Tuesday, June 19, 2007

Child Bipolar Wars Continue

As reported on Furious Seasons, it looks like Joe Biederman is getting attacked by psychiatrist Lawrence Diller, who goes pretty far in his accusations. I’m glad someone in psychiatry is questioning the child bipolar frenzy, though I don't necessarily agree with Diller entirely.

On a somewhat different note, Daniel Carlat urges caution before jumping on the Biederman Bashing Free-For-All. If Carlat’s writing is always going to contain as much sarcasm as appears in his most recent Biederman post, I’ll be one happy guy. One snippet: “The study [in which Biederman played a key role] was not even funded by industry, which is impressive for a department in which psychiatrists can barely find the water fountain without industry support. [my emphasis]”

Let the games continue…

3 comments:

Health Watch Center said...

Hi Psych,

Well Daniel's post is little longer but informative thanks for sharing...


SHZ,
Self Help Zone

Anonymous said...

I agree completely with Diller. I have trouble understanding how a thinking, caring person with a grasp of science could think otherwise.

All of a sudden we have this epidemic of childhood bipolar, at the same time that the antipsychotics are the on-patent, profitable drugs???

Show me the evidence that this type of treatment is necessary, safe, and effective and I'll rethink it...but since they are going 0/3, Diller is RIGHT ON.

soulful sepulcher said...

I agree, kudos to Diller; but this bipolar child dx is not 'all of a sudden'. For my kid it started in 1999 with the then popular OCD label being switched to childhood bipolar disorder, and the med combo came with risperdal, zyprexa, abilify and seroquel. in that order, and in order of "the newest, latest and greatest" anti psychotic. And this is without studies done on kids and growing brains, besides back then whoever said mood stabilizers and anti psychotics were the bipolar perfect med cocktail?
Sorry just a rant, been there and done that for 8 years, and the bp dx is removed.