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The Village Dispatch: CMHRC's June 2024 Newsletter Giving Corner: Thank You Wednesday Webinars: The Ketogenic Diet for Mental Health with Dr. Georgia Ede |
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A Newly Identified Mental Illness: How Understanding “FOH” May Help Save A Child |
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This is the story of Andre, an intelligent, creative, and inquisitive child who loves superheroes, playing with Legos, and learning about dinosaurs. But, at age 9 he’s had to leave school to be homeschooled and his parents are very worried.
From the time he was a baby Andre’s parents knew things were different with him. |
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He had horrible nightmares most nights of the week, was angry and irritable all the time, and was always hot even when it wasn’t hot out. Growing up he would often refuse to wear a coat when it was cold out and constantly kicked off the bed covers and removed his clothes whenever he could. He’d wake up sweaty, and shaking from terrifying gory nightmares filled with danger and death that no one could explain. Andre fought going to bed, worried all the time, was terrified of things like intruders and bugs, couldn’t stand to be alone, and seemed to be stuck in a constant state of fight or flight. Andre’s sleep was completely out of whack. He would get ramped-up at night and was usually unable to stay in bed or fall asleep until he passed out from exhaustion around midnight. He also had trouble staying asleep, and the only deep sleep he got each night didn’t start until 4 or 5am. He’d be angry when he was awakened. He was incredibly sensitive, even the tiniest criticism or redirection crushed him and he’d often react with defensive angry aggression. Andre constantly complained of being bored, couldn’t handle waiting, and lost interest in activities fast, moving from one thing to the next without follow-through. It was nearly impossible for Andre to keep friends because of his unpredictable moods and behaviors, his need to control everything and everyone, and his impulse to argue and reject suggestions. He would erupt in a rage when his parents tried to set limits, afterwards expressing guilt and confusion about why he’d behaved that way– that is, when he could even remember what he’d done and said. His self-esteem was suffering, he was withdrawing into himself, and he was being labeled “a problem child” at school. Andre’s parents took him to multiple doctors, counselors, and other specialists. He was diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Depression, Anxiety, and an “alphabet soup” of other labels (ODD, OCD, CD, DMDD**) each of which almost fit, but didn't really. Doctors prescribed him stimulants like Ritalin and Adderall, as well as antidepressants like Zoloft and Prosac, but nothing seemed to do much good. In fact, sometimes, the medications seemed to make things even worse, causing more irritability, aggression, and unpredictable moods and behaviors. Andre’s parents, doctors, and counselors were left wondering, what is Andre suffering from, and how can they help him? The truth is that Andre’s story isn’t one of “a problem child”. On the contrary, he’s experiencing the clear symptoms of a newly identified mental health disorder. But, because this disorder is so new, many professionals haven’t heard of it yet, which makes it hard to get the right treatment. Andre, isn’t alone, he’s just like hundreds of thousands of other children who live with this new phenotype of Bipolar Disorder that’s referred to as “Fear of Harm”, or “FOH” for short. Fear of Harm was first identified by a team of researchers at the Juvenile Bipolar Research Foundation, led by psychiatrist Demitri Papolos. Their research shows that Fear of Harm, and childhood onset Bipolar Disorder “are major social as well as medical issues.” In 2008 they published a paper in the Journal of Affective Disorders outlining the identification of Fear of Harm. They had studied over 5,300 youth diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder and their research suggested that roughly ⅓ of them had all of the symptoms of Fear of Harm. With an estimated 750,000 kids suffering from Bipolar Disorder in the US, that means approximately 250,000 kids and teens live with Fear of Harm. Misdiagnosis, and ineffective treatments, lead to increasing symptoms which at best make life at home and school more difficult, but at worst can lead to encounters with law enforcement and the juvenile justice system. |
The Breakthrough Discovery |
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Fear of Harm’s symptoms include sleep disruptions, aggression, extreme anxiety, and intense fear that something terrible will happen. While some of these symptoms can be found in other childhood mental health disorders, what makes FOH unique is that it’s the first psychiatric diagnosis ever to include an observable and measurable physical symptom. People with Fear of Harm overheat, even if they don’t realize it, because their bodies aren’t regulating temperature properly. This symptom is called “thermoregulatory disturbance”, and it’s a trigger for a whole set of other FOH symptoms, like sleep disruptions, aggression, and the fears that give FOH its name.
The researchers who identified Fear of Harm also figured out how to treat this new illness. They’ve repeatedly found success with medicine that targets body temperature regulation and fear sensitization. When combined with proven mood stabilizers the treatment is a safe and effective long term treatment, offering hope for thousands of children and families. For kids, teens and even adults with FOH, early and accurate diagnosis and effective treatment can be transformational, changing lives for the better. As one mother has said, “The effects of the right diagnosis and treatment have been nothing short of miraculous.” |
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* ODD, Oppositional Defiant Disorder; OCD, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder; CD, Conduct Disorder; DMDD, Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder |
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Elizabeth Errico is a licensed mental health counselor, a parent, and the executive director of the Children’s Mental Health Resource Center. |
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Thank you for your generosity during Children’s Mental Health Awareness Month. All of us at CMHRC, are deeply moved by the commitment of our CMHRC Family of Donors.
We've raised $20,000 in the month of May and are only $5,000 away from our goal.
If you missed the opportunity to participate in our spring fundraiser, not to worry! Gifts can be made year round through our safe and secure online giving platform, on our website, by clicking the link below, or by mailing a contribution to: |
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CMHRC Gift Processing 111 Hekili St. Suite A-600 Kailua, HI 96734 |
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Thank you for your generosity, your compassion, and for being an essential part of the CMHRC community |
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The Ketogenic Diet for Mental Health with Dr. Georgia Ede June 19th, 7:30pm Eastern Time |
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Dr. Ede will ignite your curiosity about the fascinating world of food and its role in nourishing, protecting, and energizing your brain. A Harvard-trained psychiatrist specializing in nutritional and metabolic psychiatry, Dr. Ede has been a pioneer in the field of metabolic therapies. During her twelve years at Smith College and Harvard University Health Services she was the first physician to offer nutrition-based therapies as an alternative to psychiatric medication. She has developed the first and only medically accredited Ketogenic Diets for Mental Health Clinician Training Program in the country. |
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Join CMHRC Executive Director, Elizabeth Errico, as she welcomes Dr. Ede in conversation about why nearly everything we think we know about brain-healthy diets is wrong and that science can tell is a very different story. |
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Dr. Ede will also be joining the CMHRC Book Club for an intimate conversation about her book on July 18th. Space is limited, so sign up today. |
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The FOH Phenotype of Bipolar June 12th & 26th, 7:30pm Eastern Time |
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CMHRC Executive Director Elizabeth Errico welcomes JBRF Research Director, and author of the bestselling book |
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The Bipolar Child, Dr. Demitri Papolos for a conversation about the newly identified phenotype of bipolar dubbed, "Fear of Harm", or "FOH" for short.
Dr. Papolos is a world renowned expert on childhood onset bipolar disorder as well as the lead researcher who first identified "FOH" and its effective treatments.
During these sessions you'll learn the science behind how this groundbreaking disorder was first identified, the search for and discovery of successful treatments, and how he and his team established an effective treatment protocol.
With live Q&A sessions with Dr. Papolos, you don't want to miss this powerful free seminar series. |
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