Blog Archives

Getting Conscious & Honest about "Filling In the Gaps" in Mental Health & Law --- The Need to Make Some Revisions

12/30/2021

People do need LOYALTY and it is HARD to go 360 --- and that is what we are called on to do.

Further, sometimes it is that person who seems 180 degrees from us --- BUT often it is that person who is 1 or 2 degrees or less from us --- and we seem to be jostling for the same lane or niche.

the BRUTALITY of "INFIGHTING" is definitely there.

APPLYING this APPARENT CONFLICT between LOYALTY and SUBSTANCE and how this sometimes plays out for people who are maybe STRONGER on SUBSTANCE and WEAKER on EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONING.

First, "EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONING" seems more OBJECTIVE than FACIAL CONTOURS so ---
- The GROUP can generally CONSOLE THEMSELVES by saying "HEY, we're NOT UNFAIRLY DISCRIMINATING --- we're using OBJECTIVE CRITERIA."
How did this NEURO-DIVERSE person get STRONGER on SUBSTANCE?
- They probably asked a lot of questions because they had to.
  - Yeah, they don't have that AUTOMATIC FUNCTIONING to the same degree, BUT ALSO . . .
  - They need the DOPAMINE RUSH and other kind of RUSHES from SOLVING PROBLEMS --- that of necessity become MORE COMPLEX
    - we're not staying at SIMPLE ADDITION or LEARNING the ALPHABET --- we're MOVING ON.
- ACADEMIA is definitely a kind of INSTITUTION and ACADEMIC FREEDOM is IMPORTANT
  - Most people in their jobs don't have that
  - People in this COUNTRY have a RIGHT TO FREE SPEECH but they don't have a RIGHT TO A JOB.
    - MEANING --- most employment is AT-WILL --- and you can be fired for a lot less than a substantive disagreement.
    - Further --- there are these EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONING ISSUES that can actually GET WORSE if you can't get SUFFICIENTLY CHALLENGED in your STRENGTHS.
- So some Neuro-Diverse People are coming in these quite ASYNCHRONOUS packages that are hard to FIGURE OUT if you're the person much less someone else.
- In our SOCIETY, NEURO-DIVERSE People at the TOP of Politics and BUSINESS are sometimes allowed to RUN AMUCK (think the US PRESIDENCY -- there are examples from BOTH DEMOCRATS & REPUBLICANS) and
  - At the BOTTOM --- NEURO-DIVERSE People are often unwittingly ABUSED and NEGLECTED.
- Now is maybe a good time when we have so many STAFFING PROBLEMS in so many areas to REALIZE that we need EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES more of a 2-Way Street and/or look at more CREATIVE OPTIONS such as SUPPORTED ENTREPRENEURSHIP.

It seemed so amazing when CAL-TECH's David Anderson was just logically explaining on his TEDx Talk why pouring psychiatric medication on billions of neural circuits globally might cause some unintended problems.

Now we're beyond BILLIONS of NEURO-CIRCUITS --- we're at TRILLIONS of MICROBIOTA --- and we're carrying around more of their genetic material than our own.

Further, those MICROBIOTA appear to be talking with our BRAINS and one of the pathways appears to be the STRESS HORMONE CORTISOL which is part of the ENDOCRINE SYSTEM.

The NECESSITY of RELIGION, REVISION --- and CONSERVATION

When I use the word "Religion" ---- I am referring to the monotheistic religions, the various spiritual paths, historical development of "Religious Beliefs" in humans which were originally not separate from other aspects of LIFE, CULTURE and ultimately "CIVILIZATION."

In addition to those meanings of "RELIGION" ---- I'm referring to the ESSENTIAL NEED to FILL IN GAPS of our IMPERFECT KNOWLEDGE.

The PARADOX of our EXPANDING KNOWLEDGE BASE is --- it also EXPONETIALLY EXPANDS our AWARENESS of how much we don't know.

SCIENCE is a wonderful thing and it does often require REVISION of BELIEFS we used to FILL IN THE GAPS ---
- BUT the IDEA that Science can OBVIATE the NEED to FILL IN GAPS --- seems DELUSIONAL, MAGICAL and even DANGEROUS THINKING.

REMEMBER: Seemingly OPPOSING IDEAS are not necessarily CONTRADICTIONS --- if you can view them in DIFFERENT RESPECTS.

Big Think
Us vs. Them Explained

There's a lot in this short video ---

RESOLVING the CONFLICT between LOYALTY and SUBSTANTIVE CONTENT is a BIG CHALLENGE for our Societies right now.

I think historically --- Societies have tended to shore up problems in the Society by focusing on an OUTSIDE ENEMY.

BUT we're not doing that AS MUCH --- but it is HIGHLIGHTING the CONFLICTS within the COUNTRY or GROUP --- and we don't always have the TOOLS to RESOLVE those.

Further, many of the ASSUMPTIONS Mental Health has on "PRO SOCIAL COMPETENCY" need to be QUESTIONED.

The ASSUMPTIONS that LAW has and MOST PEOPLE have about "BAD INTENT" need to be QUESTIONED ----

when most of the time --- if we go just 2 or 3 links back in that causal chain and more specifically get to the UNDERLYING BIOLOGY, we find:
- BRAIN INJURY
- NEURO-DEVELOPMENTAL DISORDER
- PSYCHIATRIC DISORDER, and/or
- A SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER that is often RELATED to one or more of the above.

Image Credit: NPR --- What's a Paradigm Shift

It's hard to overstate how much of our "Mental Health Crisis" is owing to PARTIAL and INCORRECT PARADIGMS.

Right up at the TOP is FAILING to RECOGNIZE that the population of NEURO-DEVELOPMENTALLY DIFFERENT PEOPLE (generally, with more DEVELOPMENTAL INFLAMMATION) is making up the BULK of the PSYCHIATRIC POPULATION, and for that matter the SUBSTANCE USING POPULATION as well.
Further, GENES are important --- BUT they are generally SHARED across our conceptualizations of these DISORDERS

Add to GENES ---MATERNAL IMMUNE ACTIVATION, RAMPED UP POSITIVE FEEDBACK LOOPS, LESS THAN PERFECT ENVIRONMENTS and EPIGENETICS ---

And you end up with IDIOSYNCRATIC, INDIVIDUAL CHALLENGES --- that often resemble those DSM categories at some point --- BUT often don't quite fit in them -- and often more than one "DIAGNOSIS" can seem to be implicated.

I think one of the reasons the Mental Health Profession has been so SLOW on the UP-TAKE with regard to the SIGNIFICANCE and IMPLICATIONS of a scientifically INVALID DIAGNOSTIC MANUAL:

Sure they don't have anything else --- BUT by and large they they are trying to tailor their treatments to the INDIVIDUAL.

BUT if the BIOLOGY is UNKNOWN or UNCLEAR === you might fill in the gaps with the PRO SOCIAL COMPETENCY RELIGION --- that sounds INNOCUOUS ENOUGH --- and I would say maybe even NECESSARY ----

BUT --- it's NOT corresponding with the RESEARCH of the last 10 years which BUILT on all the preceding RESEARCH -- but is coming with NEW SIGNIFICANT UNDERSTANDINGS.
- By and large, more ADDITION than SUBTRACTION.
- So NEURO-DEVELOPMENTAL and PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS absolutely involve the BRAIN and the CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM, but they also involve:
  - The IMMUNE SYSTEM,
  - The Microbiome
  - The Endocrine System
  - Etc.

-----and those Complicated Interactions.

Executive Functioning, Intelligence & Neuro-Diversity

12/25/2021

Is this distinction between Intelligence and Executive Functioning too simplistic --- it probably is --- BUT it is a BIG STEP UP from where we are at.

This DISTINCTION between INTELLIGENCE and EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONING matters for:

Education
Employment, and
Criminal Justice

Further, it matters in unexpected ways which we are NOT sufficiently addressing.

There are INDIVIDUAL RANGES in which Executive Functioning can be IMPROVED.

BUT to do that --- we must be willing to accept the person where they are. What does that do?

It reduces the STRESS and INFLAMMATION for the PERSON and for the SOCIETY as well.

This person is UNLIKELY to become NEURO-TYPICAL --- we're talking about DEVELOPMENTAL DIFFERENCES that have sometimes been EXACERBATED by IGNORANCE.

BUT these DEVELOPMENTAL DIFFERENCES often come with their own ATYPICAL STRENGTHS --- and we are NOT sufficiently developing those ATYPICAL STRENGTHS.

The COSTS to the INDIVDUAL and the SOCIETY are EXTREME.

Neurodiversity Informational Series: Executive Functioning and Neurodiversity (April 2021) ---

Looks at the importance of a Strength-Based Approach vs. a Deficit Model

Learning Resource Center South

MISSING THE BOAT

Strength-Based Approach

Keeping the Inflammation Down & Accurate Maps of Reality

12/19/2021

Most Neuro-Diverse People are coming with more NEURO-DEVELOPMENTAL INFLAMMATION.
They are often coming with some EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONING DIFFERENCES.

This IDEA of MORE ACCURATE MAPS is a big idea behind Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and it has helped many people.

The PROBLEM is that some of MENTAL HEALTH's CURRENT MAPS aren't ACCURATE.

Further those inaccurate maps are doing much more harm in some cases than the Mental Health Profession appears to realize.

If that PERFECT MAP is down the road, INCLUSION should be the next step.

Migraine and neuroinflammation:
the inflammasome perspective

Conclusion
Neuroinflammatory pathways, specifically those involving inflammasome proteins, seem promising candidates as treatment targets, and perhaps even biomarkers, in migraine.

Pathophysiology of Migraine: A Disorder of Sensory Processing

Migraine is largely accepted to be an inherited tendency for the brain to lose control of its inputs.

Basic and Clinical Neurosciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College, London, United Kingdom;
Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California; Department of Neurology,
University of Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany; and
Department of Neurology, University Hospital Bern-Inselspital, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland

What's the Point of the Studies Below?

The new maps of psychiatric disorders tend not to rely as much on distinct categories --- BUT more and more researchers appear to be focusing on BROADER BIOLOGICAL MECHANISMS such as:
- Inflammation, especially Maternal Immune Activation, Trauma, Toxins, etc. and
- Sensory Processing
But if that Sensory Processing is ramped up --- you may be "SENSITIVE" --- in more ways than one.

Blue Sky Science: How Does Your Brain Think?

In order for your brain to think, you need nerve cells that can detect information about the outside world and can transmit that information to other nerve cells.

It’s the transmission of information, the cells talking to each other, that’s the fundamental physical basis for how thinking works.

Maternal Immune Activation and Neuropsychiatric Illness:

A Translational Research Perspective (2018)

Affiliation
1From the New York State Psychiatric Institute, Columbia University Medical Center, New York; the Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Zurich-Vetsuisse, Zurich; and the Neuroscience Center Zurich, University of Zurich and ETH Zurich.

The Surprising Link Between Migraines and Mental Health

But is that as surprising as . . .

Celiac Disease & Sensitivities, the Immune System & Mental Health

Physical Health Issues, the Immune System & Mental Health

Intelligence, Giftedness --- More complicated than we thought?

12/12/2021

What is "INTELLIGENCE"? It is becoming more and more obvious that it is NOT what we "think":

Neuro-Diverse People (Can be Highly Emotional, Have High Logic Skills, and Have Difficulties in One or More Areas of Executive Functioning), and
More Perceived Neuro-Typical People (often not as far from that Neuro-Diverse Person as they might want to think)

"GIFTED" and The Principle of Least Effort

When "Gifted and Talented" as a concern in EDUCATION started it was largely perceived to be an UNQUALIFIED GOOD -- and it probably still is in the general public .

BUT the father of "Giftedness" Theory --- introduced this concept of "Over-Excitabilities" and that Gifted People had this tendency to EMOTIONALLY CRASH --- "POSITIVE DISINTEGRATION and PERSONAL GROWTH."

"Individuals with strong developmental potential tend to experience frequent and intense crises (positive disintegrations) that create opportunities for the development of an autonomous, self-crafted personality."
- This is spun about as "POSITIVELY" as you can, but why are these people having so many CRISES?
- I would submit it is because they have Lower Executive Functioning in one or more areas and they are needing to pull in more Sensory Information ---
- BUT that can lead to OVERLOAD and a MELTDOWN.
- You do become a more independent thinker because you've had to be --- there are a number things you may not be able to do on AUTOMATIC.
- On the other hand, if you and the society believe that there are NO LIMITS if you just TRY HARD ENOUGH --- you may be headed for a DISASTER.

The PROs and Cons of Where We Seem to Be Headed

Pros

We're starting to recognize "this" is more COMPLICATED than we thought (that hardly ever happens, right?) 
- That is exceedingly important --- because the MAP I was given of "giftedness" has NOT MATCHED the TERRAIN I have travelled -- and I don't think I'm the only one that got "LOST."
"Gifted" People are NOT some STANDARD of PERFECTION --- that's important for everyone to know.

Cons

We are Half-Way Down the Road to Defining "Intellectually Gifted People" OUT of our category of "Intelligence"--- which would be HILARIOUS if it weren't so SAD and DANGEROUS.
We are starting to recognize the COMPLICATED NATURE of "Intelligence" --- in the EXTREMES but we haven't been able to take it MAINSTEAM.
- MEANING --- these issues are NOT JUST in the "GIFTED" Population --- BUT it may be easier to see in the EXTREME.

How our "TRADITIONAL WRONG ASSUMPTIONS" play out in the person with a Neuro-Developmental Disorder involving Executive Functioning and Psychiatric Disorders.

All people with High Intelligence Have High Executive Functioning
I Have High Intelligence
Therefore, I must have High Executive Functioning

But you're saying that I don't have High Intelligence
because I don't Have High Executive Functioning . . .

BUT I DO HAVE HIGH INTELLIGENCE

[That person is grandiose and doesn't really have too much of a connection to reality]

Kirk, Spock, Scotty and McCoy OUTWIT the Androids

Why Gifted Kids Are Actually Special Needs

I really like this Psychiatrist but I don't buy into this idea that all that is going on is -- gifted kids didn't have to exercise those "study skills."

I think it is much more complicated than that.

AND the point I'm trying to make with the PRINCIPLE of LEAST EFFORT is quite different than the point above.

My take on it is ----

the reason you may have done well in school and/ or identified as "gifted with a lot of potential" was that you had access to a lot of SENSORY INFORMATION --
BUT WHY did you have access to more SENSORY INFORMATION?
I would submit at least in part it was to fill in some gaps in MORE AUTOMATIC EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONING --- that's a BIG RANGE.
What were you using that SENSORY INFORMATION for ----- to REASON ---- TO FIND PATTERNS.
BUT your BODY & BRAIN wouldn't have done that to the DEGREE that "they" did ---if you had had access to that AUTOMATIC FUNCTIONING.
Further --- more gifted educators are RECOGNIZING that many gifted kids do have executive functioning issues --- and I think that is much more DEVELOPMENTAL than we've been willing to acknowledge.

Neuro-Diversity and the NEED for MAPS that Reflect Reality

12/9/2021

In Don McLean's song Vincent--- McLean sings ---

Now, I understand what you tried to say to me
And how you suffered for your sanity
And how you tried to set them free
They would not listen, they did not know how
Perhaps they'll listen now

For me, when I learned about artists like Van Gogh or Gauguin who sacrificed and suffered so much for their art--- I was impressed in a way --- BUT I didn't see myself doing that or needing to do that.

But "Now I understand what you tried to say to me."

I think the pursuit of the discipline whatever the discipline is--- is serving at least a couple of functions:

Dopamine Production, and
A Structure for Processing Sensory Information

Ironically, it's People who are PERCEIVED to be NEURO-DIVERSE who often are INCENTIVIZED to talk about EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONING DIFFERENCES or DEFICITS because they need:
*A More Accurate Map, and
*They need to get information and workarounds for their own CHALLENGES (INFORMATION & WORK-AROUNDS are 2 BIG STRESS REDUCERS)------
*while at the same time preventing the society from DEFINING THEM OUT of "INTELLIGENCE."

As a person with "ADHD" and living in an ADHD FAMILY, I know that some people can take medications and some people can't -- EVEN IN THE SAME BIOLOGICAL FAMILY.

AND Regardless, pursuing those DISCIPLINES at your level is a big part of maintaining your mental health and it is often what we consider WORK.

BUT WORK can become quite the challenge if your SUBSTANTIVE STRENGTHS are HIGH and your EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONING is Different.

This is another DIMENSION going to the importance of a STRENGTH-BASED APPROACH.

Further, it goes to the importance of finding a fix to the CATCH-22 .to the right

"This Gate Was Meant For You"

Biology: Genes & Immunity
Manchester University Professor Daniel M. Davis

A Common Neuro-Diversity CATCH-22

Big Substantive Strengths in Diverse Areas: Art, Mathematics, Athletics, Music, etc.
Executive Functioning Differences

The CATCH-22:

To remain MENTALLY HEALTHY you need to EXERCISE those STRENGTHS at the LEVEL you are at and push to exceed that. Further, at some point that level can get to be HIGH.
On the other hand,- the price of admission to get past the GATE to EXERCISE those HIGH STRENGTHS is often TRADITIONAL EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONING -- which you don't have.

If we can get a MORE ACCURATE MAP about WHAT'S GOING ON --- that's going to help EVERYONE and it at least has the potential to resolve some conflicts.

Further, I tried to make this point before --- it is not as if there is some PERFECT EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONING out there --- if there is I haven't seen it.

BUT ---- I also know just how DAMAGING it can be if you are handed a MAP in young adulthood --- "YOU'RE SMART, GO OUT and DO GOOD in the WORLD" and you have very little understanding of your own CHALLENGES --- and nobody else seems to have very much understanding either.

Neuro-diversity and the blurring of diagnostic categories -- So Many implications

12/2/2021

Conjecture

Our ideas about Neuro-Developmental Disorders such as ADHD and Autism and Psychiatric Disorders are undergoing MAJOR REVISIONS.

The OLD WAY --- the DSM 5 way --- these are all DISTINCT DISORDERS with DISTINCT GENETICS and / or SOCIAL ENVIRONMENTAL ASPECTS of NEGLECT or ABUSE.

WHAT HAPPENED? The RESEARCH wasn't CORROBORATING these NEAT, DISTINCT CATEGORIES.

Researchers found GENETICS were important -- BUT they were often SHARED across CATEGORIES.

Maternal Immune Activation and Epigenetics are BIG DRIVERS of these DISORDERS as well as Environment.

Further, these "DISORDERS" often involve EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONING DIFFERENCES and SENSORY PROCESSING DIFFERENCES --- that are often NOT BEING WELL IDENTIFIED by the MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSION, the INDIVIDUALS THEMSELVES or the COMMUNITY because people are often NOT fitting into these NEAT, DISTINCT CATEGORIES.

If you were to have asked my parents if I had ADHD or Autism ---- they would have said that was RIDICULOUS --- she's a top student and very empathetic.

On the other hand, if you were to have asked them --- Does Val have problems with organization and emotional regulation? Oh yeah, yeah, yeah --- but she seems to make it work.

Let me just say there are REASONS why I and many others with NEURO-DEVELOPMENTAL / PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS have HYPER-CONNECTED BRAINS and one of those REASONS -- we worked it just as hard as we could and we reached our LIMITS and it often wasn't pretty.

I would submit we now have a SIGNIFICANT PERCENTAGE of the POPULATION with ATYPICAL HIGH LEVELS of DEVELOPMENTAL INFLAMMATION and often corresponding EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONING ISSUES.

The PROGNOSIS if we just continue as we have:

EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONING ISSUES --- BAD
TRY HARDER

is not good.

We must identify those BIG STRENGTHS that often come with NEURO-DIVERSITY at the same time that we are providing practical WORK-AROUNDS for often IDIOSYNCRATIC EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONING CHALLENGES.

Thinking twice about ADHD and autism spectrum disorder (2018)
--goes to the blurred nature of the two neuro-developmental disorders.

Talk delivered by Professor Patrick Bolton, Professor of Child & Adolescent Neuropsychiatry, Department of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience at King's College London.

NEURODiversity Wednesday

Getting Conscious & Honest about "Filling In the Gaps" in Mental Health & Law --- The Need to Make Some Revisions

Executive Functioning, Intelligence & Neuro-Diversity

Keeping the Inflammation Down & Accurate Maps of Reality

Intelligence, Giftedness --- More complicated than we thought?

Neuro-Diversity and the NEED for MAPS that Reflect Reality

Neuro-diversity and the blurring of diagnostic categories -- So Many implications

Neuro-Diversity
Wednesday

(with variable spellings of Neurodiversity)

Archives

Categories

​ NEURODiversity Wednesday

Getting Conscious & Honest about "Filling In the Gaps" in Mental Health & Law --- The Need to Make Some Revisions

Executive Functioning, Intelligence & Neuro-Diversity

Keeping the Inflammation Down & Accurate Maps of Reality

Intelligence, Giftedness --- More complicated than we thought?

Neuro-Diversity and the NEED for MAPS that Reflect Reality

Neuro-diversity and the blurring of diagnostic categories -- So Many implications

Neuro-DiversityWednesday(with variable spellings of Neurodiversity)

Archives

Categories

NEURODiversity Wednesday

Neuro-Diversity
Wednesday

(with variable spellings of Neurodiversity)