So I caved and joined the FODs support group. I'm not sure if this is the best thing for us holistically, but hey, it's a mailing list so we can be as active as we want to be.
I was hesitant to join because I didn't want the label MCAD to define us as a family. Like many "disorders" today, once a child gets labelled, they stop being just a kid with their natural ebbs and flows and become victims of the very diagnosis that is supposed the help them. While I think there are true cases of mood disorders that warrant special attention, I fear that terms such as ADHD, borderline personality, anxiety, etc get thrown around to explain children's behavior that is still within the norm. And honestly, it does a disservice for those that truly need the label to receive adequate medical attention.
But I also began to realize that by not accepting the MCADD label we were also shutting ourselves out from potentially knowing others going through this. Specially now, when many people I know are trying to teach their babies to sleep through the night (which we will not be doing for a while), I have been feeling isolated. I should be good to see/read about other people who have gone through the annoying feeding schedules that MCADD requires, who have done the hospital trips, and who live perfectly normal happy lives in spite of it.
It reminds me of the conundrum I had regarding my migraines. My father told me that it was dangerous to declare to yourself : "I suffer from migraines," because then you are letting the migraine be in control. I can see his point. However, it took my admitting it to finally go to the doctor and receive the medication I needed. Now that I have the appropriate painkillers, I not longer "suffer" from migraines, I can treat them effectively. So the labeling works both ways.
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