Discover and Recover blog author Duane Sherry lands in a Shrink Rap blog post by 1 of the 3 doctors, Dinah

Dinah, one of the 3 psychiatrists who author the Shrink Rap blog, has written a post that has a condescending tone, and arrogant air about it, and Dinah 'offers' Duane Sherry a space for commenting on the blog.

In that post, Dinah highlights Duane's position on psychiatric medications which differ from Dinah's. Apparently, Duane is a frequent commenter at that blog and Dinah, in her attempt to 'give him a space' to share his thoughts and add comments via the comment box, has in fact marginalized, and placed Duane Sherry in a nice tidy box, where Dinah, it appears has an inability to see all sides of the discussion on medications.

Frankly, the blog post at Shrink Rap blog is beyond arrogant and does the opposite of what she may be attempting to do: befriend certain commenters and readers, or is she showing her "I'm the doctor" side? I'll take "I'm the doctor" side for 50!

This is the problem with many doctors, and part of the turn off of patients, are doctors that have a one way only thought process to the treatment of mental illness.

There can be and never will be open dialogue, when doctors write posts making a mockery of someone like Duane Sherry.

She may as well give me a space to, for my redundant posts about the harm antipsychotics can do to children or mine for that matter.

Duane is a frequent commenter on this blog too, and has been for years. He leaves thoughtful straight to the point comments, and I appreciate them.

He also writes from personal passion as a father, because his son was once diagnosed with bipolar disorder at age 11 (correct me if I am wrong Duane) after a manic reaction to antidepressants prescribed for irritable bowel syndrome and anxiety (in 2005) was then prescribed the antipsychotic Geodon.


FROM the Pharmalot article from 2007

"Arnold Mech, a psychiatrist in Plano, Texas, diagnosed Brian with bipolar, obsessive-compulsive, social anxiety, generalized anxiety and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorders. Mech prescribed Geodon and the Pfizer antidepressant Zoloft, along with Lilly’s Straterra, a stimulant. To counteract the sedating effect of Geodon, he added Cephalon’s Provigil, a drug that promotes wakefulness.

Over the next seven months, Brian had only fleeting relief from anxious, angry moods and rages, he says. The drugs made him so tired he could barely function, his father says. Duane decided to wean his son off the meds and start him on a regimen of vitamins and herbal supplements. Since the switch, Brian says his moods and his relationships with schoolmates are better.

“The biggest thing was it kind of slowed down my thinking process,” he says. While on the meds, “I would make very rash decisions and get in trouble at school. When you slow down and think things through more rationally, it really helps.” "

AND

"Mech says he helped conduct a pediatric study of Geodon on behalf of Pfizer and has done research sponsored by 11 other drug companies and serves on the advisory boards or speakers’ bureaus of 18 drug and medical device makers, according to records he provided."



Similar over-diagnosing and turned out to be wrong, yet drugged to the moon is my daughter. Her outcome is less than best. The decade of psych meds for all intent and purpose, fried her brain. Damaged.

She struggles daily to form words into sentences and 3-5 words are typically all we hear, when we hear it. She reads notes when I speak, I write a note to go with the discussion, and that way she can process the information.

Sometimes, she looks like she wants to say something, and struggles so hard to get out a word, it's heart wrenching.

She had gained over 100lbs on Zyprexa, and that drug and the weight is gone. All of the school afternoons spent at 15 minute med checks with psychiatrists are gone. Her teen years, gone. High school graduation, never happened. The drugs, snuffed out one of the most vivacious and lively persons I have ever known. Her laughter filled a room, and she had a great sense of humor. I used to describe her the last few years as she used to be, but reality is, she isn't that anymore.

She is like a shadow of herself, and she does a few walks, or pets her dog, and I do get smiles from her when I (amidst my rambling talking that I still do, because she hears me and damn it she is still here) --- bake her brownies or make her spaghetti. This week the challenge is to again, do daily self care to go out, and the goal is the Zoo. Tried once and we will try again, until she can handle it and get out. It may take all summer, it may never happen. That hurts. But this is it.

Duane Sherry's blog is a mental health clearinghouse and resource, titled Discover and Recover, Resources for Mental and Overall Wellness. Check it out for many useful articles and links.

As for Shrink Rap blog, I'm generally not a reader, and that is due to the condenscending tone that Dinah carries there. That's my honest answer on that. Check their blog out, maybe it's your cup of tea, it's just not mine.

Duane, thanks for the comments and the support, and I wish the best for your son, a continued successful life.

The comment he left at the Pharmalot article referenced above says it the best:

"Is recovery from this ‘life-long’ illness possible?
Without medication?

You bet it is!"

Duane Sherry, M.S., CRC

http://discoverandrecover.wordpress/.