I like to write diaries about topics that could help people and in my opinion everything is political so therefore everything is fodder for a political diary.  I am not a medical professional but I feel fine about criticizing medical professionals and a medical community in general that props up a pill-for-every-ill pharmaceutical industry mindset and their insurance industry puppetmasters.

So yet another study has come out that reinforces other new studies which show that Ritalin and the like are useless against ADHD and actually stunts children's growth:  after all, it's like prescribing toxic cocaine to a child.  This new study shows the benefits of change in diet, in particular abstention from milk, which seems to have literally cured ADHD for some children who have metabolic defects.  Autism studies have focuses on this same metabolic defects.

As I write this, I know that chances are strong that I'll end up deleting this after I post it.  I get highly embarrassed by what I'm about to do.  I know many will look at what I'm writing as being worthy of condemnation; I don't disagree.  I know I'm being highly selfish because this diary is all about me.

I feel like crap.  I'm having a particularly bad day.  I haven't felt quite this bad in years.  I'm not going to go into the specifics of how I got to feeling the way I do today.  I've written a couple diaries on here before, and I've commented a lot, so a few people might recognize my name maybe, but mostly, I'm unknown.  So here are some of the highlights of who I am.  I'm a 28 year old white gay male living in Virginia.  I still live with my parents in the same house I've lived in my entire life.  We live on a farm, and I dearly love the scenery of this farm.  I'm exceptionally close with my mother, though we still have our moments of conflict.  I have nothing but moments of conflict with my father as he's been little more than an abusive alcoholic my entire life.  We no longer fear for our physical safety the way we did when I was growing up, but dealing with my father is still stressful for a variety of other reasons.

Yep, a cross post from Furious Seasons.

A series of studies in December's Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry is suddenly getting some attention because it raises serious questions about how ADHD is treated in children and teens, how well treatment works, what really drives ADHD--and whether it makes sense to medicate kids at all. The studies are based upon a cohort of 188 Finnish teens--the research is led by a Brit and an American, the teens have been tracked for several years--considered to have probably or definite signs that the disorder will continue into adulthood.

I've never talked about here before, but I'm mom to a young person with autism. I've recently found out about a highly offensive advertising campaign by an organisation that ought to know better--the NYU Child Study Centre--that discusses kids like mine as though they have been kidnapped and turned into some sort of terrible creatures.

The environment has been an issue of mine for quite a while, but with limited local, state and federal resources to actually accomplish such a herculean task I believe it is important to focus on the removal of the most toxic compounds first.

Continued....

One of my pet peeves is when people refuse to take responsibility for their own actions. Parents, who are notorious for their irrationality (especially when it comes to the imperfections of their kids), are especially bad with this. Recently, I have been reading about one area where this phenomena is common: the so-called "learning disorders." The most famous (infamous) of these is probably ADHD. When I was in school, people tried to diagnose me with all sorts of learning disorders. Because I had trouble paying attention in class, people said I had ADHD. Because I had bad handwriting, they managed to claim that even this was a disease. The problem with these "diseases" is that they are largely the result of human invention. There is nothing objective about them. That isn't to say that people don't actually have these symptoms. But these "disease" classifications are just the result of an arbitrary dividing line between "normal" and "abnormal." Worse than that is the fact that they often create a culture of dependency and increase the likelihood of turning this "disease" into a self-fulfilling prophecy.

When my first son was born, a friend told me "when the kid is driving you nuts, always remember that it's just a stage, and he'll grow out of it.  And always remember that once he's grown out of that one, there will be the next stage, which also will drive you nuts".

It was a good piece of advice — almost.  Yes, my sons have grown through various developmental stages: from waking every three hours to sleeping through the night; the extreme uncooperativeness of being toddlers; learning to talk, rather than scream; moving from total dependence requiring constant monitoring, to being more and more independent.

But, because neither of my boys is "normal", their stages also have not been normal.  My eldest son, now 14, is twice exceptional: high-gifted with ADHD and dysgraphia.  My younger son, 11, has high functioning autism.  These are things they will not "grow out of".

What's Your F@*king Problem (WYFP) is our community's Saturday evening gathering to talk about our problems, empathize with one another, and share advice, pootie pictures, favorite adult beverages, and anything else that we think might help. Everyone and all sorts of troubles are welcome. May we find peace and healing here. Won't you please share the joy of WYFP by recommending?

This being human is a guest-house
Every morning a new arrival.

A joy, a depression, a meanness,
some momentary awareness comes
as an unexpected visitor.

Welcome and entertain them all!
Even if they're a crowd of sorrows,
who violently sweep your house
empty of its furniture...
-Rumi, "The Guest House"
Coleman Barks Trans.

I have a fk*ing problem.  

Like the patients on the psychiatric unit at the prison where I work healing the minds and spirits of those often considered the least among us, I have a mental illness AND what some would consider a neurological disorder.  I only recently learned of the latter and of its connection to the former.  And this learning has helped me change my life.

I ask for forgiveness in advance if I go on a NCLB rant, because this story is exactly why I DESPISE NCLB.

I was a smart kid. Quite socially awkward, but given my height, other physical problems, and things in my personal life, it wasn't a surprise. I got As and Bs on all my exams, and I scored in the 98th - 99th percentile on most standardized tests. I was the model student in many cases. So, what's the problem?

The problem was in the classroom and at home.

No, not budget deficit. I'm talking about Attention Deficits and Learning Deficits. This section of the "A Little Bit Special" series will come in two parts. Todays will simply explain what my deficits are and how they affect my every day life. Next Sunday will be about growing up with these deficits being undiagnosed. (They weren't diagnosed until my 4th year of college.)

Follow me below the fold for a look at a day in the life of me.

At the beginning of the month I wrote a diary about how my son’s school is trying to shove an ADD/ADHD down mine and my ex-wife’s throats Attention Deficit Disorder

Well, since then school is out my son, who is 7 and just finished 1st grade, is enjoying the summer and things are good for him...however, before school let out my son’s school set up an appointment to take some tests at the local Public School District (He attends a private Catholic school).

We got to the District Administration building at 8:30 this morning...

More below the fold...

My heart breaks for Cho's family. I can never know what utter agony they are going through. My pain is a drop in the ocean compared to their suffering. But the majority of you will never know what it is like to have a child labled as "different" or "weird."  

My 14 year old son has always been an outcast. I can easily count on one hand the number of birthday parties he has been invited to in his life.  He is shy and socially awkward, yet he has tried countless times to reach out and make friends.  Our next door neighbors also have a 14 year old son. My son considers this boy to be his best friend and he would throw himself in front of a moving train to save this "best friend."  Last year our neighbors had a huge theme party for their son. My boy wasn't invited. I asked why. They said their son's friends did not like my son.  

I have changed schools three times. I have home schooled him. I have provided private tutors, and I have celebrated every interest he has. He sees a psychiatrist regularly. He has talked of suicide. He has been in love with one girl his entire eighth grade year. She seems to be a nice girl and I have never seen her ridiciule him like some of the other students. She just looks away when he says hello.  

So I can't shake this feeling this morning, it's making me uncomforatble, angry, disturbed, depressed and alarmed. I woke to the "happy" talk of Diane Sawyer helping the powers at ABC/Disney beat the drums of war for military action against Iran. I see the lies of the Washington post as soon as I go online. The only surprise here is that Judy Miller hasnt turned on her red light, though I am sure it's just a matter of time.

THIS pRESIDENT AND THIS ADMINISTRATION HAVE NO CREDIBILITY!
Please tell me this is going to blow up in their faces.

Anyone with children should know about the dangers of lead - How little it takes to elevate the lead content in a child and the horrible consequences of lead poisoning. But, even though we all realize these dangers and have been working for decades to lower the risks to American children - we have 2 news items today that again illustrate how Republicans put corporate greed over people, children and even the unborn:

What if you had ADD 40 years ago but no one knew it because the disease hadn't been invented yet? Would you be bouncing off your cubicle walls at work? Would you forget where you car was parked? Forget to deposit your paycheck?

The answer to these questions will have to wait till I regain some focus.

Last week I found out my son had ADHD, a kid who has an IQ over 130, a kid who for the last four years has struggled with  school, failed in school for the most part, a kid who is filled with energy, love, creativity and sadly also a desire to self medicate.  

For the last few days I have done nothing but research ADHD, and now realize that I too have struggled with ADHD all my life.  

So, what is ADHD like?  In a nutshell it is a life that never "rests," it is like driving without brakes, it is an itch that keeps one from staying focused, a mind that can't seem to stay in one place very long, it is both a gift and something that makes everyday life almost impossible to get through.

more....