suicidal and homicidal," said Vera Sharav, president of the watchdog Alliance for Human Research Protection. "You're creating chemically activated time bombs."

Sgt. Syverson, back in Kuwait after a breakdown, in an e-mail to his family: "Nearly died...out here on a nice and really mild night because of the medication that I am taking. Head about to explode from the blood swelling inside, the lightning storm that happened in my head, the blurred vision, confusion, dizziness and a whole lot more."

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