The thing with this debate that worries me?? Is that we know how rigid the medical community can become in their thinking about things. They've become rather rigid in their belief that mental illness is primarily genetic. While that may very well be the case.........they don't have the diagnostic tests to back it up, because they tend not to even consider a biological / environmental (not talking nurture here but things we're exposed to in everyday life) and so I don't think there is even much research going on in this area at all. The most I've heard this direction is the bipolar pattern on an MRI, I think it was.
Travis got the genetics for autism via husband's family. He got a strong genetic trait for it. As his neuros have said, it was fairly certain that at utter best, Travis would've had the strong traits, but most likely, he'd have been high functioning like his dad. BUT the Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) from oxygen deprivation at birth.......made it more severe than it would have been otherwise. Now I know many who would say "how do they know?" Well, I can honestly reply........with utter certainty. Every one of my grandsons so far? Show strong autistic traits. Alex is pretty definite Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD) and may perhaps be lower functioning than Travis.....and I would imagine being repeatedly "dropped on your head" as an infant would result in quite a bit of brain damage, hence the MRDD diagnosis (sorry I dunno the politically correct diagnosis name). Connor is a carbon copy of Travis at the same age in nearly all areas, except Travis talked a bit better but Connor is trying hard with that. So, while we can't be certain at this age, I'm fairly sure he's autistic as well. And there have been some factors during pregnancy & birth that *might* have contributed in pushing him over the proverbial edge so to speak.
There are various viruses that attack the nervous system in ways that we are only now beginning to realize. Chicken pox becomes dormant and returns as painful shingles. Polio we thought once you recovered that it was over, now we're seeing symptoms reappear in those victims as the virus comes out of dormancy. Other viruses such as strep and the one that causes rheumatic fever affect other organs, not just produce the original infection.
And that is just with viruses, how many more out there that we're aware or unaware of that do similar things and might be affecting the chemical make up or structure of the brain? Then if these viruses make their way into a person who is already genetically predispositioned for a certain disorder...........and the virus attacks the right combo of elements....... I dunno. But at least I'm open minded enough to question if that could be a potential cause.
That goes for all the other environmental factor possibilities as well while leaving parenting totally out of the equation.
But medical science stays pretty much close-minded (unless they stumble across something by accident) and stick to the genetic/parental blame game and don't want to look in other areas. Because while parenting and genetics play a big role, they're not the entire picture, and common sense points that out when you can have children raised in the same house hold come out totally different.
So, in my opinion, this is why as far as mental illness is concerned, we're stuck in the dark ages.........and at this rate we may never get out of them. Because while I understand people with mental illness need the medications offered now, I don't believe necessarily they're the *right* medications.......targeting the *right* things. And that probably will be taken the wrong way. But look at it this way.........if your body needs a certain chemical to function properly, then it should not need ever increasing amounts of that chemical to continue functioning properly. Yet with medications, doses are increased at regular intervals usually.....depending on the person. Eventually they're useless and have to be switched out for something else.
Maybe I can make this make some sense this way. I've been taking lasix (a strong water pill) for at least 15 yrs or more. For the first decade my dose never changed. At that point it needed to be doubled to compensate for the reduced function of my kidneys. I've been at that new dose for 5 yrs. Mental illness (as far as we know) is not a deterioration of brain function of any form. It is believed to be the body simply isn't producing enough of certain chemicals that affect behavior. Ok. Fine. If that is the case..........then once you find the dosage that produces the right amount of chemicals, it should not alter. Why? Because brain functioning is not altered.
And I know some pretty darn smart psychiatrists who are beginning to think the same way.
Nichole went on her medications at about age 15, maybe 14. No argument that at the time she needed them. She took them until she was nearly 18. And not once during those years did she even make it to the starter dose. Because her psychiatrist started people off way below starter dose level and very gradually built them up......because if it was something going to last over a lifetime, you run out of options quickly starting out at a young age and upping the medications too quickly. Her fear of finding a psychiatrist and going back on her medications to deal with some anxiety issues.........that they'll 1. start her too high and 2. won't be as careful increasing doses (as in leaving it the heck alone if it's working)
I'm not saying medications are wrong by any means. But you have to look at the ordeal we go through with our kids (and sometimes ourselves/other family members) with medications...........and wonder if they're barking up the wrong tree.
That's what irks me. Travis has now had 2 neuros who teach neurobiology in medication school as well as neurology. Both very smart men. Both very ticked off at the status quo because they both firmly believe that mental illness is neurobiological with a strong genetic base, with other contributing factors, and it seems the medical community doesn't want to listen to that. They want to attempt to medicate the behaviors away without really trying to discover the cause. That would be like attempting to treat diabetes without having any idea of what caused the behavior issues with high/low blood sugar.
We ask such questions and debate the topic..........and seem to be able to think somewhat outside the box because as parents of mentally ill kids, we have a vested interest. Seems that those who don't have a vested interest just want to medicate behaviors (mask symptoms) and hope it goes away.
Sorry............I seem to have climbed up onto my soapbox this morning. But when you have as many mentally ill loved ones as I do, it can be a rather touchy subject.
