Great article!
Two things I read stuck out, one about the money involved and the other a ridiculous diagnosis of a small child and how an ignorant parent can help to destroy that child:
Even though the drugs are typically cheaper than long-term therapy, they are the single biggest drug expenditure for Medicaid, costing the program $7.9 billion in 2006, the most recent year for which the data is available.
“They say it’s impossible to stop now,” Evelyn Torres, 48, of the Bronx, said of her son’s use of antipsychotics since he received a diagnosis of bipolar disorder at age 3. Seven years later, the boy is now also afflicted with weight and heart problems. But Ms. Torres credits Medicaid for making the boy’s mental and physical conditions manageable. “They’re helping with everything,” she said.
...........ok, so a ten year old child has heart and weight problems? Maybe the drug has caused these problems? Maybe the kid has no aspirations due to a messed up brain chemistry caused by these drugs. 3 years old!!! That shrink should be strung up by his toes. The kid will probably end up in a troubled teen program in 3 or 4 years and Evelyn will thank the program with all her heart for helping them make her son manageable... ugh.
