When scanned....I would scan as "Mom". It's the 'label' I wear proudly but often find myself wanting to shout out loud, "I'm more than just MOM!" It's not about motherhood or its role...its about the Label we place upon ourselves and maybe even have been given by someone else. Mr M often introduces me as , "she's Mom but her name is J" Right or wrong in their descriptions, we often in passing give out our own 'label' as if it defines who we are. Imagine how our children feel with such 'labels' and the imagery the label provoke.
Let me clear this....I am all for diagnosis including what people often call labels. Why? In today's medical, social, and scholastic communities, its the only way the children manage to get the appropriate services for conditions that require intervention. Without it, insurance companies do not pay for treatments and medications...kids do not 'qualify' for extended services such as camps, organizational rec and in-home services. Schools base their 'education plans' on the diagnostic coding in order to receive Federal money to offset the cost of their special education. That being said....I have a big issue with the attachment of sequential labels in order to further 'describe' conditions/behaviors. Sometimes it seems the ideal of comorbitity or 'symptoms that encompass' has gone out of style.
Reason I'm blogging about this? I just came across some very old files on my eldest son. I was amazed in the 17 years how many additional 'labels' he received and when I thought about it....how most of those are simply a manifestation of his behaviors. Being familiar with many of these terms...I thought..."that one was a given considering the original dx". I broke the thought into a 'mom' perspective and comparatively thought of a recipe *lol* Think of your favorite casserole: many ingredients mixed together to form ONE DISH. Each ingredient is not considered a 'dish' in itself. Right?
Here are the 'labels' that my family has dealt with.....with no names involved:
Minimal Brain Dysfunction (early term for ADHD)
ADHD
ADD
OCD
ODD
Tourette's Syndrome
Anxiety Disorder
Tic Disorder
Autism
PDD-NOS
Auditory Sensory Disorder
Metabolic Disorder
Panic Disorder
Sensory Integration Dysfunction
Bipolar
Parent Child relationship dysfunction *I think someone made this one UP!*
Non-verbal Communication Disorder
Mental Retardation
Asperger's Syndrome
PTSD
Depression
Situational Depression
Mental Health Issues
Co-Dependency
I'm sure there are a few more stuck in various reports (which currently are piling up in a file cabinet). My point is......these diagnosis (as similar as some of them are) can be often times be a manifestation of behavioral symptoms vs actual 'bottom line' diagnosis for treatment purposes. Then you have the Dr's/Psychologists that request previous records and copy/paste dx's from another report as part of the 'history'. My eldest....ended up with over 8 of these labels. It came to define 'who he was' and not what he was as a person. This is the biggest injustice to children when trying to work your way through the system to try and get appropriate services. Just run them over the scanner.....*bleep bleep* and the diagnostic picture is printed out on a ticker tape.
Thanks to research, sifting through thousands of articles/opinions and medical research....I've come to one strange conclusion. The labels are needed for services....the rest is just ink. As a parent.....DISAGREE if you feel that something is 'not appropriate' and file a written statement saying you disagree with their assessments. It is your right as a patient, consumer and yes... a "MOM".
Shame our labels can't read like this....
Mom
*and so much more*
Kids
*uniquely rounded*
*bleep bleep* Scan that!
~DES~
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