NAMI BLASTS CBS (& Dr. Phil) FOR TELEVISION MALPRACTICE

[HuckleB]

NAMI BLASTS CBS FOR TELEVISION MALPRACTICE
http://www.nami.org/template.cfm?template=/ContentManagement/ContentDisplay.cfm&ContentID=18010&lstid=275

"NAMI (National Alliance for the Mentally Ill) 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 & CEO Leslie Moonves, co-signed by Suzanne Vogel-Scibilia, MD, a child psychiatrist who chairs the Child & 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.’

..."

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NAMI's letter to CBS
http://www.nami.org/Template.cfm?Section=Other&Template=/ContentManagement/ContentDisplay.cfm&ContentID=18009

"NAMI (National Alliance for the Mentally Ill) strongly protests the Dr. Phil Primetime: Family First broadcast on September 22, 2004, in which parents were essentially blamed for what may very well be the severe mental illness of their child.

Since the show aired, we have received broad expressions of outrage from NAMI’s 220,000 members, who consist of individuals and families who confront mental illnesses every day. We also have received requests for concerted action from by child psychiatrists, psychologists and other colleague organizations in the professional field.

Not only did the show represent a breach of professional ethics in several respects, but also in the opinion of many, malpractice. 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 also may be subject to legal sanctions for practicing medicine without a license.

The show was especially troubling because the child’s behavior may have suggested symptoms of bipolar disorder or similar illness, 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 not only is insensitive, but also hinders a family or individual from seeking comprehensive treatment.

..."

[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

1. I wonder if NAMI...

Would care to look into the ad hoc diagnoses that make up so many of Charley Krauthammer's columns?

[HuckleB]

2. They've got him on their radar.

http://www.nami.org/Template.cfm?Section=Stigma_Alerts_Archive&template=/contentmanagement/contentdisplay.cfm&ContentID=12481&title=StigmaBusters%20Alert%20%2D%20December%2012%2C%202003

"...

The latest offender is syndicated columnist Charles Krauthammer of The Washington Post--a former psychiatrist--who published a piece entitled the "Delusional Dean" on December 5, 2003. (www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A37125-2003Dec4.html).

Krauthammer used mental illness as a satirical metaphor to attack recent statements by Democratic presidential candidate Howard Dean and stepped beyond satire into stigma.

He coined "Bush Derangement Syndrome" (BDS) as a new diagnosis and proclaimed: "it's time to check on thorazine supplies."

Krauthammer also may have helped stoke crass, inappropriate innuendo about Dean--who is sometimes criticized for his temper and who also openly has indicated that he once sought help to deal with his emotions after his brother was declared missing in Laos in the 1970s--by writing: "I cannot testify to Howard Dean's sanity before this campaign, but five terms as governor with no visible tics and history of involuntary confinement is pretty good evidence of a normal mental status."

..."

[sundancekid]

3. that's a good one ... talk about practicing medicine without a license ...

but, probably, he has just given himself the CK license to smear

[CarolynEC]

4. That's what I hate about "Dr." Phil... he's always BLAMING people

... for what, often, seems to be a genuine illnesses. I've hated him from the moment I saw him telling a woman -- who was obviously suffering from clinical depression -- that's she's just lazy and selfish. Unbelievable.

[HuckleB]

5. Yeah. He's a self-serving, dangerous man, IMHO.

[Pax Argent]

6. It was Howard Stern who turned me on the evil of Dr. Phil

I was listening to Howard a few weeks ago and he was pointing out what he perceived to be true obscenities in the media.

He discussed a Dr. Phil episode where Dr. Phil basically labels a 9 year old child as a potential future serial killer and the stupid attention-whore parents were just going along for the ride. This kid will now not only have to go through life with his obvious psychological problems but also with this label which Dr. Phil and the parents decided to share with MILLIONS of viewers. This kid got f-ed by the media, our society, his own parents, and, of course, Dr. Phil.

The ironic part was that until Howard brought it up I had never given it much thought, but I am now foursquare against Dr. Phil. This is Jerry Springer horseshit being played with people with illnesses, and that is wrong. I hope NAMI roasts the bastard.

[anarchy1999]

7. Dr. Phil and Oprah need to be taken off our airwaves. Don't ever

forget. We own the airwaves, we just have failed to take a stand and we let them (the FCC and the government) get away with far too much.

"DEMOCRACY IS NOT A SPECTATOR SPORT"!

[JohnOneillsMemory]

19. Oprah lost me when she had the Gropinator on with Maria during the recall

'campaign' here in California.

I had thought Oprah cared about women's safety, especially in the workplace. Guess not.

Dr. Phil is another symptom of the hunger for human interaction that 'reality' TV feeds.

Our culture has people isolated and anxious and wanting quick answers from authority figures. Enter Dr. Phool.

[neebob]

10. I think that's the same kid I talked about in my other post

First he tells them he's got so many of the 14 signs of a serial killer, but instead of telling them to get qualified psychiatric assistance he tells the parents it's their fault and dad should take the kid fishing. It was astounding.

[Pax Argent]

13. That's the one.

I only caught commercials leading up to it but the concept is absolutely disgusting. The irony is that not many people would connect Dr. Phil with exploiting children with psychological problems. Hell, I didn't until Howard pointed it out.

[neebob]

8. I thought the same thing, and I only watched about 30 minutes of the show

Here's this kid whose siblings are afraid of him, smearing poo on the walls, parents - or I should say just the mom tearing her hair out, because the dad wasn't very engaged - and Dr. Phil tells them it's their fault for fighting in front of the kid. If they showed that, it must have been before I came in because I was all, "Where'd ya get that, Dr. Phil?" I think it was the same one he told to go fishing.

[Ladyhawk]

9. Now I know whom to stay away from...

I never trust TV psychologists, anyway.

[bloom]

11. I'm glad to see that he is being called on it.

It's just the kind of thing he demands of people on his show. That they face up to the harm they are doing....

(I agree with the other posters - I don't like his style - and he trivializes mental health issues).

[Name removed]

12. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[HuckleB]

14. ?

[Democat]

15. Dr. Phil and Dr. Laura could both retire and the world would be a better..

..place.

[HuckleB]

16. A much better place, indeed.

As long as something even more abominable didn't fill the vacuum left behind, of course.

[phylny]

17. I worked with a kid who was bipolar.

He was four and five years old when I worked with him (speech therapy). There were other, difficult circumstances in his life, but the kid was a mess if he wasn't medicated, and even when he was, it was sometimes a crapshoot for the doc figuring out what he could/should prescribe for a boy so young.

He ended up having to be transferred to a self-contained ED (Emotional Disturbance) class this past year and everyone was sad that it had to happen. Despite the difficulties he caused, the teacher and other staff really, really cared about the kid.

I never liked Dr. Phil. What little I've seen made me cringe. If you ever have a problem, emotional or psychological, do you REALLY want to see someone who's going to berate you and make you feel worse?

I hope he's taken to task.

[HuckleB]

18. Families Together: The Dangers of Dr. Phil (more on the matter)

Families Together: The Dangers of Dr. Phil

Family Organization, Representing Parents of Children With Special Mental Health Needs, Says Dr. Phil Misinforms and Shames Parents
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/040930/nyth168_1.html

"Families of children with special mental health needs are outraged by recent episodes of the Dr. Phil show, saying the talk show host has misinformed and stigmatized families.

The Dr. Phil Show aired two recent episodes on children's mental health and parenting. In his primetime episode, which aired on CBS September 22nd, Dr. Phil highlighted a family whose nine-year-old son was rubbing his feces on the walls of the house, torturing animals, acting violently toward his siblings and was prone to intense tantrums. Dr. Phil informed the parents that their son did not have a behavior problem -- that his problems were the result of poor parenting. He continued by informing the parents that their child had 9 of the 14 characteristics of a serial killer.

"Hundreds of concerned family members have contacted us to express their outrage," said Paige Macdonald, Executive Director of Families Together in New York State, a statewide organization that advocates for families of children with special mental health needs. Macdonald is also the parent of a child diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome, a form of autism.

"This child clearly needs a thorough evaluation by a trained children's mental health specialist. Never once did Dr. Phil suggest an evaluation or provide information about supports available to this family and child. Instead, he used this as an opportunity to blame and shame parents of a child in need of help."

..."