I found this story very strange. I watched either dateline or Msnbc and watched a special on this. I had to research for the story to make sure it was accurate. I made sure it would be a newer subject that has not been blogged about.
The boy was 10 years old and shoot his father through the backseat of their car 6 times. The father,Dr. Rick Lohstroh, who was an ER nurse, came to pick up the boys since they had joint custody. But is the mother to blame or is it the prozac the little boy was prescribed? For many reasons I believe it was his mother, but I am in a state of confusion.
The boy was sexually abused by his father, but they are not quite sure if this is even true. The father's divorce lawyer said that the little boy was never sexually abused. What is known is the 10 year old boy was on a extremely high level of prozac that should NOT be prescribed to a boy this age. A week before the shooting he was given 90 mgs of Prozac to be taken only once a week. He took his second dose the day of the shooting.
The mother, which the 10 year old lived with, had a pistol. She "thinks" it was a 40 Caliper but said "she was not sure". She left the 40 Caliper on the floor of her closet, in the case unlocked. The main reason I feel as though the mother was setting this up was because the females' that were part of the jury and the female prosecutor had a hard time cocking this gun. They had a hard time pulling back the gun and some could not even do it. So how could a young boy who is 10 years old cock a gun with power like this one?
She had bought this gun after the divorce stating "It made her feel safer."
Also putting aside the fact that little kids make up stories, the 10 year old's younger brother was assigned to draw and describe an event that scared him. He drew a picture and the sentence stated "My mom told my brother to kill my daddy."
If the 10 year old is found guilty he could face 40 years in a Juvenile Prison in California.
So who really is to blame? Did the mother tell his son to kill his father and the Prozac helped it along? Or was the boy really molested and anger with his dad?
What do you think?
http://www.antidepressantsfacts.com/2004-08-23-10-year-old-boy-prozac2.h...
If the 10 year old is found guilty he could face 40 years in a Juvenile Prison in California.
He would actually go to Juvenile prison until he was 18 and then, spend another 40 years in prison if he was tried as an adult at that time.
Regardless, I think, whether or not his mother or prozac were involved, sentencing a 10-year-old to a prison sentence is outrageous. But, he shouldn't be out in society either. He should be getting placed in a behavioral health center and receiving counceling and treatment for an obvious behavioral disorder.
from the article:
"A psychiatrist prescribed Prozac for the boy in early August after he was diagnosed as suffering from depression and anxiety"
That sounds like a pediatric bipolar disorder to me, in which case he should have been getting treated with lithium or depakote. Prozac is sometimes used, but in some children, it does trigger mania. If his behavior really was caused by the prozac, it should go away once he stops taking the prozac. That dosn't mean I think his actions should go without consequences.
Again, I think the best thing for this boy would be counceling, behavioral therapy, and proper treatment. I hardly think a Juvenile prison is going to offer all those things.
I'm sorry; I have no sources regarding bipolar disorder, or my statements about prozac or other medications. It's just stuff I learned working in the Behavioral Health Unit at Phoenix Children's Hospital.
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I am honestly not sure how he got the idea to kill his father in head - whether his mother gave him the idea or if he acted out of revenge or even the medication. Regardless, a ten your old should know that murder is wrong, so intervention is needed. Even if it was caused by the medication, he should be closely monitored so they can establish the root cause. Ten year olds should know the difference between right and wrong AND between life and death.
Oh dear, I don't even know what to think. With the conflicting evidence you've outlined, it seemed like anything coulda happened. I think the only way to figure out is to know exactly what happened in that car the day the father was shot. But even then, we don't know if the mother planned this whole thing. What an interesting story.
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Mind Control is Easier Than You Think
Wow, I feel like stories like this are become ever more frequent. Is this because of advances in medical technology? Such as drugs like prozac and the increase in gun possession? Personally I think that a ten year old must have been extremely disturbed, with a serious mental health problem to have committed such a heinous crime.
There are so many stories of children going on prozac or other similar anti-depressants and then soon after committing suicide or killing family members. These drugs are not made for children and must be monitored more closely. I believe that it is up to physicians to really limit this usage. There is a difference between a sad child and one with a serious mental health problem and this must be dealt with effectively.
A TEN year old child put in jail his entire life is not solving the issue and he will never be given the chance to get better or be productive in society.
Oh and I am not saying that the drug is an excuse, but as a psychobiology major who studied several cases like this and seen how the brain become so messed up with antidepressants (even in adults), I just hope that the courts look at this factor.
I have taken 2 different Anti-depressants for anxiety and they made me worse. I do not think anti-depressants should be used they help some people but they cause more harm than benefits I believe
I am here to inform and help:
http://www.progressiveu.org/032913-lupus-uncureable-wait-what
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There must be an alternative to these meds. If there's so much trouble over antidepressants, then we gotta start finding something new. Maybe the answer lies in a natural product, or even just a lessening of the dosage.
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Well, scientists, especially neuroscientists and psychologist, are working tirelessly to find new solutions to mental health issues. People dedicate their lives to understanding, studying and researching depression, anxiety, etc and to finding drugs and solutions. However, since each persons brain chemistry is so different, one drug will have very different effects on one person than another. As you said, dosages also must be different for each individual, and psychiatrists have to find a delicate balance.
I think an important component is therapy, which should always be occurring along with medication and should be the first step, before any drugs.
First of all people should have seen what the boy was depressed about. Instead of running to the doctor to give him Prozac , they should have talked to him. I bet he was depressed about the fact that his parents were getting a divorce. I don't think his dad did anything to him. I think the mom must have put bad thoughts into his head, kept persuading him to kill his father , and the boy got afraid. So to overcome his fears of his deadly assignment , she double dosed him. Then she purposely left the gun unlocked and the box it was contained in the closet. It 's just ad. But I think they should get the little guy some help instead of making him a jail bird.
its sad really. again, what really makes me mad is the easy access to guns that unfit people have. and i wouldn't doubt the mother had something to do with it! how could she do that to her son?
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i just stumbled into this blog. the subject disturbs me. i believe the mother probably had something to do with the idea of murder, but the kid is the one that committed the crime.
he needs to be in mental instituion for serevel years or decades in my opinion.
sentencing him to jail would only disturb him more.