The Alter Egos of People I Work With...

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Break

I need a break from all this for a while...

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Etsy Awe: "Beautiful Skin"

Perusing through Etsy.com, I stumbled upon a store I really like. The Esty store name is Beautiful Skin and its tag line is "Give your ipod/iphone/cards/passport beautiful skin."  You can also find leather cuff wristbands (that double as wallets!) and necklaces.

This is the items that initially caught my attention:

After being awed by her amazing collection of leather iphone cases I came across these leather cuff wrist bands (available in so many different designs that anyone can find a print they like) which double as wallets:

Right on!

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Jon Stewart Skit about Sarah Palin's Book "Going Rouge"

A friend of mine posted this on my facebook wall today. She claims this is the best news coverage of  Sarah Palin's book Going Rouge that she has seen; I agree wholeheartedly.


*a side note on Jon Stewart (seeing as people who don't agree with his political views try to belittle his show):  Although his show is admittedly a "fake" news show aired on Comedy Central that satirically points out the mainstream media's refusal to cover important events in a professional manner, Jon Stewart has informed millions of citizens on world events much more than CNN and Fox News has combined. A remarkable resurgence of political discourse, especially among the youth, will forever change the course our nation is taking. THAT is powerful and in no way "fake". 

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Undiagnosed ADD in Females

As is the case with many issues in modern history, medical and psychological advancements tend to be colored by a male perspective. A good example would be society's valuing of IQ over EI (emotional intelligence) as a way of quantifying a person's intelligence. Usually someone is judged as intelligent when they have a high IQ regardless of their level of emotional intelligence. This may seem appropriate at first; on the other hand, it only seems "appropriate" because society has developed around a male perspective which values rationality and tactile progress and development. If relationships and emotional connections were valued more than concrete, outward processes of "civilization" development (which require math, engineering, and other male-dominated fields), EI would possibly seem the logical measurement of intelligence. Having said that, I'd like to point your attention toward the medical and psychological fields and the male-dominated definitions and symptomology of certain conditions. This is very important because women with certain conditions often go undiagnosed; this can lead to the development of more conditions, which, ultimately have a big effect on one's happiness in life. This is certainly the case with Attention Deficit Disorder.

Males diagnosed with ADD tend to have ADHD (Attentional Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder), while girls with ADD usually do not display the same hyperactivity found in males with this disorder. The hyperactivity component of males with ADHD allows for the rather easy recognition of this disorder (misbehavior in school or with authority). Conversely, the lack of hyperactivity in many females with ADD leads to underdiagnosis as well as misdiagnosis (in many instances of females with ADD, depression is often the first diagnosis).

It's difficult to say why males with ADHD tend to display more hyperactivity than females; one belief is that while females are conditioned in society to be calm and quiet and to stay indoors and play with dolls (a vestige of a time when the streets were seen as terribly dangerous for the purity of ones' delicate daughter), males are encouraged to go outdoors, let out energy, and explore. This may play a role in the different developmental paths individuals with ADD/ADHD encounter.

"In girls, the disorganization and distraction results in lack of activity--they are too confused to get things started. They tend to be daydreamers. This is in stark contrast to the boys. Their distractibility is expressed as impulsivity--a flurry of activity." Estronaut

Here are some other difference between males and females with ADD/ADHD:

-Girls tend to be messier and more disorganized. While boys with ADD/ADHD often times receive help organizing (due to their perceived inability to do so), girls are believed to be good organizers, and thus left to fend for themselves much more often than males.

-Girls are more likely to involve themselves in risky behavior. Poor school performance may discourage the girl and lead to compensation strategies such as a heavy focus on social relationships.

"They may be described as "boy-crazy" or "party girls". ADD and ADHD girls alike begin to show more risky sexual and other behaviors. They may use drugs or alcohol both due to increasing impulsivity and to self-medicate. Shoplifting, teen pregnancy, and eating disorders are also found more often in females with ADD." Estronaut

-Girls receive worse social reactions from their behavior than boys do.

"Course, loud social behavior in a boy may be tolerated. But, a girl may be more pressured into silence." Estronaut

There are many other issues that arise for females with ADD/ADHD who do not get diagnosed. And many of them do not. Depression is often the first diagnosis women with ADD/ADHD get; so many of the consequences of  being a female with undiagnosed ADD/ADHD in our society are very negative and disheartening and can lead to depression in conjunction with the ADD/ADHD. This makes it even more difficult to decipher if one has ADD; is it the depression making her slow and inattentive, or is the undiagnosed ADD causing her depression? This is something that has to be looked at very seriously by a professional and often involves multiple tests and evaluations.

The suspected number of females with ADD/ADHD is comparable to the recorded number of males with ADD/ADHD; yet due to misdiagnosis and simple lack of knowledge of this condition in females, the recorded number of females with ADD/ADHD is falsely low. This means there are many women living life with ADD who have no idea they have this condition, and most likely spend a great deal of time confused, acting out, and depressed.

This brings me back to my first paragraph regarding male-dominated definitions and symptomologies of medical and psychological conditions. Because the condition is seen as typically a "boys disease" with hyperactivity at its core, a significant number of females with ADD/ADHD are left out in the cold to fend for themselves, unaware of the root of their problems. They are misdiagnosed with depression and other disorders (usually psychological) simply because our definition of ADD/ADHD is heavily skewed toward a male point of view that values outward behavior much more than it values inward contentness (a possible reason IQ could be valued more than EI).

Boys, outwardly displaying their ADD/ADHD, are easily recognized, easily diagnosed, and thus gain a better understanding of themselves and their situation. Girls, who usually do not display the same type of hyperactivity, are undiagnosed (or misdiagnosed) and left with no answers as to why they feel/behave the way they do (except for being labeled 'depressed' and possibly given some pills to take). Additionaly, the male perspective values quietness and submissivness in females; so, to our detriment, our condition usually does not register as a 'condition' at all.

For more information about this topic, check out this brief article on Estronaut.

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I'm a Really Concerned Person

I’m sitting here wondering what to write about. It’s been a while since I posted anything of substance and that is starting to bother me. I’m not bothered because I’m afraid of losing readers or anything like that; it’s simply that I have so much to say and I’m having a difficult time expressing myself and my ideas/concerns. Generally, that is what I write about (ideas and concerns). I’m a really “concerned” person and am constantly trying to figure out ways to make living on this earth as painless as possible (not only for myself but, more importantly, for others). I have an insatiable need to help (so much so that it drives me freaking crazy sometimes haha).

This focus on others’ happiness has definitely been detrimental to my happiness at times. I tend to be drawn toward individuals with some sort of emotional need who are usually incapable of returning the favor. I didn’t figure this pattern out until college; so needless to say, I spent a great deal of time in high school unsatisfied with my relationships.

One could say that I spent so much time worrying about others because focusing on my own issues would have been just too “real” and painful for me to handle; this is probably correct. I must admit, though, I was under the impression that I was working on my issues (how else was I giving decent advice to others?). Turns out I simply wasn’t putting my learned lessons into action when it came to my life (although they were in my brain/heart/body) …it’s as if I was holding on to them for a time when I hoped I would be better able to put it all into action. So I ignored myself. I ignored my needs.

Obviously I got to a point where this was no longer acceptable, and the pain caused by ignoring myself was way worse than the pain caused by self-awareness and all the unknowns that could bring. So I took a deep breath, and I dove in. All of college was me ‘diving in’. A pool of misery. I laugh about it now because it was oh-so-dramatic…but it was exactly what it had to be.

Now I’m at a good point in my life. I feel clearheaded and that is a huge change for me. With this clearheadedness comes the need to focus on others again, which I have kind of been doing via this blog (at least, I have been trying to). I feel drawn to write about topics that were difficult for me to go through in hopes of helping those in similar situations get through the day. Some of what I write about is very personal; but my desire to help people realize they are not alone is much greater than my fear of what people will say or think of me if they know some of my not-so-awesome past experiences.

I also enjoy writing about mental health issues because they play a major part in our lives and in the different ‘realities’ we each have. For me, mental health is conjoined with spiritual health so I often write about a variety of topics others may not see as having much to do with each other; but, if I do my job right, and explain myself well, the connection between the subject matter becomes clear. That is the goal at least.

But, as I mentioned in paragraph one, I’m having a writer’s block of sorts. I have ideas. Getting the ideas onto paper (or screen) has been the trying part recently. Maybe this post has helped me get back on track though? We shall see…

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