Blog Archives

Neuro-Diversity and its relation not only to Psychiatric Disorders --- BUT also Cancer, Metabolism Dysregulation and Auto-immune Diseases

1/25/2023

Conjecture

When you have a lot of people who have:

neuro-developmental inflammation,
hyper-connected brains,
intense emotions and
idiosyncratic executive functioning challenges ---

You could end up with the Society we have now.

FURTHER --- the SYMPTOM CLUSTERS as contained in the DSM ---

MIGHT be better than nothing ---
BUT those SYMPTOM CLUSTERS can also be EXTREMELY MISLEADING
- to the person AND
- the people around them

EVEN FURTHER --- DEVELOPMENTAL INFLAMMATION is not exactly RARE --- so the likelihood that at least some of the people around them are contending with their own DEVELOPMENTAL INFLAMMATION is pretty high.

In 2013 --- the National Institute of Mental Health said we have to get to the "UNDERLYING BIOLOGY."

I think at the time that was seen as COLD and UNFEELING by some ---
- BUT from my perspective the large number of people who are MISSED by the current categories and the LARGE NUMBER OF MENTAL HEALTH CRISES that are NOT AVERTED because we're not able to PREVENTATIVELY IDENTIFY BIOMARKERS ---
  - leads to numerous TRAGEDIES.

Further, I would say this is not just about about our MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS --

it's also CANCER
METABOLISM DYSREGULATION including Obesity but not limited to Obesity, and
AUTO-IMMUNE DISEASES

Cancer and Neuro-Diversity

Metabolism, the Immune System, the Endocrine System and Mental Health

Neuro-Developmental Inflammation & Metabolic Dysregulation

***Physical Health Issues, the Immune System & Mental Health Index

OBSESSIVENESS and Neuro-Diversity

1/22/2023

Let's just get really HONEST --- I don't have a website with over 1,000 pages because I'm NOT obsessive.

"OCD" is part of Neuro-Diversity and that can look a lot of different ways.
Further, Neuro-Diversity is very blurred and many to most people have more than one diagnosis.

Further, we have HYPER-CONNECTED BRAINS, Intense Emotions that are often "normal" in every way except INTENSITY and the much talked about REJECTION SENSITIVE DYSPHORIA.

You could see how this could go awry in many, many, many ways.

One of the experiences I have recently had is someone seemingly trying to CATFISH me for a few days.

Two of my favorite artistic examples of romantic obsessiveness gone awry are Miranda Lambert's "Mama's Broken Heart" and John Green's young adult novel "Paper Towns."

MTV's Catfish

"Nev and Kamie are back on the road, uncovering secrets behind elusive small-town crushes, mysterious international pop stars and more as they investigate how far catfishing goes in 2022."

The Scope: Why Do People Catfish?

Miranda Lambert
Mama's Broken Heart

John Green

Quentin "Q" Jacobsen

The protagonist and narrator of the story. Quentin is the stereotypical rule-follower. He likes things to be neat and simple, making him the complete opposite of Margo Roth Spiegelman. Quentin has had a crush on Margo since they were kids, but the distance he kept from her created a perfect image of her in his head that turned out not to be real. His desire to find her after she goes missing drives the events of the story.
--- Wikipedia

What is so cool about John Green is that he is very open about his OCD and I think it takes a lot of guts to write about romantic obsession as in "Paper Towns."

We are at the point of OPENLY talking about CATFISHING --- there is a 2010 film and a MTV Documentary-reality series.

Even as we are in the midst of FAKE IDENTITIES and SOCIAL MEDIA POSTURING ----

that is IRONICALLY ACCELERATING the NEED for MORE AUTHENTICITY.

Parsing Mental Health Treatment

1/18/2023

from Miraculous Treatments to Neuro-Developmental Conversion Therapy & Everything In-Between

Val's Take/Conjecture

One of the Symbols on the Orchid website is "MIXED BAGS" ---

that often accurately describes not only mental health patients but mental health clinicians as well ---
and often in the same person

So the "MIXED BAG" of the patient can be HIGH SUBSTANTIVE STRENGTHS --- but certainly the "perception" of LOW EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONING ---

even if that LOW EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONING is sometimes to often the RESULT of getting pushed outside our individual ENERGY ZONES
- Which is quite a "MIXED BAG" itself often including periods of "HYPER-FOCUS" or "HYPER-ACTIVITY" --- and a subsequent need to "CRASH."

WHO is PUSHING --- NEURO-DIVERGENT people outside their ENERGY ZONES:

Often Neuro-Divergent people themselves
WHO are SUPER-SENSITIVE to their ENVIRONMENTS and are in largely HYPER-COMPETITIVE ENVIRONMENTS in most parts of the world.
That sure FEELS like Orwell's "ANIMAL FARM" --- We're all equal --- Some are just MORE EQUAL than others.

BUT the SOCIETY is doing plenty of this PUSHING OUTSIDE OF HOMEOSTASIS as well.

It's just been really hard to get our heads around High Substantive Strengths / IQ over 70 and SIGNIFICANT EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONING challenges when compared with the NORM or Neuro-Typicals.

It's been particularly hard to address this PARADOX of "GIFTEDNESS" or "GENIUS" and "MADNESS" even though it has been referenced SINCE ANCIENT TIMES.

NOBODY WANTS THE "MADNESS" PART.

It is about SLOWING DOWN in come respects--- but often not how we think or clinicians or even REASONABLE PEOPLE would think.

Clinicians in many parts of the world have gotten amazingly skilled at addressing the MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS --- even if there are still a lot of problems.

Neuroscience News

Jan. 16, 2023

The Link Between Mental Health & ADHD is Strong --- Why Aren't We Paying Attention?

What MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONALS often SUCK at --- is after the Crisis because they don't understand and the person often doesn't understand that under all this TURMOIL and UPSET and COGNITIVE DYSFUNCTION is ----

A Neuro-Developmental Difference(s) involving shared genes, developmental systemic inflammation and hyper-connected brains.
- And this is making it hard if not impossible for the person to meet current demands as they are currently structured.
- Due to differences in EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONING and ENERGY.

So at least some people in Colorado notably mental health advocate Amy Smith --- and myself --- find --- that to truly get better ----
- You need to do your own RESEARCH, and
  - for some people --- you may ultimately need to get away from the MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONAL

It is NOT MY OPINION --- that is the IDEAL SITUATION.

I didn't do all this research because I just wanted to --- I'm a big believer in the PRINCIPLE of LEAST EFFORT ---

everything you see on this website was an enormous amount of effort for me and came at great personal sacrifice ---
I'm not very happy about it ---
BUT my life and the lives of my family are NOW --- and I couldn't wait for MENTAL HEALTH and the SOCIETY to get on top of this.

Failure to provide the RESEARCH and TRANSLATIONAL RESEARCH SUPPORT necessary and to FULLY INTEGRATE Physical and Mental Health mean Mental Health IS NOT COMPETENT and they don't have the TOOLS to become COMPETENT.

More on Neuro-Diversity, Developmental Difference and What Sure Can Look Like Lack of Empathy ---Isn't ---- BUT IS EVEN MORE DANGEROUS

1/15/2023

Val's Take/ Conjecture

We don't have a good appreciation that we are individually trying to SURVIVE with sometimes slightly and sometimes greatly different RANGES in FUNCTIONING.

For many people who have Executive Functioning Differences --- they largely grew up in a Society in which --- THERE WAS NO EXCUSE.

You didn't know you had EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONING DIFFERENCES often until you BURNT OUT or BROKE DOWN.

And UNTIL QUITE RECENTLY --- you still probably didn't know ---
- Take some Medication
- Participate in Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT)
  - That's been the PRESCRIPTION for QUITE AWHILE and our MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS is NOT ABATING.
MEDICATION and CBT can be helpful ---
- BUT if professionals DON'T UNDERSTAND that many of the people they are working with have underlying DEVELOPMENTAL DIFFERENCES ---
  - Those professionals can be part of the PROBLEM just as much as they are legitimately part of the SOLUTION.

From my perspective --- what is sometimes to often happening --- is People are getting pushed passed THEIR INDIVIDUAL BIOLOGICAL LIMITS

Individuals have not had a good explanation of this
Executive Functioning and Developmental Difference have not been ROUTINELY understood as PART & PARCEL of many PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS
- We've known a long time about GENETICS -- but the initial twin studies were confusing ---
- It is INCREASED KNOWLEDGE about EPIGENETICS and the IMMUNE SYSTEM ---
  - at least at the RESEARCH LEVEL ---
  - that is REVEALING we have had SIGNIFICANT GAPS in our understanding.

Paul Micallef -- Autism from the Inside
"My strategies tend to be very different than what work for other people.

"THE BEST THING FOR ME IS TO DO WHAT WORKS FOR ME."

If current research is right that SOCIAL BEHAVIOR is a product of a DELICATE BALANCE of INNATE & ADAPTIVE IMMUNITY ---And Many Neuro-Diverse People born with MATERNAL IMMUNE ACTIVATION and HYPER-CONNECTED BRAINS

Are pretty close to their LIMITS most of the time.
Add on other sources of INFLAMMATION (which are legion)---
- At least in some cases --- I believe that is a recipe for DISASTER.

3 Big Take Aways From the Reasearch

Rather than trying to push people to have NEURO-TYPICAL FUNCTIONING --- especially EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONING --- We need to raise the bar in terms of ASSESSMENT, WORK-AROUNDS and PEER COACHING.

Further, the ramped up Stress Responses that can spiral out of control in NEURO-DIVERSITY---CAN MAKE EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONING WORSE.

Most people want to LIVE THEIR BEST LIFE ---But that can be difficult to do if you don't understand your limits, the professional class has a pretty shaky grasp and is sometimes inadvertently making things worse by confusing lack of responsibility with DEVELOPMENTAL DIFFERENCE --That if managed with MORE AWARENESS might avoid some of the WORST PITFALLS.

Thoughts on Neuro-Diverse Careers

1/11/2023

It used to be that we made a BIG DISTINCTION between MANAGERS and EXPERTS --

and we often considered that ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT as ---- oh anybody can do that --- that's women's work.
- This is one woman who is TERRIBLE at ADMINISTRATIVE MATTERS.

I think one of the things that has happened with GLOBALIZATION and HYPER-COMPETITIVE ENVIRONMENTS is that --- we're all wearing more HATS --- whether we are well-suited for them or not.

I have an unusual experience with chronic disorganization --- I fell far from the tree. I had 2 Parents who were good to great to amazing organizers and that really allowed me to shine ----they weren't doing my homework for me --- but they were maintaining not a perfect environment --- but a pretty darn good one.

I think there are those kids with ADHD that were told they were idiots and that skewed their perception of reality ---

I think there is another group that was told they were "gifted" ("giftedness" is now often recognized as part of neuro-diversity) ---
- and they also have a skewed perception of reality.

For many of us born long before the current understandings regarding Neuro-Developmental Differences & Disorders and their relationship to Psychiatric Disorders ---

this has been a difficult journey and some people didn't survive it.

One of the things most modern adults need to survive is a JOB or their own business.

Lex Morningstar talks among other things about being a woman with "ADHD" who is not the best organizer and a society that is expecting she should be.

I wouldn't necessarily say that there is something "inherently wrong" with the person --- BUT I would say there is something "inherently different" ---- that is often about among other things --- sensory processing.

Lex also mentions "unfinished projects" --- I'm going to push back on that a little bit.

Leonardo da Vinci had a lot of unfinished projects and what he recognized was ----

He couldn't do everything
And his projects got re-prioritized as his knowledge changed.

Cont. from Column 1

Because of the Sensory Processing Differences --- I would say that Neuro-Diverse People can make great EXPERTS (there are NO PERFECT EXPERTS) ---

they often are just by nature taking in MORE INFORMATION.

They also make as Lex said great Entrepreneurs --- when they can channel their own insights into their own vision.

Science & Art ---- both generally place a high value on "TRUTH" and "CREATIVITY."

Religion/Spirituality --- I would maintain that many of the world's great spiritual leaders for better or worse were Neuro-Diverse.

Meditation and Prayer I think are useful for anyone --- especially the sensory overloaded and overwhelmed
The flip side of that is --- no matter how much information you're taking in --- you're not going to know it all in this lifetime
- Uncertainty is scary and anxiety producing especially for those with ramped up STRESS RESPONSES.

Teaching/Coaching ---- Can be the EXPERT in which it all came easily --- Can also be the person who struggled, ultimately mastered the subject in question and has a better understanding of the PITFALLS.

Entrepreneurship, Art, Science, Religion/Spirituality and Teaching & Coaching can be great outlets ---we do have to be careful about ADMINISTRATIVE REQUIREMENTS.

Here is what I think will become one of the ironies of empowering people who are Neuro-Diverse ---We will likely also be empowering those people who are good at ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT. (or at least we SHOULD)

NEURODiversity Wednesday

Neuro-Diversity and its relation not only to Psychiatric Disorders --- BUT also Cancer, Metabolism Dysregulation and Auto-immune Diseases

OBSESSIVENESS and Neuro-Diversity

Parsing Mental Health Treatment

More on Neuro-Diversity, Developmental Difference and What Sure Can Look Like Lack of Empathy ---Isn't ---- BUT IS EVEN MORE DANGEROUS

Thoughts on Neuro-Diverse Careers

Neuro-Diversity
Wednesday

(with variable spellings of Neurodiversity)

Archives

Categories

​ NEURODiversity Wednesday

Neuro-Diversity and its relation not only to Psychiatric Disorders --- BUT also Cancer, Metabolism Dysregulation and Auto-immune Diseases

OBSESSIVENESS and Neuro-Diversity

Parsing Mental Health Treatment

More on Neuro-Diversity, Developmental Difference and What Sure Can Look Like Lack of Empathy ---Isn't ---- BUT IS EVEN MORE DANGEROUS

Thoughts on Neuro-Diverse Careers

Neuro-DiversityWednesday(with variable spellings of Neurodiversity)

Archives

Categories

NEURODiversity Wednesday

Neuro-Diversity
Wednesday

(with variable spellings of Neurodiversity)