ADHD As It Relates to the Devil's Greatest Achievement

[VWFringe]

Sharing about ADHD, as I believe it to be as central as climate change or respect for labor.

What's known:

It is a disability covered by the American's with Disabilities Act, so it is real. I will not entertain any debate over this fact, or whether it "should have been" included.

It is a condition characterized by specific differences in brain chemistry. This can be seen in brain scans.

It is a condition known to often (usually) co-exist with other issues, or impediments to accomplishment in relationships, career and other areas of our lives.

It is generally characterized as creating to different degrees a difficulty in focus and attention, organizational skills, and either or both hyperactivity and impulse control.

Varying levels of impulse control may be seen as interrupting others sentences all the way up to full blown development of paraphilic disorders.

Varying levels of hyperactivity may be seen as foot tapping (or, "always having to have something going") or imagining rhythms internally.

Varying levels of Focus and Attention (known as Executive Control) may be difficulty in learning through reading books, or even the inability to read any book you are not obsessed with the subject of. (ie: Stuff you like is easy to focus on, stuff you don't like you get easily distracted from.)

Varying levels of Organization difficulty may look like one area that doesn't get organized as well as another area, all the way up to full blown hoarding.

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Treatment

Meds and therapy.

Traditional thinking is that the focus and attention component is medically treatable with very small does of amphetamines, and that CBT (Cognitive Behavior Therapy) is effective and neccessary for mitigating the organizational and impulse control components.
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Non-Traditional Treatment

Non-traditional thinking coalesces around dopamine circuits not being developed at an early age, creating a void they struggle to fill, for the feelings of love and connection to the outside world they didn't get to develop as a result of not having emotionally calm and emotionally available adults around to bond with at an early age.
It is also noted that brain structures can be developed even late in life, as proven in recent findings in neuroplasticity (so there is hope of getting better even if not cured). Directed therapy or any consistent and open emotional bond that can be maintained with another person seem to be the direction you'd want to move in, but the condition can create many impediments to those goals also.

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Warning Signs

Some ways people can know if they have ADHD are by looking at their grades, if a student can get an A in one subject, but then can also get an F in another subject, it is a signal that they are having a greater degree of difficulty bringing to bear the same set of tools to the subject they are not so much interested in.
I believe paraphilias are a symptom of ADHD, as they offer a clear narrative (way to focus), and a clear path to creating or manufacturing intimacy, tho it is not real, just an analog of the real thing, out of an inability to properly bond with people and to perceive control of the outcome. I think they're all just ways of trying to manually regulate or generate a dopamine drip, combining mood alteration with emotions to try to fill the void.

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Severity

It's not always the same, for everyone. Only the most severe cases are the same all the time, while most move through different domains and moods they may experience that void only one-fifth of the time, or three-fifths of the time, or all of the time. Stress can make it worse, as can lack of sleep, poor nutrition (eating foods our bodies are intolerant to), and can bring back difficulties which we thought we had handled or grown out of, and bring them back with a vengeance.

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Don't Judge

I watched DateLine and realized they were trying to teach me to judge, through portraying a person as a criminal and building a case, we are lead to see the case strictly from DateLine's point of view, that "bad" people should be caught and punished.

I'd like to take further poetic license in stating that the saying, "The Devil's greatest achievement was in convincing us he does not exist," should include the knowledge that we are being lead to forget the basic differences between us. Yes, we make different choices and hold different meanings for everything in our lives, but there are basic developmental issues which are known to make some of us much more prone to having problems finding and keeping meaningful work, relationships and self-esteem.

I think the Devil's greatest achievement, as embodied by any corrupt force on earth which expresses evil intentions, no matter how large or how small, was in convincing us that all men are created equally, when we can easily recognize differences between families, and know it's not always just a matter of poor character or bad decisions that they don't make it as far as others.

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ADHD has Club Members?

4% of adults in America are diagnosed to have ADHD, with many more undiagnosed. i believe it may be up to 25% or even 35% if you count some who have very mild symptoms. We are a minority, and yet we put-down and judge harshly in our minds the actions of others who, if we thought about it, probably have ADHD.

We may do this because because it makes us tingle just a bit, adding to the dopamine drip we try to force out of our brains, and we know they're easy targets. Or it may have a component of how we are constantly being talked into judging people by our TV news anchor men and women.

We must resist this temptation tho, for it is only through unity that we can erase the legal and societal structure that stand in the way of properly addressing this growing problem and get people to recognize the complexity of holding the same measures in society to all individuals. We need a more inclusive model of who we consider to be like us, to lead to acceptance and personal development.
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Rising Levels of ADHD in America

ADHD is on the rise in America, probably due to the increase in "stressed parenting" as fostered by our system of working more hours and more jobs in the absence of any meaningful rise in wages over the past thirty years.

tired, gotta stop, hope this way helpful to someone

 

[djonkoman]

I think the rise can be largely atributed to more diagnosing.
in earlier days a kid would've been just a busy/extra active child, while no suddenly every kid that strays a little from the norm needs a diagnosis. (and, I don't know of this is also the case n america, but here in the netherlands schools get extra money for children with a psychological diagnosis attending their school)

I myself also have that extreme between subjects I find interesting and those that I find not, and a large gap between grades, but I don't fit into the ADHD-symptoms(my mother once looked it up because my little brother was always so hyperactive, he did fit into the symptoms, at least at that point)

 

[VWFringe]

here's some more info to throw up:
Wikipedia page about the "Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale" which is one of the pre-screening methods (clinical diagnosis can only be made by a psychiatrist here in the USA).

And here's the 6-question test they say works better than the 18 test version:

check-boxes appear to the right of each question: Never, Rarely, Sometimes, Often, Very Often

Check the box that best describes how you have felt and conducted yourself over the past 6 months. Please give the completed questionnaire to your healthcare professional during your next appointment to discuss the results.
1. How often do you have trouble wrapping up the final details of a project, once the challenging parts have been done?
2. How often do you have difficulty getting things in order when you have to do a task that requires organization?
3. How often do you have problems remembering appointments or obligations?
4. When you have a task that requires a lot of thought, how often do you avoid or delay getting started?
5. How often do you fidget or squirm with your hands or feet when you have to sit down for a long time?
6. How often do you feel overly active and compelled to do things, like you were driven by a motor?

Add the number of checkmarks that appear in the darkly shaded area. Four (4) or more checkmarks
indicate that your symptoms may be consistent with Adult ADHD. It may be beneficial for you to talk with
your healthcare provider about an evaluation.

darkly shaded boxes are Sometimes, Often, Very Often, for the first three questions, and only Often, Very Often for the last three.

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I wasted some time looking for and taking online pre-screening tests (scored high on three). [Avoid the drug company related sites.] The funnest info was on user sights which spot-lighted shared symptoms, one said it was like hearing 19 radios in their head.

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here's some articles and info:

from WebMD

10 Adult ADHD Symptoms

The conventionally used diagnostic criteria for ADHD, including the most common symptoms, were developed based on how the condition shows itself in children.

These symptoms include forgetfulness and excessive daydreaming, as well as an inability to sit still, or constant fidgeting with objects.

Yet many experts think adult attention deficit hyperactivity disorder symptoms manifest themselves differently and more subtly. This can make it difficult to recognize and diagnose adult ADHD.

Adult ADHD Symptom No. 1: Problems Getting Organized

For people with ADHD, the increased responsibilities of adulthood -- bills, jobs, and children, to name a few -- can make problems with organization more obvious and more harmful than in childhood. While some ADHD symptoms are more annoying to other people than to the person with the condition, disorganization is often identified by adults struggling with ADHD as a major detractor from quality of life.

Adult ADHD Symptom No. 2: Reckless Driving and Traffic Accidents

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder makes it hard to keep your attention on a task, so spending time behind the wheel of a car can be difficult. Because of this, ADHD can make some people more likely to speed, have traffic accidents, and lose their drivers licenses.

Adult ADHD Symptom No. 3: Marital Problems

Many people without ADHD have marital problems, of course, so a troubled marriage shouldnt be seen as a red flag for adult ADHD. But there are some marriage problems that are particularly likely to affect the relationships of those with ADHD. Often, the partners of people with undiagnosed ADHD take poor listening skills and an inability to honor commitments as a sign that their partner doesnt care. If youre the person suffering from ADHD, you may not understand why youre partner is upset, and you may feel youre being nagged or blamed for something thats not your fault.

Adult ADHD Symptom No. 4: Extreme Distractibility

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder is a problem with attention regulation, so adult ADHD can make it difficult to succeed in todays fast-paced, hustle-bustle world. Many people find that distractibility can lead to a history of career underperformance, especially in noisy or busy offices. If you have adult ADHD, you might find that phone calls or email derail your attention, making it hard for you to finish tasks.

Adult ADHD Symptom No. 5: Poor Listening Skills

Do you zone out during long business meetings? Did your husband forget to pick up little Jimmy at baseball practice, even though you called to remind him on his way home? Problems with attention result in poor listening skills in many adults with ADHD, leading to a lot of missed appointments and misunderstandings.

Adult ADHD Symptom No. 6: Restlessness, Problems Relaxing

While many children with ADHD are hyperactive, this ADHD symptom often appears differently in adults. Rather than bouncing off the walls, adults with ADHD are more likely to exhibit restlessness or find they cant relax. If you have adult ADHD, others might describe you as edgy or tense.

Adult ADHD Symptom No. 7: Problems Starting a Task

Just as children with ADHD often put off doing homework, people with adult ADHD often drag their feet when starting tasks that require a lot of attention. This procrastination often adds to existing problems, including marital disagreements, workplace issues, and problems with friends.

Adult ADHD Symptom No. 8: Chronic Lateness

There are many reasons adults with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder are usually late. First, theyre often distracted on the way to an event, maybe realizing the car needs to be washed, and then noticing theyre low on gas, and before they know it an hour has gone by. People with adult ADHD also tend to underestimate how much time it takes to finish a task, whether its a major assignment at work or a simple home repair.

Adult ADHD Symptom No. 9: Angry Outbursts

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder often leads to problems controlling emotions. Many people with adult ADHD are quick to explode over minor issues. Often, the person with ADHD feels as if they have absolutely no control over their emotions. Many times, their anger fades as quickly as it flared, long before the people who dealt with the outburst have gotten over the incident.

Adult ADHD Symptom No. 10: Prioritizing Issues

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder can wreak havoc on planning, too. Often, people with adult ADHD mis-prioritize, failing to meet big obligations, like a deadline at work, while spending countless hours on something insignificant, such as getting a higher score on a video game.

10 Things You Should Do If You Have Adult ADHD


I'm glad I finally put the pieces together because it's like all of my sins are at once washed from me, and a cleaner path set forward...still waiting for meds, another month and a half until an appointment, unless there's a cancellation.

Kind of key is interviewing the people who would have bonded with you as a child (not you djonkoman, just anybody reading this) - was the atmosphere more stressed, or not?

My dad was out carousing and drinking, and my mom couldn't sleep or cope because I wouldn't stop crying. It is understandable how some have thought it was hereditary, when actually it's just passed down. I can see now my mom has it, and why she used to read Harlequin romances non-stop. I'm seeing connections between social prejudice and media spin and ADHD.... And, the filling of the prisons in America may have more to do with our willingness to lock people up on first offenses than other countries, but i think it has more to do with the degradation of the social fabric due to the shock of consumers to their real wages flattening and their expectations of ever expanding consumerism (ie our nation's credit card debt)...more people out of the house to earn money, working more hours than other countries. ADHD America is slowly being imprisoned for all kinds of offenses, one is debatably either self-medicating or labelled substance abuse.

The ways people think about these things will determine how they will vote their entire lives around social issues and legalization attempts, and making people think about big government is just noise to distract from the truth. They want to run away from their social responsibilities, and get us to do their dirty work. They don't want us thinking different brain chemistry equals problems with self-control, so throw away the laws, they don't work with these people, but it's treatable, if they'd only allow us to think of it as a health issue, instead of forcing it to be a legal system issue in the public's minds.