John,
I saw the show also. Not at all done truthfully.
The mom didn't have any show of emotion on her face, perhaps had been medicated herself.
Once again, there was the opportunity for educating many people and they failed.
I'd encourage everyone to email 60 Minutes to express our disappointment.
Margaret
Hey John,
I couldn't have said it any better that what you took the time to write out. My summation would have been...thanks Ms Couric, I love you too.
I don't agree with any child being treatment for Bipolar disorder. I think doctors in general are playing a dangerous game when it comes to this, especially when using adult drugs to treat it with no information to go on as to the long term effects that could come about.
Didn't they go on to say that the dosage prescribed was at a lethal dose to start with?
I also wanted to put in my two cents on the drug company conspericy you pointed out.
We have become the gunie pigs of all these so called great and wonderful new meds coming out that just happen to have no generics (lowere costs) available saying they are the next best thing to apple pie.
There have been a number of recent studies of where these new medications are of no effect or that of a lesor extent of the older well proven ones that have been around for a long time.
I have a number of friends that are true bipolars and that question was brought up of when did any of us notice that there might be something that caused us to think we might not be like the other kids our age.
The range was 17 years old to 23 for the noticed change and 28 to 39 before it went out of control and had to be addressed. Not one was as a child.
John...when did you first notice and is there anyway we can have a poll set-up on this site to have a lot of bipolars weigh in.
Here is a link on some good reading of medications and effects
http://www.crbestbuydrugs.org/PDFs/AntipsychoticsFINAL.pdf
I hope you don't mind me responding to this question. They have been for some time using anti-seizer medications such as Neurontin (gabapentin) & Tegretol (Carbamazepine) to name a few.
They are called off-label medications meaning that they have not passed FDA to treat our illness but have shown to help/work in some cases while being used to treat another such as seizers.
My main mood stabilizer is an off-label and if this is something you're interested in...Run it past your doctor to see what he or she thinks on the subject.
<i>Back when we were an agricultural society, no one would have noticed a BP or ADHD kid. Now we shut them up in schools with toxins in the environment and building materials, feed them junk food, then wonder why they're bouoncing off the walls and ceilings.</i>
Now you're finally saying something sensible. Wouldn't it also make sense if what you say is true to feed them well and let them play outside rather than in front of a video screen? I'm essentially managing my "bipolar" naturally now and know many many people who do. I'd like to know how many parents radically change these kids diets. Certainly it makes sense to do that before feeding them toxic drugs.
I am adopted and my biological mother was also a drug addict, I started having problems with depression around age 4. I had constant irratibility and irrational fears (probably due to typical adoption abandontment issues). I was a well behaved but obviously troubled child. I would love to read your book. I am bipolar type II on the depressive end of the spectrum.
Denise,
I totally agree kids need help too. But after living in foreign countries, I have seen there are other ways to do it besides drugs until we understand human brain and body better.
If you think about how much we spend on the drugs - not just the co-pay, but the full amount. The amount the government subsidizes and the time public employess (like school councilers) spend getting "educated" for "free" on the proper use of medications and then pushing that "education" on parents = this a lot of money!
What if that money went instead to hire help for a mother whose child needs to be watched around the clock or medicated? This would be good for the children and good for the economy --- finally those of us who have achieved stability but can't work full time - would have the perfect job!
I really believe that we should alleviate suffering for children with bipolar in much the same way I believe we don't give children enough pain medicine when they need it. I think some of the older drugs are much more reasonable to give to children since we know the problems. Adults are winning lawsuits for having been prescribed some of these drugs and becoming morbidly obese... until a crystal clear benefit/cost analysis can be done with all the risks known, I think children must suffer the illness without drugs until they are around 21 and their prefrontal lobe is fully developed. I wish that we would spend our "drug" money on working hard to develop knowledge to help children safely instead of drug advertisement and too early selling it to children.
This does not mean I advocate never giving a prescription drug to a child, just that an equivallent amount should first be spent on hiring an "Auntie" to help watch the child --- because no mother can always watch and always predict when she needs to lock a window. Having help while I was either too low or two high from other moms and grandmothers made all the world difference for my children -- one of which I could have easily got medication for in the US.
Imagine 20-40 hours a week of household help! Wouldn't that go long way to allow a parent to try all those non-medication approaches that working parents usually don't have time for? If that fixes the situation - then insurance companies and the government should help pay.
Then we REALLY see an outbreak of bipolar among children : ); but that's another issue.
Unfortunately, even an "auntie" can watch a suicidal child 100% of the time. Their is school, between school, running away, bedroom, bathroom with doors closed. Without a med for my suicidal son - I don't "think" he would still be around. He had planned out in details 8 different ways to die and where to do it. Now on meds - he has no more thoughts and is my happy little loving boy again. Counseling has helped him and our family even more. He doesn't want a black painted room but wolves - something he always wanted.
I see your point of view - how help could help - but meds are sometimes the only answer when it is this severe.
Hello,
My daughter was misdiagnosed at age 11 with bipolar disorder, and at age 18 and after several experts at leading hospitals, the diagnoses was removed. After 6 years of being medicated with dozens of drugs, many changing with what new drug was on the market, she is one unique example of why it is important to medicate children with caution. In no way am I judging any parent, and the Rebecca story is heartbreaking. Her story is unique as well. I am glad that the parents in 2007 have information at hand to make informed choices, and understand medications that I did not have in 1999. My daughter was on Zyprexa in 1999-2005 and we had no way to know about the weight gain or diabetes connection[she gained 50 pounds by age 13] because Eli Lilly buried the data. This is a very difficult road to be on as a parent, I've walked it for 8 years, saw medications activate my daughter into violent aggressive behaviors, and saw it change with removal of medications. Now at age 19, she has "psychosis NOS" as a primary dx and no one knows if she has brain damage from all of the medications trialed on her, because I listened and trusted a doctor. Her illness whatever it is, may have emerged on its own, or not. She was fine until age11 and took a bed wetting pill, an anti depressant. From there it became immediate dx of OCD to Bipolar to Austism and now psychosis.
I felt the Couric show was evenly balanced, and to medicate a 2 year old with these chemicals is something I must say is frightening,after seeing first hand side effects with my daughter.
There are cases like my daughter's where kids are wrongly diagnosed and medicated, and this is what I fear could happen to other kids, quite possibly what happened to Rebecca could have been prevented.
I am not anti med or anti psychiatry. I take meds so does my daughter. She is currently inpatient, unable to speak appears to have Alzheimers, and the door remains open to brain damage from psych med use [dozens] for 6 years in a growing brain and body.She has verified Polycystic Ovary Syndrome due to Depakote use, which is a permanent damage to her body that leaves her at a cancer risk and most likely unable to have children. She went from a 29 yr old tested eading comprehension level to 2nd grade reading level at age 18. There is no question that taking medications that are created to change and tweak brain chemistry--do change it. No one knows the outcome. My daughter could be case# 1 for long term use of antispcyhotics and psych meds in a child from age 11>19.
Just a thought, best wishes and continued success to those who have it.
I often feel guilty with worry - my child will go from ADHD to Bipolar dx over time. I see the bouts of low self esteem, anger, then depression. The roller coaster he has battled since he was young has mostly been a wired child with artistic energy and a outlook on life that is amazingly funny for a kid at his age. Can't seem to finish a task, frustrated with life and employers and refuses to take the meds that slow him down. Although he often goes days on very little sleep.
We had three boys, one a wild dark child from the pits of hell that tested any and everyone in his way - a 4 yr old that colored in black and would pitch fits for two and three hours until he literally had no voice left to scream and no help in the emergency room other than to tell us he was at that stage - terrible two's, countless doctors, psychs, rehabs, holding cells for his safety ect.. ect.. all had effects on our family and the other boys. the cross etching, and cuttings and threats to kill me our his brothers eventually got the state involved - they only get smarter when put in with the wrong kind of care - no psych ward in our area would take a 12 yr old.
The middle boy.. thank Mary mother of Jesus he was mid stream, artistic, a joy, a blessing and a love of a lifetime for any teacher or mother.
Now the youngest.. just turned 21 yesterday.. still a rough row ahead with his mood swings but he uses nature and stress management and almost no foods with additives to help exist in an insane world. He had to learn a great deal during and after the divorce and during my mental hospital stay. He was a teen taking care of a bed ridden social phobia bipolar ptsd and any other dx or NOS they could label me with.. I covered the spectrum with BP and anxiety. My son couldn't function in school and rural areas don't always have the sunshine programs to keep kids in an education environment.. twice held back - he would not take meds and simply couldn't complete or turn in task as needed - not to mention me being sick didn't help him like a good mom could have- I was battling to stay sane enough not to complete my daily death wish.
I feel for all parents of children with mood disorders and mental illness.
I wish I could have cut that gene out of me. Instead I hid "my over achieving ways" mania and used "compensating" for years of abuse sexual, verbal and physical at the hands of my brothers as fuel to project me upward in industry.. then the life I had survived until my thirties - could no longer be masked. I could no longer hide - BP and anxiety made it impossible for me to even drive, get out of bed most days(except to pee), shower - much less take care of my youngest.. lucky me he was already learning from me being a work a holic how to manage in the kitchen.
I live with this nightmare daily - I havent' killed a kid but BP has changed the lives of my children.
I'm not in a prison for 42 years but the pain is no less when you are doing all you can and you are watching your child slip away.
I fear for my youngest child (I have no contact with the older step children after the divorce - but I love them non the less) The oldest(rollercoaster addict) is living off his dad and the middle -god send - is in the Air Force fighting for our right to blog, take meds, argue with our psychiatrist and seek out a future in this great land.
And my now - young man of 21 lives with the stigma of a mentally ill mother. Oprah, Katie you didn't do anything on your show to help someone else avoid the wows of mental illness or get the help they may need for their child.
BP or ADHD or terrible two's - God only knows and we as parents have to do the best we can when we are in the heat of the battle for the medical care of our beloved minors.
Sixty minutes and Oprah you missed the ball by a whole park.
John,
Perhaps Katie and Oprah should talk with Mike Wallace and Kathy Cronkite. If I were the latter two, I'd call Larry King and invite the first two onto a show...and ambush them on the air.
The future of the mental health consumer movement are these kids. And some of them might become journalists, or (gasp!), buy a communications company. Given people with Bipolar are very bright, creative, and driven....to see the future leaders of NAMI, DBSA, and MHA, just look into the face of that so-called child with 'normal behavior' who is in full-blown mania.
I would not wish this illness on any child or family. But we're here, we can learn to manage this beast, and we can out-think the professionals in the new media. If you wanna stir things up boys and girl, just invite Tigger to your next party.
--Steve Bell
Colorado Springs, CO
Steve, I love it who is calling Larry King.. come on down you great advocates..and expert patients or is that patient experts.
Disclose or not disclose depends on if you want more labels and a drastic reduction in your income - and health care.
manage the bipolar or mood disorder/personality beast if you are still employeed
Best wishes to adjusting to an almost poverty income if you are not.
Thank goodness for the Bipolar people that have made this United States the place to health and personal freedoms of the press - sometimes with consequences.
Half the military could go with a diagnosis - sometimes a mental illness or mood disorder is just what drives these brave hearts to go against society norms and defend our country. I know 10years wonderful military background and advanced education and now health care..
I 'm speaking from experience.. no one calls these men and women names to their face and most appreciate what they do. Sorry folks ... some secrets are better left hidden in order to go against stigma of the masses. Maybe with some good journalism this will change in our lifetime.. until then disclose at your own risk - call it lies if you will - I call it freedom to decide.
I appreciate every parent here.
My daughter, at age 19 has been discharged to the state institution today. I have 10 days.
As I drove behind her ambulance in Mar 06 when she was sent there via a world class hospital; I waved and realized she could not wave back;she was strapped 5 points.
This is a crisis in our country, and communities. There is no long term care facilities for a young girl, my daughter, who professionals say I am not capable of caring for---who loves Tigger the Tiger, and the one memory I have of her is hopping about the kitchen singing "Tigger's Song".
Her Tigger sweatshirt was stolen in the inpatient psych ward.
Her high school, where she was a 4.0GPA honor student, an Unsung Hero for Humane Society work, will be giving her an honorary Diploma, because she will not be home to finish her goal. We each have our stories.
To every parent here, don't give up.
Peace, what I do for her, will be for all of you.
Over prescribing children IS a serious problem. I am bp and I could have got the meds for my daughter, but I toughed it out. Because there just isn't enough reseach. I remember feeling hellish, destroying my room, testing so far beyond my classmates no one could understand that I could be so bizarre. I am happy with meds now ---- but I would be a blimp if I had been given depakote....
The doctors, everyone responsible for saying this is safe for little kids and especially the pharmaxist is guilty of murder in my opinion. The parents are guilty of utter stupidity and not putting a 2 and 2 together - but hey? maybe they are impaired to?
We get this somewhat because nuclear families live in such isolation - all the worse if we have troubled children.
Bad Bad Bad choices were made - and yes it was sensationalized, but parents need to know you have to use common sense as well listening t a doctor.
Hi,
I disagree. About medicine, I believe that a full benefit / cost analysis can be done. I have had the fortune to have both been friends with and been neighbors of many parents who had children with mental disabilities who rose to the occasion. I also had the extreme misfortune to be the friend of a friend who had troubled children they "could do nothing with."
Talking to one group, your hear and see how tired they are - but you also hear that the glass is frequently half full. One boy I had to protect sodas from - he had learned many manners, but he loved soda so much he would come into my home and grab one. But we could laugh about it.
The other group - "o poor me, my child/children will be the death of me." and no sense of humor and PLENTY of drugs. One couple I told - "I take seroquel... and I think you need to look into the huge cocktail this boy 1/8th or less my size." They said they can't handle him without the drugs. They also were the size of small houses, so it would have been hard to keep up with a normal child. One of the couple couldn't even a hold a job flipping burgers, how could they raise a brilliant, troubled child --- -especially without drugging him and then keeping him in his room most of the time. The boy's brains seemed squashed and the parents really really need their meds tweaked. And sadly, the state will give plenty of meds to children free, but it can be enough of an obstacle to get free meds when you are an adult that you just give up and in their case give it the kid so you can watch tv all day.
I don't have sympathy for parents who keep children when they can't take care of them. Whenever I had a major depressive episode, I sought help. There was a neighborhood crisis nursery that would let me cry in their office while they read to my children. And I swear - if it would have been better for them - I would have given them over to someone to take care of them. There are options.
I have seen drugged kids who I really thought the parents should try taking them first and then see if the kids really needed them. My mother had serious problems, and I am sure in this day and age she could have got meds for me - I think they tried. She had obsessive compulisive and had to talk incessantly everytime she passed a landmark or held an object - the same thing needed to be said.
I heard her voice in my head even when she wasn't talking! Now, at three a doctor could have asked me, "Do you hear voices in your head that aren't there?" I would have said yes, and would have gotten a diagnosis of schzophrenia - and tons of drugs I did not need. I was hard enough to navigate life with crazy parents, a tiny catholic school and friends who didn't even read much.
I believe it is impossible to diagnosis a child without several home visits! But unfortunately drug companies lobby and make it feel acceptable to spend 1000 a month on drugs for a child, but not a thousand a month doing (non-judgemental (even harder)) home visists and free help.
I firmly believe that if a child is diagnosed with a mental illness, the parents NEED help. They need help raising the child/ren because no human can be endlessly patient. This helps needs to be on a sliding scale, prescribed and much easier to get than drugs that calm your children down! Isn't that the better first intervention, free help and nonjudgemental education?
Why is it so much easier to swallow that they need exparimental medication? Attention from caring adults is NOT exparimental, it works in certain cases. And then, once there is a person outside the house hold who can report how the child behaves day in and day out and how much attention the child receives and other things a doctor can ask an unbiassed observer. Only then, in my not so humble opinion, should drugs be prescribed.
The Mother in Jail in my opinion is what people do not seem to be alarmed about--everyone has an opinion about Katie Couric and the interview--I'm more alarmed the parent is charged with murder, via medications prescribed by a psychiatrist. What was also left out of the interview, if one wants more dimension to it --is the Child protective services part of the story. Many people dropped the ball w/ regard to Rebecca Riley, and I find it appalling that the mother sits in jail as a result. Accountability is needed in many areas. I truly hope another tragic case like Rebecca's never ends up on any talk show. Because that means not one more child dies from medications prescribed for adults. My daughter saw 9 psychiatrists--and in McManamy's first comment he left to me here, asked why "the idiot" psych or myself or daughter wasnt on 60 minutes. Well, there would have been a panel of 9 psychiatrists, one neuro-doc, me and an interview from a locked down psych ward from my daughter, if she could talk or understand what was happening. What if her "idiot" psychiatrist was Biederman? Did you ever wonder who her psychiatrists are/have been? You might not want to cast stones so quickly if you did.
I don't think she should be jailed, I think she is punishing herself by allowing herself to be interviewed that way. But if I was her, I would rather be in jail and feel like I was being punished whether I deserved it or not.
I think the child's prescribing doctor belongs behind bars, not the mother. I think the buck has to stop somewhere, and it seems that writing those prescriptions is what psychatrists get paid to - so I think the doctor is ultimately responsible even if she was double dosed and given an over the counter cough medicine.
When my children's father killed himself, both before and after, my son kept saying he was going to kill himself and he was only 5 - a smart, depressed 5. I was distraught to say the least. A wonderful psychologist came to my house - and she said she believed in seeing children at their home for the first few times - put things into perspective for me. She asked about ways he said he would - and determined if any of them were possible for him as a 5 year old. We discussed if there was any way he could kill himself in the house that he would be capable of = and the answer was no and I was calm.
But what if the answer was yes and all I would have had to do was give him a second dose by mistake and then give him cough medicine???????????????????? It would have been me in jail, because I was so mixed up I dosed myself double several times.
And yet I probably could have got drugs for him if I had found the right psychatrist and said he is suicidal, can't learn in school and cries all the time. But what I did not get until my husband killed himself and drew a great deal of sudden attention to us = was help with raising my children while my husband and I struggled. They did not need drugs, what they need was a prescription for a 10 hour a week Auntie or Uncle.
My illness, not in control at the time, and my husband's illness and a recent move left us without resources - - parenting in a vacume. Even the school only complained about their academics, not their behavior - at this point they were both quiet, well mannered children. The kindof children that get ignored.
Before he died,
I called the child welfare people on myself and him- and they LAUGHED at me! They said if I wasn't hittin the kids and neither was he and they were going to school everyday there wasn't anything wrong. And then told me that I didn't want to get messed up with them, anyways.
Why wasn't there some agency empowered to come in and check - with as little stigma as possible, but offering help not legal battles to get your kids back?
Why shouldn't parent's parenting be called into question if children are not doing well? If a child repeatedly goes into an emergency room with physical ailments, you get a social worker on your case or a visit from a police officer depending on your state.
If a child is already more sensitive because they are bipolar or have a chance of being so as adults, isn't it criminal to not properly treat their parents with drugs before the children?
My parents found a physcian after a great deal of searching who told them their chain smoking had nothing to do with my constant illness and I had to swallow these giant alphafa pills so I would not have "hay" fever.
This is a personal observation, but it is true that mental illness both genetically runs in families and also the illnesses themselves can cause bad parenting.
Did you hear about the twin daughters adopted from Mexico by two sets of parents. One mother brings her child in exasperated to the doctor saying she won't eat a thing unless it has cinnamin and she is doesn't know what to do. And the other mother brings the baby in saying she is so easy to feed, she only needs to sprinkle a little cinnamin on everything?
Replying the person who took her daughter to 9 doctors --- that is incredibly time and energy consuming while trying your best to parent a child in need. You must have been awake with your daughter all day and on the internet all night. In an ideal world, I believe that knowledgable, not blaming intervention should have come the very first time you brought your daughter into the doctor. As adults, we have trouble communicating our feelings, what happens in our days, and all sorts of important diagnostic info with our doctors - I was hospitalized at 14... and a good hospital... and they didn't "get" me at all until they had interviews together with my parents and me repeatedly - then they told I should look on staying there as a rest from home.
They knew I was in a bad place, but foster care was worse.... however, as soon as I went to college I made an appointment for my mother to see a psychatrist and lo and behold = I had a mother.
And what about this couple I knew who were just horrible parents and really did not have a good grasp of reality. The "system" gave them all the free meds they wanted for their kids, but not enough for them and not good care. I told them repeatedly, go to my psychatrist and spend the money and eat beans and rice if you have to ---
Is this reasonable?????
When children go through adoption - a home study needs to be done. Is it so far fetched to require it for taking drugs? If someone is confident that they can take care of their children properly and their children need drugs to function - then what is wrong with this approach? We have parents being forced to drug their children, something I was so afraid of when my daughter was young.
Since she threw such huge fits and would take hours to calm down, I worry about the coming storm of puberty for her. We talk about it often, and I let her know it might feel really bad - but that it will end.
Something I always need to remind myself when my mind feels horrible - it will end. It is hard to explain this to children when they are in the middle of an episode, just as it is hard to convince an adult that it will end. You will not feel like this forever.
As someone who was mentally ill as a child and as an adult and has lived through a couple year bout of severe, but short lasting affective storms of my daughters's, my biggest advice is talking with your child about how to know when the craziness is beginning, but most important - I say this happens to a lot of children and not everyone goes through it, but some children do. I did. This will pass, you will feel better and it will end - repeat as many times needed. Also helpful for depressed adults in the midst of an affective storm.
I would also question why only 1 out of 9 medical doctors agreed with you. Do you understand those white sheets of paper? Do you realize that it sounds like you were shopping for a diagnosis. I strongly recommend that you have some in home evaluations, if you can't afford it - some churches will have couples consult you about parenting in the house, but it is hard to find these days. Is it so off the wall that you might be doing something wrong? Aren't you human?
Mental illness is SO HUMBLING that at times I know I can assert myself too much, especially being bipolar I have to remind myself to be humble when my mind is racing. I have needed help at times as a parent, I think it is normal, and it is not easily found in our society unless you are willing to believe unusual things and spend a lot of time professing that belief.
If you have a child that takes psychoacitive drugs - it is my strong opinion you need help. This is likely statistically and it seems just obvious that someone that goes through so many doctors has something wrong that isn't cured by the magic 9th one.
I completely agree. It reminds me of the lower level soldiers at Abu Ghraib Prison who were arrested , tried, and jailed while the Army brass were not touched for that atrocity.
I am sure that if we did a nationwide study, the findings would show that lower income families are much more susceptible of themselves being medicated with psychotropic drugs as well as their children. There is little non-punative support for their families, when this could help the family stay together and tough it out despite their difficulties. The only program I know of this nature is Early Intervention, for children age birth to three who have disabilities and their families. This nationallly mandated program has helped a lot of families stay glued together under difficult circumstances.
I not only believe psychiatrists should be incarcerated in cases such as this one, but I believe that pharmaceutical companies, pushing their poison off-label, should go to prison. So far, neither of these things have happened to my knowledge. The female psychiatrist who loaded this little girl up with a lethal drug cocktail should be jailed for her crime.
I have a unique situation that allows me to understand with empathy what every parent here lives each day. I wasn't low income when this all started in 1999, I was able to pay for high priced meds, weekly appts, hospitals etc for my daughter, who was mis diagnosed. As a result of 8 years of medicating her brain on wrong dx I am financially broken, and her brain has been damaged. I share her story though it is only hers--as a caution to parents--to keep up the fight to watch over your child, what happened to my daughter is why it is in a way easier for parents today. I say that because information is here now, where it wasnt in 1999.
If I am the only parent with a horror story, then that is okay. I hope the best for everyone, and with this, I make my last comment here. Best wishes.
Both my children became psychotic/manic depressive at age TWENTY. This is the approximate age when young adults in other countries show full-blown symptoms. After many years on lithium, my gentle, funny, brilliant son signed on to the Medicaid program and was SHOVED onto Zyprexa with many reassurances. Two years later he was dead of profound hyperglycemia. To further demonstrate the genetics of bipolar in my family, let me also add that my father was killed by electroshock therapy when I was a baby. He, too, was a dazzling, brilliant, handsome guy.
I would never question another parent's decision about pediatric bipolar, yet I personally am very skeptical. I have seen PHARMA up close and they have one mission and one mission only, which is to sell drugs. My personal theory, having worked as a speech pathologist in schools, is that we serve as a factory farm for ADHD, parents comply and get drugs, and then the children often "go further" into a bipolar diagnosis. However, I have known a number of parents who have resisted this PHARMA gravy train. They have used many behavioral techniques, gotten counselling, and given a careful and healthy diet. No more video games, limited TV, lots of exercise. The problem is that this is hard to do when both parents are working. However, I see the potential consequences as grave.
Good luck to you. I don't like seeing psychiatrists/psychologists making their name off this ? condition. Where are the common sense doctors, therapist, counselors, nutritionists?
Hello John. I have continued to tell my story, starting with a front page article in the Baltimore Sun in March, 2003. I have testified numerous times at FDA Hearings, on a French TV show (they are worried because Lilly is making a blitz over there as their Zyprexa sales are flat here), and I hope to speak before Congress when both the House and Senate hold hearings on the drug. I would be willing to talk to any parent on your site who has wonderings or questionings about bipolar , as having my son killed and living through it with both my children give me experience and, hopefully, balance on the subject. Can I pass my email on to you and you could give it to them? You may also feel free to suggest the contact if you think one of your readers might benefit from it. You can also find some of my testimony under my googled name.
Let me know.
Ellen
Ellen's story regarding her son and Zyprexa can be found in an interview at Furious Seasons as well. I wanted to add here, that my daughter was placed on Zyprexa at age 11 with the "new bp dx" that replaced "OCD". 15mg per day of Zyprexa caused her to gain 50 lbs, and the buried data from Eli Lilly re: diabetes was not available for Ellen or myself back then. As far as one commenter inferring 9 psychs looked like I was shopping for a doctor--most of that happened when the adult legal system hospitals use bounced her from place to place, therefore gaining a inhouse psych each time. I have actually taken her to 1 psych, she fired him at age 17 when he refused to listen to her about Zyprexa and diabetes she researched herself. The new outpatient psych has barely had a chance to manage her case, due to the hospital fiascos. I'm lucky she is still alive, but as one psych has agreed--the damage done to her brain might be from all of those meds. Once inside an adult inpatient ward--the docs can do what they want, and it became out of my control to help. That's where the real damage occurred. Inpatient hospitals.
I encourage everyone to read the interview at Furious Seasons with Ellen, and understand the tale of caution she [and myself] are attempting to keep current, in my opinion not to stop parents from doing what they think best--but to share, and possibly enlighten. I wish I had the information I have now in 1999, but I didn't. Live and learn.
Greetings to all,
This is certainly a controversial subject, as witnessed by all the various posts.
I will share my humble opinion about kids who are labeled as bipolar. One example was given of a mother refusing to buy her son some candy and the child going off into what some would call manic behavior. I am certainly no expert, but I found out at an early stage in my parenting, that I had to pick and choose my battles very carefully with my son. The very act of refusing to give a child some candy can definitely lead to a child displaying horrendous behavior. I have seen it often in shopping malls and grocery stores.
I say that this refusal is a set-up for the parent and the kid. Why would any parent bring their kid into a store and NOT expect them to want some candy or some other type of goody? Why not have a plan in place to make sure your child gets some kind of treat, rather than to battle with him/her over something so ridiculous as the expectation that he or she can't have a little treat when being exposed to thousands of them on the shelves? I believe the better parent would just make sure their child gets some little something and avoid the entire incident from ever happening. It is when parents get into a struggle for power and control with their kids that the kids start behaving very badly. Any time a parent feels like they have to exert control over their kid, they have already lost the battle. The act of raising a child is not about power and control. It is about love and gentle guidance and encouragement, with a nudge in the right direction. Get rid of the struggle for control over your kids, and you get rid of the ensuing escalated behaviors by the kid.
The other example of the child being sent to his room for a time-out is classic, in my opinion. While time-out was touted as the next best thing to cow's milk in disciplining children, I believe later studies have shown that it was, for the most part, ineffective, at best, and possibly harmful, at worst. You are basically telling the child that you are not going to listen to what he has to say and you are putting an artificial restraint on the child, by forcing them to go to their room or another designated area. Any creative child will rebel against this and try to find a way out.
I recognize that there is a need for a cooling off period when kids are highly escalated. I just think this cool-down period can be done right there, in front of the parent, where the child feels safe, rather than being sent to their room where they are left alone and expected to just magically calm down. Where does the learning occur in this situation? If your child is throwing a tantrum, work with your child right there and help her come down from the tantrum, rather than expect her to de-escalate all by herself in her room. Time-out can teach children to avoid their problems, rather than face them head on.
I'm not saying that putting distance between yourselves is necessarily a bad thing. I just think it is frightening for kids and it seems to be somewhat unnatural to just stop the situation and send the child to a time-out spot. This may be a good thing for adults, but I think it can lead kids to feel abandoned. It seems to be better to allow the child to work out her feelings right there with you present, in case she gets to feeling out of control. Imagine being sent to a room, where you feel out of control and there is no one there who can help you re-gain that control.
My own husband would take a nap right there in the middle of the living room, rather than go to a bedroom, because he felt "safer" having his family around him when he slept. He refused to go to his room to nap, because he felt isolated and cut off from the rest of his family. Wouldn't it stand to reason that a child might feel the same about being sent to his or her room? Why not resolve the problem in clear view, with you and your child dealing with the situation together, rather than arbitrarily assigning a time out which causes the child to feel isolated and ignored. Any child worth their salt will either make a bunch of noise to get attention or try to get out of the situation in which they find themselves. Of course, there are those kids who will just sit there quietly and not say a word, but these are usually kids who have been "beaten down" for showing any kind of emotion and they have long since learned that speaking up has caused them more harm than good.
I guess my whole point here is that we need to see the bigger picture in these examples. I suggest that we try to put ourselves in the child's position and ask ourselves how we would respond if it were us. Going into a fully stocked store and being expected to not want something is a pretty tall order for a kid. Shoving a troublesome kid into his room so he can be quiet, hardly lends itself to allowing the child to express his/her emotions in the safety of his parent's presence.
I am one of those people who leans very heavily on the side of not medicating a child, unless it is a last resort. We don't really know what the long-term risks are of using imperfect drugs on growing brains and bodies. It is all a crap shot, and it was one I was not willing to take with my own child, when his therapist recommended anti-depressants. My son was very vocal - too vocal - for the school system and most adults. If I had had him medicated, that would have effectively shut him up, but what about his need to get all the things that were bothering him off his chest? Do we just allow those feelings to be buried deeper and deeper, only to manifest themselves in bizarre ways later in life?
Definitely much to think about here. I don't really think there is a black or white answer for any of this. The answers would seem to fall somewhere in between the black and the white,
Kay
Kay,
I think this issue is not that grey actually.
I didn't go to a very good high school, and yet even that school taught about commercials and a marketing economy.
I think for the vast majority of parents, if you start very young explaining that the store wants to make money and knows that the candy is right there while you wait in line --- it works very well. I had a very difficult child, many people thought - but I really didn't see it that way - - - and simply being careful to be honest and saying you don't have the money and explaining that you have so much money for shopping and if you want the candy we have to put back the juice and is that really a good idea?
Time out is a cop out, I agree.
The best phrase - is - is that a good idea? and I think that parents go through shopping at adult pace instead of child pace --- you simply have to go slow and take the time energy each and every time to explain BEFORE getting to the desired item that it is a trick to get you to waste money and wouldn't an apple be a BETTER IDEA.
I know there are some children for whom advance planning does not work --- and I think ignoring them is a mistake. If the child cannot be taught to curb their desires before getting to the checkout counter... then they need more attention --- I used a book on emotional intelligence since they were young because I knew both myself and their father had trouble, and I TRULY believe emotional intelligence can be taught.
For instance, my so difficult daughter was convinced to hold off the tantrum in the store or in front of strangers. She believed me that it made mommy look like a bad mommy for her to scream at me --- and it was true!
When I had trouble dealing with her, I said, "o, child this is so hard. I am so tired and I think you hate me becasuse you want to hurt me."
This really helped.
Asian language speakers tend to teach their children more emotional language using verbs from when they are young, while western languages start with nouns. You can easily see this by comparing picture books from various countries or listening to mothers in stores --- I do not know about Latin America or other places, and I think it is mixed in African languages (though did you know that in some African tribes a child's feet were not allowed to TOUCH THE GROUND until they were nine months old). Reading the latter made me try to never put my children down.
I think Americans are great at raising older children if they make it okay to that age ---- but we are mixed up about raising younger children.
No one is often around but the mother, children are put down and left to cry themselves to sleep so they get used to a schedual, children sleep away from their mothers (I don't like to sleep away from my husband why would a child LIKE to sleep alone?). Parents rush to teach children things that are best learned at an older age in an odd competiveness (problem worse in Asia). Mothers don't receive the respect they deserve, and (I have traveled quite a bit.) only in Hawaii do u experience people cooing over your children - and only on a plane ride to Hawaii will people offer to help you with your children -- elsewhere children are seen as a big nuisance -- and I can imagine the same executive coming home to his poor wife and kids ranting about his awful plane ride because of the baby behind him and going to work the next mornging to enter in all the deals he made to sell cheap candy at to kids at gas stations. When he could have had a wonderful flight offering to hold the child while the mother took a break.
With a certain mindset - you can look peacefully at a screaming child you are holding or if older keeping company. You just have to know you are helping, doing the right thing and that the child is better off that you are paying attention.
I will stop ranting ---- I am ranting....
But I think it is all very black and white --- do the research on to raise a kid, keep updating your knowledge, don't second guess yourself and keep the right people in your and your children's lives and the wrong people out. And if someone at a school suggests your child should take drugs - smile and nod. After the meeting, walk calmly, knowing you are doing the right thing even if the person is right and your child needs drugs ==== stay calm. Walk up to the school secretary and say you would like to see the principal. At this point you will likely be told not available - I suggest then asking for a pen and paper and writing down what happened in the meeting with the person who counciled drugs or a doctor. Then write that you expect the school to teach your child age appropriate curriculum and that that is their mandate. And then say that you think it is inappropriate to be called in to have your child mental health blamed for a lack success in school or for being disruptive. "My child is sane and capable, I believe there are many reasons for he/she not doing well in the school system. First of all studies show that an ideal class size is /?21? -- and go on......."
I have done this with great success for my daughter and limited success for my son. And they are now hitting their teens without taking any drugs --- and I am enjoying basking the warm fuzzy glow of parent envy. I have actually had "normal" parents with "normal" children - - what did you do right?
So this is not scientific -- but at least in two cases drugs were not the option.
Hey sylvanair,
Are you asking me what I did right for my child? It might be a better question to ask me what I did wrong. I have bipolar disorder, and I was also a drinker. My son's dad, my husband, also had bipolar. Between the two of us, my husband I exposed my son to a whole host of things he never should have had to endure.
My son experienced both manic and depressive episodes from both of his parents. As my drinking problem became worse, my child had to experience me passing out on the couch by 7:00 at night and, a couple of times, he had to haul me home from the bar across the street. A year and a half ago, I tried (and very nearly succeeded) to commit suicide, so my son had to deal with that. Two years ago, my son's father died from a combination of psychotic mania and COPD. Prior to his death, my husband was very psychotic, abusive and frightening.
So you see, my son has been through hell and back with his father and with me.
Since I quit drinking and since I got out of the deep depression, I have been very attentive to my child. Even back when he was younger, he always knew that he was loved very much by my husband and me. When I was not depressed, I was very gentle with my child, talking to him very calmly and rationally about things and holding on tight to him when he would get out of control. I always let him know I was there to help him. I tried time-out one time, and I never did it again after that. I did not lay a hand on my child, nor did I raise my voice to him. I did not try to win power struggles with my son and most often, I gave him choices amongst which he could choose his own options.
Today, my son is 15 years old. He doesn't drink alcohol, smoke, do drugs, cuss or even drink pop. His beverage of choice is vitamin water, and he brings home a nearly perfect 4.0 every time he gets a report card. He is probably the most grounded, sensible, caring and sensitive kid I know. And, for the most part, he is a happy kid. Now, I know I made mistakes. That much you can see. But I obviously did something right along the way, as well. Then again, I credit a lot of my son's success with the way he has handled everything that life has dealt him - he is an eternal optimist and a realist, who believes in taking care of any problems that present themselves and getting on with life. He does not live a life filled with anger and resentment for what he has endured, at my husband's and my hands. We have openly discussed all of these issues on several occasions, and he has had the opportunity to get things off his chest. We did not medicate our son, even though his therapist recommended it - right after his dad died!! Of course my son had anger issues - he just lost his dad!! That was certainly no reason to medicate him, though. Better for me to have to handle my son and his fits of uncontrollable anger and rage, than for all those feelings to get buried by the use of medications.
I am not sure what you are asking of me sylvanair. When I say that the issues are not black and white, that is because I leave myself open to all kinds of possibilities. I believe that nature is involved to a certain extent, and nurture is involved just as much. What works for me and my family, may not work for someone else and theirs. While I agree that the way we raise our kids has a huge impact on how they "turn out", I am also a firm believer that each child is born with a certain personality type that he carries with him throughout life.
All I know is that, so far my son is doing very well. I am forever grateful for that fact and I also like to think that I had something of a hand in making that happen, in spite of what I put my son through. His basic foundation from a very early age was one of love and acceptance. He slept with my husband and me until he was about seven months old. If he had a hard time going to sleep, after that, we would provide him with some kind of white noise, which relaxed him and helped him to drift off into sleep.
I hope I answered your question. I enjoyed hearing about the way the Hawaiians raise their kids. It sounds like such a loving way to do so. And the story about the African tribe whose babies feet do not hit the ground until they are nine months old - well, that says a lot about the quantity and quality of their bonding time with their kids.
I am glad to hear that your kids are doing so well. And even though I do not advocate the use of medications in children, I myself take medications on a daily basis. I am on a combination of meds that works well for me, and I am content with things the way they are for now.
Here is hoping that you and your kids continue to do well and have many, happy days ahead,
Kay
weird - it sides like we have very similar stories.
I have been told annecdotally that parents raised by abusive parents or mentally either make the best of parents or the worst.....
I guess we can count ourselves lucky.
I also take a cocktail of meds - and I have no problem with drug companies exparimenting or profiteering off me --- these drugs really help me. But when I was a child, there was no pattern to my symptoms and I don't think anyone today with current med tech could have made an accurate diagnosis of me --- and if they had given me these drugs.... would I be now a functioning adult, oddly happy with my life yet regularily looking forward to thoughts of when I get to put aside this mortal coil. --- but I am productive and really important to the people who love me.
You must have done the right things by your child -- and I can only suggest to you because I am also an only child like yours that it can be isolating. Like you said he had to deal with being a care-taker at a young age -- -- so did my children because I have lost my mind several times.. manic mixed state... brief psychosis -- bipolar II. I feel it pulled them closer together -- your son only has himself. And I remember feeling like I had to not others know my family wasn't normal. I would suggest a dialog with him about a) you understanding that he might feel he needs to hide what happened in his family in the past and that you trust his judgement. and b) acknowledging how hard it is not to have brothers and sisters when mom is not feeling well.
It was basically a lesson in how to fragment bipolar recovery into different parts instead of looking at it holistically. Then to top it all off the host and celebrity decides not to take meds as he enjoys his highs too much - oh the shopping you can do if you are rich and don't have to bother about money...give me a break. This documentary was a classic call to all who are not really sure about meds, or who don't really enjoy being compliant, to stop the lithium (the only med mentioned by name) and go back to flying high. I was appalled.
I expect crap from Oprah, but I really thought Stephen Fry might have a little more intelligence.
N
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How much do you know about bipolar disorder? 
I hate to say this, John, but we're in for a looong battle of education and medical advances in psychiatry (dignoses&treatments) before we and our children who suffer stop being treated like the epileptics of the 50's and 60's. Even autism is just now getting some respect and understanding.
I have educated my own four kids; now they tell their friends, some of which say they have bipolar. I always teach personal responsibility, stress management, and proper medication. I never glamourize manias, violence, rages, or any other inappropriate acting out. When it's happened to me and they've witnessed this, it becomes a matter-of-fact incident that I've gone to the hospital for twice. On lesser events I call my doctor and make med changes. "Mom's brain is sick again" is what I tell them.
I, too, get upset when the news makes it seem as if people with bipolar are a menace to society (but never-ever dx a child with it!). I suppose we just magically become sick on our 18th birthdays? And I always point out the successful entertainers with the disease, as well as all of those in history, thanks to Kay Jamison's "Touched by Fire" reference.
Angela Sadler
West Portsmouth, Ohio
John,
On Maryland licence applications, they ask if we're Bi-polar. When I have to renew my licence, I ignore the question. I think they have a lot of nerve asking it to begin with.
Margaret
my meds are just fine. my doc teaches pharmacology at universtiy of maryland medical school and at loyola college for those who are getting their pastoral care degree.
we are here to support one another, not attack.
it's safer for me to drive than for a drunk to be behind the wheel.
we need to stop attacking one another. this site is for education and support
jalynn
everyone I know, knows that I have a mood disorder.
do you feel better, now that you got that out of your system?
Hi Sally,
In citing the example of operating heavy equipment or machinery as a reason why bipolar people who are on meds should not drive, I feel it is important to note that, nowhere on the warning labels, does it say that people are prohibited from operating heavy equipment or machinery. It simply says to "use caution before operating heavy equipment or machinery until you are familiar with the medication and how it affects you".
For anyone to say that a person with bipolar should not drive because of the medications they take, is about as rational as saying that people who have high blood pressure should not drive, either, because most of the meds they take come with the same warnings. In fact, almost EVERY medication that people take, comes with the warning about operating heavy machinery or equipment.
Therefore, asking the question on a driver's license application is not only absurd and illegal, it borders on not having any merit at all. If they do it for people with bipolar, they need to do it for every single person who is diagnosed with any kind of condition in which they have to take medications that alter their brain chemistry. And that is virtually everyone who takes medications.
People refusing to answer the question on a driver's application is not necessarily a sign that they are ashamed or embarassed about their diagnosis. It is a matter of personal privacy and relevance. Based on what I said earlier, I highly question the relevance of asking the question about whether or not you have bipolar, with regard to a driver's application.
And for those of us who do not necessarily believe the disease mentality of bipolar disorder, we may find it less than flattering to be called "a bipolar". Would you call a person who has cancer "a cancer"? The problem with things like bipolar is that the very people who have the condition seem to be hell bent on describing themselves as "a bipolar", as if that defines the very essence of who and what they are. For me, it is but another facet of a complex individual that I am. It is not the entire sum of my being.
Unconstitutional? Unethical? Illegal? Discriminatory? Whatever you say, it is also irrelevant in this example of the driver's license. If you slap it on those with bipolar, you need to slap it onto all people who take medications. Maybe the better question, here, would be to ask people if they take medications that could interfere with their ability to drive a vehicle with the proper care and attention that is necessary to operate it.
Interestingly, in Montana, if you are being considered for Jury duty, they ask you if you have any kind of mental disorders that would affect your ability to be a competent juror. This may sound awful, but I answer the question to suit my own needs at the time. If I am in a job where serving jury duty is applauded, then I answer the question with a resounding no. If I am in a job that is not supportive of its employees being out for jury duty, I say yes and then I get a doctor's note excusing me from serving. Presently, I am in a job that is supportive of jury duty, so I answered the question with a no.
Funny how these sneaky little questions get slipped into different questionnaires that we have to fill out on a routine basis. Is it right or fair? I would think not. I am but one humble person with bipolar disorder, so who am I to say?
Kay
Hey Sally,
I just looked at one of my prescription bottles and it says, "Use care when operating a car or dangerous machinery". It does not say "do not operate a car or dangerous machinery". As most of us know who take psychotropic meds, the side effects of them fade away over time, usually within two to three weeks after you begin taking them.
To show another side of this discussion, there is a drug called Topamax, that is prescribed for Migraines. It is probably the single most dangerous medication I have ever been prescribed and then been allowed to go out and drive. I drove like a drunk, slurred my words, had no ability to concentrate or remember things and so on. This was my personal experience with it, but I was a definite danger behind the wheel when I was taking it. So you see, once again, the relevance of asking if you have bipolar is moot. It is whether or not you are taking any kinds of meds that could impair your ability to drive.
Nuff said on this. I just wanted to see what the actual pill bottle warning label said about this.
Have a wonderful, peaceful day,
Kay
Hey John,
To suggest that a kid would want to go get his driver's license as well as his diagnosis of bipolar disorder at the same time is simply appalling. Why would anyone want to do this? It seems we have enough paperwork to define who and what we are, without going to the DMV to get yet another "certification" that we have bipolar disorder. How many places do we have to see it in print before we have finally convinced ourselves that we do, in fact, have this condition? For me, the less places that have this information, the better. Whether or not I have bipolar, I am not going to make it my life's mission to ensure that it is clearly documented wherever I go. This seems to be a bit of overkill, don't you think?
Kay
Hello Jalynn,
I guess therein, lays the dilemma for me. I am not at all convinced that I have bipolar in the classic definition of it, as seems to be prevalent on this forum. I am not at all certain that I want to fill out a form, admitting to something I am not comfortable is the complete truth about who and what I am. I do not consider myself "a bipolar", as that is but one part of who and what I am. If I say yes to the question about bipolar, then they need to ask me more questions to find out what other characteristics I have. To isolate this one condition on an application is irrelevant and discriminatory in my opinion.
I will proudly call myself a person with bipolar disorder, as long as I can define what that means for me. To the extent that bipolar is defined as a brain disease, I choose not to be called a person with bipolar. I don't agree that this is the say-all, end-all in defining bipolar disorder.
Yet another opinion on an intriguing discussion.
Kay
Kay,
You write "And for those of us who do not necessarily believe the disease mentality of bipolar disorder..."
I think this means we are in agreement that the disease mentality of bipolar disorder is a very bad and dangerous thing. And I think that all medications that have a warning about heavy machinery should also include a prohibition against driving and furthermore that if people labeled bipolar are going to be legally forced to take meds, all people who are thought to have serious medical conditions should be forced to take their meds.
I think the Maryland question was asked for a different reason, but I can't find a reference to it.
Kay,
You write so clearly and I agree with you.
Just as you said you answer differently about your mental health based on need at the time, others who take these meds make it seem more of a problem than it is. In order to win a social security disability case, it helps tremendously for a doctor to say you can't drive because of the meds you are taking. I think this then influences state and federal policies for the rest of us who don't make this claim.
A doctor might feel that he/she is helping the patient get much needed money to live because they really can't work --- but in aggregate it influences perceptions and policy.
I am not saying their actions are wrong though! It is a difficult situation.
Hey Sally,
The issue of forced medications is one which has been around for a long time. For me, I am not "forced" to take my medications. I choose to take them on a daily basis. I have often wondered, however, if I weren't so compliant about taking medications, if my psychiatrist would jump on the bandwagon and insist that I take them. This is only something I wonder about, however, as my husband did not take his meds (while being treated by the same mental health clinic as I) and his psychiatrist and therapist did not force him to take them. They strongly encouraged him to do so and they kept records of his non-compliance. Ultimately, however, they could not force him to take any kind of meds while he was out and about in the community.
Are you making reference to a specific situation in which people with bipolar are forced to take meds? I know that when you are hospitalized against your will, they often "force" you to take meds. This can also happen when you are put in jail, and the jailers have knowledge that you are in the midst of a psychotic episode. Still, unless they strap you down and force-inject you with a psychotropic medication, I don't really see how anyone can "force" a person to take their medications. They would literally have to shove the meds down a person's throat and I want to hope that that kind of "treatment" no longer exists in our mental health facilities.
I absolutely agree with you that, if people with bipolar, schizophrenia and other mental conditions, are forced to take their medications, then others with serious medical conditions should also be forced to take theirs. But is this even feasible? Again, I don't think we can force anyone to take medications except in the above-cited example.
We are absolutely on the same page about not concurring with the "fact" that bipolar disorder is a "brain disease" primarily to be treated with toxic medications. Yes, I take my medications, but I also live in fear about the effect they are having on my liver. My most recent liver test came back with elevated enzymes and, according to my therapist, this means my liver is "sick". There were no growths or tumors, but having elevated enzymes certainly cannot be a good thing. A lifetime of taking meds is a scary proposition at best, and it behooves those people who push drugs onto others, to take things like this into consideration.
One example in which people are "forced" to take medications is with kids. I especially worry about the kids who are taking them, fully trusting their parents and their doctors. These poor kids are the ultimate in the example of forced meds. They are unwittingly accepting toxic drugs because they do not know any better. In most cases, kids are going to trust their parents. I think those kids who do not agree with their parents and who are resistant to taking these kinds of drugs, are in the minority. This lack of knowledge on the part of the kids and, often, on the part of the parents, can be a very dangerous combination. Just imagine the lifelong effects of drugs on people who started taking them when they were but young, unsuspecting, uninformed kids.
Yes, a very thought provoking topic. It is one that I could write about for hours. In the interest of keeping this somewhat brief, I shall stop commenting now.
It is always good to hear from people like you who present somewhat controversial opinions on matters such as these. It keeps us from getting into a rut in our trusted belief systems.
Kay
Hello Angie!
You are very fortunate that you can tell your kids "mom's brain is sick again" and have them believe you. My son does not buy into the concept of a "sick" brain. He does believe that being severely depressed can lead you to do things you might otherwise not do. He just won't allow me to use the rationale that my brain is sick.
My son has seen that, with the proper care, feedback and encouragement of others, mom can find her way out of the dark hole that is depression. Yes, medications have certainly facilitated that process, but the price I have had to pay for using the medications in the long term, has been pretty high.
I had to have my gall bladder removed last November, and I can't help but wonder if this was caused, in part, by the medications I have taken over the years. In another post, I described my most recent trip to my PCP, and the resulting diagnosis of elevated enzymes in my liver. I am relatively certain that the raised enzymes are caused by all the medications that I take, now, and have taken over the years.
If we completely agree that our brains are sick, then it seems logical that we would also agree that a sick brain can only effectively be treated with medications. IE: when you are sick with the flu, you take medications to try to ease the symptoms of it. Of course, no one can argue with the benefit of having a warm, nurturing mother (or person) who helps you get through the flu. Therefore, if your brain is sick, then one could argue that medications, along with gentle nursing on the part of a caregiver could be of benefit to you. I am not suggesting that the "sick brain" philosophy does not also entertain the idea of using alternative treatments. My main concern is that the medications are seen as the PRIMARY means of treating the condition, and this is so scary to me. Especially if we are talking about medicating young kids - kids as young as the two-year old described in Katie Couric's interview.
As an adult, I have the choice to take meds or not take meds. Kids do not necessarily have that same choice. How frightening it is to me that we, as parents, are making such critical decisions for our kids, when no one knows for a fact that bipolar disorder is truly a brain disease. We have compelling evidence that it is, but when it gets down to brass tacks, everyone is theorizing and making decisions based on those theories. What if it turns out that we are all wrong? What if it is discovered that bipolar disorder is not exclusively a brain disease? I shudder to think of the thousands of kids who have been treated with psychotropic meds, if this is the case.
Ah, but I am getting off into the realm of theorizing myself. Cancer is a disease; we have concrete evidence of that fact. High blood pressure is a disorder that we can easily diagnose and treat. Bipolar disorder, obviously, is not so easy to diagnose and treat. If it were, then the millions of people who supposedly go untreated in the world, would not be left untreated. It is because of a lack of consensus about what bipolar is and how to treat it, that makes it so hard to diagnose.
Is it true? Are our brains sick? Are the symptoms we manifest a result of improper parenting, too much junk food and/or exposure to toxins in our modern world? Or does the answer lie somewhere in the middle of these two possibilities?
I, for one, wish the researchers could come to some kind of conclusive decision on that front, for then, we could truly treat the condition we have decided to call bipolar. Then, we could truly look at finding ways to treat and even cure this disorder.
Kay
When my ex-boyfriend was hospitalized, he was given a choice of 1) voluntarilty taking meds or 2) staying in the hospital for 90 days under court order until a hearing could be held that would allow the hospital to forcibly inject him. Unfortunately, he took the meds for a week to get out of the hospital and has been off of them ever since.
I think the problem people diagnosed with bipolar disorder run into is that lack of insight that they are sick is a hallmark sign of the illness. My ex has no idea what his behavior has been like and why I am afraid to be near him.
Hi Sally i got stop by a tooper last yr,want to court judge took my license the order me to have doctor to fill out a med report ,before get license back but doctor's want sign med report to get license ,so im out luck.