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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