16 Comments
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Wolly Ram's avatar

I was diagnosed with ADD as a kid, although I wonder now if it has more to do with the IQ gap making normal schooling and human interactions dull.

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Cedric's avatar

School isn't boy-friendly. If you are even rowdier than the normal boy, it is not a hospitable place for you. If your IQ is above average, it's even worse.

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Ken Gordon's avatar

Hmmm...well, this is certainly interesting, and seems to make clearer to me what I have experienced over the years. It also make me far more aware of what an unusual treasure my own wife is. Thank you. Oh. As I recall it, you (Kurgan) once said something like, "highly intelligent women are 'quirky'..." and that fits my wife perfectly. Ha ha! :-) She, also, remembers, and sings, every song she has ever heard. And what to me is even more strange, she loves me.

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Trumpanagan's avatar

Very nice article,

I want to add people live in their own worlds. And often I find most people's brains function very differently.

Music has an enormous effect on the brain.

A separate thought.

As a serious musician, I'm very musical. And I was teacher, I've sat down to teach children, and without them knowing anything about my background or what is going on in my head. They would often start singing and humming. I feel this is the musicality in my brain pouring into theirs... War is like music too, two opposing songs. You can grab them and blend them and make it to your advantage.... Anyway good analysis. It should be mandatory reading for teachers, and it doesn't just apply to ADHD kids.

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Chuckie Pierce's avatar

One thing missing with your analysis of ADHD is that ADHD is more akin to existing with fight-or-flight mode permanently engaged rather than an inability to focus. It's the brain constantly scanning the environment for threats, real or imagined. This stems from physical or genetic mishaps, or from some sort of trauma during childhood, the trauma usually related to poor emotional attachment to caregivers from neglect, abuse or parents being "too busy." It is therefore possible to overcome ADHD by dealing with the traumas which, as stated in your article, functions as the left-brain exerting control over the right-brain.

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The Kurgan's avatar

No. That piece is not “missing” it’s just wrong.

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Chuckie Pierce's avatar

Would you be able to explain why it's "wrong?"

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The Kurgan's avatar

It’s nonsense with zero evidence. And doesn’t track at all with reality.

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Chuckie Pierce's avatar

There is an overlap between ADHD and childhood trauma - either in a causal, or exacerbating sense.

From https://drellenlittman.com/adhdtraumaconnection.pdf

“Early chronic trauma often renders the nervous system in perpetual high alert…”

“In response to repeated trauma, the child’s developing brain, in an effort to protect itself, becomes attuned to which adult behaviors may lead to violence. Hypervigilance allows this child to scan their environment for threats.”

Part Two of “Scattered Minds” by Gabor Mate examines how a poor childhood environment affects ADHD.

Personal first and second hand anecdotes are not included.

The caveat to it tracking with reality is that it tracks when one’s thoughts are disordered, ADHD and not when one’s thoughts are ordered, normal.

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The Kurgan's avatar

No. These are different things lumped under one label, which is why there are so many “ADHD” cases. Or why suddenly everyone that breaks up with someone else becomes a “narcissist” etc etc.

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Cedric's avatar

No. Read John Ratey, Edward Hallowell, Daniel Amen and Thom Hartmann, if you want to learn about ADHD. I've found more useful tips in Indian Ayurvedic medicine than I've gotten from Scattered Minds.

Read what the Kurgan says against everything relating to depression, faith, being a man, sports and making an effort. Because when 7 out of 10 people with ADHD develop depression, everything related to depression is what matters.

The non-idiotic doctors and psychologists recommend the same things which The Kurgan recommends.

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KD's avatar

Additionally environmental factors add significantly to the symptoms of ADHD. Gut health is directly related to mental health. While inattentive parenting and trauma do contribute they imho are not causal factors. Increased technology dependency since the inception of "smartphones" has played a very significant role in the increase of the prevalence of ADHD. Vaccinations also play a large role by disrupting natural cognitive development.

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The Kurgan's avatar

This. There is a difference between trauma adding to or complicating ADHD-like behaviour and it being “the” thing itself.

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Chuckie Pierce's avatar

You are correct. I am confounding the two. Thank you for the clarification.

Trauma induced behavior can parallel and mimic ADHD induced behavior. The outward expressions may be similar but the underlying internals may be completely different.

Left-brain analysis, processing and active countering of right-brain derived trauma responses would provide tangible improvements as the trauma is overcome by the efforts. Such improvements would not occur in "true" ADHD as the STM deficits do not derive from externals blocking or utilizing available cognitive resources to the detriment of overall mental acuity. "True" ADHD deficits function more like physical limitations.

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The Kurgan's avatar

And yes, one is more curable than the other. But the other (the STM low version or “real” ADHD) is also not in a constant state of alert. In fact quite often they are in a state of obliviousness to their surroundings, preoccupied only with their own emotions or runaway trains of thought.

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The Kurgan's avatar

Well! Blow me down! We have a guy on the internet that accepts a correction graciously! And they say miracles no longer happen! Congratulations to you sir. And my hat off and a bow of recognition for your honesty!

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