I was struck by the irony of two CNN news reports seen back-to-back Jan. 31. In the first, a reporter tells of the defense of a 15-year-old who admits to killing his grandparents. Zoloft was to blame. Never mind that he had been troubled enough, before Zoloft, that he ran away from home to live with his grandparents and had to be psychiatrically hospitalized. Instead his murderous behavior was attributed to a medication that has safely helped millions of other people.
The story immediately following was on shoplifting, stating, "If you are a kleptomaniac, it's not your fault." It's the fault of your brain chemistry; and naltrexone, used to treat alcoholics, can "cure" you.
Here's one story alleging that the presence of medication caused a boy's brain chemistry to be so disturbed that he killed his grandparents. Therefore, he is not responsible. The very next story alleges that a lack of medication causes brain chemistry to be so disturbed that people shoplift. Therefore, shoplifters are not responsible. Both stories are irresponsibly reported.
This irresponsible journalism is not even consistent with itself, much less with the truth. As a psychiatrist, I know that medication and brain chemistry are very important, but this simplistic presentation of these issues is cartoonish and harmful to the public. If no one is responsible for their own behavior, then we are all doomed.
Carey G. Cottle Jr.
Greensboro
Comments (1)
Yes, we are responsible for our OWN behaviors, I agree. BUT the drup companies should be held responsible for marketing drugs that are harmful. These companies KNOW of the effects of these drugs and just keep pushing them on doctors to prescribe.
This is not a "devil-made-me-do-it" excuse. It's the "drug-companies-made-me-do-it." The brain is a very complicated machine and when we take drugs, prescribed or otherwise, we truly do no know the ramifications--expecially in the brains of children and adolescents.
Don't be so quick to judge.
Posted by Marcy | February 15, 2005 11:45 AM