This article about a program created to get kids off meds has been passed around my email groups today. Reactions have varied from excited, to “well 90% of the solution is better than not at all” to cynicism as long as any kids are left on meds at all.
The doctor running the place says:
“Non-medical mental health interventions are generally more effective and should be tried first,” says Dr. Irwin.
I’m with the people who see it as progress even if not enough. Yes we need to learn how to deal with children without neurotoxins poisoning their little developing brains at all, but I support positive change where I see it. I don’t have to be 100% on board with the doctor running the program to see that it saves a large percentage of children who would otherwise have their little brains fried needlessly.
Simply seeing the FACT in writing that non-medical interventions are generally more effective is an awesome improvement. Too many docs see no options at all to drugs.
And maybe, just maybe this thinking will be contagious and maybe just maybe, someone will have the guts to open a clinic for children with alternatives being the only option. We can see it as a process towards good, no?
: 
: 
: 
: 
: 
: 
: 
: 
: 
: 
: 
prufrockianpariah,
welcome and thank you for sharing your story.
I’ve just gotten up and starting a slow day…will read the whole thing soon.
In my blog: http://prufrockianpariah.wordpress.com/2008/11/21/bipolar-rage/
I go over my trials and tribulations with an HMO when I was 11.
I strongly oppose putting children on medication, as I went through more hell than heaven after being diagnosed incorrectly. And even when I received the proper diagnosis, I had a very rough time with side effects from Lithium and Effexor. I lost too much weight from the nausea and had a tremor in my hands. I was a classical cellist, and that was an unacceptable side effect.
Okay, well the original point of this comment was to thank you for your blog. It is enlightening as well as refreshing to read an articulate voice on the internet.
I left up a very rude and insulting comment with my response for 24 hours. I decided that I would delete it. I direct anyone with questions to my comment policy.
http://bipolarblast.wordpress.com/comment-policy/