In 2004 the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) directed the manufacturers of all antidepressant medications to add a "black box" warning that describes the increased risk of suicidal thoughts and behavior in children and adolescents given antidepressant medications.  A "black box" warning is the most serious warning placed in the labeling of a prescription medication.

Since then there have been Black Box Warnings on many other medications for adults as well.  They include the ADHD drug, Strattera warning that severe liver damage may progress to liver failure resulting in death or the need for a liver transplant in a small percentage of patients; and then additional warnings for Strattera due to findings in clinical trials linking the drug to suicidal thoughts and behavior as well as agitation and irritability.

In 2005 the FDA's website announced the possible safety concerns with methylphenidate drugs (central nervous system stimulant).  Psychiatric adverse occurrences were linked to Concerta, Ritalin and other drugs used to treat children diagnosed with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) such as visual hallucinations, suicidal ideation, psychotic behavior and aggression or violent behavior. The FDA announced its intention to make labeling changes and examine other stimulant drug products approved for treatment of ADHD.

A major study questioning the effectiveness of ADHD drugs was performed and published by The Drug Effectiveness Review Project of Oregon State University. The researchers reviewed 2287 studies, virtually every study ever done on ADHD.  Their finding were that there is little evidence that the drugs used to treat ADHD actually work or are safe in the long term or that they even help school performance.

Also in 2005, the FDA ordered that "black box" warnings be placed on a commonly prescribed ADHD drug, after clinical trials linked the drug to suicidal thoughts and behavior. The FDA indicated that the new warning stems from an ongoing review of all ADHD drugs and their possible association with suicide.

In the same year, the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child, issued a strong warning against falsely labeling youth with the psychiatric diagnosis of ADHD and administering powerful ADHD-drugs. In its Concluding Observations on reports by Australia, Finland and Denmark the Committee expressed concern that "ADHD and Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) are being misdiagnosed and therefore psycho-stimulant drugs are being over-prescribed, despite growing evidence of the harmful effects of these drugs."

In 2006 an advisory committee to the FDA requested that the FDA issue a Black Box warning on drugs prescribed to treat ADHD. The recommendation followed evidence that these drugs are linked to numerous deaths, heart attacks and strokes.

Shortly thereafter two FDA advisory panels held hearings into the risk of stimulants and another new ADHD drug called Sparlon.  Between January 2000 and June 30, 2005 the FDA had received nearly 1,000 reports of kids experiencing psychosis or mania while taking the drugs. The first panel recommended stronger warnings against stimulants.  The second committee recommended not to approve Sparlon.

The drug companies make millions, no billions of dollars on these drugs.  If you wouldn't send your child to a pusher on the street, then don't give them these pharmaceutical drugs that you now know has proven to be harmful.

Based upon these proven studies medicating a child should not be the solution to the child's difficulties with study or life.  There are alternative solutions.  See the recourses to your right.

After reading our local paper today it's no surprise to me that apparently, education continues to have its own axis of evil to fight and it's called special education. The title of the article reads, "Special Ed Test Scores Could Hurt Schools." I'm not sure what images that title was supposed to conjure up but I'd say it's not a good one.

I wrote recently how the disabled or special needs population is frequently a target of perpetuating negative stereotypes in my post Disabled Villains. It's everywhere and here it is again on Independence Day in our local paper. I'm sure it wasn't intentional but that's the problem with stereotypes often you don't realize you're being derogatory. If you took the same statement that the author makes and insert any name of an ethnic group I'm sure there would be a big ruckus. However, because it's just the special ed kids it's okay, they're free targets.

But for many parents of special needs kids independence and increasing skills is a goal that holds no limits and no boundaries. When you shoot for the moon even if you miss you still land among the stars (something my own son just recently reminded me of). With youth the bar is set high as it should be for any child. As parents of special needs children we understand our own children's unique individual limitations and abilities all too well. As such we also understand that for our children independence at times must also be filtered with much needed support from others. At the same time putting limits on what our children can potentially accomplish is something that ought not be done especially by negative attitudes and perceptions that could hinder the progress that has thus far been made.

Prior to NCLB special education students weren't deemed as a population that could achieve much and frequently the expectations were low. With increased expectations came new ideas and creative ways to get students to accomplish things that weren't thought possible. Unfortunately, although progress has been made negative stereotypes persist. For many educators and people it is still hard to imagine that an individual can be Twice Exceptional and that they are capable of reaching their potential with appropriate support.

As an example, recently I mentioned to a fellow teacher that my son was aspiring to get into a highly competitive local alternative high school. Immediately her face showed that she doubted he could get in and she remarked, "You know he'll have to apply and be accepted into that." We are well aware of the requirements of the program and so is he, I think he has a chance. I know she didn't mean to be negative and she is a nice person but I was crushed by the response. If he didn't have special needs would she have said, "That's wonderful I hope he makes it" but that remark never came.

I for one am glad to say that the accountability that NCLB has brought has also meant that the expectations and achievement gains for those with special needs have risen. On the NJAsk my son scored Advanced Proficient in Science and in Math. He scored proficient in language arts and just missed scoring Advanced Proficient. If it weren't for NCLB would the district even had attempted to try to get him to pass or would they have just settled because of negative perceptions like the one I just described.

When responsible journalists write that by holding schools accountable for test scores and essentially giving special needs students what they need could "hurt schools" I think it is helping to perpetuate a negative stereotype regarding individuals with special needs and really just blaming the victim.

GENERATION RX has already garnered the support of some of the most respected names in Hollywood, including writer/director Paul Haggis, who won back-to-back Academy Awards for "Million Dollar Baby," and "Crash." GENERATION RX, Mr. Haggis said, "is a powerful and often chilling eye-opener. Weeks after viewing, the stories continue to haunt me."

GENERATION RX is scheduled for release in 2008.

Best invention ever...

Originally uploaded by CleverGirlBek

I never thought of myself as the sort to wear earplugs. I am the sentry of our home… I am the one who is always on alert, ears cocked for the slightest sound because the boys are pretty oblivious for the most part…

A couple of months ago we started using a dawning alarm clock (a BioBrite one) and the seller sent me a pack of ear plugs with the clock.
Because we have frequent and sudden foul weather here (and multiple tornadoes in the past couple of weeks) I would only wear one ear plug- in the ear facing “up” (I am a side sleeper) so I could drown out hubby’s snoring and obnoxiously loud breathing and maybe grab some zzzzz’s without being woken up by his nightly cocophany. That worked well as I could still hear enough with the unplugged, yet dampened by my pillow, ear so I could hear boyo through the baby monitor. But then I’d flip over and the breathing/snoring/senile moaning would have me wide awake again…

So I did some research and found The Earplug Superstore. Oh yes. Thank you oh wonderous world wide web!

While they do have excellent descriptions of all of their plugs I figured I’d try a sampling of foam plugs, like the freebies I got with that clock… So I ordered their “softest and smallest” sampler… A huge selection of fascinating colors and earplug marketing strategies… I’m not kidding. I have a pair of NASCAR “sparkplug” earplugs and another pair of Camo Plugs! Craziness!

Anyway, I also decided to try a higher end pair of earplugs…. I ordered the “SleepSoft” plugs made by Alpine. They promise a dampening of ambient noise but still allow one to hear the doorbell and children calling… They have open “ducts” to prevent “pressure” differences and they keep one from feeling cutoff.
Well, they arrived and are a miracle. It was mid afternoon when the package arrived and the grass was being chopped outside…. I went into boy’s room where he was playing music and I put in the plugs and had him speak to me… I could hear him clearly (but slightly dampened/quieter) but I could no longer hear the lawnmower or clothes dryer.
If these weren’t so durable I would have ordered the 6 pack! They are very comfortable and come with a little stick/applicator thingy as they are so flexible that you won’t get a great fit just using your fingers. They do come in a handy slider pack/container for safe and clean storage…
As far as using earplugs for ADD/ADHD, I am planning on using my giant sampler pack on the weekends when hubby is typically in charge of boy while I rush to get everything done and in some sort of order. I am so easily distractible by the slightest sound. One of my ADHD/ADD books recommended using noise cancelling ear phones but ear phones are out in our home as boyo would obsess and freak out if he didn’t get to use them and there goes any peace and quiet… So for now, for a couple of hours on Saturday morning, I will be escaping to my quiet little place to focus and maybe finish something for a change. Obviously, I would not wear earplugs while home alone with the kiddo…No way. Too risky, even if I can still hear him a little bit…Also that would be insanely rude and I try not to roll that way…
Anyway, I’m testing my “portable isolation booth” (ha ha) tomorrow morning…. Hopefully, this will increase my productivity and focus in general, so that I can finish the things that require intense focus, and have more time to spend with the boys…
I’ll update soon…

Americano top 10 >>> ADHD

The book I'm reading is "The Alchemist" by Paulo Coelho.  For those of you who haven't read it, YOU NEED TO.  It's the most inspiring tale I have ever read.  It's addictive.

It makes me think about my own Personal Legend is.  For years now I've been a mess.  Since being a young boy, my hyperactive mind caused me to think -- too much.  That in turn caused my anxiety disorder, which took it's toll early on and caused my depressive disorder.

I've realized that I have pushed most of my friends away from me.  When I reconnect I have to tell them "I'm doing well," or "I'm alright," even though it's essentially a continuing lie.  I need to shape up, I've been telling myself that for years.  How am I supposed to live out my personal legend when I'm in such a mess.

"The Alchemist" reminds me of "The Secret," where the universe conspires to give you what you desire if you really truly believe it and live it.  I need to stop smoking, I need to stop drinking and smoking weed, I need to lose weight, and I need to stop sabotaging my own success.  I need to start succeeding.  I need to find myself and put myself back on track to realizing my Personal Legend.  When I first thought, "I need to blog this afternoon," I had a vague idea of how to eloquently convey my thoughts, but ultimately, now that I'm here, I'm at a loss for words.

I need to start learning to properly converse with people.  I've been trying for years, but what I've learned up until now just seems inauthentic.  I feel like I'm acting.  It isn't natural.  Amid all of the people here in the world, I feel alone with myself.  I feel like nobody can understand me, even though just a few days ago I met someone who actually does understand.  I pushed her away too.

I think the only solution is to continue reading.  That's it for now, I'm going to finish this book.

Jane Hersey, Feingold Association [Part One]

Jane Hersey, Feingold Association [Part Two]

FOR RESEARCH CLICK HERE.

At least weekly, some jackass writes an article reminding us just how ignorant most folks are about AD/HD. Today, Brian Orelli was that jackass.

Writing on fool.com—a website that offers money advice to people infatuated with money—Orelli found it newsworthy to mention the FDA’s formal approval of Concerta for use in adults.

At first I thought, that’s weird—I know dozens of adults in their twenties and thirties who have been taking this drug for years. Had they all been paying teeny-boppers under the table before last Friday? Actually, eMedTV explains that prior June 27th, using Concerta for adults with ADHD was “considered an ‘off-label’ use of the medication, meaning that even though the FDA (had) not approved the medication for this use, your health care provider can prescribe it if he or she believes it is appropriate for your situation.”

I learned this from a twelve-second excursion in which I typed “Concerta for adults” into a search engine. Orelli could have discovered this to, if he bothered to Google the topics he poses as knowledgeable about. What else did this pseudo-expert have to say about AD/HD?

Contrary to what you might think, ADHD isn't just for kids anymore. The potential market size for adult attention deficit disorder (ADD) is 30% to 70% of the childhood market. As many as one in 20 adults has ADD.

The biggest problem for drug manufacturers is getting those potential patients onto their drugs. With a stigma that rivals that of erectile dysfunction, manufacturers will be hard-pressed to get prospective patients to talk to their doctors about this problem.

First of all, let’s cut the dickhead some slack. His target-readership is not the A.D.D. patient, but the investor who is trying to decide which pharmaceutical stocks to buy. Still, let’s explore all the things he got wrong in the preceding excerpt of his vomiting up of total nonsense.

“Contrary to what you might think, ADHD isn't just for kids anymore.”

Who said it ever was? Is “conventional-wisdom” dumb enough to presume the spitball-throwing "time-outers" perpetually in the kindergarten "corner" will eventually, miraculously, grow out of their A.D.D., or is this just the author falsely projecting his own ignorance onto his readers? Neither would surprise me.

And what does “anymore” mean? That it used to be “just for kids” but now the disorder has evolved to conquer adults’ too? Sounds like a virus that mutates and develops a new strain that helps it beat a vaccine. Scary.

“With a stigma that rivals that of erectile dysfunction, manufacturers will be hard-pressed to get prospective patients to talk to their doctors about this problem.”

Say wha...?? Slow down, buddy. E.D. is correlated with clinical depression and suicide. Where is there any data suggesting grown-ups who can’t focus at work face similar inner demons as dudes with floppy, dysfunctional cocks? Might Orelli have pulled it directly from his ass? I think so, in fact, I’d bet my own anatomical functionality on it.

And if one can so flippantly scoff at the importance of having data to support one’s assertions, then why would prospective financiers and stock traders (whose monetary decisions and obsessions must at all times respect and be sensitive to numerical realities) listen to a goddamn word of this bush league loser’s bullshit?

But let’s suppose some investment clown suffers from A.D.D. symptoms, and does read Orelli’s garbage. That reader may now be less likely to talk to about it or seek a diagnosis, because he's been subliminally informed that having A.D.D. is like having a defective penis. Way to perpetuate stereotypes, assclown!

“The biggest problem for drug manufacturers is getting those potential patients onto their drugs.”

That’s business. The common good often is counterproductive. Of course, if we happen suffer from some treatable disease, something the pharmaceutical industry has a cure for, then everybody wins. They get paid and we get better and capitalism is fantastic.

But what if we suffer from nothing at all, or if our disorder can't be fixed by any prescription? Then we're screwed on two counts. We won't get better; but they still want our money, and they will invent disorders for us, new problems they claim their drugs can solve. The spirit of this capitalist mentality is abundant under the breath of Brian Orelli’s blind spots.

Who knows how many so-called disorders are bogus? Individual people & brains differ. Sometimes that's all that's "wrong" with us. Is different always bad? Must everything unconventional be drugged out of us, just so that we seem ordinary in the naked eyes of others?

Some of us are well-equipped for the boring human lifestyle of the 21^st century. Others would have faired better in the past, when at any given moment some electrifying danger lurked around the corner that required quick-thinking, high-octane people to save the day. In the past, we’d have been heroes. Today they have pills to cancel out our weirdness, which they’ve named “attention deficit disorder.”

Tonight at my ADHD and Autism parent support group meeting I had planned to share some things I had researched about sleep (or lack there of) in our kids.  This again is one of those things that not only is it good for autistic or ADHD kids, it is good for ALL kids.  Kids need an average of 9 to 12 hours of sleep a night.   That is a lot of sleep.  Most kids are walking around somewhat sleep deprived. 

This article states,  "Your child is getting the right amount of sleep if they:

• Can fall asleep within 15 to 30 minutes.
• Can wake up easily at the time they need to get up and don't need you to keep bugging them to get up.
• Are awake and alert all day, and don't need a nap during the day.  Check with your child’s teacher and make sure your child is able to stay awake and alert during school."

A lack of sleep can show itself in many forms.  The obvious is falling asleep in the middle of the day, but lack of sleep can also look like ADHD.  Think about it.  Kids are tired, unable to focus, and not in control.  In autistic kids a lack of sleep can affect there social interactions (actually I believe that is true with any kid!)

I would always suggest talking to your health professional about your concerns.  However, there are some things that you can do at home.  If your child is having trouble falling asleep, look at the bedtime routine.  Some suggestions are turning lights down, turn off the tv or video game, warm bath, snack about an hour before, limit exercise, and of course limit caffeine throughout the day.

I found a list of some foods that have tryptophan and calcium about an hour before bedtime can help the brain prepare for sleep.  Melatonin is also helpful, but again I would talk to my doctor before I tried it.  I do know people that have used it with success.

My quick suggestions would be:

• Make sure your child has a variety of different activities throughout the day.  (Use some of there energy.)
• Establish a consistent bedtime routine.  This includes weekends.
• Look at your child's diet.
• If you are still having issues talk to a health care professional.

Hopefully we will all sleep better. 

My son is a smart little boy, he makes excellent grades and he is very intelligent. If I have lost something; I can count on my son to find it or try his best to find what ever it is that I have lost. My son has this urge to please, the things that he does is often to make some one happy; or to gain approval for something that he has done, or for something that he think wants to be done. Even when my child is in school, he tries to gain approval from his teachers and his peers. The thing is; when he tries to accomplish something and it has not been approved by the ones whom are around him; he gets very angry and often looses control; of the things that he says, as well as with the things that he does. In school, the result of his behavior is that he often gets sent to another class and even suspended from school. At home, the result of my son’s behavior; is that he is placed into time out and sometimes isolation in his room without activities. However, that tactic (him being isolated) is not effective. In isolation he destroys things from; the walls to the floors and from the curtains to his personal belongings. Most of the time, the things that he destroys are costing me a lot. My son has this thing that he does, which is very (to me) disturbing; being that I have to spend extra money for the things that he destroys. When my son is bored, he bites on his clothes and gnaws them until they are completely ruined.

His behavior at home can be dealt with, because I figure that I am his mother and I know what is best for him. I may be in denial, but I do not think that nothing is wrong with my son. I believe that all he needs is a little more attention from me. My son, as well as my other children, has been through a lot through out the past five years. The doctors and the school officials do not know what my son (my family) has been through. They just want to diagnose him with this disorder and put him out of school; because they do not know how to deal with him or better yet, handle him while he is in school. Therefore, they call me or either put him out of school. The past five years has been hard for all of us. It all started with me, I was an addict and I used while I was pregnant with my daughter, my son’s younger sister. My habit was detected by the social services, so they placed my children in the home with my mother. Therefore, my five children had to live with my mother for about a year. This was very devastating to both me and my children. Their fathers were never around, however, my son father was around for a couple of weeks, and then he decided to leave once again, which really had an impact on my son’s life. A few years later, after I have gotten my children back into my custody, I became pregnant again; this time with twins, a boy and a girl. Then, very unexpectedly; my daughter of my twins, died. That also played a big part in our lives, because we had to deal with that as well. Now I have gotten married and my husband is neither of their fathers, so this too has an effect within there lives. This is why I feel that my son does not have a problem; he just merely needs more attention from me. My other children as well, may have the same desires, but my son expresses the need to have more so, than my other children.

I know that once I give my son the desired attention that he needs to function completely, he will be okay. I am just recovering from all of the stress that my family has been through as well, however I feel that I have the need to provide for my children and take care of them at all cost. How am I going to do so? I must have patients and wait for the Lord. God is really working on a miracle here and HE is starting with me. I know that I can not do anything on my own; I have tried several times and nothing seemed to work, everything went wrong. So now, I am patiently waiting. There are still some things that I need for my self and for my family; in order to accomplish these things that I so desperately want to do, in order to help my son. But, I can not move if I do not know where it is that I am going. It is the little things that I would like to do with my children and especially with my son. I wish to do things like; signing my son up to play football as well as softball. I wish to be there with him every step of the way, to allow him to know that; I am and will always be there for him. When my son was born, he and I had a bond that was unbreakable. I believe that he knew that there was something special there and it was broken by me; when I decided to use. So he had experienced separation from the one that he loved; his mother. Then when his father came and gone; once again he had experienced separation, this time from his father. His little sister died; whom which he loved so dearly, lead to him experiencing another separation from the ones he loved. To me, I believe that my son acts out when we gets to close to people. Meaning, he would not allow himself to become too attached to people because of the fear of them leaving him; which is completely understandable. He does not know how to react to the situations; therefore, he acts in a negative way to protect his feelings and his heart. 

The concern is not that my son has this disorder. The issue at hand is the question behind the disorder. For every action, there is a reaction and for every reaction there is an action. Something that some body has done, something that brings excitement or force is the action of a situation. The reaction is an emotional, active (opposing action), physical or bodily response, to which a person encounters from a situation (an action). I do not want to only know that my son has this problem; I (as his mother), want to know that he has this problem and I also want to know how can I fix it or make it better. Even so, take it away. My theory has come to the conclusion that; it can be taken away and that this disorder, does not have to be. I am going to prove my theory; for the sake of my son and for the sake of others dealing with the same concern that I am dealing with; My Son Has ADHA vs. Impulsive Behavior Disorder.

Alla skräppostprogrammen har blivit förryckta!! Ännu ett bevis, på min ära! Och dessutom - har någon tänkt på vad dessa skrynkliga ordkombinationer ställer till med för en inte bara dyslektisk, utan oxå infallsmässigt challanged liten tant som jag??!?

Associationerna står som spön i backen. Man kan inte skriva de världsomvälvande inlägg man hade tänkt. Man blir avledd

Bilden?? Men den föreställer ju naturligtvis det första man får upp om man bildgooglar "Pink Virgin". Inte det värsta. Men det första.

Läs även andra bloggares åsikter om Anna-Karins ofullbordade, skräppostprogram, association, jungfru skär

From my experience, people will label your child no matter what you do. We live in a very close-minded society in which people think if you are not like them, you are nothing. What do I say to that? I say this: bring me any child with ADHD, Autism, Asperger Syndrome, etc. and I will show you greatness, love, understanding, warmth, intelligence and the rare ability to be nonjudgmental. These kids are special and deserve to be treated with respect - just like any other person on this planet. They love, feel, smell, and touch just like other children.

The next time you face labeling with your child, just remember that God picked your child to have a special gift. This child will show you how the world really should be, and that alone, is worth everything we will face as parents of these "special" children.

]]> http://bentfocus.wordpress.com/?p=17 Mon, 30 Jun 2008 23:10:41 +0000 bentfocus http://bentfocus.wordpress.com/?p=17 Okay, so here's the deal: I'm always distracted – typically. On any given day I'll have somewhere around 1,548 thoughts swirling around in my tired, overworked, little brain at any given time. In fact, I often wish I could record what it's like inside my head (think "Being John Malkovich") so others could experience a moment or two of the hectic, static-filled mess I experience every waking minute of my existence.

Imagine, if you will... very specific thoughts (yeah – like, a LOT of 'em) intermingled with a song (or two), TV, images (or three), a phone conversation, ideas for a photo shoot (or four), a grocery list, a 'to do' list four 'to do' lists, websites, blogs, a bongo, a dog barking, ideas for a photo shoot using a bongo-playing-dog who shops for groceries and answers my phone while dancing to the radio, [which-then-reminds-me-to-change-the-song-on-the-radio], [which-then-reminds-me-that-i-need-a-NEW-radio], [which-then-reminds-me-that-there's-a-new-song-i-want-to-download], [which-then-reminds-me-that-i-have-other-work-to-do-on-the-computer], TWITTER!MYSPACE!FLICKR!VIRB! Sucked-into-the-social-website-vortex-of-non-productivity. Hungry. Food. "OOH! I know! Let me look-up a new recipe online". TWITTER!MYSPACE!FLICKR!VIRB! Now, I'm really hungry. Dammit. I need to process some photos. WOO!NEWEMAIL!! "I need groceries"...

Honestly. It's amazing I ever get anything accomplished.

The internal noise is plenty to deal with, but when additional (outside noise) is added to that mix - I honestly, TRULY feel like I'm going to explode sometimes.

So. NOW. I'm dealing with inside noise AND the outside noise (which therefore, creates MORE internal noise – due to the fact that I'm worried that the additional outside noise will interfere with the bit of inside noise that I'm currently trying to focus on for long enough to actually make something happen).

...whew...

Exhausting, right?

Here's where it gets REALLY fun:

I work in a quadicle, err – rather, my DAY JOB is performed in a quadicle. For those of you nine-to-fivers who aren't lucky enough to have a shared workspace – a quadicle can best be described as a single cubicle containing four desks (one per corner of the cube), shared by four individuals. Four phones. Four computers. Four conversations. Four VERY different, neurotic creative-type-people...

quad + cubicle = quadicle.

See where I'm going with this?

Yeeeaah. That's right... Non-stop. Chaos. In. My. Brain.

Daily.

It hurts.

The BEST part of my day is when 5:00 rolls around, and my fellow quadiclans call it a day.

Not I.

That's when all external noise disappears, and I can focus on the battling through the muck inside my head. That is when the progress happens. That is when i can finally hear myself think. THAT, my friends, is when I make (yet another) list regarding the business of photography and how I'm going to make it happen this time around. THAT is when I hope and pray that SOMEHOW, I can maintain enough momentum from the time I leave work until the time I get back to my apartment to make significant, apparent progress.

Sometimes that 'progress' is represented by clean laundry. Sometimes it's a photo shoot. Or a new gallery of images that's taken 2 months to process.

My day-to-day life is measured in terms of progress. Or, rather in my case, the lack thereof... I've spent a lifetime bogged-down by the idea of progress... what it is/what it isn't. Why others seem to be so much better at it. Why I don't seem to 'get it'.

I'm tired of excuses. I'm tired of the distractions. Of the NOISE. Of the clutter. The dirty laundry. The dying dreams. The feeling that I'm some sort of EXCEPTION to the rules. Of feeling like I'm never going to get where I want to be.

It's funny to think that one little thing has the power to change all of that.

Hell, I don't know... it may not. I could be investing a LOT more faith in something than is realistically possible...

BUT at least now, at least it feels like I have a fighting chance. I feel like I'll have some help. It FEELS like progress will no longer be this mysterious, unattainable THING.

Finally, progress will be MINE!

Eating out has been challenging. We have found that Macaroni Grill and Outback Steakhouse have allergy menus. PF Changs does, too, but we can't find one around here.

Bud was also tested for heavy metal toxicity and the results were extremely high for antimony, but seemed fine for everything else.  We think maybe the antimony is from his memory foam mattress topper, so we've removed that.

Bud's medicine is reduced to 35/20/20mg down from 40/30/30mg. He is on a probiotic, vitamins, calcium, magnesium, selenium and DHA. I hope to report a greater improvement in another couple of months.

Nej det var ju den giftigt gröna gas

som spred sig från den - som alltid - så här i månadsslutet

Om jag hade jätteknappt med pengar - ok - då skulle jag förstå varför jag är så "betalningsmässigt utmanad" som de skulle säga i USA. Men det är ju inte problemet. Jag har verkligen råd att betala mina räkningar....

Nej det är nåt annat. Nåt med den anspänning som krävs, nåt med rädslan att göra fel, nåt med insikten om att många timmar kommer att gå och jag under tiden vara så stressad att jag verkligen HATAR allt. Skäller på barnen. Piskar mig själv mentalt. Avskyr att jag - som är bra på så mycket är så usel på detta.

Nå väl. Det jag är skyldig blir betalat. Och jag har allt som går på autogiro. Men hur mycket jag har "bjudit" andra och div arbetsplatser på för att själva processen att skriva räkning är så plågsam vete sjutton. Och det är ju inte som att jag planerar att göra så. Jag bara får inte till det.

Usch bara att skriva om det gör mig alldeles klen... Men nu är det iaf gjort igår kväll. Nu är jag FRI i en månad. Regnet har lyft. Så nu tar jag tag i nästa blähög... ogräsrensning

Läs även andra bloggares åsikter om räkningar, olust, autogiro, ogräs

根據醫學研究以及臨床經驗顯示，不要隨便停藥，持續服用藥物，可達較佳療效。因此每天使用中樞神經活化劑（MPH）是安全的，並且，大多數 ADHD 專家強烈鼓勵每天服藥，以確保症狀能夠持續改善，且讓病患和家人擁有最佳的生活品質。當停止服用藥物時，即使只有短暫的時間，藥物的療效都會消失。

服用藥物後，患者的專心度提高，通常學業成績也改善，除此之外，更要協助患者養成良好的生活習慣與行為表現，幫助患者改善社交技巧、情緒控制、及組織能力，所以，持續服用藥物，可以幫助患者有更全面化的進步。因此不鼓勵暑假停藥。如果你還是有所疑問，可以跟你的醫師商量討論。例如你孩子早上參加游泳課，晚上參加安親班。也許你就可以選擇跟醫師討論在她游泳結束後給予藥物，讓藥物效能能持續到晚上，讓孩子更專心，更能集中精神，也避免到傍晚時還要補服藥物的困擾。

Our first line of defense is high-potency probiotics – 50 billion CFUs (colony forming units) per serving, at a minimum.  We actually routinely use at least 100 billion per day, and twice that when fighting off illness.  Probiotics are beneficial living microorganisms.  They promote gastrointestinal and immune system health.  They have also been proven to maintain healthy skin, respiratory systems, and heart. 

Some researchers say the digestive system is responsible for 70% of immune system function.  It makes sense then to supplement with products that enhance immune function and heal the gastrointestinal tract.  Colostrum is helpful with both the immune system and GI health.  Cod Liver Oil and Fish Oil are also beneficial.  Like probiotics, they are also appropriate for daily use.   

At the first sign of a cold or stomach virus, I give my son Elderberry extract, which has been proven through clinical study to prevent viruses from replicating in the body.  Using Elderberry extract has greatly diminished the length and severity of colds or stomach viruses for both my son and me.  We also use Echinacea to boost immune function.  We use one that is alcohol-free and has only Echinacea.  (Many Echinacea products are blends and contain Goldenseal.  Although Goldenseal has proven to be effective, it can cause cross-reactions in those who are allergic to ragweed or pollen, so I don’t take any chances with this.)  

When I see a cold coming on, in addition to the Elderberry extract, I give my son colloidal silver. It has antiviral and antibacterial properties and has prevented him from needing antibiotics many times.  To relieve cold symptoms like sneezing, runny and stuffy nose, and cough, we use Quertecin (has anti-inflamatory properties), Vitamin C (antioxidant and immune enhancer), and Stinging Nettles (an herb).  Another effective antiviral agent we use is Olive Leaf Extract.   

I keep all these items on-hand so that we are ready at the first sign of a cold or stomach virus.  Of course, you should always consult your child’s doctor before beginning anything.  And, I must say it is a great blessing to have a doctor who is knowledgeable in nutrition and natural treatments.  It was hard to find our wonderful doctor, but I kept trying and trying until I found one. 

May you and your children be blessed with health and healing! 

Matthew 14:14 “When He (Jesus) went ashore, He saw a large crowd, and felt compassion for them and healed their sick.”  NASB

אני כל כך רוצה לשתף אתכם בתהליכי הגילוי הפנימיים והחיצוניים של הפרעת הקשב והריכוז - אך כל פעם מוסח מחדש ע"י דברים אחרים. אז לעת עתה אדחה את הדיון על "איך גיליתי שאני מופרע קשב וריכוז". אני חייב לשתף אתכם בחוויות היומיומיות. אותם חוויות שבעבור אנשים אחרים נראות בנאליות - אך לחוות אותם כל פעם מחדש מתסיס את רוחי הלא שקטה בלאו-הכי. אומר לכם כבר עכשיו שאת הודעה זו אני כותב נקי מכימיקלים נרקוטיים, ולכן אמצא את עצמי מסמן בקו מספר דגשים - ורק כדי שבמהלך הכתיבה אזכר מה אני באמת עושה (אם חס וחלילה לא אשים לב). תסלחו לי, אני מופרע קשב וריכוז.

זילזול, בוז או בעגה הלועזית Contempt

כמה פעמים יצא לכם לחוש את ההרגשה הזאת? שמישהו בז לכם, מזלזל בכם - גם אם הוא לא מתכוון, גם אם זה מחוסר טקאט? ואיך זה מרגיש אם מישהו מקצועי עושה זאת? לא יודע מה איתכם - לי זה כואב. זה כואב מהסיבה הפשוטה שעצם קיום ההפרעה זה לא נחמה. להפוך אותה ללעג ולקלס זה יותר גרוע. כשזה נובע ממישהו בעל אחריות ומקצועיות כמו רופא - זה חמור עוד יותר.

כחלק מהטיפול בהפרעה, נרשמו לי הסמים שרושמים בדר"כ למופרעי קשב וריכוז בארץ (בדגש על הארץ): ריטלין 10 מ"ג, ריטלין LA במינון 80 מ"ג וקונצרטה במינון 90 מ"ג. להזכיר לכם, הקונצרטה היא התרופה בעלת ההשפעה הפוטנציאלית הארוכה ביותר (12 שעות!). זה מהפך באורח החיים, במידה כמובן שהתרופה משפיעה כמו שצריך (ללא תופעת לוואי למשל). לאחר שקיבלתי את המרשם שלי מהפסיכיאטר המאבחן, אני אמור לקבל מרשם לבית מרקחת מרופא המשפחה. אז הלכתי לפגוש את רופא המשפחה שלי. כך מתנהלת לה הפגישה הראשונה:

רופאה: "עכשיו?! אחרי שעברת כל כך הרבה בחיים אתה הולך לבדוק הפרעת קשב וריכוז? תראה כמה עברת וכמה הצלחת ... מה אתה קשר לזה עכשיו?"

אני: קצת מובך, קצת לא מבין מה היא רוצה. אני בשלי, מספר על האבחון ועל הכדורים שאני צריך לקחת. מסביר שכרגע אני מעדיף לקחת 10 כדורים של קונצרטה, לראות מה ההשפעה, ואז לקחת ריטלין LA ולהחליט מה עדיף לי.

איפשהו בשבועות האחרונים באמת ניסיתי בין השניים. הקונצרטה לא עבד מי יודע מה, והריטלין שכן עבד - עשה לי פרפרים בבטן. ממש כאילו אני מתרגש לקראת איזה אירוע מטורף שלא באמת מתרחש. הבהיל אותי קצת. החלטתי לנסות שוב את הקונצרטה, לראות אם יש אפשרות לשנות מינונים ואת ההשפעות הנלוות. אז קבעתי פגישה נוספת עם רופא המשפחה. הייתי גם צריך להחזיר מספר בדיקות, אז החלטתי לרכז הכל למפגש אחד. הפגישה השניה הייתה קצת יותר בעייתית. כשהגעתי לפגישה השניה ביקשתי מרשם חדש לקונצרטה. הסברתי לרופאה שאני חושב גם לשלב עכשיו טיפול התנהגותי פסיכולוגי ללא קשר לתרופות, כי אני לא רוצה להאביס על עצמי את כל הזבל הכימיקאלי הזה. היא הסתכלה עליה ואמרה:

"אבל אתה לא באמת צריך את הטיפולים הנוספים, נכון? הרי אתה פה בשביל התרופות".

ניסיתי להסביר לה שאני ממש לא רוצה תרופות, ואם הייתה לי דרך אחרת לשמור על ריכוז הייתי מעדיף לוותר על כל זה ולחיות אחרת. אבל כרגע התרופות זה מה שעוזר, כרגע אני גם בתקופה שאני צריך ריכוז, ואני מחפש את המינון המתאים. היא הסתכלה עלי ואמרה:

"כן, אבל תראה לאן הגעת בחיים. כמה התקדמת. אתה ראית שאתה יכול בלי. אז מה? אתה רוצה עכשיו להרוס את חייך עם כימיקאלים? טוב זאת בחירה שלך".

לא מראה שום רגשי זעם או כעס, אני מסתכל לה בעיניים ואומר:

"אז הגעתי לאן שהגעתי, ועשיתי את מה שעשיתי. אבל יש לך מושג איזה סבל אגרתי בניסיון להגיע למה שהגעתי? יש לך מושג כמה פונטציאל חבוי עדיין נשאר קבור תחת עשרות שנים של חוסר ידיעה שאני עושה דברים בצורה הרבה יותר קשה מאנשים אחרים? יש לך מושג כמה כמויות אדירות של סבלנות נדרשו כדי שאגיע לאן שאגיע? כעת שאני מודע למה שעברתי ולעובדה שזה לא צריך להיות ככה - מדוע לא לנסות למצוא דרכים לחיות עם זה, ולעשות את זה קצת יותר קל? כמו לאנשים שאין להם את ההפרעה המוזרגגת הזאת?"

הרופאה נדמה. לא היה לה מה להגיד. בשלב מאוחר יותר אף הייתי צריך להסביר לה איך חיי נראים עם ובלי רייטלין, וכמה ההשפעה של הכימיקל עצומה. היא נפעמה למשמע ההבדלים המהותיים בהתנהגות ובריכוז. אני לא כועס עליה יותר מאשר אני מאוכזב. אני רגיל לזה שאני מוקף באנשים בורים וחסרי מודעות לבעיות של אנשים אחרים - ויתר על כן נוטים לבקר אותם. אך יותר חמור בעיני שהיא בתור רופאה יש לה אחריות, והיא צריכה להיות אובייקטיבית. מי שמה לקבוע שכך "אני הורס את חיי"? מי שמה לקבוע מה סף הסבל שאני אמור לעבור לפני שאני לוקח תרופות?

מאיפה היא מקבלת את החיזוק הפנימי והלגיטימציה לקבוע לי את אופן ההתמודדות שלי עם פגמים בהם ניחנתי על לא עוול בכפי? מי היא שתגיד לי שהדרך בה אני בוחר להתמודד עם המגרעות שהוטבעו בי ללא בחירה היא כה הרסנית? היכן האחריות המקצועית? היכן האחריות המוסרית? רופא הוא לא אדם טיפש, ובטח שאמור להיות קצת יותר רם מעלה מהג'ו המומצע מהרחוב. הבורות הזאת, וההחלטיות הזאת, והשמרנות הזאת - כמתו את הכל לתוך זילות נפשעת ותזרקו לי את זה בפנים. כך הרגשתי.

חזרתי הביתה נרגש וממורמר. ממורמר כי מכל האנשים בעולם שמזלזלים בהפרעה הזאת, דווקא האדם שאמור להתחשב (וגם אם הוא מתנגד לאופן הטיפול) מתייחס לכך כאל (כדבריה:) "זה בסה"כ כמו אקמול. לפעמים אפשר לוותר כי הכאב ראש לא כל כך נוראי. למה להאביס חומרים כימיים?"

זלזול רבותי, זאת מילת הקסם. זלזול. יפה לניקה קוסטה על המילים. "כאן בחוץ, לבדי ובגפי". לא ברור לי עדיין איך היא לא הצליחה להחדיר את המילה "גשום" לשורה הזאת.

לסיום, אתן לכם להאזין למה שאמר אברי גלעד בתוכניתו בגלי צה"ל - "המילה האחרונה" (לחצו על שם התוכנית). היום בו הוא חשף שהוא, גם כן, מופרע קשב וריכוז.

Jag har blivit utmanad av Majsan.

Jaaa alltså jag brukar bojkotta kedjebrev och sånt. Men dels gillar jag Majsan, och sen är det ju inte som att jag har tretusen femhundra trettio fyra olika ämnen att skriva spännande och roliga inlägg just nu.

Så vad sjutton

Fem saker som fanns på din Att-göra-lista idag?

1. Äta frukost
2. Packa ner allt som ska med (lilla plantan!!!, datorn!!!!!!, lunchmaten!!)
3. Vattna alla småplantorna
4. Komma ihåg Ks fördelsedagspresent (den är nog försenad redan)
5. Inte få städspatt då jag kommer hem. Helt i onödan denna gång, nämligen

(Jo det är en mesig dag för listor, jag är ju ledig.....)

Vad gjorde du för 10 år sedan?

Var

• i slutet av sista föräldraledighetsperioden/första dagistiden
• gift och kär (samme man)
• upptagen med att komma på vad jag skulle bli så småningom (var ju nästan 40....),sökte in på en utbildning till personal/arbetsledning - som jag sen aldrig kom att gå, eftersom livet svarade på frågan på något oväntat sätt....
• mitt i processen att hantera DAMP-diagnos för mig och vildängel 1

Ställen du bott på

är till exempel:

• Stockholm
• Sävsjöfallet
• Gottsunda
• Sundbyberg

Fem saker du skulle göra om du var biljonär?

• Andas Ut, betala lån
• Skaffa någon som håller ordning på pengarna med värderingar jag kan leva med och inte tappar bort dem, som jag skulle göra.
• Investera i några olika organisationer med mikrolån
• Starta en organisation som jobbar med DAMP-tantsstöd
• Skaffa mig själv proffsig hjälp - inte någon som gör åt utan gör med vad gäller de mesta. När någon gör åt mig, utan att jag är med blir jag ännu mer bortrappad ju

Och nu utmanar jag Tant Vass, Ella, Incalishead, Psyk, Jonny Scharonne och Ordsallad

Läs även andra bloggares åsikter om utmaning, lista, mikrolån, DAMP-tant,

This is Maggie Johnson's article in the Boston Globe:

IN THE FAST-PACED, distraction-plagued arena of modern life, perhaps nothing has come under more assault than the simple faculty of attention. We bemoan the tug of war for our focus, joke uneasily about our attention-deficit lifestyles, and worry about the seeming epidemic of attention disorders among children.

The ability to pay careful attention isn't important just for students and air traffic controllers. Researchers are finding that attention is crucial to a host of other, sometimes surprising, life skills: the ability to sort through conflicting evidence, to connect more deeply with other people, and even to develop a conscience.

But for all that, attention remains one of the most poorly understood human faculties. Neither a subject nor a skill, precisely, attention is often seen as a fixed, even inborn faculty that cannot be taught. Children with attention problems are medicated; harried adults struggle to "pay attention." In a sense, our reigning view of attention hasn't come far from that of William James, the father of American psychological research, who dolefully asserted a century ago that attention could not be highly trained by "any amount of drill or discipline."

But now scientists are rapidly rewriting that notion. After decades of research powered by fresh advances in neuroimaging and genetics, many scientists are drawing a much clearer picture of attention, which they have come to see as an organ system like circulation or digestion, with its own anatomy, circuitry, and chemistry. Building upon this new understanding, researchers are discovering that skills of focus can be bolstered with practice in both children and adults, including those with attention-deficit disorders. In just five days of computer-based training, the brains of 6-year-olds begin to act like adults on a crucial measure of attention, one study found. Another found that boosting short-term memory seems to improve children's ability to stay on task.

It is not yet known how long these gains last, or what the best methods for developing attention may turn out to be. But the demand is clear: Dozens of schools nationwide are already incorporating some kind of attention training into their curriculum. And as this new arena of research helps overturn long-standing assumptions about the malleability of this essential human faculty, it offers intriguing possibilities for a world of overload.

"If you have good attentional control, you can do more than just pay attention to someone speaking at a lecture, you can control your cognitive processes, control your emotions, better articulate your actions," says Amir Raz, a cognitive neuroscientist at McGill University who is a leading attention researcher. "You can enjoy and gain an edge in life."

. . .

Attention has long fascinated humankind as a window into the mind and the world in general, yet its workings have historically been murky. Eighteenth-century scientists, who considered unwavering visual observation crucial to scientific discovery, theorized that attention was a "pooling" of nervous fluid. Later, Victorian scientists eagerly probed the limits and vulnerability of attention, treating the subject of their inquiry with a mix of puzzlement and admiration. "Whatever its nature, [attention] is plainly the essential condition of the formation and development of mind," wrote Henry Maudsley in the early 1830s.

More recently, scientists have used advances in genetics and imaging technologies that can map brain activity to formulate more detailed theories of what, exactly, attention is. It has been compared to a filter, a mental spotlight, and a tool for allocating our cognitive resources. Increasingly however, attention is viewed as a complex system comprising three networks, or types of attention: focus, awareness, and "executive" attention, which governs planning and higher-order decision-making. According to this model, first proposed by University of Oregon neuroscientist Michael I. Posner, the three attentional networks are independent, yet work closely together.

Armed with an improved sense of how attention works, Posner and others have begun researching whether attention can be trained. And their findings have been intriguing.

After years of research into how attention networks develop, Posner and colleague Mary K. Rothbart began experimenting a few years ago with training children's attention. They targeted children 6 and under, since executive attention develops rapidly between ages 4 and 7. Inspired by computer-learning work with monkeys, Posner and Rothbart created a five-day computer-based program to strengthen executive attention skills such as working memory, self-control, planning, and observation. Building on a known link between this attention network and internal conflict resolution, one exercise challenges a child to pick the larger of two groups of objects, such as apples or numerals. In the latter case, the symbolic and the literal counts conflict, forcing concentrated thought.

After the training, Posner and Rothbart reported that 6-year-olds showed a pattern of activity in the anterior cingulate - a banana-shaped brain region that is ground zero for executive attention - similar to that of adults, along with slightly higher scores on IQ tests and a marked gain in executive attention. The children who were the most inattentive gained the most from the program. The results were published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, and have since been replicated in similar experiments by Spanish researchers.

"We thought this was a long shot," says Posner, a lanky septuagenarian with a deep, rumbling voice. "Now I've changed my mind." Though small-scale, the results from his lab and others have been so remarkable that he and Rothbart are now calling on educators at conferences and in their book, "Educating the Human Brain," to consider teaching attention in preschool.

"We should think of this work not just as remediation, but as a normal part of education," Posner said in an address to the American Psychological Association in 2003, when he presented preliminary findings.

A parallel line of investigation is based on the close link between attention and memory. "Working memory" is the short-term cognitive storehouse that helps us recall a phone number or the image of a landscape; this type of memory is integral to executive attention. Tapping into this link, cognitive neuroscientist Torkel Klingberg of Sweden's Karolinska Institute devised computer software to improve executive attention by training working memory in teens and pre-adolescents with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.

Using a training program he calls "RoboMemo," Klingberg has helped children improve their working memory and complex reasoning skills, according to studies published in the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, among other publications. This appears to pay off in attention as well: The children were also reported to be less impulsive and inattentive by their parents, although their teachers largely did not report those behavioral improvements.

Christopher Lucas of New York University, one of the US researchers using Klingberg's software, used the RoboMemo training program to boost the visuospatial memory of a group of children, and found that as this type of working memory improved, they became more focused and compliant. Lucas, a psychiatrist, cautioned that such memory training isn't a quick fix for attention-deficit disorders. Working memory "is one of the areas that's implicated in ADHD," he says. "I don't think it's the whole story."

Other attention research eschews that kind of technology, instead investigating the attention-boosting potential of something very different: the 2,500-year-old tradition of meditative practice. With a long history but little scientific data on its effects, meditation has begun to intrigue neuroscientists in labs around the country, who are measuring the success of meditative practices that boost skills of focus and awareness.

Lidia Zylowska, an assistant clinical professor in psychiatry at UCLA, cofounded the university's Mindful Awareness Research Center and is a pioneer in the study of meditation's impact on human focus and attention.

In one study, Zylowska and colleagues reported that eight weeks of mindfulness meditation - a technique designed to improve attention and well-being largely by focusing on breathing - boosted both powers of focus and self-control in 24 adults and eight teens with ADHD. The work was published in May in the Journal of Attention Disorders. Others are finding similar gains from meditation in those without ADHD. Preliminary results from the largest attention-training study to date, which tracked 64 people meditating full-time for three months, reveal improved sustained attention and visual discrimination, says the lead researcher, UC Davis neuroscientist Clifford Saron, who presented the results at the Cognitive Neuroscience Society's annual meeting in April.

. . .

If focus skills can be groomed, as research has begun to hint, the important next question is whether, and how, attention should be integrated into education. Will attention become a 21st-century "discipline," a skill taught by parents, educators, even employers? Already a growing number of educators are showing interest in attention training, mostly through the practice of meditation in the classroom.

Susan Kaiser Greenland, a former corporate lawyer who started the nonprofit InnerKids Foundation in 2001 to teach meditation practices in communities and schools, says demand outstrips her staffing. The Santa Monica, Calif.-based nonprofit works with children ages 4 to 12.

"The kids are stressed out, they are distracted, and they are not able to sit still," she says. "There are more schools interested in our work than we can possibly serve."

But with the field of attention training still in its infancy, scientists don't yet understand if any current teaching has long-lasting gains - or, for that matter, which practices work best. Some researchers, for example, question computer-based efforts as too narrow in scope, arguing that children must be taught attention holistically, as a life skill. No brief training regime is likely to be a magic bullet, they say.

"Part of the problem in today's society is that people are looking for extremely quick fixes that have no vision. People are looking to lose 20 pounds for the wedding next week," says Raz at McGill. "But attention training is a slow process."

Nonetheless, with global use of controversial ADHD medicines tripling since the early 1990s and evidence mounting that attention can be strengthened, researchers are permitting themselves a bit of cautious excitement at the prospect that attention training could work, especially for children.

"Attention is such a basic skill that children need, and to be able to impact that skill, to teach them how to redirect their attention and how to become more aware of themselves, their bodies, emotions, and thoughts - it's an exciting thing," says Zylowska. "It's also critical."

Maggie Jackson is the author of "Distracted: The Erosion of Attention and the Coming Dark Age," published this month. 

this is Maggie Jackson's article in the Boston Globe on 6/29/08.  www.boston.com

tutoring in Columbus OH:   Adrienne Edwards   614-579-6021   or email  aedwardstutor@columbus.rr.com

So many times I've thought of a good idea for a blog. I'm a bookkeeper, so I started a blog all about accounting, working from home, productivity, etc. I'm also into music, so I recently decided I'd review an album a day, and post my reviews. I read a lot of tech blogs, and listen to similar podcasts, so I thought I'd try my hand at posting relevant tech news stories, and commenting on them.

None of them has lasted more than a month or two. The music review thing lasted two days.

Here's the deal. I'm pretty sure I'm ADD. I've never been diagnosed, and don't care to be. However, some of the telltale signs are there. Every so often, maybe in the car on my way to work, or while listening to a podcast or audiobook, an idea pops into my head. On the surface, it's a great idea. Actually, if I ever really pursued them, they might all be million dollar ideas. That's the problem.

Sunday afternoon I'll be listening to an audiobook (mostly business-types) and an idea will hit me. I've been wasting my skills and potential all these years, and I've finally discovered my true calling in life. I'm suddenly flooded with all the details to my 5 year plan. I think up a clever domain name, design idea, and concept. Suddenly I've dropped everything else, and I'm on GoDaddy.com, checking to see if the domain is available. Some variant of my original idea is available, and 2 minutes later I've got a shiny new domain, with all the potential in the world awaiting my energy and commitment.

Monday is hectic as always, but I'm not shaken. I sneak time in between paying projects to tweak the website, write a post, buy some related supplies, anything to further the dream. Tuesday is about the same. Unfortunately, Wednesday doesn't go so well. Something comes up, a meeting maybe, that takes me away from my new focus. Then, I get home to find that one my kids is really sick. or a pipe burst, or I forgot to pay the cable bill. It doesn't matter what it is. The main thing is that it takes up my attention for the rest of the day. Now it's 10pm, and I just want to sit down, have a really late supper, and watch some TV before falling asleep on the couch. This is where everything falls apart. Thursday is spent catching up on all the work I was supposed to do but didn't because I was busy working on this new side project. Friday is, well, Friday. I get home, and just want to eat, maybe go see a movie, and catch up on my RSS feeds. First thing Saturday morning, I plan to attack the project anew. Today is going to be different. I'm going to do nothing this morning but work on my new plan. I'm going to write three posts on the blog, get AdSense setup on the website, and design a business card....just as soon as I get the dishes done. Well, now that all these dishes are done, I might as well eat something. I can't be productive on an empty stomach. Now I'm lethargic. I really should have had a bowl of cereal, not bacon & eggs. Maybe I'll get some laundry started. That's started, while I'm waiting for the wash to finish, I'll just read over my email. One of the emails is a request for a report. I wonder if I have that done yet. Darn, not yet. I just need to check the current bank balance on the business savings account. Well, while I'm here, why not check my bank balance. If I'm going to get anything done today, I'll need to know if I can afford it. Alright, report is done, and sent. I'm thirsty. Crap, I didn't buy any drinks yesterday. I'll go to the store and grab a Diet Pepsi or something. While I'm out, I should get some groceries. It's Saturday, maybe I'll rent a movie or two. Wow, the gas tank is really low, better go fill 'er up. Alright, I'm back. I should put away the groceries. Wow, these cupboards are a mess. I should get rid of half of this stuff. Oh man, did I forget to switch the laundry over? What? How did it get to be 11:30am already? I better start thinking about lunch.

Wow! Are you as exhausted reading this as I was writing it? Try living it. So, that's Saturday morning. The afternoon isn't much better, expect I usually crash for an hour or two, just aimlessly surfing the web or listening to podcasts/audiobooks/music. By Sunday I feel wasted. I've spent all week flipping between too many things, so it's time to rejuvenate. I start listening to that audiobook that I started last Sunday, but never got around to finishing. And then it happens all over again.

So, this is why I am starting this blog. I've decided to accept defeat. Instead of making a specialized blog, this one is a catch-all. I will review an album or two, talk about accounting, review a book, post tech stories, whatever. There will be weeks when there are 20 posts, and months when there are none. I will not promise consistency. I will probably promise a weekly segment, or daily theme, or montly project. Do not believe a word I type. Although there are areas of my life where I am very commited, and very consistent, this will not be one of them. I need to have a place where I get to be me, for better or worse.

This is....Project Starter.

Invented disorders carry a serious problem with them. While they seem ridiculous when originally defined, time well ingrains them into medicine, and they become generally accepted as a disease or disorder. Eventually, the disorder becomes a common household word, and no one gives a second thought to what the disorder really is. If any thought were given to what is actually being described as a disorder, reconsideration of the diagnosis and search for a more meaningful explanation for the symptom would be demanded by the patient.

By defining these disorders, what happens is that the process of diagnosis stops prematurely because a named problem has been found. This essentially prevents the true underlying disorder or disease from being discovered. In not discovering the underlying causes, the patient’s condition will never improve because, as all too common in modern medicine, the true underlying conditions are left untreated. By treating only the symptoms, the underlying cause is still present, waiting to be manifested in another manner.

Just what are these invented disorders? Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) lead the list, but these are only the tip of the iceberg. Many disorders have been invented over the years, when, in fact, another underlying disorder or problem is the root cause. Once the cause is found, the solution becomes evident. If the cause remains a mystery, any treatment offered amounts to the proverbial shot in the dark.

Inventing a disorder can easily be done very easily. All one has to do is to find some behavior considered undesirable, define it, and then call it a disorder. The level to which this has already been done in medicine borderlines on absurdity, and indications are that, in the future, even more ridiculous disorders are on their way. The medical profession appears to be able to create any disorder at will, which is quite dangerous to the patient receiving the diagnosis.

By issuing and accepting a diagnosis of absurdity, we have essentially built a roadblock to proper treatment of what is actually responsible for the symptom or behavior. If the diagnosis of absurdity was never issued to begin with, finding the true cause of the problem would have been much easier. It is quite a shame that such monumental efforts are put into documenting such absurd disorders.

Interestingly, the target of these invented disorders are usually children. One must wonder why this is so. Children do not have the ability to question the diagnosis, demand further testing, or seek another medical opinion. The parents are often put under pressure by school officials to medicate the child to keep the child under control. The child is then evaluated to a minimal degree, diagnosed with an invented disorder (usually ADHD), prescribed a drug, and all is expected to be well. In many cases, if the truth were known, the diagnosis was planned before the child was actually seen by the doctor.  Since the disorder is an invented disorder in the first place, it is absurd to believe that a drug can actually cure it.

To illustrate the absurdity of prescribing medication for Attention Deficit Disorders, consider the fact that physical development and any associated athletic abilities do not develop at the same rate in every individual. Some individuals are highly gifted in sports, and this is evident in many cases at a very young age. If we were to propose that every student to perform at the physical level of these gifted individuals, and prescribe anabolic steroids to force the development of the body to bring physical performance of the less gifted individuals up to par, the proposal would be laughed at and quickly condemned as an inappropriate and unnecessary treatment. Furthermore, since the dangers of inappropriate use of anabolic steroids are well documented, the proposal will be quickly dismissed for being a risky and dangerous path to take. Why, then, would we require academic and intellectual performance to be altered by medication? Why would we endanger the proper development of a child's mind by prescribing drugs that can alter the normal course of nature? In reality, prescribing medication to treat Attention Deficit Disorders is no more logical than the ridiculous proposal of prescribing anabolic steroids to those students with inferior athletic performance.