A few months ago, a young girl decided to take her life by hanging herself in the bathroom of her home due to jealousy of her new baby sibling. Sadly, another adolescent has chosen to end her life as well. The New York Post reported that 12 year old Gabrielle Molina  from Queens, New York was found hanging from a ceiling fan by a belt in her home. The cause? Cyber bullying. Molina left a suicide note to her family explain her choice to kill herself.  The child’s mother told authorities that her daughter was “depressed over constant online harassment from classmates”.

The thing about cyber bullying is that essentially, you can’t really get away from it because it’s online and by now everyone should know that whatever you post on the internet will live on forever somewhere in the time continuum and it’s quick.  This could be in the form of pictures, videos, audio, comments or essentially anything that’s transferable to the internet instantly accessible to anyone that wants it. It could be teen years down the road and you’ve gotten your corporate job, married the love of your life and have a family. Then out the blue, little David is on the computer playing his spelling game and a old, college  “girls gon wild” picture of you pops up on the screen. Now what? Now imagine how much worse that would be for a young child.

Let’s get a quick understanding of all that cyber bullying consists of for those of you that don’t know.

As reported by Bullying Statistics:

Cyber bullying can take many forms:

• Sending mean messages or threats to a person’s email account or cell phone
• Spreading rumors online or through texts
• Posting hurtful or threatening messages on social networking sites or web pages
• Stealing a person’s account information to break into their account and send damaging messages
• Pretending to be someone else online to hurt another person
• Taking unflattering pictures of a person and spreading them through cell phones or the Internet
• Sexting, or circulating sexually suggestive pictures or messages about a person

We all know how mean and cruel- hearted some kids can be. The kids at her school could have been teasing her from her looks, an embarrassing picture, boys, family life, ethnicity anything. Coming from middle schoolers, the taunts were most likely about trivial things but by her decision, it was clearly too much and happened too often for her  handle.

Bullying Statistics also states that “over 25 percent of adolescents and teens have been bullied repeatedly through their cell phones or the Internet” and over half of them don’t let their parents know about it.

What are your thoughts on this? This 12 year old should not have felt that death was the only release from cyber bullying! What are some ways we can help bring these numbers down among cyber bully victims? Should we petition schools to not allow cell phones on the campus or create stronger internet restrictions while at school? Should parents start monitoring their child’s cell phone  if they’re under 15? Tell me what you think!

Dr. O

Picture source: http://www.annapolis.gov/government/city-departments/police/community-connection/community-resource-library/cyberbullying

The post Middle Schooler Hangs Herself Due to Cyber Bullying appeared first on AskDrO.com.

According to Will, parents should let their kids do what they want, not what the parents want them to do, basically. Check out the excerpt from his interview.

As reported by Haute Living:

The things you say and do in the world will affect the family for real. My style of parenting is very similar to that of my parents, minus the concept of ownership. I think that, specifically in African American households, the idea coming out of slavery, there’s a concept of your children being property and that was a major part that Jada and I released with our kids. We respect our children the way we would respect any other person.

I have mixed feelings about this, Willow may seem  a little “out there” to some when it comes to her wardrobe choices and musical selections (Jaden seems to be the more toned down one) but other than that, we don’t see too much negative press about them and from what we see in public, they don’t seem to be troubled young stars like so many other members of young Hollywood, considering that they “rule their own terrain”. So maybe there’s something to Will and Jada’s approach.  However, I don’t totally agree with the non-structured, approach to parenting. I don’t think kids should be free to do whatever they want in every aspect of their lives because kids don’t have the full mental capacity yet to navigate through all their decisions properly. That’s what parents are for, to guide their kids in the direction they need to go.

As far as claiming that Black people getting the idea of owning their kids from slavery, this I’m more decided on. The Black community is known for having a more disciplined home life, which “whoopings” and punishment (another thing the Smiths opt out of) but I don’t believe it’s detrimental in most cases (we’ll discuss the fine line between disciple and abuse in another post), but I do believe it’s affective when used properly.

What do you think about the Smith’s parenting techniques? Do you think they will backfire as Jaden and Willow get older or should more parents try their methods?

Dr. O

Picture source: http://www.sassygossip.com/will-smith-stands-strong-by-his-family.html

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A while back, the word was out that she originally owed around two million dollars but it looks like that number has spiked since then (I guess the IRS  went back and double checked their work). Not to mention the speculation surrounding her shady, unpaid  scholarship awards or the “additional $900k she allegedly owes the Garden State” TMZ reported that she still owes.

As reported by TMZ:

The post Mary J. Blige Owes Uncle Sam Too! appeared first on AskDrO.com.

I would like to share with you the DSM-V (APA DSM-V Copyright 2013) criteria for this disorder. If you think that you might meet criteria, please notify your psychiatrist (if you have one) or your PCP (primary care physician). Please don’t tell me that you don’t have a PCP. If not, please call your insurance company or go to the nearest community health clinic because the life you save may be your very own. Remember that obesity can be a silent killer that leads us into a number of health sequelae that don’t look or feel good.

A. Recurrent episodes of binge eating.  An episode of binge eating is characterized by both of the following:

1.  Eating, in a discrete period of time, an amount of food that is definitely larger than what most people would eat in a similar period of time under similar circumstances.

2.  A sense of lack of control over eating during the episode.

B.  The binge-eating episodes are associated with 3 or more of the following:

1. Eating much more rapidly than normal.
2. Eating until feeling uncomfortably full.
3.  Eating large amounts of food when not feeling physically hungry.
4. Eating alone because of feeling embarrassed by how much one is eating.
5. Feeling disgusted with oneself, depressed, or very guilty afterward.

C.   Marked distress regarding binge-eating is present.

D.  The binge-eating occurs, on average, at least once a week for three months.

E.  The binge eating is not associated with the recurrent use of inappropriate compensatory behaviors as in bulimia nervosa or anorexia nervosa.

(Taken directly from the APA’ s DSM-V Manual)

Oftentimes the source of the eating issues lies in bad relationship dynamics. I need you to also go by www.askdro.com and pick up my book, “Am I in A Bad Relationship?”  This book will most probably be helpful for those of you who also meet criteria for this disorder.

Dr. O

Picture source: http://eatingdisorderfreeme.com/eating-disorder-treatment/binge-eating/binge-eating-disorder/

The post News Flash: Binge-Eating (307.51) in DSM-5 appeared first on AskDrO.com.

Do you guys remember “Twister” starring Helen Hunt that was made in the mid-1990s? Can you imagine seeing a gust of wind twirling at dangerous speeds hurtling towards you as it spins everything in its path to the point of nonrecognition?  Cows flying, cars on top of roofs and your home flattened like a giant shoe just squashed it like a bug! The NY Times reported that the tornado was labeled as a category 4 and is the second huge, deadly natural disaster for the city of Moore, OK. When natural disasters such as this take place, it’s often a tedious task to extend help to everyone when needed such as recusing those trapped in debris or just clearing of roadways. It could take weeks to clean up the area and assess all the damage, which includes finding those that are missing.

As reported by The New York Times:

Plaza Towers Elementary School in Moore was reduced to a pile of twisted metal and toppled walls. Rescue workers were able to pull several children from the rubble, but on Monday evening crews were still struggling to cut through fallen beams and clear debris amid reports that dozens of students were trapped. At Briarwood Elementary School in Oklahoma City, on the border with Moore, cars were thrown through the facade and the roof was torn off.

While there is nothing that can essentially prevent a natural disaster, there some safety measures that can be followed to help you stay as safe as possible. First, when the tornado sirens go off, don’t ignore them! Yes, some regions like Oklahoma are more prone to violent weather such as tornadoes and the sirens going off may seem like its being done in vain, but it’s better to be safe than sorry. When you hear that “whoo, whoo” seek the proper shelter immediately. Second, if you do happen to live in an area that draws natural disasters, it may be wise for you to invest in some sort of underground shelter and stock pile it with what you’ll need to survive should you have to stay longer than intended. Like when people were building those bomb shelters back in the when the thought we would all be nuked lol. Finally, don’t sit and try to brave the storm. If the experts, local authorities and the COMMANDER IN CHIEF are advising you to leave the premises for YOUR sake, I’d take heed to their advice.

While the death total is currently at 91, NY Times reported that the number is expected to rise.

How many of my readers have ever experienced this type of emergency situation first- hand?

Dr. O

Picture source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/20/oklahoma-tornadoes-2013-shawnee-kansas_n_3306848.html

The post Deadly Oklahoma Tornado Kills at Least 20 Children appeared first on AskDrO.com.

The new disorder found in DSM-5 is called “Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder.” (296.99/F24.8)   After reading the newly released diagnostic criteria, I can certainly  appreciate the work that my colleagues have done to bring light to a set of behaviors that we see in young men and women before the age of 18. It is also important to note that this diagnosis should not be documented initially before the age of 6 years old. There are certainly other considerations but not this diagnosis is particular. The team also noted that  the diagnosis, should not be something new after the age of 18 years old. After 18, I personally would start looking at one of the other mood disorders.

I really like what I am seeing in out new manuel. It is seemingly going to require more expertise and reading from those that use it regularly. We can no longer just tag diagnostic criteria on a child without the appropriate work-up and clinical data from collateral sources.

Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder Diagnostic Criteria (Taken from DSM-5; Copyright the American Psychiatric Association 2013)

A.  Severe recurrrent temper outbursts manifested verbally and or behaviorally that are grossly out of proportion in intensity to the situation or provocation.

B.  The temper outbursts are inconsistent with developmental level.

C.  The temper outburst occur, on average, 3 or more times a week.

D.  The mood between outbursts is persistently irritable or angry most of the day, nearly every day, and is observable by parents, teachers and peers.

E.  Criteria A have been present for 12 or more months. Throughout that time, the individual has not had a period lasting 3 or more consecutive months without all of the symptoms.

F.  Criteria A and D are present in a t least 2 of 3 settings and are severe in a least one of these.

G.  The diagnosis should not be made for the first time before age 6 years or after the age of 18 years.

H.  By history or observation, the age at onset of Criteria A-E is before 10 years.

I.  There has never been a distinct period lasting more that 1 day during which the full symptom criteria, except duration, for a manic or hypomanic episode have been met.

J.  The behaviors do not occur exclusively during an episode of major depressive disorder and are not better explained by another mental disorder.

K.  The symptoms are not caused by the physiological effects of a substance or caused by another medical or neurological condition.

Now fell free to peruse the blog for DSM-IV diagnostic criteria for Bipolar Illness. However, be reminded that DSM-5 is new and there will certainly be more articles to come updating you on any changes, deletions or additions to our current classification system.

Once again stay tuned and hang-out on the blog and check at some more articles, including the latest update on the Diagnosis ADHD in Adults.

Thanks for stopping by,

Dr.O

*Please be advised that only a licensed Provider can diagnose brain diseases in America.

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