Unmasking & Challenging the Social Mirror

I can relate to Paul Micallef and the need to "UNMASK."

Orchid is serving several functions one of which is my "unmasking."

A BIG PART of that is to allow me to take on some of the TOUGH ISSUES I see--- and get out my own weaknesses as soon as possible --- so maybe people will wonder about that --- but it is not coming as an initial SHOCK.

When we talk about "INVISIBLE DISABILITIES" -- we often need to understand that it is "INVISIBLE" to the person themselves.

• How do we really SEE our STRENGTHS & WEAKNESSES --- somebody tells US we have a STRENGTH or tells us we have a WEAKNESS.
• Further there are HARD-GRAINED IDEAS that if someone has particular "weaknesses" (especially in EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONING) --- they couldn't possibly have Higher STRENGTHS or even STRENGTHS that are higher than the person without the same level of EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONING DIFFERENCES or DIFFICULTIES.
  • ​Those hard-grained IDEAS are often shared by the person themselves.
  • So they are often working as hard as they can to IMPROVE or if that doesn't work or work well enough --- CONSTRUCT a FACADE for OTHERS.
  • Or maybe for some people -- it can be so PAINFUL --- a lot of emotional energy is being used to CONSTRUCT A FACADE for THEMSELVES.

BUT IF We're In a HIERACHICAL Society --- it is NOT a TWO-WAY STREET about who gets to LABEL "STRENGTHS" and "WEAKNESSES"
​
Further, this is COMPLICATED.  The Black Community talks about BLACK on BLACK VIOLENCE ---- well, there's NEURO-DIVERSE on NEURO-DIVERSE Emotional Violence and certainly there is a high percentage of NEURO-DIVERSE people in the JUSTICE SYSTEM and plenty at the TOP OF THIS SOCIETY.

This blog today was originally to be about how INADEQUATE UNDERSTANDING of NEURO-DIVERSITY HAS "DISASTROUS CONSEQUENCES"

• That "INADEQUATE UNDERSTANDING" has by and large been in every segment of our Society, including large swaths of the Mental Health Profession.
• The American Psychiatric Association Foundation has recognized that better TREATMENTS are needed for "PSYCHIATRIC  DISORDERS."
• The National Institute of Mental Health has recognized that better DIAGNOSTICS and TREATMENTS are needed for "PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS."
• Research funded by the National Institute of Mental Health and subsequently promoted by NIMH concluded that:
  • ADHD
  • Autism
  • Bipolar Disorder
  • Depression, and 
  • Schizophrenia
  • WERE NOT DISTINCT, but WERE BLURRED (2013) 

​​I can relate to Paul Micallef and the need to "UNMASK."

(See Paul's video on the Night Gallery).

Orchid is serving several functions one of which is my "unmasking."

A BIG PART of that is to allow me to take on some of the TOUGH ISSUES I see--- and get out my own weaknesses as soon as possible --- so maybe people will wonder about that --- but it is not coming as an initial SHOCK.

When we talk about "INVISIBLE DISABILITIES" -- we often need to understand that it is "INVISIBLE" to the person themselves.

• How do we really SEE our STRENGTHS & WEAKNESSES --- somebody tells US we have a STRENGTH or tells us we have a WEAKNESS.
• Further there are HARD-GRAINED IDEAS that if someone has particular "weaknesses" (especially in EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONING) --- they couldn't possibly have Higher STRENGTHS or even STRENGTHS that are higher than the person without the same level of EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONING DIFFERENCES or DIFFICULTIES.
  • ​Those hard-grained IDEAS are often shared by the person themselves.
  • So they are often working as hard as they can to IMPROVE or if that doesn't work or work well enough --- CONSTRUCT a FACADE for OTHERS.
  • Or maybe for some people -- it can be so PAINFUL --- a lot of emotional energy is being used to CONSTRUCT A FACADE for THEMSELVES.

BUT IF We're In a HIERACHICAL Society --- it is NOT a TWO-WAY STREET about who gets to LABEL "STRENGTHS" and "WEAKNESSES"
​
Further, this is COMPLICATED.  The Black Community talks about BLACK on BLACK VIOLENCE ---- well, there's NEURO-DIVERSE on NEURO-DIVERSE Emotional Violence and certainly there is a high percentage of NEURO-DIVERSE people in the JUSTICE SYSTEM and plenty at the TOP OF THIS SOCIETY.

Image Credit:  Nature

Asperger's from the Inside
(Paul MiCallef)
Unmasking:  3 Steps to Take Off the Mask

This is really to contrast / show the commonalities between two groups we think of as opposites --- CREATIVES or Athletic people and Engineering Types  --- ADHD vs. Autism.

These categories are at the very least blurred, and I don't think are going to hold up for too many more decades.

They both have differences in Information and Sensory Processing and they are both HIGH LY VULNERABLE to Psychiatric Disorders.

I think one of the BIG STRESSORS is that often what is being paired is HIGH ABILITY in some SUBSTANTIVE AREA and an UNEXEPECTED DIFFERENCE or DEFICIT in  some or more aspects of EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONING.

Neuro-Diverse people need their own STANDARDS OF SUCCESS -- if it is just the SOCIAL MIRROR --- that can be both HARD & DISTORTED.

​

The "Odd Couple I'm referring to is ADHD & AUTISM

 Lex Morningstar
"What Happened to the Lost Generation of Women with ADHD."

And Nobody Finishes all their "PROJECTS" --- there are at least sometimes PRINCIPLED REASONS why the "UNFINISHED PROJECT" is being put to the "BACK BURNER."  ---even if the person with ADHD didn't go through all the proper channels to do that --- IT WAS AN EXECUTIVE DECISION,

• ​I think often people with ADHD are putting things to the BACK BURNER for the same reasons everyone else does, LACK OF RESOURCES, CHANGE in PRIORITIES
• But that Lack of Resources and Change in Priorities can be different for NEURO-DIVERSE people than NEURO-TYPICALS. 
  • ​The problem is THE NEURO-DIVERSE PERSON isn't BELIEVED (if they even know they are NEURO-DIVERSE) or they are BELIEVED --- and DEEMED INHERENTLY UNFIT.​

What I can really relate to is being with the "THEORIES" and "IDEAS"  and my mind and senses GOING ALL THE TIME.

I can also relate to being someone ---- a Woman ----who is expected to be ORGANIZED and ISN'T.

Of course, top that  off with being someone who did well in school and is an attorney ---- those EXPECTATIONS are even higher that I'm going to have TRADITIONAL EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONING --- and I don't.]

This blog today was originally to be about how INADEQUATE UNDERSTANDING of NEURO-DIVERSITY HAS "DISASTROUS CONSEQUENCES"

• That "INADEQUATE UNDERSTANDING" has by and large been in every segment of our Society, including large swaths of the Mental Health Profession.
• The American Psychiatric Association Foundation has recognized that better TREATMENTS are needed for "PSYCHIATRIC  DISORDERS."
• The National Institute of Mental Health has recognized that better DIAGNOSTICS and TREATMENTS are needed for "PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS."
• Research funded by the National Institute of Mental Health and subsequently promoted by NIMH concluded that:
  • ADHD
  • Autism
  • Bipolar Disorder
  • Depression, and 
  • Schizophrenia
  • WERE NOT DISTINCT, but WERE BLURRED (2013) ​