Submitted by Nettie on 06/03/2010.
I would like to vote for more careful commenting, for example, not haphazardly stating a forum member's possible medical detail, which may in fact be false. I move fast, and I know I've made mistakes in my wording, but I do try to identify when I'm quoting someone (by using quotation marks) and when I'm writing my opinion or perception.
There are some definitely more learned individuals on this forum than I, and it's a challenge for some of us, like me, to express ourselves as effectively and to follow every post in order to prevent erroneous information being passed along. I suggest we limit our comments to include only our own experiences and/or documented studies or at least state when we can't back up a comment.
Another personal note
Submitted by Nettie on
When I write in hyperbole, I'm using my own voice, and I hope readers are understanding my humor and irony. Please note, though, that I am completely serious about ADHDers having superpowers ;)
I apologize
Submitted by Aspen on
I incorrectly mentioned that I believed you were doing various things to control your AD/HD earlier today. I apologize for incorrectly identifying your medical situation as I did indeed believe I read elsewhere that you took medication. I had no idea that it was a sensitive subject and I will certainly try to be more careful about mentioning a person being medicated. I only mentioned it because I mistakenly believed that you had mentioned it previously.
I was really just trying to say as a person who was working to control your AD/HD, I expect that you do see some need for actions to be taken to control it.
Not the Issue
Submitted by Nettie on
"I had no idea that it was a sensitive subject and I will certainly try to be more careful about mentioning a person being medicated."
I am sensitive to inaccuracy (I really want to use all caps for that part of the sentence), and that's to what I was referring in this thread's post.
Do I have a big, super plastic bubble around my head? Someone, please check; my signals aren't getting out there.
separating physiology from behavior
Submitted by arwen on
I think this thread and some of your other posts, Nettie and Aspen, are a good illustration of one of the critical and often difficult problem that I've mentioned in some of my earlier posts: differentiating the ADHD physiology from the ADHD behaviors.
The physiology is what physically goes on in the brain. It can usually be modified by medication -- which is not precisely the same thing as control. Some studies suggest that it may also be possible to modify the brain physiology through brain training and/or biofeedback -- this is not precisely the same thing as control, either. For the most part, none of us (ADHD or not) don't control the physiology of our brains' neurotransmitter functions. In the ADHD brain, physiological abnormalities are responsible for the *ability* to hyperfocus, and *difficulties* with forming, storing and retrieving memories, among other things -- i.e., brain activities.
Behaviors are the way we act in relation to our environment. Most behaviors are learned, but some are innate; they may be conscious or unconscious. ADHD behaviors may evolve as coping mechanisms, as compensating mechanisms, as outgrowths of the physiological abilities or disabilities, or for other reasons that relate to the physiological abnormalities -- but they are not the same as the abnormalities themselves. And unlike the physiology, behaviors can be changed, unlearned and controlled.
As a result, I think it's a little inaccurate to talk about "controlling ADHD". I feel a better description is to talk about managing or modifying or controlling ADHD behaviors. Managing/modifying/controlling ADHD behaviors nearly always requires either medication (to at least partly normalize the underlying physiology), or counseling (to manage behaviors), or both, but it can occasionally be done without either by gifted and well-trained individuals.
Elsewhere the question has been asked as to what makes a person the unique individual that they are. Is it physiology? Is it behaviors? Is it both? Neither? My own belief is that our genetic composition is a pretty core component of who we are, and therefore to the extent that it constrains the brain's physiology even when medication is applied to modify it, that physiology is part of who we are -- whether we like who that is or not. Behaviors, on the other hand, can be more readily and significantly changed -- so I believe that they are part of who we are *to the degree that we consciously choose them*. Behaviors we don't consciously choose *may or may not* be part of who we are, in my opinion. I know some people who feel that the behaviors they don't choose are still part of who they are, and other people who've said "that's not the real me". (Please note that I'm not saying that only the behaviors we *like* are definitely part of us -- we can choose behaviors we don't ourselves like.)
I strongly believe that these are important considerations to keep in mind whenever we are talking about other people's actions and words, when ADHD is involved. Nobody likes to be mischaracterized, even by mistake. I don't think we have to restrict our posts to our own experiences, but I feel that we do need to be diligent about accuracy in how we portray others. And I believe it will help if we can keep in mind the differing contributions of physiology and behavior in the ADHD condition.
"It matters not what someone is born, but what they grow to be." Albus Dumbledore
Controlling ADHD
Submitted by Nettie on
I am not trying to control my ADHD. I am trying to improve my working memory, politely allow people to finish their sentences, stop rolling my eyes when people say something seemingly stupid, eat less ice cream, spell correctly, respect my parents, drive on the right side of the road, greet people I pass... all things many of us try to do.
I've thought about it, Arwen
Submitted by Aspen on
And i appreciate your posting. i can even agree with this statement to a degree....
"As a result, I think it's a little inaccurate to talk about "controlling ADHD". I feel a better description is to talk about managing or modifying or controlling ADHD behaviors. "
But mainly to me that is nothing but semantics that I honestly couldn't care less about. I accept that some people might care greatly, and I even accept that if I was feeling misclassified or whatever, maybe I would care too. I have a lot going on in my life and there are many things that are much more important *to me* than whether or not behaving in a deliberate, acceptable way is controlling AD/HD or controlling the behavior. All I care about is that it is controlled, and fortunately for me, my ADD husband is fine with it being considered "controlling ADD" in our family. I believe a lot of these type of issues or preferences vary from person to person, and while I'd never hurt or offend anyone deliberately, I'm primarily concerned with considering the preferences of the people in my daily life. Of course, if I am responding to a post here, I will endeavor to be as correct as possible.
I don't believe any two people's brains work the same and I don't believe any of us know exactly what is going on in any specific brain. I seriously couldn't care less if my brain or my husband brain was wired 100% backwards of everyone else's wiring. I only care about it to the extent that there are behaviors that negatively impact our lives. If those behaviors are limited and we can live our daily lives in a way that we are both comfortable with, then I don't care about the rest of it.
I take the point about different people's consideration of what makes them individual. I honestly never considered that anyone would consider ADD to be *them* or part of their core. I certainly don't mind if some people do, but in our family that is not the way it is considered by either of us. We consider it to be a barrier....fortunately a fairly low one...to him acting the way he wants to behave. He is an awesome person and he is trying to control the negative behaviors that his ADD has brought to the table. As far as positives whether they be induced by ADD or not, I genuinely don't care what caused them because I mostly just care that he is an awesome husband.