A doctor who has treated 11 of the 12 girls in Le Roy who have been suffering from tic symptons appeared on NBC's Today Show on Wednesday morning and shared their diagnosis.
It's "conversion disorder," or "mass hysteria," he said.
“It’s happened before all around the world, different parts of the world," said Dr. Laszlo L. Mechtler, of the DENT Neurologic Institute in Amherst (there's also an office in Batavia). "It’s a rare phenomena. Physicians are intrigued about it, but the bottom line is, these girls will get better.”
The school district also released (though we have not obtained yet) a report completed in December by a private environmental testing firm that says, according to NBC, no possible environmental causes were found on school grounds or in school buildings.
Brooke Dupont, one of the 12 students who has suffered from tics, appeared on the Today Show, along with her father, Jim Dupont.
"Obviously, not all of us are accepting that this is just a stress thing," Jim said. "Our kids didn’t all get sick by coincidence. It’s heart wrenching because you feel that your daughter is not going to be able to have a normal life."
Brooke said that even though her symptoms have nearly disappeared, she is worried they might come back.
"It is really frustrating because I would like to know why this is happening and fix it," Brooke said.
UPDATE 8:40 a.m.: The school district's statement is here, plus a PDF of Indoor Air Quality Report and PDF of the Mold Report.
Conversion
Conversion disorder
Hysterical neurosis
Last reviewed: November 23, 2010.
Conversion disorder is a condition in which a person has blindness, paralysis, or other nervous system (neurologic) symptoms that cannot be explained by medical evaluation.
Causes, incidence, and risk factors
Conversion disorder symptoms may occur because of a psychological conflict.
Symptoms usually begin suddenly after a stressful experience. People are more at risk for a conversion disorder if they also have a medical illness, dissociative disorder, or a personality disorder.
It is important to understand that patients are not making up their symptoms (malingering). Some doctors falsely believe that conversion disorder is not a real condition, and may tell patients the problem is all in their head. However, these conditions are real. They cause distress and cannot be turned on and off at will.
The physical symptoms are thought to be an attempt to resolve the conflict the person feels inside. For example, a woman who believes it is not acceptable to have violent feelings may suddenly feel numbness in her arms after becoming so angry that she wanted to hit someone. Instead of allowing herself to have violent thoughts about hitting someone, she may experience the physical symptom of numbness in her arms.
Symptoms
Symptoms of a conversion disorder include the loss of one or more bodily functions, such as:
•Blindness
•Inability to speak
•Numbness
•Paralysis
Diagnostic testing does not find any physical cause for the symptoms.
Signs and tests
Common signs of conversion disorder include:
•A debilitating symptom that begins suddenly
•A history of a psychological problem that gets better after the symptom appears
•A lack of concern that usually occurs with a severe symptom
Your doctor will do a physical examination, and possibly diagnostic tests, to rule out physical causes for the symptom.
Treatment
Talk therapy (psychotherapy) and stress management training may help reduce symptoms.
The affected body part or physical function will need physical or occupational therapy until the symptoms disappear. For example, paralyzed limbs must be exercised to prevent muscle wasting.
Expectations (prognosis)
Symptoms usually last for days to weeks and may suddenly go away. Usually the symptom itself is not life threatening, but complications can be debilitating.
Calling your health care provider
Call for an appointment with your health care provider if you or someone you know has symptoms of a conversion disorder.
References
1.Blais MA, Smallwood P, Groves JE, Rivas-Vazquez RA. Personality and personality disorders. In: Stern TA, Rosenbaum JF, Fava M, Biederman J, Rauch SL, eds. Massachusetts General Hospital Comprehensive Clinical Psychiatry. 1st ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Mosby Elsevier; 2008:chap 39.
Review Date: 11/23/2010.
Reviewed by: Linda Vorvick, MD, Medical Director, MEDEX Northwest Division of Physician Assistant Studies, University of Washington School of Medicine; and Michelle Benger Merrill, MD, Instructor in Clinical Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.
A.D.A.M., Disclaimer
Copyright © 2011, A.D.A.M., Inc.
"Conversion disorder is a
"Conversion disorder is a condition in which a person has blindness, paralysis, or other nervous system (neurologic) symptoms that cannot be explained by medical evaluation."
"Some doctors falsely believe that conversion disorder is not a real condition, and may tell patients the problem is all in their head."
So, here we have in my opinion an example, "Doctors do not know!" Looks to me they are still researching the cause and effect of "Conversion Disorder." Some doctors believe it is all in the head of their patient and some doctors believe it is a real condition.
Thanks for the info, but why
Thanks for the info, but why would these 12 girls have this all at once??? I can see a couple girls possibly having it, but 12? That is the question to me, that doesn't make sense.
I happen to think that
I happen to think that "conversion disorder" is nothing more than a way to say "We'll call it that because we really can't figure it out, and hey, those dumb non-medical people will fall for it" (which of course, a huge percentage of us haven't).
I generally enjoy your posts Doug, but on this particular topic I think you have insulted these girls, their families, and their friends. If these girls were in my family or were my friends, I would want answers and support. Who in their right mind would think they're happy to have this affliction? Many have had this for months, it must be very scary and very exhausting.
This diagnosis makes perfect
This diagnosis makes perfect sense and it echoes what I said yesterday and took so much heat for saying.
Agreed Lori. Is it teenage
Agreed Lori. Is it teenage girls in particular you dislike Doug or sick ones?
The site testing data is on the LHS website. To this layperson, it seems very limited and I have to wonder why there was no soil testing done. Nothing in the art room, the classroom most of them had in common. And also states that there is no visible water damage. For a school that was partly underwater at one point in time it seems there must be some evidence of it. The kids talk about the cracks in the walls and have since it was new.
Regardless, "conversion disorder" ranks right up there with "stress" and "hysteria" as far as blaming the victims and shirking the responsibility of obtaining thorough data the reasons behind the issue.
Doug, The reason you took
Doug, The reason you took heat yesterday was your insensitive comment towards these girls. Calling them "drama queens" and "it will all go away when the attention stops". You were out of line and people told you so.
Shaking my head. Yesterday
Shaking my head. Yesterday John Woodworth told me that my "opinions" didn't count because I didn't have a valid PhD, even though they were just opinions. Today, a doctor, an educated person WITH a PhD inadvertently backed up my "opinions" and now that doctor doesn't know what he's talking about acording to Judith..hmmm.
Quote John Woodworth JR: "Beside let me see your degree from whatever college you attended for medical science. Paging DR Yeoman!" (Yeomans, not Yeoman)
Quote Judith Kinsley Bolsei: "Thanks John for a little intelligence in the conversation."
Anyway, the floor is all yours..sweep away.
You're right, It was
You're right, It was insensitive. For that I deserve the heat but that's not all I took heat for. I also took heat for my overall opinion. Agreed?
Has anyone given any thought
Has anyone given any thought as to why more isn't being done to try and figure out why the girls are "sick?" Maybe it's because doctors see these things, have seen these things and these instances of "conversion disorder" are well documented and are easily diagnosed.
It's no wonder that they're reluctant to offer their professional, educated and trained diagnosis because they know what's coming. They'll be told that they're insensitive and that they're just hiding something. There must be a conspiracy in there somewhere!
Doug, Has anyone said why it
Doug,
Has anyone said why it seems only females have come down with this?
Conversion disorder is one of
Conversion disorder is one of the oldest described mental illnesses, and may present very differently in different cultures. In many African and Caribbean cultures, it’s often blamed on malicious magic like witchcraft. And in North American history, the most famous likely case of conversion disorder was the mass hysteria that swept New England in the end of the 17th century, resulting in the Salem witch trials and the witchcraft trials in Connecticut.
http://www.mental-disorder.net/wb/pages/somatoform-disorders/conversion…
-For those of you asking how it could be conversion disorder if 12 girls got it at once.
John, I have made a promise
John, I have made a promise to myself to be more sensitive. I'm sure people with PhD's are reluctant to comment on that very question. This question is a lot like "how many licks does it take to get to the center of a tootsie pop." The number of licks is unknown and everyone knows that. The real answer is that it takes one bite and everyone knows that, too. Sometimes the answers are known but we're forced to ask the question anyway and act stumped. :-p
"This question is a lot like
"This question is a lot like "how many licks does it take to get to the center of a tootsie pop." The number of licks is unknown and everyone knows that. The real answer is that it takes one bite and everyone knows that, too."
Well Doug, a lick and bite are not the same. You lick with your tongue and bite with your teeth. That is much like the quote about "Conversion Disorder." BTW, you give away our age when you remember commercials like that, lmao.
"Conversion disorder is a condition in which a person has blindness, paralysis, or other nervous system (neurologic) symptoms that cannot be explained by medical evaluation."
"Some doctors falsely believe that conversion disorder is not a real condition, and may tell patients the problem is all in their head."
What it comes to, is they all believe it is neurological conditions but, cannot explain it. Hench my comment that medical science is a guessing game. All I am saying is do not believe everything that doctors say. I had a severe motorcycle wreck back in 2006 and the doctors told my parents, I was not going to make it. If I did, I would be paralyzed and/or a vegetable. They advise my parents to make arrangements for me that day because, I had less than 9% chance of living through the night. Your comments about the girls were extremely off base but, as far as doctors knowing what they are exactly talking about is far from true. Yes, common studies between doctors give results. However, how many of those results are facts or just they are feeding off one another and/or being influenced to agree? Yes, there have been medical breakthrough and discoveries. We know about cancer but, do not have the cure for all types. Doctors are still baffled by some cancers/diseases and are not sure how they start.
Well, alrighty then
Well, alrighty then
From message #2: "Some
From message #2:
"Some doctors falsely believe that conversion disorder is not a real condition, and may tell patients the problem is all in their head."
Um, I’m confused. If “conversion disorder” is a euphemism for mass hysteria (“hysterical neurosis”), isn’t telling patients that they have conversion disorder telling them that it IS all their heads?
I'm not sure the new Doug is
I'm not sure the new Doug is going to be as interesting as the old one. I hope you do continue to Facebook the police blotter, those are classics.
Doug - Data suggests that it
Doug -
Data suggests that it takes approximately 508 licks to reach the center of a Tootsie Roll Pop when alternating the licking side. Since the procedure calls for equal licking of both sides of the Tootsie Roll Pop and completion is determined by core contact on either side, one could reach the core with fewer licks by focusing on only one side of the Tootsie Roll Pop. If one were to select the side closer to the core, it would theoretically require approximately 254 licks to reach the center.
Info from the following link:
http://www.gwax.com/content/tootsiepop.html
Joe, That study is flawed.
Joe, That study is flawed. Nowhere does it include tongue length which we all know makes all the difference in the world.
Hello Julie, how are you?
Hello Julie, how are you? That report was written by individuals with a PhD. It is very confusing and like I stated, they cannot even agree how to diagnose this. Some say it is an actual condition and others say it is all in their head.
So, what is it? Like I stated, medical science is a giant guessing game. That is why doctors call it the study of medicine.
John, last reply to your
John, last reply to your silliness. Medical science is anything but a guessing game. The doctors have all agreed on a diagnosis and it is an actual condition called "conversion disorder."
Doctors agree that they do
Doctors agree that they do not know what the cause is. It is their way of giving it a name. Doctors themselves are still debating what it is. Whether it is Psychological or neurological in nature.
Doug, Medical science is a
Doug, Medical science is a guessing game. It is coming up with the right solutions to address the problems. Their solutions are not always accurate. Which explains why, diagnoses, medications and cures can change.