

#FreeJustina
the Watchdogs of Carver
A non-partisan citizens group that strives to represent the residents’ interests
#FreeJustina II “face-saving”, really?
After reading some of the comments at the blog I posted in my previous report, I searched for this “Fact or fiction: Somatoform disorders explored” document that used to be available on the Boston Children’s Hospital website.
It turns out that it recently was taken down. Coincidence? I think not. More likely, an attempt to lose that permanently. But the internet never forgets. Here are some of the excerpts from said document.
According to David DeMaso, MD, psychiatrist-in-chief at Children’s Hospital Boston, unexplained somatic complaints represent a significant and complex challenge to pediatricians.
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An example would be a girl who develops an inability to walk that is unexplained by a medical condition, but is temporally related to family conflicts. She is”converting” a psychological stress into a physical symptom.
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An example would be a boy with recurrent stomach aches that correlate with stressful academic or social situations.
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According to Dr. DeMaso, it’s crucial that pediatricians become proficient in identifying and managing these problems.
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As some families go to their pediatrician certain that there is a medical cause for their child’s symptoms, Dr.DeMaso recommends that the pediatrician tell the family that he is requesting a psychiatry consultation as part of a comprehensive developmental biopsycho social evaluation that includes all aspects of the child’s life.
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“Families believe that the symptoms are due solely to a medical condition,” says Dr. DeMaso. “So having the pediatrician communicate the findings can be reassuring.”
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the family should be told that many important things were discovered, such as,”We have good news. We’ve ruled out a number ofserious illnesses.” Statements, such as, “We couldn’t find anything” or “The symptoms aren’t real,” should be avoided.
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The use of physical therapy is helpful for many patientsas well. Not only does this give the patient a more proactive role in his or her treatment, but it also allows them a “face-saving” means for explaining improvement in their symptoms.
It’s beginning to be clearer and clearer for me. The DCF and Boston Childrens’ Hospital have developed a system to take children from their families, under the guidance of Mr. Demaso. This guy literally wrote the book on how to do exactly what is happening to Justina. #FreeJustinaNow
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