I want to tell you a story about a young boy. His age is unknown but he was believed to be around the age of 5, some say he was 6. His exact age is irrelevant. His name, at this moment, is not important but all will be revealed at the end of this post.
He had a pleasant, cheerful and compassionate personality which, some believe, made him 'normal' compared to his friends.
His friends
Again, names are not important at this stage. All I will reveal at this moment in time is that (his friends) were all roughly the same age. They were, however, 'different', all of whom were diagnosed with various mental disorders.
Friend number one:
Slow-witted, he was a friendly, thoughtful and sometimes insightful character. He loved a particular kind of food, so much so that he would stop at nothing to get his hands on this particular kind of food which sometimes got him into trouble.
Diagnosis: Binge Eating Disorder.
Medication - It was unknown whether he was prescribed Luvox (fluvoxamine) or Zoloft (sertraline). Both drugs, according to a 1999 presentation at the Eating Disorders Research Society Annual Meeting in San Diego, led to overall improvement of Binge Eating Disorder when compared with a placebo.
A gentle and small male who was ordinarily quite shy. He loved beautiful things like flowers, was very kindhearted and was obsessed with keeping things neat and tidy.
Diagnosis: Obsessive-compulsive disorder
He was told that his OCD would never go away without treatment. He was also told that if he wasn't treated his condition would worsen and lead to depression. He was tried on a number of drugs, Clomipramine, Luvox, Prozac, Paxil and Zoloft. All of which, he had been told, would help his obsession with keeping things neat and tidy.
Friend number three:
Best described by his friends as ever-glum, slow-talking, sarcastic and pessimistic.
Diagnosis: Major Depressive Disorder
He was tried out on Prozac first, it didn't seem to help him. Sources claim he was sleeping for hours on end. He was then prescribed Lexapro. His condition remained the same, at times it worsened, particularly when skipping his medication.
Friend number four:
Was tough, fearless, optimistic and resourceful. However, he had a less than responsible attitude and trouble-making qualities. People, particularly his friends, loved to be around him as he was always full of energy and liked to have fun.
Diagnosis: Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
He was prescribed Ritalin, a powerful stimulant. He lost his optimism and became morose. His friends said he wasn't fun to be around anymore.
Not much is known about the above apart from the fact that they were all very good friends and all liked to go on adventures together.
Each of them had their own personalities which made them charming in their own unique way.
Each of them had a good understanding of the way children thought and played.
Like I said, I don't have their names, the story was sent to me by a reader, he kindly sent me photos of these youngsters in the hope that someone out there could recognise them.
I sincerely hope you can help.
Patient One - Diagnosis: Binge Eating Disorder. [Photo]
Patient Two - Diagnosis: Obsessive-compulsive disorder [Photo]
Patient Three - Diagnosis: Major Depressive Disorder [Photo]
Patient Four - Diagnosis: Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder [Photo]
If readers can find the whereabouts of these youngsters and, to put my mind at ease, just drop me a line to let me know that they are alive and well.
I'd like to thank Chris Robin for sending on the photo's to me.
Much thanks.
Bob Fiddaman
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