Alison Motluk

‘It’s hard not to notice how differently I am treated when I am wearing my parent hat, rather than that of a science journalist. I’ve spoken to probably hundreds of psychiatrists, neurologists and neuroscientists in my career, and I know that, if I’d raised those possibilities [she is referring here to possible causes of her child's psychological condition] as a journalist, I might have been congratulated for having read the literature so thoroughly. Journalists who read widely and deeply are specialists; parents who read widely and deeply are nutcases who spend too much time on the internet.’

'Strangely, although the coordinator thought the problem was our parenting skills and the key was strict discipline, she never inquired about those things.' 

'Later, people who knew us found the story funny. “Have they ever met you?” our sister-in-law asked sarcastically.'

'But we knew not to draw attention to our parenting practices: it was clear that if a dearth of parental discipline wasn’t found to be the culprit, it was only a matter of time before a suspicious eye would fall upon our presumed excess'.

'It was as though each professional we consulted had become a caricature of their professional selves'.

Alison Motluk:  'A Journey to the Medical Netherworld'