In
Her Own Words: Gloria Wright
Grand
Magazine June/July 2005 Edition
A
recently well-published concern is that children are being diagnosed too
frequently with Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) as well as other mental
disorders and are being prescribed drugs that may be more harmful to the child
than the possible disorder. Gloria Wright and her grandson lived through
such a battle. This is her story.
We
raised our grandson, Noah, the first five years of his life - a happy,
energetic, “normal” child who was a delight to be around. When he was
removed from our home by his mother (our daughter) at age 5, he was quickly
introduced into the world of legalized drugs by his mom through a willing
doctor. It started with Ritalin (methylphenidate); before it ended, he had
been placed on 16 more drugs, including psychotropic drugs.
Noah’s
life was transformed from one of happiness and good health to one of severe
depression, anxiety, diabetes, high blood pressure, migraines, hostility,
homicidal and suicidal tendencies, and aggression. Over seven years, he
was involuntarily committed to seven mental hospitals, and placed in 12 foster
homes. At each institution, while in the hands and/or care of mental
health “professionals” Noah was taken deeper and deeper into the world of a
severely mentally ill youngster. He was being legally drug abused to the
maximum amount of 1000 mgs per day of psychotropic/antidepressant drugs.
When
we gained custody of Noah, after a 10-year court battle, he was in such poor
condition mentally and physically that many of our friends became too upset to
look at him. His face was badly swollen, he drooled, he could not look
directly at anyone and his eyes frequently rolled back in his head. He walked
with a slow, shuffling gait. At 14 years old, he was reading at a
second-grade level.
Noah
has now been back with us for two years and during that time he has received
help from a wonderful psychiatrist, a fine psychologist and an outstanding
neuropsychologist. It was determined that Noah did not have ADD/ADHD nor
was he borderline personality, bipolar, manic, or any other labels that had been
forced upon him. The psychiatrist began removing him from the drugs – a
long and painful procedure. We were with him throughout the detox
nightmare and, together, we succeeded. After six months of detox/withdrawal,
Noah is totally drug-free and making progress toward a more normal life.
Today
I can report that Noah is now in ninth grade in public school. He has a Yellow
Belt in karate after having worked very hard and earned it with honor.
Noah has also fulfilled another dream – that of playing on a football team.
When dressed in uniform, pads and helmet, Noah looks like a mountain with legs.
He weighs 220 pounds, and plays defensive tackle for his school team. Noah
frequently remarks that this is the happiest he has ever been and, it goes
without saying, the happiest we’ve been in a very long time.
I
now serve as North Carolina Vice President for Ablechild.org, also known as
Parents for Label and Drug Free Education. Noah and I tell his story every
chance we get to provide encouragement and education to parents and grandparents
on the subject of the drugging of
Parents,
grandparents and other caregivers need to know they have rights they need not
surrender, and that there are Federal laws that protect those rights and those
of their children. For instance, the Prohibition on Mandatory Medication
Amendment prohibits a school from requiring a parent to put a child on a
controlled substance like Ritalin or Adderall.
Many
of the drugs with which Noah was treated have not even been approved for use in
children. He was sucked into the world of mental illness by the
unnecessary prescription of drugs that, while useful for adults who already have
severe mental problems, can cause untold damage to children.
Today,
when Noah speaks on this subject, listeners hold their breath and then they
begin to cry.
