Here's the title of a June cover story of NEWSWEEK Magazine: "Mommy, Am I Really Bipolar?"
The caption underneath reads: "Hundreds of thousands of children in the U.S. have been wrongly diagnosed with the trendy disorder, argues a noted psychiatrist. And the results can be tragic."
Let me cut right to the chase, because you can otherwise find many posts on my blog railing about the disgrace that is the rampant drugging of our children. The real problem is that so many people don't want to know the truth. The three main groups of adults whose charge it is to see to the well-being of our children - parents, teachers and doctors - are in fact, the three most destructive elements in our children's lives.
Parents have children that they aren't equipped to raise, because they haven't done the self-work to even remotely attain a level of self-actualization before they procreate. Consequently, they seek drugs for their children so as not to have to deal with their offsprings' complicated, evolving emotional lives and the direct challenge that presents to their egos.
Doctors drug children - and if we don't face this, we're really screwed - because it's easy and profitable. Real healing is a calling, not an intellectual exercise or the application of mechanical techniques for profit. And people, especially children, don't need to be "fixed," as much as they need guidance on how to use their own inner healing resources.
Teachers, overwhelmed and underpaid, have sadly devolved into not much more than prison wardens merely trying to control their charges and get through their day without the disruptions that the bundles of energy known as kids create as part of their natural beingness.
We so desperately want to believe in our images and idealizations of authority figures, but let this NEWSWEEK piece be a warning, folks: the price of denial is high.
When my son was 4, a Neuropsychologist diagnosed my son's severely delayed speech, OCD type behavior, and rages as Autism. I didn't believe it.
ReplyDeleteWhen my son was 7, a psychiatrist suggested my son was not Autistic but had a mood disorder. I refused to listen.
When my son was 9, a team of psychiatrists and psychologists said my son's extreme rages and anxiety, delusional thoughts, self-injury and deep, self-depricating depression indicated he might have Bipolar Disorder. I denied medication.
When my son was 11, he was admitted to a psychiatric facility after a suicide attempt. After 45 days inpatient, the medical team suggested my son had Bipolar Disorder, and might have Schizophrenia. I demanded he be discharged.
When my son was 15, he was admitted to a psychiatric hospital for the 12th time. His psychiatrist, along with a consulting doctor, sat me down and told me my son has Schizoaffective Disorder, Bipolar Type. After 12 inpatient stays totaling more than 300 days, 2 suicide attempts, months of rage and mania followed by deep bouts of depression, always coupled with hallucinations, delusional thoughts, and irrational behavior, there was no more denying. My son has - and has always had - a severe mental illness.
But did Dr. Kaplan mention children like mine in his article? Has he observed children like Nanci's, or talked to the parents I know who have children with similar symptoms? Has he read any of the clinical - or even anecdotal evidence that contradicts him, like Judith Warner's book, "We've Got Issues"? Considering the examples he cites, I think it's safe to assume he has not. I'd be happy to gather a group of parents and children with Bipolar Disorder, Schizoaffective Disorder and Schizophrenia together for Dr. Kaplan to meet. I have a feeling, after a day with us, Dr. Kaplan might be singing a different tune.
Who's in denial now?
My son was diagnosed with bipolar disorder a year ago. It is such a difficult situation to go through as a parent. I found a lot of helpful advice on dealing with a bipolar child from http://onlineceucredit.com/edu/social-work-ceus-bc. I hope this is helpful for other parents with bipolar children.
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