and more kids being diagnosed early, before they go completely off the deep end and need long hospitalization to stabilize them on the drugs.

For a decade I was basically used as a psychiatrist's own guinea pig as he prescribed me everything he could, even after telling him that none of them worked. Abilify in particular left me in the hospital for a week. When I got out, the psychiatrist had mysteriously "retired" and left the state. Everyone I know who's been put on "antipsychotics" only got a LOT worse as a result. I'd rather take a bullet in the head than go through Effexor withdrawal again.

When that trust with a Dr is broken so badly that the only thing we end up knowing for sure, is that we survived a sort of human sacrifice, we are on the right track.

On our own, we find ways to survive without their help.
I wish you peace and happiness. Glad you found your way to DU.

have been *literally welded* to the muscle fibers (I mean, not with an acetylene torch, but y'know)

even though there is a "black box warning" telling doctors not to do so.

When my mother was in a rehab center after surgery, they talked my sister into approving an anti-psychotic to "help (Mom) sleep better." The problem is that they were understaffed and my mother needed too much attention at night.

I faxed them an order ruling out an anti-psychotic, along with a copy of my medical power of attorney, and asked them to find out why my mother was suddenly having symptoms, instead of just drugging her.

It turned out that her electrolytes were completely out of balance, so her brain was swelling; and when they fixed that, she was fine again.

Thank goodness we were able to get her out of that place and she's very happy with excellent care now.