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Rapid response to:

Views & Reviews From the Frontline

Bad medicine: bipolar II disorder

BMJ 2011; 342 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.d2767 (Published 04 May 2011) Cite this as: BMJ 2011;342:d2767

Rapid Response:

Re:Bad medicine: Bipolar II disorder

I do believe in HIV/AIDS and the evidence base for antivirals is
beyond refute. The pharmaceutical industry must be given the greatest
respect and credit for their work.

Regrettably the comparison with Bipolar II is not tenable and
therefore not worthy of any more discussion.

Before you medicalise millions of people with life long illness you
should be pretty sure of the diagnostic criteria and have effective
treatments. Please show me the evidence.

Have you ever met young Americans who have been on polypharmcy from
15 ? We should not accept everything written in the DSM as fact, for
that would truly be a disaster !

Competing interests: No competing interests

12 May 2011
Des Spence
GP
General Practice Glasgow