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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
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Posted by Phamos818 on March 4, 2004, at 20:42:34
Did any of you read the cover story in this week's New York Magazine? (it's available on www.nymetro.com) It pissed me off to no end, and I'm having trouble finding anyone who will discuss it with me in real life. Anyone else want to join me in irritation about the focus on "mild bipolar" as a fad diagnosis? yeuch.
Posted by jane d on March 4, 2004, at 23:09:21
In reply to New York Magazine, posted by Phamos818 on March 4, 2004, at 20:42:34
> Did any of you read the cover story in this week's New York Magazine? (it's available on www.nymetro.com) It pissed me off to no end, and I'm having trouble finding anyone who will discuss it with me in real life. Anyone else want to join me in irritation about the focus on "mild bipolar" as a fad diagnosis? yeuch.
Phamos,
I suspect that it is the diagnosis du jour unfortunately. For many of us it's just a new name for the same old symptoms and sometimes the same old treatment too. I hadn't realized Lamictal had been approved for bipolar though. I thought it was still being prescribed "off label". This alarms me. A nice expensive drug with years of patent protection ahead of it and now the salesmen can legally push doctors to find lots and lots of patients to prescribe it for. I suspect the boom in diagnoses is just beginning.The other suggestion, that people are diagnosed with bipolar who don't really have anything wrong with them, makes me a bit nervous too. I'm sure it happens but I don't know how often. I'm also sure there are people who should be diagnosed and who are told they should just "pull themselves together" and I worry that reducing one type of misdiagnosis will increase the other.
I'm sure I'm missing much of the significance but it's past my bedtime. Thanks for bringing up this article.
Jane
link to article: http://www.nymetro.com/nymetro/health/features/n_9986/index.html
Posted by Angielala on March 5, 2004, at 12:21:38
In reply to New York Magazine, posted by Phamos818 on March 4, 2004, at 20:42:34
I hear you girl....
There are a lot of docs that label people who have nothing wrong with them but "want" (aka going to the doc every time you feel a little sad) something to be wrong with them so that they can wave it around and get pity or whatever they are looking for...
It's these kind of un-researched and superficial articals that help to pump up the stigma. These people who are diagnosed and then feel so good after... they go around saying "Oh- I was bipolar, but all you have to do is think happier thoughts, they are just lying..."
There are so many articles like these... kind of makes you wonder why journalists aren't trying to seek those of us that get to live through heaven and hell in a day and get that story- it would be a much better story in my opinion...
> Did any of you read the cover story in this week's New York Magazine? (it's available on www.nymetro.com) It pissed me off to no end, and I'm having trouble finding anyone who will discuss it with me in real life. Anyone else want to join me in irritation about the focus on "mild bipolar" as a fad diagnosis? yeuch.
Posted by sb417 on March 6, 2004, at 0:42:09
In reply to New York Magazine, posted by Phamos818 on March 4, 2004, at 20:42:34
NEW YORK Magazine is a sensationalistic rag. Its cover stories are designed to sell issues. It is not known for its science and medical reporting and never will be. The only reason to buy NEW YORK is for the theater, movie and other arts listings and reviews, but you can find the same information (i.e., the arts listings) in the NEW YORKER and the NEW YORK TIMES.
Posted by rainyday on March 9, 2004, at 12:31:52
In reply to New York Magazine, posted by Phamos818 on March 4, 2004, at 20:42:34
I just read this yesterday, and I was all fired up to talk about it and couldn't find your post!! As someone who was dx'd with depression 10 years ago and bounced from GP to nurse practioners to ob-gyn (don't ask...) before my husband looked up a psychiatrist who diagnosed me as BP2 and GAD; I find articles like this really distressing. There is already so much misunderstanding about mental illnesses - particularly within the medical professions who don't specialize in it - and it's "dissed" right there on the cover.
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