DC - Justina gets standing ovation from Congress

From that Fox article:

"“We know that this is happening all over the country in all 50 states, that children who are designated wards of the state, are having medical research done on them that may not have any direct benefit whatsoever to the child and in Justina’s case she was made paralyzed by this medical research,” said Bachmann."

They had better be able to prove that accusation. Did Bachmann make that up? Or, is that what she was told by Justina and/or her parents?
 
Insane isn't it?

The ridiculous blatantly false statements just keep getting crazier ....IMO


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The thread is closed but a new law in Justina's name is news. The teen wowed them in Washington D.C.

http://foxct.com/2014/07/16/justina-pelletier-pushes-law-in-washington-d-c/

Like so many things about this 'case', the title of the thread is misleading.

Bachmann says Justina received a standing ovation when she addressed about 70 members of congress during a lunch briefing.

Seventy congressional representatives is not "Congress." This just means that 70 allies of Bachman who also happen to be members of Congress applauded this girl.

Winston Churchill, Nelson Mandela, and others got standing ovations from Congress.

Justina was applauded by 70 likely right-wing members of Congress.
BIG DIFFERENCE.

On the other hand, how wonderful that Boston Childrens Hospital 'cured' Justina to the point where she was able to travel to Washington and speak to an audience, rather than slurring her words and speaking gibberish as she did the day she was admitted to BCH
 
So exactly what research was done on her and how and why did it make her paralyzed?
 
Maybe Michelle Bachman and her husband "prayed away" the paralysis in between "praying the gay away" from their other victims. :rolleyes:
 
Happy for who?


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You know (re comment #5), I'm thinking this weirdness goes way beyond party lines. I'm right-wing but I think her family's actions and responses as reported have been increasingly batty over time...and the father's behavior at times downright belligerant.

The facts are, this child was finally released to her parents and the care of her former doctor with the stipulation that BCH's recommendations for her psychological care be merged with those physical recommendations of her mitochondrial doc. In other words, the judge decided that BOTH medical opinions were relevant to this child's case.

I have a lot of strong opinions on this story. Confession...I've worked professionally in figure skating (my various professions/avocations make up my moniker), and have a bit of insight into the the stresses that can come with the discipline. I have seen the tape of her skating, and personally think her skill/involvement in that sport has been overblown. I know intimately the psychological strengths/weaknesses affecting some gals who are attracted to figure skating; I know the extreme psychological pressure involved in skating performance. I also know the good and the bad about "skating parents," and the often overly perfectionistic, performance-oriented family dynamic that can skew that first love into a thing of major stress and anxiety for their child. All this to say...IMO, the idea that this child might have had a psychological reaction (eg.'conversion disorder' or something similar) after that taped Christmas performance in order to be relieved of the stress of living up to her bigger-than-life father's expectations is not beyond the realm of possibility. JMO.

Excuse the lingo; have more than one professional pysch person in my immediate family...and not without reason, come to think of it. :crazy:
 
You know (re comment #5), I'm thinking this weirdness goes way beyond party lines. I'm right-wing but I think her family's actions and responses as reported have been increasingly batty over time...and the father's behavior at times downright belligerant.

The facts are, this child was finally released to her parents and the care of her former doctor with the stipulation that BCH's recommendations for her psychological care be merged with those physical recommendations of her mitochondrial doc. In other words, the judge decided that BOTH medical opinions were relevant to this child's case.

I have a lot of strong opinions on this story. Confession...I've worked professionally in figure skating (my various professions/avocations make up my moniker), and have a bit of insight into the the stresses that can come with the discipline. I have seen the tape of her skating, and personally think her skill/involvement in that sport has been overblown. I know intimately the psychological strengths/weaknesses affecting some gals who are attracted to figure skating; I know the extreme psychological pressure involved in skating performance. I also know the good and the bad about "skating parents," and the often overly perfectionistic, performance-oriented family dynamic that can skew that first love into a thing of major stress and anxiety for their child. All this to say...IMO, the idea that this child might have had a psychological reaction (eg.'conversion disorder' or something similar) after that taped Christmas performance in order to be relieved of the stress of living up to her bigger-than-life father's expectations is not beyond the realm of possibility. JMO.

Excuse the lingo; have more than one professional pysch person in my immediate family...and not without reason, come to think of it. :crazy:

That's an interesting angle (the figure skating) and one I didn't consider heavily.

Growing up one of my best friends and her little sister were skaters. Mom was a mess at home (literally and figuratively - looking back the house was always a shambles and now I would call it a hoarding type environment) but the girls were always turned out well and made to do figure skating many times per week and always entered into many local/regional competitions. Mom never left the house except for skating related activities. My friend sort of enjoyed it and she was decent but as she got older was less interested. It all took it's toll, and eventually as a teen she ended up in drug rehab, her life became a mess, and we lost touch. I have no doubt she began to used drugs as a way to let go from the pressures of home and skating. Very sad. I have heard over the years that the little sister also ended up much the same. :(

I have always thought in this case that Justina probably has medical issues (whether or not it is mito is another story) but that there are psychological issues as well, and that those are exacerbated by her parents refusal to acknowledge and treat them fully, as well as being exacerbated by their histrionics. Add in how they are constantly saying how awful she's doing, how she is near death, etc, and I think an intervention of some sort was absolutely needed and justified in order to get this poor girl on some route to both physical and mental recovery. I am unsurprised but nonetheless saddened to see that the parents exaggerations and histrionics are continuing. I am not very hopeful for Justinas continued recovery.

I think some very savvy political operators have used this case in order to gain money and publicity (I'm looking at you Rev and Atty staver, and your organization; as well as Glen Beck and Bachmann). There is a segment of the population (mostly found on the right) who already believes in government plans and conspiracies to "erode parents rights" and "destroy the family", and who are not in favor of any govt org like DCF who have the ability to intervene. Then you have those who believe psychology is fake and medical science is dangerous (I've met folks on both the right, and the "crunchy" left who hold these kinds of views), and that's where the political angle starts. Everyone who possibly has a semi-related axe to grind used this case to push their agenda, because they had a built in following whose views already conformed to how they painted Justina's situation.

What a mess.


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@Gardenlady - agree completely. Well put. Justina continues to be a pawn, her significance found in the histrionics of the people around her. :/
 
So....have the parents filed that lawsuit yet?



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As for Justina, she had been looking forward to celebrating her 15th birthday in May back home in West Hartford. Instead, she had to resign herself to the reality that it would be some time before she left Bader 5, the name of the hospital’s 16-bed locked psychiatric unit. She spent her days in bed in her private room or in one of the ward’s common rooms for study hall or activities such as arts and crafts and movie night. She used a wheelchair to get around the corridors, because she hadn’t been walking since before she arrived by ambulance in February.

http://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/20...l-uncertain/Y7qvYTGsq8QklkxUZvuUgP/story.html
 
That article states that her symptoms had been going on "for a couple months" before being wheeled in to the hospital in March. That her friends hadn't heard from her (school and skating chums). I'd be interested in knowing if she skated after that Christmas performance. Also what her parents, friends, or coach might have said to her concerning it.

Skaters, like dancers, are at high risk for a variety of somataform disorders.
 
Somatoform Disorder

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV)[7] classifies somatoform disorders in the following diagnoses:

somatization disorder, undifferentiated somatoform disorder, somatoform disorder not otherwise specified (NOS), conversion disorder, pain disorder, body dysmorphic disorder, and hypochondriasis. These disorders all involve clinically significant distress or impairment in daily functioning.

The diagnostic criteria for these somatoform disorders are established for adults, but not many published case studies and research have focused on pediatric populations.
It must be noted that DSM-IV is currently under revision with a proposal to rename the classification to somatic symptom disorders and complex somatic symptom disorders.

http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/918628-overview

CONVERSION DISORDER

Conversion disorder, also called functional neurological symptom disorder, is a condition in which you show psychological stress in physical ways.The condition was so named to describe a health problem that starts as a mental or emotional crisis — a scary or stressful incident of some kind — and converts to a physical problem.

For example, in conversion disorder, your leg may become paralyzed after you fall from a horse, even though you weren't physically injured. Conversion disorder signs and symptoms appear with no underlying physical cause, and you can't control them.

Signs and symptoms of conversion disorder typically affect your movement or your senses, such as the ability to walk, swallow, see or hear. Conversion disorder symptoms can vary in severity and may come and go or be persistent. The outcome may be better in younger children than in teenagers and adults. According to some experts, most people get better with immediate and proper management.

Symptoms

Conversion disorder symptoms may appear suddenly after a stressful event or trauma, whether physical or psychological. Signs and symptoms that affect movement function may include:

• Weakness or paralysis
• Abnormal movement, such as tremors or difficulty walking
• Loss of balance
• Difficulty swallowing or "a lump in the throat"

• Seizures or convulsions
• Episode of unresponsiveness

Signs and symptoms that affect the senses may include:
• Numbness or loss of the touch sensation
• Speech problems, such as inability to speak or slurred speech
• Vision problems, such as double vision or blindness
• Hearing problems or deafness

Causes

Episodes of conversion disorder are nearly always triggered by a stressful event, an emotional conflict or another mental health disorder, such as depression.

The exact cause of conversion disorder is unknown, but the part of the brain that controls your muscles and senses may be involved. It may be the brain's way of reacting immediately to something that seems like a threat.

Risk factors

Conversion disorder risk factors include:
• Recent significant stress or emotional trauma
• Being female — women are much more likely to develop conversion disorder
• Having a mental health condition, such as mood or anxiety disorders,
dissociative disorder or certain personality disorders
• Having a neurological disease that causes similar symptoms, such as epilepsy
• Having a family member with conversion disorder
• A history of physical or sexual abuse and neglect in childhood

Complications

In some cases, particularly if not treated soon enough, conversion disorder symptoms can result in substantial disability, similar to that caused by medical conditions.

...

http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/conversion-disorder/basics/definition/con-20029533
 
From the same Boston Globe article: And what about the psychiatric diagnosis of somatoform disorder that psychologist Simona Bujoureanu had given to Justina and that the state had, in turn, insisted her parents accept if they wanted to regain custody? Dr. David DeMaso, the hospital’s noted psychiatrist-in-chief, points out that the mental health field has largely moved away from using somatoform disorder as a useful diagnosis. “It was kind of vague,” he said, noting his preference for “somatic symptoms,” which allows for more flexibility in diagnosing it in conjunction with other illnesses.

Asked in an interview to explain how parents could be told that they had no choice but to accept the hospital’s diagnosis of somatoform disorder as a condition of regaining custody, DeMaso stressed that it wasn’t up to Children’s to determine custody. “That’s DCF,” he said.
 
From the same Boston Globe article: And what about the psychiatric diagnosis of somatoform disorder that psychologist Simona Bujoureanu had given to Justina and that the state had, in turn, insisted her parents accept if they wanted to regain custody? Dr. David DeMaso, the hospital’s noted psychiatrist-in-chief, points out that the mental health field has largely moved away from using somatoform disorder as a useful diagnosis. “It was kind of vague,” he said, noting his preference for “somatic symptoms,” which allows for more flexibility in diagnosing it in conjunction with other illnesses.

Asked in an interview to explain how parents could be told that they had no choice but to accept the hospital’s diagnosis of somatoform disorder as a condition of regaining custody, DeMaso stressed that it wasn’t up to Children’s to determine custody. “That’s DCF,” he said.

BBM

Yes, that's why I included that first bit on Somatoform Disorder being in the process of having its name changed:

It must be noted that DSM-IV is currently under revision with a proposal to rename the classification to somatic symptom disorders and complex somatic symptom disorders.

http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/918628-overview

Same illness, they're just trying to name it more accurately for the new publication.
 

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