Day of Blogs is around the corner

Posted on July 25, 2008

We’re just a bit over 24 hours away from the start of Day of Blogs, 2008. In honor of this, I am making one final plea for support on this day. If you can take a moment to stop by and comment on Saturday at 9am through Sunday 9am, even just once, this will be of great assistance (and I’ll know y’all love me!!)

For a quick reminder, I am blogging for the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance, and will heavily link the donation page during the day of the event. If you’d like to check out the charity itself, you can find it at www.dbsalliance.org

I am looking forward to this year, I think the entries will be strong. I hope to help many people.

I hope you all are well, let me know if there’s anything you’d like to see me discuss.

See me at www.genreimpaired.com

(Post a new comment)

	mrskrees 2008-07-25 03:12 pm UTC (link)
	I'll be there commenting like a ninja (except when I'm at the beauty parlor, lol) (Reply to this)

stefuny
2008-07-25 09:05 pm UTC (link)

I have something I'd like to know.

My son, who is OBVIOUSLY bi-polar, has been a patient at UK Psychiatry since he was 9 years old. He is 15 now. When he was about 10 I asked for a diagnosis but they kept putting me off. Since I read and "Google" anything I want to know, I finally began to believe my son had bi-polar disorder but each therapist at UK denied my allegation, told me that a child under 18 could NOT be diagnosed with bi-polar for some UNKNOWN reason other than the DMV-4 does not support it ... so they would not discuss the diagnosis or any relevant drug therapy.

Why?

I have spoken with other people who have told me success stories of children as young as 4 with diagnosed bi-polar and their subsequent drug trials, and ending successfully. Isn't UK a progressive mental health hospital? What gives?

So my question is this: is a child's mental illness REALLY different than an adult's? Why? What makes the diagnosis such a sticking point?

(Reply to this) (Thread)

ne_today
2008-07-25 09:16 pm UTC (link)

I am not any kind of certified professional (yet) but it is my belief that it has to do partially with brain chemistry (a child's brain is changing and growing constantly, and there are no studies yet as to what mood stabilizers do to developing brains) and partially with plain old outdated information (for example, only in recent years have doctors admitted that women could have Asperger's Syndrome and not really all that long before that that medical professionals believed babies couldn't feel pain.) In short, I just don't know, and it makes me very sad that they are unwilling to listen to you based on an arbitrary age number.

I wish there was a likelihood that my medlady was covered by your insurance, but her $50 visit fee might be worth it anyway.

All this said, I'm unsure of the role the DSM-IV has in getting medications covered. Mood stabilizers are prohibitively expensive without some sort of insurance or financial assistance to cover them, and I don't know if a patient has to fulfill the requirements of the DSM-IV to be eligible for coverage.

It's all very stupid and complicated. My heart goes out to you.

(Reply to this) (Parent)

	ne_today 2008-07-25 09:17 pm UTC (link)
	What exactly has he been diagnosed with, if you don't mind me asking? If it's too personal for my LJ, my email is a.renee@gmail.com (Reply to this) (Parent)(Thread)

stefuny
2008-07-25 09:21 pm UTC (link)

They came up with ODD - Opposition Defiant Disorder -- just a fancy term for "Kid who Throws Temper Tantrums" but it is MUCH more complex than that... but I am told that since he is under 18, it is as close and I can get to a clinical diagnosis.

But whether or not he is a kid or an adult, he can be perfectly friendly, happy and adjusted one minute, then suicidal OR homicidal the next.... this to me means bi-polar. He has not triggers. He just IS one extreme or the other.

I just don't understand it

(Reply to this) (Parent)

	loveofblog 2008-07-25 11:19 pm UTC (link)
	Hey Renee, do you know that I'm blogging on the alternative timetable starting at 9 pm? I just worry that this could be a problem since we don't sync up. (Reply to this) (Thread)

	ne_today 2008-07-26 12:07 am UTC (link)
	Hiya, no, I was unaware. You may want to let Jen know so she can reassign you. (Reply to this) (Parent)(Thread)

	loveofblog 2008-07-26 12:26 am UTC (link)
	I just let her know. Thanks. (Reply to this) (Parent)(Thread)

	ne_today 2008-07-26 12:57 am UTC (link)
	I still look forward to reading you! I'll be blogging a full 12 hours after you start! :) (Reply to this) (Parent)(Thread)

	loveofblog 2008-07-26 12:59 am UTC (link)
	Thanks, you too. I'll come by and say hi :) (Reply to this) (Parent)

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