Kellevision

When Childhood Bipolar Disorder - Isn't

I really have a problem with the recent surge in diagnosing children with Bipolar Disorder.  The children I see with this diagnosis are often the victims of serious issues at home, issues which may even include abuse.  Some struggle with PTSD and the mood swings which are inherent in a traumatized individual are attributed to "Bipolar Disorder" and medicated. 

If You're Interested in the Human Brain

Here are some very good resources for understanding how it works:

Antidepressant Trials not Accurately Reported

The field of psychiatry claims to be scientific and evidence-based when it diagnosis and prescribes medications for mental "disorders".  They often cite research to back up their claims that disorders are "biochemical imbalances" or disturbances in the brain which require chemical intervention.  However, if the evidence which they are citing is tainted or biased then they are not practicing good science.   

Freud and Mackenzie Phillips on Trauma and Childhood Sexual Abuse

Recent research is showing that major psychiatric "disorders" may not be disorders at all but reactions to childhood trauma.  Freud discovered the same thing and announced his findings in 1896.  However, Jeffrey Moussaieff Masson, in his book, "The Assault on Truth: Freud's Suppression of the Seduction Theory" makes an excellent case that the psychiatric community shut Freud down and forced him to recant his findings. 

"The psychiatric establishment is about to experience an earthquake that will shake its intellectual foundations."

This statement was made by British psychologist Oliver James in a recent article by The Guardian. 

I hope James is right.  I fear he is not.

James is referring to new research which suggests major psychiatric disorders are not biological but situational - a response to a childhood trauma.  Why is this going to set the psychiatric community on its ear? 

DSM V and the Diagnosing of Human Behavior

http://www.psychiatrictimes.com/display/article/10168/1425378?pageNumber=4

A recent story in U.S. News and World Report states, "The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, as it is known, is hugely influential because it determines what is and is not a mental disorder. In turn, it is responsible for much of the sales growth in prescription drugs."  In a recent article in Psychiatric Times Dr. Allen Frances discusses his concerns about the way the next version of the DSM is being formulated and the possibility that formerly normal human behaviors will be become "medicalized".   

Great Blog Find - Furious Seasons

Furious Seasons is a great blog about mental health issues, especially the effects of Big Pharma on psychiatric practices.  The author is a journalist who is not only fighting for his own mental health, but providing valuable information for others battling the same issues.  His coverage of the pharmaceutical companies and prescription medications is especially well-documented and worth your time. 

Enjoy.

How do we define "abnormal" behavior?

Years ago (we won't discuss how many), I sat in my first abnormal psychology class.  The professor described the medical model for diagnosing mental illness, explained that mental illness was viewed as behavior that is abnormal, then raised a question for thought,  "But how do we determine what is "normal" and "abnormal" human behavior? 

The Medical Model for Treating Mental "Disorders"

When I began working in the mental health field I began as a caseworker for the county mental health authority.  This essentially involved working under psychiatrists as a caseworker.  The system being utilized to diagnose and treat mental health "disorders" was, and still is, referred to as "the medical model".  What is the "medical model" and why is it important for the general public to understand it?

The Schizophrenic Artist

Years ago I worked in a county mental health clinic that treated serious mental health issues utilizing the "medical model".  (For more information on this model see my article, "The Medical Model for Treating Mental 'Disorders'".)  I worked with a client who was diagnosed with Schizophrenia.  I always remember his story when I hear of clients being "noncompliant" and refusing their psychiatric medications.