----- Original Message -----
Sent: Tuesday, May 01, 2007 9:49 PM
Subject: Re: A Rush To Medicate Young Minds
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Wednesday, May 02, 2007 2:55
AM
Subject: A Rush To Medicate Young
Minds
Hi All.
One of the growing concerns I have, and I have
alluded to this is previous e-mails. is the growing practice of medicating
children. There has been a staggering rise in the number of chuldren that are
currently being diagnosed.
Diagnosis such as ADHD, bipolar disorder and
Aspergers's Syndrome are increasingly being diagnosed world wide. The temper
tantrums of belligerent children are increasingly being characterized as
psychiatric illnesses.
Some child psychiatrists and camhs
practitioners speculate that this stunning increase in childhood
psychiatric disease is entirely due to improved diagnostic
techniques.
Parents and teachers today seem to believe that
any boy who wriggles in his seat and willfully defies his teacher's rules has
ADHD. Likewise, any child who has a temper tantrum is diagnosed with bipolar
disorder. After all, an anger outburst is how most parents define a "mood
swing."
Contributing to this widespread problem of
misdiagnosis is our willingness to accept the hypothesis and assumptions
of camhs professionals.
Any thoughts?
Andrew Duggan