I’m in Atlanta at the Navigating RAD 22 conference with RAD Advocates this weekend. For those of you who couldn’t make it, this is your place for the highlights from the amazing speakers!
Co-existing Disorders with RAD and their Effective Medical Treatment
Dr. John F. Alston, MD
Highlights & Takeaways
- The fatal flaw in the overall treatment of RAD is with psychiatric interventions and medications.
- The most common co-morbidity in children with RAD is childhood bipolar but it is often misdiagnosed as other disorders including PTSD.
- There is a high likelihood kids with RAD have an inherited mental health disorder.
- Normal biological parents do not create abusive circumstances for their children. Most abusive biological parents abuse methamphetamines, are ages 18-25, and they don’t want to stop. Up to 70% of people with substance abuse have coexisting mental illness. Up to 70% of people with bipolar disorder abuse substances.
- Bipolar is an inherited mood disorder that affects 3-5% of the population. It is the most likely inherited disorder children with RAD have. They also may have antisocial personality disorder, borderline personality disorder, or paranoid schizophrenia (very rare).
- If your RAD kid has coexisting childhood bipolar, antidepressants will have an adverse effect. Kids with childhood bipolar often get misdiagnosed with PTSD. A key indicator of misdiagnosis is a child who truly has PTSD should be overly compliant not defiant. Kids are prescribed antidepressants for PTSD. However, when the PTSD is a misdiagnosis and the child has bipolar, the antidepressants will accentuate rapid cycling (according to 20 of 21 studies)
- Stimulants will have an adverse effect on your RAD kid. Kids with bipolar often get misdiagnosed with ADHD and prescribed stimulants. Probably no more than 10% of kids with RAD also have ADHD. Stimulants will exacerbate the RAD symptoms and even for a correct ADHD should be the last not first prescribed medication.
- Mood stabilizing medications work very well for RAD kids. The most often prescribed mood stabilizers are Depakote and Lithium which are effective, but can cause massive even life-threatening side effects. In Dr. Alston’s practice he looked to these as much safer alternatives: Lamictal (10% skin rash side effect, slow to take effect). Trileptal which is not FDA approved as a mood stabilizer.
- Atypical antipsychotic medications work very well for RAD kids but need to be given in adequate doses. Many clinicians give sub-therapeutic dosages and then discontinue usage when it doesn’t work. Also parents tend to ask for the lowest effective dose assuming the dose can be the minimum. Many RAD kids with bipolar are moderately to substantially mentally ill and need substantially higher dosages to get and stay better.
- Medications, potentially lifelong, are an opportunity for our children to have a full, functioning life. This is because medications treat the genetic root cause of the illness. Appropriate medications and dosages help dysregulated and behaviorally disturbed kids feel better about themselves, help them think more clearly, and help them to be more likely to coexist peacefully in their families. Medications help everybody – the child, the family, and the community.
“If your doctor isn’t prescribing a PRN – ask! They’re not habit forming and can help slow a kid down when they are in crisis.”
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Dr. John F. Alston, MD is a child, adolescent, family, and adult psychiatrist. He has a significant national reputation within the attachment community. He has evaluated and treated over 3,000 patients with disruptive behavioral disorders associated with early life abuse and neglect. Dr. Alston has published several articles in medical journals and a book chapter emphasizing the co-existence of childhood mood disorders, especially bipolar disorder with reactive attachment disorder.
Related posts:
Determining What You Have Left as a Family and Ideas to Move Forward #NAVRAD22
"Why Am I Feeling Crazy?": The Life of RAD Parenting" #NavRAD22
Residential treatment options for children with Reactive Attachment Disorder #NAVRAD22
Reimagining Success as a RAD Parent #NAVRAD22
A Chat about the Reality and Strategies Through the Hard Work of RAD #NAVRAD22
Good day,
I am a RAD Parent of an adopted child in South Africa and would also enjoy an online conference. I must say the I have seen the biggest improvement in my daughter when she started on medication Olanzapine to be specific. I am so grateful for her psychiatrist one of only a few Pediatric Psychiatrists in the country for the diagnoses and treatment. She has had an ADHD diagnoses since the age of 4 but as she got older her behaviour has escalated and out of desperation I researched Juvenile Bipolar Mood Disorder. I completed a questionnaire and let my daughter 12 at the time self report on the same questionnaire. Her psychiatrist immediately granted us an emergency appointment when he saw the results I sent him.
I’m so happy to see what you shared… really hope one day to go to a conference but all this information is so helpful..
I’m glad you found this series of posts helpful.
I am sooo glad to see Dr. Alston here on your page. Everyone with a child yhey suspect has RAD must watch and absorb all of his advice and media, especially the approach in testing and managing medications. A life changer!
Amazing insights! Unfortunately for RAD parents, he’s retired.
Thank you for sharing these highlights. They make so much sense to me. I wish the whole conference could have an online component or way to listen after the fact.
Hi Robin. Yes, I wish there was a way to make it more accessible. I’ll be sharing like this for all the speakers and hopefully that will help bridge the gap some!