The American Psychiatric Association disagrees with you TheWho. Which leads me back to my original question, what leads you to make a statement that counters their professional experience and advice? Why should parents trust you over the advice of doctors who specialize in adolescent psychiatry? I'm still waiting for a proper answer to this very simple inquiry.
You claim a milder form of bipolar would be treated effectively in a wilderness program. What qualifies you to make this claim?
This is what an adolescent psychiatrist has to say about the effectiveness of wilderness programs treating conduct disorder. Yet another professional, peer reviewed individual who disagrees with you TheWho. Please explain why I should trust you, over their professional advice.
Conduct disorder
Timothy A. Rogge, MD, private practice in Psychiatry, Kirkland, Washington. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency ... 000919.htmTreatment
Successful treatment requires close involvement of the child's family. Parents can learn techniques to help manage their child's problem behavior.
In cases of abuse, the child may need to be removed from the family and placed in a less chaotic environment. Treatment with medications or talk therapy may be used for depression and attention-deficit disorder, which commonly accompany conduct disorder.
Many "behavioral modification" schools, "wilderness programs," and "boot camps" are sold to parents as solutions for conduct disorder. These may use a form of "attack therapy" or "confrontation," which can actually be harmful. There is no research support for such techniques. Research suggests that treating children at home, along with their families, is more effective.
If you are considering an inpatient program, be sure to check it out thoroughly. Serious injuries and deaths have been associated with some programs. They are not regulated in many states.