More CBS Naughtiness

[LissaKay]

More CBS naughtiness ... although I don't believe that this issue will get quite the bloggage that Rathergate generated. Afterall, it's just "crazy kids" and their irresponsible parents, right? Heh ...

All sarcasm aside, this issue is a major obstacle to ensuring that children receive complete and adequate mental health care. The knee-jerk reaction of the medical community, when a kid's behavior is outside the "norm" is to automatically blame the parents. We overindulge them at the same time we don't give them enough attention ... we are too demanding of them while we don't discipline them correctly. As if a good butt whipping and a trip to go fishing will cure bipolar disorder, depression or schizophrenia!

I have been on the receiving end of this kind of "medical advice" - my son just needed a good father-figure ... I can't argue with that, considering how his own father failed him, but having a strong male role model doesn't cure bipolar. He needed a stronger hand in discipline ... right, like a severe beating with a garden hose, like his father gave him? That's a big part of how he got to be so sick in the first damn place. Arrrggghhh! This kind of shit did nothing but piss me off, make me question my ability to take care of my son and did NOTHING to really help him! Friggin' idiots!

And now CBS, via "Dr" Phil, is disseminating the same bullshit:


NAMI BLASTS CBS FOR
TELEVISION MALPRACTICE (http://www.nami.org/Template.cfm?Section=September3&Template=/ContentManagement/ContentDisplay.cfm&ContentID=17995&lstid=351)

"Dr. Phil Primetime Special" Insensitive, Irresponsible;
May Put Children’s Lives At Risk

Arlington, VA—<a target="_blank" href="http://www.nami.org/">NAMI (National Alliance for the Mentally Ill)</a> today charged CBS Television with gross irresponsibility and potential endangerment of the lives of children with mental illness as a result of its September 22 broadcast of the Dr. Phil Primetime Special: Family First.

"Not only did the show represent a breach of professional ethics, but also, in the opinion of many, malpractice," declared NAMI executive director Michael J. Fitzpatrick, in a letter to CBS Chairman &amp; CEO Leslie Moonves, co-signed by Suzanne Vogel-Scibilia, MD, a child psychiatrist who chairs the Child &amp; Adolescent Policy Subcommittee of NAMI’s national board.

In the September 22 program, parents essentially were blamed for "what may very well be the severe mental illness of their child." Dr. Phil’s conduct "is serious enough to warrant investigation by a relevant board of licensure. To the degree that he seemed to offer a definitive diagnosis, including a pharmacological assessment, without careful evaluation or referral, he may also be subject to legal sanctions for practicing medicine without a license," the letter noted.

"The show was especially troubling because the child’s behavior may have suggested symptoms of bipolar disorder, requiring treatment vastly different from a father being admonished to spend more time with his son to ‘go fishing.’

"Blaming the family undermines all recent understanding of the biological basis of brain disorders and is not only insensitive, but also hinders a family or individual from seeking comprehensive treatment…Indeed the impact may have put children’s lives now at risk. The show’s approach was completely contrary to the recommendations of the U.S. Surgeon General, and more recently, President Bush’s New Freedom Commission on Mental Health…in addressing the needs of children with severe mental illnesses—including very real risks of suicide."

NAMI also responded to a Newsweek (October 4) article in which a CBS spokesperson was cited as saying the network was "unaware" of negative reaction to the show, and that Moonves had complained that interest groups protest before even seeing supposedly offensive programming, using the Internet to "magnify and trumpet" concerns. In this case, NAMI said, the mental health community "carefully considered the content of the show before registering any complaint, and the party that has grossly ‘magnified’ irresponsible behavior is CBS, through the power it projects over the airwaves."


And yes, I blogged this (http://www.lissakay.com/index.php/weblog/comments/nami-blasts-cbs-for-television-malpractice/) while wearing my pajamas!

[ethics]

Wow, I didn't see the show, as a matter of fact, I've yet to watch any crap like that from any network news shows, but if this is true...

Sorry Lissa, I think this might be BIGGER than Rathergate because while politics is politics, this is actually affecting many lives.

Parents are responsible for their kid's mental illness!?! What is this, Soviet Union?

[wapu]

I must admit, I watched the show. It was on and the remote all the way acrss the room.

One of the little girls on the show , she was 3 or 4, knew the UPS guy on site. Her mother was incapable of telling her no. The girl had thousands of toys. His advice was for the parents, not the kids. The kid through tantrums when she didn't get a toy everytime they went out. That is not bi-polar. That is spoiled. Spoiled 4 year olds only come from parents making mistakes.

A family that he counseled had a father who hadn't talk to his teenage son in over a year, yet they lived in the same house. THe mom was a horrible screamer and belittled the dad in front of the kids all the time. He made the parents write out a plan about how to be parents. He had the dad be an adult and apologize to the son. This was another case where the parents were making mistakes and it was affecting the kids.

His show was about the parents not the kids. It was to show the parents that they need to take responsibilty for the kids and <u>be</u> the parent. Even the kid with the 10 of 14 characteristics of a serial killer made a drastic change when the parents followed his advice and acutally talked to their son. When he got the chance to tell them what was bothering him and they listened and talked, there was a marked difference in his behavior. Dr. Phil still suggested professional counseling. But stressed communicating with him and not just dismissing his behavior as something needing medication would be the best start.

The show also had candid talks with some celebrities about how hard it is to be a working parent. He talked to other celebrities about the influence their parents have had on their lives.

One of the more interesting parts of the show gave some great advice on getting kids to perform better on IQ/SAT type tests. Simple things like focusing techniques, breathing techniques and getting good sleep. Things the parents could work with the kids on.

The show was not about troubled kids and what to do to them. It was about parents and mistakes that they make. It was a good show. Parents make mistakes. It is that simple. I may even buy his book now. The show was that good.

[Techie2000]

Umm, Dr. Phil is a moron. I feel bad I can't countribute anything constructive about this since I don't watch Dr. Phil anymore. I saw some of his shows, and sometimes they were interesting, but I honestly don't think he's anywhere near a professional.

[mers2]

I don't watch any of Dr. Phil's shows. I do know that his talk show and any of his other specials have had a disclaimer to the effect that it is "entertainment" and not treatment thus leaving himself a legal loophole. It would be interesting to find out if this show had a similar disclaimer. Quite frankly, I think the man does a lot of damage in some of the theories he puts forth. This being one of them.

[LissaKay]

The assessment of the child's behavior and "Dr" Phil's counsel is Suzanne Vogel-Scibilia, MD, a child psychiatrist who chairs the Child & Adolescent Policy Subcommittee of NAMI’s national board. I am painfully aware also of what bipolar looks like, and I agree with Dr. Vogel-Scibilia. Those weren't just overly-spoiled or ignored children. Their behavior is far outside of the bounds of "normal." Further, the "advice" given by "Dr" Phil heard by thousands of TV-land parents could be dangerous to children who truly are mentally ill if they decide that by altering their behavior they can cure their child, instead of seeking competent medical help ... which is hard to find, since much of the medical community takes the same stance as "Dr" Phil, that the parents are wholly to blame for any and all problems their children may have, even mental illness or brain disorders.

[wapu]

The assessment of the child's behavior and "Dr" Phil's counsel is Suzanne Vogel-Scibilia, MD, a child psychiatrist who chairs the Child & Adolescent Policy Subcommittee of NAMI’s national board. I am painfully aware also of what bipolar looks like, and I agree with Dr. Vogel-Scibilia. Those weren't just overly-spoiled or ignored children. Their behavior is far outside of the bounds of "normal." Further, the "advice" given by "Dr" Phil heard by thousands of TV-land parents could be dangerous to children who truly are mentally ill if they decide that by altering their behavior they can cure their child, instead of seeking competent medical help ... which is hard to find, since much of the medical community takes the same stance as "Dr" Phil, that the parents are wholly to blame for any and all problems their children may have, even mental illness or brain disorders.

Just curious if you watched the show? I am not trying to lessen your position; I am interested if your opinion comes from seeing the show or from the NAMI article. If you watched the show, did you think that the little girl was bipolar when you saw her leave the pet store, ask for the stuffed animal in the widow and then throw a screaming fit when her mother told her no. I have no experience with bipolar. So is that a common bipolar trait? When the mother then went into the store and bought the stuffed dog and the girl calmed down, is that another common trait of being bipolar? What about when they showed the 4-year-old girls <i>2 rooms</i> full of toys and her inability to share with the little kid that came over? Is that bipolar? When they showed the amount of toys in the father's office and how he said he can't work in there because of all of her stuff. Is that bipolar? Her reaction to the "Big Brown Guy"(UPS) was elation. She knew he was bringing a toy to her. Is knowing the UPS guy on sight because your mom buys you everything you see on TV a bipolar trait? Like I said, I don't know bipolar, but I do know what a spoiled kid looks like. I also know what

I am also curious if NAMI saw more of the show then the rest of America? I mean they only saw the kids for a couple of minutes. How can they make an assessment on 5 minutes worth of edited coverage?

[LissaKay]

The child that drew the attention of NAMI is the 9 year old "serial-killer-to-be" ... and yes, that is what bipolar can look like.

[joseftu]

First let me say that I did not see the show, I've never, even once, seen Dr. Phil, and I'm not even entirely sure what he looks like or who he is.

But I'm very familiar with the theory of the "schizophrenogenic mother" and similar "blame the parent" ideas. They've been totally discredited, and proven again and again to be completely invalid. If much of the medical community still takes this stance, I'm surprised. No competent psychiatrist gives these ideas the slightest credence.

Again, I didn't see the show, and so can't comment on the children they presented. But I do have a general rule of thumb--any mental health professional who gives advice on a "Primetime Special" is not a professional, not worthy of any attention, and if I see one coming, I run the other way.

[Frodo Lives]

Joe, from what I know of you, I can honestly say that if you ever met 'Dr' Phil in person you would probably kick him in the nads. This guy makes even the biggest quack look professional. But he will stay on the air because Opera Winfrey owns his soul and the show he is on.

[wapu]

The child that drew the attention of NAMI is the 9 year old "serial-killer-to-be" ... and yes, that is what bipolar can look like.

So was his advice to the other parents bad?

I am just curious if you guys think there is such a thing as parenting mistakes? Your opinions of Dr. Phil aside, is it the kids mental disorder that causes the Father not to talk to his son in over a year? Is it a mental disorder that would cause a mother to cuss at, hit, and belittle that father in front of the kids? Is it a mental disorder that has a 4 year old boy watch 9 hours of TV a day? Is it the girl's mental disorder that made her mom incapable of saying no to her?

I agree that mental Illness is real, but is everything a mental illness? If there are obvious things the parents can change in their parenting techniques to change the behavior of their children, isn't that better than medicine? When I hit the light switch in my living room and it doesn't come on, I don't make my first action a call to the electric company. Sure it might be a bigger problem, but more than likely I just need to change the bulb. Sure some of these kids may have a legitimate mental illness, but does that say that all of them do? No. Does that mean every little kid that throws a fit on a plane, or at the store, or restaurant is mentally ill? No, that is a ludicrous statement. Even if all the kids did have a legitimate mental illness, shouldn't the first step be getting the parents to parent them anyway? Calling Dr. Phil out is in the best interest of psychologists. They have a vested interest in millions of American kids being medicated. They are the ones who prescribe the medication.

I am sorry, but the parents on that show had problems, even the serial killer parents. That dad's response to the boy hitting his daughter in the face to watch her bleed and setting the kitchen on fire was "Boy's will be Boys." Even if the boy is bipolar, that father's attitude is a mistake. The show was about the parents and how they can cause problems in their children. I just can't believe you guys think parents don't influence the development of their kids.

[LissaKay]

I just can't believe you guys think parents don't influence the development of their kids.



I never said that. I don't take what others have posted to mean that either.

To address one of your statements:


is it the kids mental disorder that causes the Father not to talk to his son in over a year? Is it a mental disorder that would cause a mother to cuss at, hit, and belittle that father in front of the kids? Is it a mental disorder that has a 4 year old boy watch 9 hours of TV a day? Is it the girl's mental disorder that made her mom incapable of saying no to her?


The effect on every member of a family in which there is mental illness is so profound, it defies description. I do not say that to excuse anyone's behavior, I state that as fact. My son's mental illness changed me ... the very core of my personality is irretrievabley altered, some for the better, some for the worse. When he was at the peak of his instability, my home resembled a war zone. My mind was so fragile, the slightest crisis sent me into a panic. Even now, a year+ into relative stability and as close to a "normal" life as I could expect, I still have post-traumatic stress reactions to everyday things ... the school phone number on my caller ID, a police car in our neighborhood, a neighbor knocking on my door. Until one has lived in this world, one cannot truly know its reality.

As far as "Dr" Phil and his advice ... he is way out of his league in dealing with brain disorders of this magnitude. That child needs a thorough work-up and ongoing care from a qualified child psychiatrist and possibily a neuro-psychiatrist. Only when a diagnosis has been made and treatment begun can the family dynamics be addressed, and then that kind of advice and counseling should be addressing the tactics the family members can use to cope with the illness of the child. For starters, I recommend "The Explosive Child" by Ross Greene ... there you will find no blame, no pointing fingers, just support and real tactics for dealing with children like my son, and others like him.

[wapu]

I do believe there are legimate mental disorders and that they can't be cured on Dr. Phil's show. But the problem is that this kids dad didn't see his behaviour as a problem. If his answer is that "boys will be boys" to things like lighting the kitchen on fire, hitting his siter to watch her bleed, and smearing fesces on the wall, he isn't going to seek professional help for the mental illness either. The father doesn't think anything is wrong. The mother did, but she needed help convincing the father.

That is what the show was about. It was a show to kick some parents in the butt and get them to make some changes in how they are raising their kids. If a kid truly has a mental illness, he is not gonna get help without his parents first seeing that there is a problem. The best way to keep your kids off drugs, have them get good grades, keep them from getting pregnant and having them grow up to be productive people is to talk to them. These families weren't doing that before. They are now. The serial-killer kid is in counseling. The father heard the message. The other father and son are building a relationship. What is bad about this?

[LissaKay]

The "bad" is the overall message that "Dr" Phil is giving ... and that is if your kids' behavior is out of whack, it's the parent's fault and by altering the parent's behavior, the kid can be cured. He is totally ignoring that there are likely some serious issues on a medical level that need to be addressed FIRST. That is a very dangerous message to be giving to the public, which is, by and large, ignorant of mental illness and what it looks like in a kid.

Not all parents are like me ... many, if not most, take the ostrich approach by sticking their head in the sand and clinging to denial. Not MY kid! Not in MY family! And while their child continues to deteriorate, the parents react in their own ways ... ignoring the kid, screaming at them ... it can even go so far as physical abuse of the child. Parents like this do NOT need "Dr" Phil types telling them that they are being bad parents and it is all their fault. They need support, encouragement, information, medical care and services for their child.

FYI ... counseling is not what the 9 year old boy needs. Not at this stage. He needs competent medical care. At some point in the future, he could use some counseling to help him cope with and accept his illness, the whole family will need this. But talk therapy never cured mental illness ... and never will.

[wapu]

The "bad" is the overall message that "Dr" Phil is giving ... and that is if your kids' behavior is out of whack, it's the parent's fault and by altering the parent's behavior, the kid can be cured. He is totally ignoring that there are likely some serious issues on a medical level that need to be addressed FIRST. That is a very dangerous message to be giving to the public, which is, by and large, ignorant of mental illness and what it looks like in a kid.

I guess this is where we disagree then. I would contend the first step is getting the parents to realize there is a problem, try to figure out what they might be doing to contribute to it, and if that doesn't work, seek professional help. We have had different experiences in this regard.


Not all parents are like me ... many, if not most, take the ostrich approach by sticking their head in the sand and clinging to denial. Not MY kid! Not in MY family! And while their child continues to deteriorate, the parents react in their own ways ... ignoring the kid, screaming at them ... it can even go so far as physical abuse of the child. Parents like this do NOT need "Dr" Phil types telling them that they are being bad parents and it is all their fault. They need support, encouragement, information, medical care and services for their child.

If not Dr. Phil, then who? Who is gonna tell that lady who lets her son watch 10 hours of TV a day that she is being a bad parent? Where is she gonna see the information? She has to know there is a problem before she seeks help. Seeing the lady on his show who lets her kid watch 9 hours a day and how bad that is can make her look into her own parenting strategy. They have to know there is a problem before they can fix it. His show let's parents see what is considered to be detrimental to the development of their children. And his show is honest. There <b>are</b> bad parenting strategies. If there aren't, then how can there be good ones?



FYI ... counseling is not what the 9 year old boy needs. Not at this stage. He needs competent medical care. At some point in the future, he could use some counseling to help him cope with and accept his illness, the whole family will need this. But talk therapy never cured mental illness ... and never will.

Where should they start then? There has to be a first step. We all know the old cliche, that is the hardest. What is the proper first step if I think my kid has a problem? I am asking this in all seriousness. Should I go straight to a psychiatrist? How are parents supposed to know what the proper first step is? A good counseling team will take the kid to the next level.

For the record, I want to make sure we are talking about the same things.

I do believe that mental illness in children exists.

I don't believe every child's emotional problem stems from a mental disorder.

I do believe that there are things parents can do to harm their children.

I do believe there is a place for medication, I take medication for mood swings.

I don't believe medication is the first step.

I do believe counseling works. Both family and individual. If you have a good counselor, they will see that the problem is biological rather than mental. They will recommend the next step, be it meds they prescribe or a referral to a Psychiatrist.

I do believe that in order for anything family related to succeed, the parents are the most crucial element. That is what this show was about. Getting parent's to recognize what might be problems.

[LissaKay]

The problem is that "Dr" Phil is saying that the problem IS the parents. Period. He did not make any recommendations to seek qualified medical help. He did not suggest that it might be neuro-biological in nature. He merely blamed the parents and left it at that, with suggestions as to how they should change their behavior to effect changes in the child's behavior.

If, as it appears, the child has bipolar disorder, NO amount of parenting behavior change will ever cure the child or reduce the symptoms of bipolar. Bipolar is a neuro-biological disorder that requires medication as a FIRST step in treatment, and it is a very serious disorder that has a 25% mortality rate amongst its sufferers.

Parents out in TV-land, wondering what the hell is wrong with Junior as he bounces from the walls, tears up the house, screams vulgarities at them, injures himself, acts out sexually, flies into rages that last for hours ... they hear "Dr" Phil, blame themselves and delay seeking the medical help they need. THAT is the problem with that show ... the message that it sends to parents who are in need of competent medical help for their child.

"Dr" Phil is a clinical psychologist ... he is WAY out of his league in dealing with such serious disorders as the 9 year old boy displays. He is doing nothing but waste time in telling the parents that they are to blame for their child's behavior. He should have referred them to a psychiatrist for evaluation and diagnosis right away ... that family should have never been on that show where he did nothing but discourage and humiliate them for something they have no control over ... unless you want to blame them for their genetics.

To directly answer your question, yes ...the first step when a child is seriously "out of whack" should be the psychiatrist. There, serious disorders can be either ruled out or treated appropriately, and time will not be wasted and children's lives put at risk while the likes of "Dr" Phil play the blame game.

Information is what is needed for parents like the ones of the 9 year old boy. Mom was on the right track, she needed help getting dad on board with her and then pointed in the right direction. She and dad did NOT need "Dr" Phil telling them that they are to blame ... if he had acted responsibly, he would have given them a number for a good psychiatrist or mental health care facility. But hey ... the show must go on, right? There are thousands of advertising dollars at stake ya know ... and what a teaser for the show the boy's story made! "Could your child be a serial killer?"

It was irresponsible at best, a disservice and dangerous at worst. "Dr" Phil needs to stick to problems that are within his realm of expertise ... serious neuro-biological disorders are not part of that.