Stress, Growth, Life, & Hormones

As with most families caring for a child with a severe prolonged illness, our family was under tremendous stress when our little girl was very ill. It was not a good kind of stress. It was too severe. Too prolonged.

But in the long run, I do believe it helped us grow as individuals. It made our marriage stronger. It made our family stronger. It helped me to see the wisdom and strength of my extended family, who all extended moral support in spite of physical distance between us. But that was in the long run. I also know that the chronic, prolonged nature of that horrific stress was physically damaging.

Asking the Right Doctor the Right Question

There's a lot of medicinal wisdom doctors don't share with their patients. I assumed that was because the doctors are not keeping abreast of current research.

Often, that is true, but there's another reason that some doctors, even if they KNOW about something, won't tell us.

If he/she works in a group, such as at a clinic or hospital, the doctor may be prohibited from divulging any information that is not considered "mainstream." They also must be careful not to outright contradict other doctors.

In this latter case, we might be able to get better answers from doctors just by changing the way we ask the questions. We need to give them a way to give us uncensored advice without violating their job protocols.

Psychiatrist vs Endocrinologist: Who is Responsible?

Problems within the endocrine system (i.e. with hormone levels) can cause psychiatric problems. Psychiatric medications can cause problems within the endocrine system.[1] So wherein lies the responsibility to test and treat the endocrine problems of children (or adults) with "mental disorders?"

This is not a trivial question, nor an attempt to start an esoteric philosophical debate. The question is being raised out of urgent need, with profound consequences for the well-being of our children.