1. Super scary stats I read this week…
Mental health issues are becoming the biggest concern in healthcare. Big Pharma is licking their chops, as they lead the charge by making medication THE THING to do for any mental health issue. Medication is, of course, NOT the ultimate solution, so this epidemic will be around for a long, long time. There is no blood test or scan that is done to confirm diagnoses given, so a lot of it is very subjective. What is even more concerning is that these issues are being diagnosed in younger and younger children. This week, I read some stats that shocked me!
- In 32 states, Medicaid spent $1.78 BILLION prescribing psychiatric drugs to nearly 3 MILLION CHILDREN in ONE YEAR.
- 270,000 of those children were UNDER THE AGE OF 5.
- Oregon has 700,000 children on Medicaid. And 37.7% of them were prescribed psychiatric drugs.
- That’s MORE THAN 1 IN 3 CHILDREN in Oregon that were prescribed psychiatric drugs IN ONE YEAR.
The side effects of the drugs are severe… including permanent involuntary movement disorders, sudden death, weight gain, Type2 diabetes, and more. Who could possibly think this is a good idea? It is shameful! These doctors are being irresponsible, the state programs are incompetent, the drug companies are predatory, controlling, and greedy, and these kids’ lives are being destroyed. It doesn’t end well!
2. A couple funny things I saw this week…
On a lighter note, here are two posts that I saw this week that made me laugh…
3. Someone I was thinking about this week…
My grandmother, Peggy Padavick, was an incredible human being. She was also 100% Irish. I think of her often, as she is someone who had a significant influence on me growing up and affected who I am, but I think of her more around St. Patrick’s Day, for sure. It was always a big holiday for her. I know that I posted these pics below several years ago, but thought they were worth posting again. Below is a pic of her with my grandfather (who was also an incredible human being and an even bigger influence on me) and also a picture of her upside down, kissing the Blarney Stone in Ireland when she was younger. I know how blessed I am to have had the grandparents that I did and am very grateful for them.
