Comments on: What Killed Rebecca Riley?

Katie Couric Reports On The Diagnosis Of Bipolar Disorder In Kids

[lwilliams337]

I must agree with the previous comments, regarding responsibilities and care. I also know that some conditions can only be delivered through God. Medicine is to be used and not abused. These precious children are loaned to us for a season. Doctors are in the business of a practice - and that is what they are doing - PRACTICING. That is why it is so important to know a Greater physician on a personal level, who holds the Truth for your life, if you ask Him. (Keep an open mind here)

[lwilliams337]

I must agree with the previous comments, regarding responsibilities and care. I also know that some conditions can only be delivered through God. Medicine is to be used and not abused. These precious children are loaned to us for a season. Doctors are in the business of a practice - and that is what they are doing - PRACTICING. That is why it is so important to know a Greater physician on a personal level, who holds the Truth for your life, if you ask Him. (Keep an open mind here)

[lwilliams337]

I must agree with the previous comments, regarding responsibilities and care. I also know that some conditions can only be delivered through God. Medicine is to be used and not abused. These precious children are loaned to us for a season. Doctors are in the business of a practice - and that is what they are doing - PRACTICING. That is why it is important to know a Greater physician on a personal level, who holds the Truth. (Keep an open mind here)

[lwilliams337]

I must agree with the previous comments, regarding responsibilities and care. I know that some conditions can only be delivered through God. Medicine is to be used and not abused. These precious children are loaned to us for a season. Doctors are in the business of a practice - and that is what they are doing - PRACTICING. That is why it is important to know a Greater physician on a personal level, who holds the Truth. (Keep an open mind here)

[lwilliams337]

I must agree with the previous comments, regarding responsibilities and care. I know that some conditions can only be delivered through God. Medicine is to be used and not abused. These precious children are loaned to us for a season. Doctors are in the business of a practice - and that is what they are doing - PRACTICING. That is why it is important to know a Greater physician on a personal level, who holds the Truth. (Keep an open mind here)

[tink517]

There was an interesting item on the news just now. It is being asked that non-prescription medications with the combination of decongestant and antihistimine be not recommended for children under six. There is documentation that they do not work for children under the age of six and that they have caused at least 69 deaths.

[lredd01]

I have a son that was diagnosed as bp when he was five. I agreed to the medication at first, but when I saw what a different person my son became, I stopped it. My son looked sad and depressed all the time. He walked around like a zombie, had terrible headaches, and stomach aches. He lost weight from lack of eating. I took my son off the medication after seeing all this and him telling me he didn''t like the way it made him feel and how it made him think. Any parent that can sit back and watch their child transform into a stranger has no heart. Some of these children are diagnosed and medicated to keep them in a sedated state so that no one has to deal with them. We need to face the fact that some chilren are a little more hyper and curious than others. We need to have the patience required to deal with our children and judge what they need instead of stuffing them full of medications that could cost them their lives.

[betsyroot]

I congratulate 60 Minutes for exposing the culprits responsible for so much travesty in the lives of children. I was a children''s therapist for many years in the public sector. In recent years bipolar became the diagnosis du jour. It is the fashionable label to have. But I saw so many kids go through what the boy whose mother posted here went through. Like so many parents, the mother trusted the "experts." His story is sadly typical. Normal kids get sick between the self-fulfilling labels and the brain-damaging medications. And many of these kids are so intelligent, creative, exuberant, delightful--yes these are the ones who challenge. Squelching their spirits with drugs is not the answer to dealing with smart and lively children--or irritable ones either. What Biederman has caused is widespread chemical child abuse because his influence reaches far and wide. 60 Minutes did children a service by airing this piece. Thank you.

[tink517]

There is no research to indicate that bipolar disorder exists in children or anyone else for that matter. If you have a child that is suicidal, you or someone else is doing something, either intentionally or unintentionally to harm the child causing his or her distress.
Posted by Sallyfr at 02:02 PM : Oct 01, 2007

That bubble you live in must be a nice place. You only have to look at the news, the athletes, other prominent people and your regular person like me who happens to be someone''s child, to hear about the havoc that not taking your medication can bring or on the flip side as in my case the psychotic interactions that can be brought about by both prescription and nonprescription drugs. I''ve been dealing with this disease, and yes it''s a disease, for 8 years now. The drepressions, caused by no one, have nearly taken my life several times. Also, I had one hypermanic caused by a new antibiotic that did cost me my life. I was in a terrible car accident that thankfully I was the only one hurt, but I was brought into the hospital dead. I am only here because of the brilliant care I was given in the emergency room of Fairfax Hospital, VA. The scars on my body should be proof enough to anyone that this disease does exisit.

[thedame1]

It may be a coincidence but Rebecca''s Mom''s teeth appear to be like meth users teeth. Was any drug test done on her? When one is high, it is hard to respond to one''s children other than shutting them up.

[wolfe42-2009]

As a mother of a 8 yo, who was dx at 3 1/2 yo with Bipolar Disorder, I am disheartened at the one-sided view that CBS gave to this subject. I am also a RN, who, when my dtr was dx, immersed myself into learning all I could about mood disorders. My dtr has been on a gamot of meds & some were not appropriate for her age. However, this is a child who at 3 1/2 years old would get knives, scissors, anything sharp and try to stab herself or anyone around her. At 5 years old, she tried to jump from a moving car at 70 mph. She jumped through windows, cut herself...etc. NO ONE who has not WITNESSED this type of behavior in a child can begin to discuss this issue with any type of sincerity or foundation. I have lived over 6 years of shear sadness...watching my dtr struggle. The parents who are out there, who are truly dealing with a child who has bipolar disorder, have been made to second guess and to feel guilty---as if they don''t do this on a daily basis right now. Had CBS wanted to do a FAIR piece, they would have actually shown a segment of a BP child in the midst of a true episode. Once it is experienced, you will not, as Katie put it, think "Isn''t this just normal terrible two''s?". Many diseases, as you know, if caught late or misdiagnosed can be fatal---this is no different.

[gigi22222-2009]

There is more to this story. When are you going to investigate this culprit.

"Part of the criticism of Biederman speaks to a deeper issue in psychiatry: the extensive financial ties between the drug industry and researchers. Biederman has received research funding from 15 drug companies and serves as a paid speaker or adviser to seven of them, including Eli Lilly & Co. and Janssen Pharmaceuticals, which make the multi billion-dollar antipsychotic drugs Zyprexa and Risperdal, respectively. Though not much money was earmarked for bipolar research, critics say the resources help him advance his aggressive drug treatment philosophy"

http://www.boston.com/yourlife/healt...s_in_children/

[skykysmom]

My son happened to be in this story(the one naming off all the medications he''s been on). I was told so many times by doctors that he was bipolar. He has been hospitalized 7 times and I cannot tell you how many drugs he has been on. I was very new to the whole mental illness thing and terrified that there was something horribly wrong with my son. I believed the doctors knew what they were talking about. I thought that I should listen to them because after all, they are the experts. After 3 years of hospitals and med changes,I finally got him into CSTC where Dr. Jon McClellan is. They immediately started taking my son off of all his medications one by one. Eventually, a new boy was born. He had been drugged for so long, I had completely lost who my son was. He has been at CSTC for 9 months now, and he is doing fantastic. He is not bipolar. He does have issues that he is working on through therapy. He has learned new skills that he will use for the rest of his life. I cannot believe what a changed young man he is. Thank you CSTC for taking the time to really get to know my son and not just labeling him right off the bat.

[ljeanneh]

I believe the mother and father of Rebecca should be found guilty of murder of their daughter. The doctor should also be charged with murder and permanently have her medical practice taken away by her state. The pharmacutical companies need to be sued for false advertising and constantly trying to shove prescription meds at people and doctors. Pharmacies should be prohibited by law from dispensing drugs that are not approved by the FDA for children. I am appalled at Dr. Bedeman, the professor, who seemed to say that these drugs should be used as a first choice with young vulnerable patients.

[tedchab]

First, I would like to say that CBS has done a great public service by publicizing this issue.

I think it would have been even more useful to the public, though, if you had explored the issue of huge drug company payments to psychiatrists who push these heavy duty drugs to children. It has been reported elsewhere in the media that the higher the payment, the more likely the doctor will force these drugs on children.

I am amazed that the parents of this poor child are being prosecuted for murder, while the psychiatrists who are the ones who really killed her face no punishment to speak of.

How much longer are we going to treat these doctors as Godlike figures, when in fact they are literally murderers?

[newhopekc]

There is no doubt that there has been an increasing trend in pediatric psychotropic prescribing patterns in the US. Yes mental health is a serious disorder which should not be taken lightly, nor should the fact that there has been a 3 fold increase in pediatric psychotropic prescribing patterns in the past decade, making this nation the greatest consumer of this class of drugs in the world.
I guess it''s how one interprets the facts, and yes these are researched facts. Some could say we are aggressive in fighting mental illness. Or, more probably, the diagnostic measure is too lax and need to be reassessed especially in such young patients. Just like Mrs. Riley testified, maybe the bipolar disorder was a misinterpretation of the normal actions of a 4 year old child.

The tragedy here is that the parents, who were under the direction of a learned physician, are being blamed.

[algalves]

I applaud 60 minutes for including this segment because it alerts people to the dangers of psychiatric drugs. My problem with the story is that it gave the impression that the only legitimate treatment for bipolar disorder is psychotropic drugs. That is not the case. Good therapists can help children learn how to manage their emotions and behavior and can help parents do a better job of helping their kids become healthy adults. The story was also deficient in that it failed to make it clear that all children''s behavior is designed to meet some need and a good therapist can help children learn how to meet that need with out hurting themselves or others and without being drugged. Finally, the story failed to explain that there are reasons other than genetic dynamics for why children are behaving this way. That is an important point that was ignored.

[lennygriffin]

The courts are allowing mom to do this to a child in colorado springs!!! See jamesgriffin.org to help make a difference! Thanks You, Lenny

[algalves]

I applaud 60 minutes for including this segment because it alerts people to the dangers of psychiatric drugs. My problem with the story is that it gave the impression that the only legitimate treatment for bipolar disorder is psychotropic drugs. That is not the case. Good therapists can help children learn how to manage their emotions and behavior and can help parents do a better job of helping their kids become healthy adults. The story was also deficient in that it failed to make it clear that all children''s behavior is designed to meet some need and a good therapist can help children learn how to meet that need without hurting themselves or others and without being drugged. Finally, the story failed to explain that there are reasons other than genetic dynamics for why children are behaving this way. That is an important point that was ignored.

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