Burned Alive - The Tragic Side Effect of Another Psychiatric Drug Withdrawal

A tragic case of the side effects associated with psychiatric drug withdrawal, as seen in this report from CPS 11 in Dallas/Forth Worth

A court hearing was held Monday to find out the fate of three little girls who were allegedly set on fire by their mother.

Police say 29-year-old Alysha Green admits to setting her children on fire.

According to court documents filed in juvenile court, Green had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder.

According to the woman's husband, Green had stopped taking her medication and over the last three weeks her condition had diminished. Adam Green had little comment about the day's court proceedings, and simply asked for prayer for his children.

A family member told CBS 11 News that only one of the three injured girls is conscious. Seven-year-old Adamiria is said to be awake and talking with family members. As of Monday afternoon 3-year-old Arianna was on life support with burns over 90-percent of her body. Doctors put the girl's 5-year-old sister, Alexandria, in a medically induced coma. She has burns over 57-percent of her body.

After the three girls were pulled out of a burning house, the scorched 7-year-old screamed, "Why mommy? Why mommy? Why did you do this to me?" said a neighbor who helped the girls.

As rescuers tended to the girls their mother told a fire investigator that she doused them with gasoline and set them on fire, neighbor Kevin Lopez said Monday, two days after the fire.

"She was crying and saying, 'I'm sorry' and she didn't know why she did it," Lopez told The Associated Press.

In 911 calls released Monday terrified witnesses could be heard at the scene. During one emergency call a woman can be heard screaming in the background.

Police would not confirm neighbors' accounts of the events or fire officials' earlier statements that Green put her daughters in a closet, poured gasoline on them and herself and set them on fire.

On Monday, a row of balloons, teddy bears, flowers and candles lay in the front yard of the wood and tan brick house. Someone placed a sign that read, "Get well soon; we are praying for you" by a front window. A doll house, small purple plastic car, pink scooter and pink bicycle were by the front porch.

On a boarded side window, soot was visible on the window sill and a faint odor of smoke was in the air.

Also Monday, Child Protective Services filed a lawsuit to get temporary custody of the children. The courts granted the request, which among other things gives CPS power to make decisions about the girl's treatment at Parkland Hospital.

"As the temporary managing conservator CPS certainly has the legal authority to be making medical decisions, but at this point they have clearly indicated that they expect the father to play the key role," said James Teel, Tarrant County Assistant District Attorney.

Green, who is also being treated for burns at Parkland Hospital, has been arrested on three counts of suspicion of injury to a child. If convicted of the first-degree felony, Green could face up to life in prison.

As noted by the SSRI Stories Website

If this tragic case follows the usual scenario, then Alysha Green was given an antidepressant, became manic and/or psychotic, was diagnosed with bipolar disorder and then given an antipsychotic, a mood stabilizer, an antidepressant and an anti-anxiety medication. Withdrawal from any one of these toxic substances can be a nightmare, so withdrawal from this kind of drug cocktail is beyond description. Almost 3% of the population in the U.S. is now diagnosed with bipolar disorder [Pharmaceutical Business Review: Nov. 21, 2006]. Consequently, the dangers to the public of the toxic drug cocktail for bipolar disorder, both while on it and while withdrawing from it, are enormous

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