Search Results for: blog the parental blame game in mental illness

The Parental Blame Game in Mental Illness

When a child is diagnosed with a mental illness, it is understandable that parents go through a series of powerful emotions, including fear, sadness, grief and anger. The parent questions: “Why us?” There is a real and legitimate fear as to what will happen to their beautiful teenage son or daughter who is suddenly diagnosed with schizophrenia, for example. There may also be disbelief, denial of the condition, and extreme anger. All of these are normal reactions for a parent to experience when the shock of diagnosis has hit home. Some mental conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder and postpartum … Continue reading →

Should Children be Given Anti-psychotic Drugs

With a 40-fold increase in bipolar diagnosis for children and adolescents over the last decade, I have to ask what percentage of these kids are really bipolar. The experts claim to be more aware than they were in the 1990’s of bipolar disorder in children. Others say there is more pressure to prescribe drugs. Either way, the statistics are troubling. “The label also gives doctors and desperate parents a quick way to try to manage children’s rages and outbursts in an era when long-term psychotherapy and hospital care are less accessible, they say. In addition, drug makers and company-sponsored psychiatrists … Continue reading →

A Beautiful Mind (1991)

“A Beautiful Mind” is one of the most stunning and memorable films I’ve ever seen. It stars Russell Crowe as John Nash, the Nobel-winning mathematician. We go with John to Princeton and see him excel in his classes, although he is a little backward socially. As time goes by, he becomes a professor, and becomes entranced with a beautiful student named Alicia (Jennifer Connelly). She doesn’t know that he’s been asked by the government to help find coded messages in magazine ads—he has to keep that part of his life a secret so she won’t be in danger. She also … Continue reading →

Asperger’s or not Asperger’s?

We’ve all heard of common mental conditions such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, anxiety disorders, and mood disorders. We may also have knowledge of less mainstream disorders such as body dysmorphic disorder, borderline personality disorder and Tourette’s syndrome. Yet there are many other conditions that affect humans that do not fall into such clear- cut categories but which nevertheless are indicative of problems in the sufferer. We discussed one such case in the article on Munchausen’s by Proxy. Many more strange and puzzling afflictions affect the general population and today’s blog describes one of them. It involves the diagnosis of … Continue reading →