Welcome to DocDiller.com
I'm a behavioral/developmental pediatrician who has been on the front-lines of clinical practice with ADHD, ODD, OCD, ASD, learning problems for nearly forty years. I've written some books and numerous articles for professionals and the public. My opinions have been expressed not only on television and radio, but also in front of Congress and the President's Council on Bioethics.
Whether you're looking for an sensible expert to help you make decisions about your child locally or are interested in the opinions of a doctor who prescribes medications to children but takes a broader look at the issues involved, you've come to the right place. Take a look at the opeds. Get some answers to questions on ADHD and psychiatric drugs for children.
When Will We Be Able To Just Say No? America's Love Affair with Legal Amphetamine/USA Today Print Op-ED, May 13th, 2015
- Details
- Category: Opinions & Editorials Opinions & Editorials
- Published: 28 May 2015 28 May 2015
I've decided to create a new psychiatric disorder. Why not? Drug companies do it all the time.
Shire, which makes Adderall, won approval recently from the Food and Drug Administration to market its amphetamine drug, Vyvanse, for the treatment of BED. You haven't heard of it? Neither had many people, until Shire funded studies to get the binge eating disorder into the DSM-5 — America's official psychiatric bible of common life dilemmas translated into mental disorders. My disorder is called achievement anxiety disorder (AAD), and it explains the increasing reports of prescription amphetamine misuse most often in the form of Adderall abuse.
FOLLOWING MATTHIAS (FIVE MONTHS AFTER THE NY TIMES ARTICLE)
- Details
- Category: Opinions & Editorials Opinions & Editorials
- Published: 19 March 2015 19 March 2015
Matthias, a seven year old patient of mine, had his fifteen minutes of fame (though some may describe it as infamy) when he was featured in a front page New York Times article called “One Drug or Two: Parents See Risk and Hope” on November 14, 2015.
I had been working with the Times reporter, Alan Schwarz, for over a year on different articles he had published in the New York Times on ADHD and medication. I felt I knew Alan well when he approached me asking for deep background for another long article. He was contemplating a piece to highlight the lack of scientific data supporting the common practice of using more than one psychiatric drug in children. Because we have virtually no evidence pro or con, in essence we “experiment” with our children when doctors add a second drug. In the course of our discussion I mentioned to Alan that at that very moment I was reluctantly considering prescribing two drugs to two of my patients. Matthias was one of them.
DECEMBER 9TH PRESENTATION AT CPMC IN SAN FRANCISCO OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
I will be giving a Powerpoint presentation entitled "The Sensible and Ethical Prescription of Psychiatric Drugs to Children" at California Pacific Medical Center (2333 Buchanan St. in San Francisco) on December 9th beginning at 11:30 am. This Grand Rounds Presentation is open to the general public as well as health care professionals. There will be a 50 minute presentation followed by a 10 minute question and answer period. I look forwards to seeing you there.
Dr. Diller highlighted in Front Page New York Times Article
I had the recent opportunity to work closely with Alan Schwarz of the New York Times on an article he was writing to highlight the lack of reliable information for patients and doctors on the use of multiple psychiatric drugs for children. Alan approached me and asked if he could use one of my families to highlight the dilemmas facing parents. Matthias's mother, Joelle, kindly consented, and their story is told in the article which ran on the front page on November 15th, and can be accessed by clicking: http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/15/us/one-drug-or-2-parents-see-risk-but-also-hope.html?module=Search&mabReward=relbias%3Ar%2C{%221%22%3A%22RI%3A7%22}&_r=0. There are some nice photos of the family and even one of me in the article.