A recent article in the Houston Chronicle newspaper
reported that a father's death at the hands of his
very own son, may in fact be the result of "Parental
Alienation Syndrome", (PAS). While parental
alienation occurs far too often, (angry parents
turning their child against the other parent), our
family courts must penalize this practice of bad
parenting. Even if it does mean the family court
judge rules the alienating parent loses custody.
However, I think fathers'rights groups and others are
making a big mistake in wanting PAS to be included as
a "psychiatric disorder" in the American Psychiatric
Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of
Mental Disorders, (DSM). Dr. Mary Ann Block has
accurately called the DSM "psychiatry's billing
bible." Furthermore, Douglas Darnell, Ph.D, has
written that, "there are no effective treatments for
either the obsessed alienator or the children." I
believe to combat parental alienation, prevention is
the key. Also, stiff penalties are certainly in order
given the seriousness of turning a child against one
of their parents.
The undeniable fact of the matter is that our family
courts do need to be reformed to stop gender bias
against noncustodial parents, usually fathers. I
truly think that if we are going to criminalize the
failure to pay confiscatory child support orders, why
not jail noncustodial parents, usually mothers, for
purposefully interfering with a child and parent's
time together? Fair is fair. Parental Alienation is
dead wrong.
But turning to the American Psychiatric Association to
try and call bad parenting a psychiatric disorder is
worse than throwing the baby out with the bath water.
The 10-year-old Texas boy and his mother do carry
blame in Rick Lohstroh's death. The boy did shoot his
father, and his mother did turn the boy against his
father. Yet this case begs for any positive sign of
monumental justice. On a very large scale.
I am delighted the Texas 10-year-old boy's
grandparents are suing the maker of Prozac, Eli Lilly.
What a surprise, the boy was on Prozac when he shot
his father in the back. Grandparents like Richard and
Joanne Greene and thousands of others are correct in
stating Eli Lilly neglected to warn doctors and
patients of Prozac's documented side "effects." What
has happened to GlaxoSmithKline in terms of its cash
cow Paxil, must happen to Eli Lilly and every maker of
antidepressants.
Clearly, we are in a twisted quandry. Yes, there is
no denying that parental alienation occurs and our
family courts have not responded to the valid
complaints of fathers (and noncustodial mothers) who
are victimized by parental alienation. Similarily,
there is no denying our children as young as one year
old are being drugged with antidepressants to cover up
bad parenting skills. What a mess.
I would like to see both advocates of fathers' rights
and all advocates of drug-free parenting come
together. I can only imagine how many noncustodial
parents in this country have been talked into taking
Prozac or Paxil themselves to deal with being turned
against by their own flesh and blood. What about
their children? How many children dealing with the
pain of a custody battle are drugged in order to cope
with it is a question that demands answer. You see,
lives depend on it.
So, how will justice best be served in the shooting
death of Rick Lohstroh, a loving father? Who will
bear the most responsibility? What will the final
emotional and financial cost be? What about intent?
Will we learn anything from this awful tragedy?
Perhaps more parents will lose custody when parental
alienation is proved in family court. Perhaps more
parents will wake up to the dangers of Prozac and all
antidepressants and psychiatric drugs. Perhaps we, as
a civil society, can better understand the importance
of family post separation or divorce, and acknowledge
our family courts are still grossly failing
noncustodial parents and their children.
This said, something called "parental alienation
syndrome" didn't kill Rick Lohstroh. But how much
responsibility in a criminal sense can his son really
share? We know something needs to be done about his
mother. When the dust finally settles in this
terribly sad case, justice would be perfectly served
if Prozac was banned in America and the makers of
Prozac are sued right into the ground, not just by
Richard Lohstroh's son's grandparents, but by everyone
who has suffered from the real effects of what can
ultimately be called - a real evil pill.
Tony Zizza is a freelance writer based in the Atlanta area.
He serves as Vice President of the State of Georgia
for the organization,
Parents For Label and Drug Free
Education.
