Rantings of a Frustrated Parent.

The new DSM-V changes are bringing out the conspiracy theorists.

Many cases of cancer are likely caused by environmental factors.  Do we blame the victims?  Not treat them?  Claim the medication they are given is a scam?  Blame their parents for what they fed them?  Shun them?  Do we claim to know that ALL cases of cancer are caused by environment, and find ourselves to be superior for not having it?

No?  So why do it with psychological and developmental disorders?

I’m very happy for anyone that doesn’t have one.  And obviously not having one gives them the expertise to judge those that do.  To say it’s because they have bad parents.  That it’s made up.  That all you have to do is change your diet. 

Right.

Antibiotics are often overprescribed, given for viruses that will not be helped by them.  So should we give no one antibiotics?  Of course not.  In the same way that antidepressants, anti-psychotics, and ADD/ADHD medications should not be discarded as a valuable treatment because they may have been prescribed to someone who didn’t need them.  By their nature, you can’t just biopsy a brain to make a diagnosis, psychological and developmental disorders are more subjectively diagnosed.  Doctors are human, and so it’s not surprising that they may sometimes be wrong in a diagnosis.

The schizophrenic that is hearing voices telling them jokes is not just looking for attention.  Either is an autistic child.  Or one with ADD.  They are struggling.  They need help and support, not blame.

ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder) is something that is close to me, my son has it.  He eats mostly organic.  He does not eat a lot of sugar.  He’s not hyperactive.  He does not get in trouble in school.  His mom isn’t off smoking a crack pipe neglecting him.  He doesn’t play video games all day (if he plays for 20 minutes, that is a LONG session)! He gets plenty of exercise.  He is none of the stereotypes that critics like to claim this disorder is, and he already does all the things they claim fix it. 

He has trouble focusing.  He is distracted and physically bothered by loud noises and crowds.  He is having difficulty in school.  Changes in routine (something as simple as someone else besides me picking him up from school) cause him great anxiety. 

We do a lot of things to alleviate these struggles.  Our daily routine is consistent. We keep a whiteboard in the kitchen with the weekly schedule.  Homework is done in a quiet room.  He is given reminders of what he needs to do each day, sometimes several times.  We put all things that have to be turned in at school in a bright red folder to help him remember to do so.  He is getting special help at school.

And he takes medication.  The medication is not the cause of his problems, he’s had those for years  and has only taken the medication since July.  He’s on a minimum dose.  It does not turn him into a “zombie” or make him “drugged out.”  The medication helps him to focus his thoughts and not get as overwhelmed as frustrated, and that makes him happier. 

Yes, a lot of things are overdiagnosed, from the flu to ADD to pain.  Yes, some medication is overprescribed, and some people are just drug-seeking.  Yes, there are a lot of health problems caused by environmental factors and what we eat.

Diseases, disorders, and illnesses are still real regardless.  Even those in the DSM-V.  Believing they're made up doesn't help anyone.

And that’s why they have wine.