Warning: TIME article about kids & mental health

[SarahJane]

There's a TIME article in the 11/1 issue that came in my mailbox today entitled: "Keeping Young Minds Healthy" by Jeffrey Kluger. NO mention of PANDAS at all. Actually makes the statement that "OCD-type behaviors before age 8 are often no cause for concern, since rituals are a normal part of growing up." It deals with depression, GAD, OCD, Bipolar Disorder, ADHD. Talks about cognitive therapy and drugs as treatment for those disorders. AND...let's get a drumroll please...an ABILIFY ad at the end of the section...ad mentions how it works with Lexapro, Zoloft, Prozac, Effexor XR, Paxil CR. Cherry on top.

 

WOW, how easy it would have been to add a box to the article with info about PANDAS/PITAND as serious condition(s) that result from strep/infections...how it manifests with many mental illness symptoms.

 

And IMHO this isn't a great article for the real conditions mentioned as they do occur as standalone issues. The article opens with an example of girl who was in 5th grade when she became confused about her sexual identity even tho' she knew she wasn't gay. She found out when she was 30 that it was a form of OCD & went into CBT for it & grieves the time lost to her condition. I'm sure you'll get your own copy & read it, so I won't take all the gems and share them. Dr. Oz even has an article in this Health Checkup section. WOW.

 

And there's been a campaign to get TIME to write a PANDAS article, right? I suspect they'll get some more letters. WOW.

Edited October 24, 2010 by SarahJane

[SarahJane]

http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,2026672_2026712,00.html

 

Link to article. (Thanks Vickie!)

[kimballot]

UGH! Just read it online. http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,2026672_2026712_2026677,00.html

 

I did not see anywhere to post comments online.

 

Should we initiate a formal letter writing campaign through the forum. Maybe we can brainstorm some bullet points that folks could include in a letter.... and give the appropriate name and address for folks to send this to?

[EmersonAilidh]

I emailed Time three times asking them to do a P.A.N.D.A.S. article.