NEW! from the Ridiculous Realm

have you heard of the DSM? it's the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Illness here in the US. apparently, there's a new one coming out.

i remember reading my abnormal psychology textbook and thinking every other paragraph, 'i think i have that disorder!' 

then i had another thought: many of the 'diseases' or 'disorders' seem to be there for 2 simple reasons:

1) to avoid responsibility

2) to make money for pharmaceutical companies

why do i say this? well here are some 'disorders' from DSM-4 (and a couple proposed for DSM-5):

Oppositional Defiant Disorder (arguing, losing temper, annoying people)

Sibling Relational Problem (brothers and sisters just can't get along)

Partner Relational Problem (in case you're arguing with your spouse over what disorder you have)

Intermittent Explosive Disorder (3 violent episodes per year)

Mathematics Disorder (can't add or subtract easily??)

Caffeine Intoxication Disorder (possible with just 2 cups of coffee per day)

Factitious Disorder (acting like you have an illness)

Disorder of Written Expression (bad handwriting - so.... every doctor, ever)

Scrupulous Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (one symptom is 'excessive prayer'!)

Internet Use Disorder (like me, tonight)

Caffeine-Induced Sleep Disorder (drank soda, can't sleep... what's happening!?)

Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (includes 'not listening,' fidgeting,' and 'losing things')

Gender Identity Disorder (possibly to be changed to Gender Dysphoria)

Compulsive Shopping Disorder (i'd say 90% of Americans suffer from this)

now, i know it can be good to label problems so that we can identify what's happening. and i know it can also be helpful to be on medication, if there is a real disorder. and when i say 'real disorder,' i mean when 10th-grade Billy honestly tries to write his name and it comes out total gibberish - then maybe he does have Disorder of Written Expression (medication isn't the answer even then, but i'm sure some doctor would put Billy on some pill asap!)

do you realize that "10% of American kids are now taking psychiatric drugs" and that "at least 3 million American children are taking amphetamine drugs like Ritalin as a result of ADHD diagnoses" alone??? how sad! and how scary!! (Citizen Magazine)

why is this happening?

well, as far as i can see, it comes down to those 2 things i mentioned earlier: 

avoiding responsibility 

making money for pharmaceutical companies.

think about it. 

we live in a 'me first' society, with our ipods and iphones and me-time and self-help. every advertisement has us convinced we haven't taken enough time to spend enough money on ourselves.

take today's family situation, for example: 

parents are struggling to raise their kids while keeping their full time jobs. cost of living is going up, paychecks are staying the same or going down. it's not easy. plus, many new parents are young and unmarried, which makes it even harder. 

what happens when the kid wants to play? parents put them in front of the t.v. or give them a video game. 

what happens when the kid does something wrong? parents worry that if they discipline, the kid won't be their friend! so to placate them, parents give them food and soda and whatever else they want.

in the end, how does this style of parenting turn out? parents have angry kids (Oppositional Defiant Disorder), who fight with their siblings (Sibling Relational Problems), who haven't gotten any help with homework and can't add 2 and 2 (Mathematics Disorder), who throw tantrums (Intermittent Explosive Disorder), who can't pay attention in class (ADHD), who fake being sick so they don't have to face reality (Factitious Disorder), who end up serial soda drinkers wondering why they can't sleep (Caffeine-Induced Sleep Disorder), and who think buying things will make them feel better since that's what their parents did to make them stop whining (Compulsive Shopping Disorder). 

and there you have it: 8 'disorders' in one kid...

clearly, i'm exaggerating. but parents are convinced that they have done everything right, and they are not interested in changing the way they do things. so what's left to do? label a disorder. if it's a disorder, then no one can be blamed. then no one has to change.

and if it's a disorder, the doctor can prescribe a pill for it. did you know that doctors get paid by pharmaceutical companies to hand out drugs? and i don't just mean a little here and there, i mean boatloads of money, boatloads of drugs!!! one guy who specialized in "pediatric bipolar illness," Joseph Biederman, "received more than $1.6 million, mostly from.. a division of Johnson & Johnson.. between 2000 and 2007." these doctors are being paid to diagnose these disorders so they can medicate people! and as far as the DSM goes, "70% of the psychiatrists working on the DSM-5 revision have financial ties to the pharmaceutical industry." (Citizen Magazine)

if that's not a conflict of interest, i don't know what is!!!

but, hey, a win-win situation! the parents don't have to change or admit negligence, and the doctor gets paid millions! everyone's happy!

........

except the kid. 

except the whole next generation, who have been on psychotropic meds since they can remember. (this includes anti-psychotics, anti-depressants, anti-obsessives, anti-anxiety agents, mood stabilizers, stimulants, and anti-panic agents, to name a few) most psychotropic medications are NOT approved for use in children under 18, but MANY children are being prescribed these meds anyway with no real checks and balances! 

here are some of the side effects of various psychotropic meds. as you read them, think about a 13 year old taking medication because a doctor decided her 'mood swings' meant she was bipolar, or think of a boy who fidgets being given meds for ADHD:

dizziness

blurred vision

confusion

nightmares

lightheadedness

excitement

trouble sleeping

cold hands

weakness

nausea

headaches

vomiting

anorexia

changes in vision

hallucinations 

seizures

blackouts

frequent urination

swelling of the eyes, face, lips, tongue, throat, hands, feet, ankles, or lower legs

loss of coordination

constipation

rigidity

tremors

skin rashes

menstrual problems

rapid heartbeat

sensitivity to the sun

drowsiness

thoughts or attempts of suicide

acting without thinking

frenzied, abnormal excitement

feeling helpless, hopeless, or worthless

severe sedation

dystonia (spasm of muscles - can prevent opening the jaw)

tardive dyskinesia (involuntary movements from long-term use - irreversible!)

increased risk for diabetes and obesity

impotence

hypothyroidism

kidney damage

hepatitis

pancreatitis

sounds like something you want your kid to take, right??

my husband works with boys who are on these medications. for the most part, the meds are not fixing the problems. the kids are angry and frustrated with their lives. they have single parents and missing fathers; they've been sexually abused and, without guidance, they are turning around and raping their siblings; they've been passed along through grade after grade without being able to read or write; they choose to join gangs, trying to fit in, trying to be cool and tough so they don't get mistreated. 

they're sad.

they're lonely.

and everyone's too busy trying to figure out how to medicate them to make their bad behavior stop. 

what if someone just prayed for them? what if someone took the time to teach them how to read, one-on-one? what if there were a RESPECTABLE ADULT MAN who would ACT LIKE A MAN and be an example, instead of smoking in front of the kids and then telling them not to smoke, or cussing them out and then telling them not to swear, or watching porn and then telling them to respect women, or yelling at their mother and then telling them off for having a temper? 

what's the point of this long, long post?? 

maybe just awareness. 

maybe a call to prayer.

our country is running down the road of selfishness and irresponsibility, all the way to dysfunction and ultimately destruction. we pass the blame. we cover up the ugliness. we medicate our wrongness instead of dealing with the SIN problem.

where do we stop?

in the Bible, God claims to provide peace, joy, love, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control, perseverance, blessings, beauty, power to overcome the world... 

it sounds like God has all the answers, not the doctors pushing pills and diagnoses for their own monetary gain. 

to whom will YOU turn?

Resources:

• the BIBLE.
• Psychiatry In Crisis. Citizen Magazine Nov 2012. 
• How Many Ridiculous "Disorders" Do YOU Suffer From? by Christopher Kent http://curezone.com/forums/am.asp?i=1058138
• The DSM's Ridiculous Labels http://psychdisorders.org/DSMsRidiculousLabels.html
• http://www.livestrong.com/article/196417-side-effects-of-psychotropic-medicines/ 
• http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/mental-health-medications/complete-index.shtml