You wouldn't tell someone with Depression to just "cheer up", you wouldn't tell someone with Anxiety to just "calm down", you wouldn't tell someone with Dementia to just "dig deeper and remember", you wouldn't tell someone in a Panic Attack to just "buck up", and you wouldn't tell someone with Tourettes to just "knock it off". These teens have been diagnosed with a currently defined DSM-IV disorder and until proven otherwise we shouldn't be acting like the can just "drop the act". By downplaying the legitimacy of the either the disorder or the diagnosis, we do a disservice to sufferers everywhere. We need to stop stigmatizing mental health issues as something that people can just turn on and off. The sooner these teens get proper treatment, the better the whole community will be. I would imagine by now the residents of LeRoy would like answers to their questions concerning the whole range of issues surrounding this dilemma, but at the same time would like to return to some semblance of peace and quiet in a great small town.
I agree that people need to get over the “stigma” of a Mental Health Diagnosis and that could very well be the biggest obstacle these girls have to overcome. I’m sure all the parents just want what’s best for their children but perspective is getting lost. Just listening to one of the parents on Dr. Drew say “My daughter is normal” tells me she doesn’t want to ACCEPT the current diagnosis . But, what exactly is normal? According to NAMI (National Alliance for Mental Illnesses) one if four adults suffer from some form of Mental Illness and one in ten children or adolescents. That seems pretty normal to me. Mental Illness IS treatable. It cannot however be overcome through will power. These girls need to follow medically recommended treatment plans. Stigma and the abundance of media attention has inappropriately resulted in people believing that mental health disorders are not something “normal” kids have. This is so far from reality, if fact they are real, treatable conditions that can and do get better with medical support. Every one of these girls on TV says their symptoms increase with the extra media attention and television interviews. This needs to stop. Even if you don’t believe in the “conversion disorder” diagnosis and you want to look for other answers don’t ignore the medically determined diagnosis. The neurologist caring for the girls have repeatedly stated that the girls who have accepted the conversion disorder diagnosis are getting better with treatment and that others were getting better before they stopped. That would be proof enough for me to get my child into treatment. Again, I’m not saying anyone needs to stop looking for other answers but, what if there are no other answers, no environmental cause, then what? All the testing to date has been negative and that hasn’t been enough- what will be?
You wouldn't tell someone
You wouldn't tell someone with Depression to just "cheer up", you wouldn't tell someone with Anxiety to just "calm down", you wouldn't tell someone with Dementia to just "dig deeper and remember", you wouldn't tell someone in a Panic Attack to just "buck up", and you wouldn't tell someone with Tourettes to just "knock it off". These teens have been diagnosed with a currently defined DSM-IV disorder and until proven otherwise we shouldn't be acting like the can just "drop the act". By downplaying the legitimacy of the either the disorder or the diagnosis, we do a disservice to sufferers everywhere. We need to stop stigmatizing mental health issues as something that people can just turn on and off. The sooner these teens get proper treatment, the better the whole community will be. I would imagine by now the residents of LeRoy would like answers to their questions concerning the whole range of issues surrounding this dilemma, but at the same time would like to return to some semblance of peace and quiet in a great small town.
Jeff Allen -- Exactamundo!
Jeff Allen -- Exactamundo!
I agree that people need to
I agree that people need to get over the “stigma” of a Mental Health Diagnosis and that could very well be the biggest obstacle these girls have to overcome. I’m sure all the parents just want what’s best for their children but perspective is getting lost. Just listening to one of the parents on Dr. Drew say “My daughter is normal” tells me she doesn’t want to ACCEPT the current diagnosis . But, what exactly is normal? According to NAMI (National Alliance for Mental Illnesses) one if four adults suffer from some form of Mental Illness and one in ten children or adolescents. That seems pretty normal to me. Mental Illness IS treatable. It cannot however be overcome through will power. These girls need to follow medically recommended treatment plans. Stigma and the abundance of media attention has inappropriately resulted in people believing that mental health disorders are not something “normal” kids have. This is so far from reality, if fact they are real, treatable conditions that can and do get better with medical support. Every one of these girls on TV says their symptoms increase with the extra media attention and television interviews. This needs to stop. Even if you don’t believe in the “conversion disorder” diagnosis and you want to look for other answers don’t ignore the medically determined diagnosis. The neurologist caring for the girls have repeatedly stated that the girls who have accepted the conversion disorder diagnosis are getting better with treatment and that others were getting better before they stopped. That would be proof enough for me to get my child into treatment. Again, I’m not saying anyone needs to stop looking for other answers but, what if there are no other answers, no environmental cause, then what? All the testing to date has been negative and that hasn’t been enough- what will be?