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ADHD, Conduct Disorder and Anti-Social Personality Disorder ---- What Might Be Going On?

5/7/2023

Does ADHD Cause Antisocial Personality Disorder?

Can You Have ADHD and ASPD?

Studies suggest that as many as 90% of adults with ADHD have other mental health disorders.

ASPD [Anti-Social Personality Disorder] is one of the most common mental disorders that happens with ADHD.

One study showed that men with ADHD were more likely to have antisocial personality disorder than women with ADHD.

Other common mental conditions you can have with ADHD are:

Anxiety disorders
Mood disorders
Substance use disorders
Behavior disorders
Learning disabilities
Language disorders

[These Disorders are BLURRED --- Colorado Researchers are finding that as well as researchers around the world. See Shared Genes & Psychiatric Disorders.]

Academic Proposal that Anti-Social Personality Disorder is a Neuro-Developmental Disorder

I think in many cases the BOTTOM LINE is that some Neuro-Diverse person has limits that are NOT FALLING WITHIN Neuro-Typical Ranges ---

and we've decided that is NOT REASONABLE ---
and we won't take "NO" for an answer.

AND we're often making a DIFFICULT SITUATION --- MUCH WORSE.

For many Neuro-Diverse people --- we may have been on BOTH SIDES OF THIS --- and be painfully aware both of how we wished we were treated and how we wished we would have treated others.

Conjecture

The "BLINDERS" of US vs. Them Thinking.

The time it takes to bring things into "CONSCIOUS AWARENESS" to reach a "CRITICAL MASS"

"HIERARCHY" has really "MANAGED" a lot of disordered human behavior ---

That is becoming less and less true.

One way of looking at this is to say ---

We need more fair systems --- we need to PUNISH MORE PEOPLE.

I am definitely not saying anyone, including the Society at large, should IGNORE --- human behavior that is:

a danger to others
a danger to self or
gravely disabled

BUT we really have to UNDERSTAND that BEHAVIOR on a much DEEPER and CELLULAR LEVEL than we have.

If all you have is "Conduct Disorder" or "Anti-Social Personality Disorder" ---

Maybe you do go with that --
BUT at some point it's becoming painfully obvious MORE IS GOING ON

Many of the people we're most concerned about --- are very open to "TREATMENT":

We just need to know more about what we're doing ---
And ethically address those situations -- where we don't have the best answers.
- Further, if we don't have great treatments don't expect people to want sucky treatments.

To me this is very much about MATERNAL IMMUNE ACTIVATION and HYPER-CONNECTED BRAINS:

that often have SOME STRENGTHS, but
come with weaknesses in TRADITIONAL EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONING.

When we think about "NEURO-PLASTICITY" --- we often think of it as something that somehow hasn't already been going on.

I think that is a CRITICAL MISTAKE.

Not that NEURO-PLASTICITY can't maybe help in some cases ---

BUT for many people with NEURO-DEVELOPMENTAL DIFFERENCES --- it's more about DISCOVERING what NEURO-PLASTICITY has already done.
- AND Work within those Limits.

It's fine to try and extend those LIMITS ---

But at least some people are already MAXXED OUT using TRADITIONAL MEANS.
If we're going to EXTEND THOSE LIMITS IN EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONING:
- We're going to need PRECISION MEDICINE, and
- In the meantime, we need a lot more PUBLIC EDUCATION about ACCOMMODATIONS & WORK AROUNDS for EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONING CHALLENGES

Neuro-Diversity --- Super powers, Disability, both or a matter of perspective

5/5/2023

“ADHD Superpowers:”

Toxic Positivity vs. Celebration of Strengths (2023)

When we refer to ADHD superpowers, are we dismantling ADHD myths or perpetuating toxic positivity? Could it be both? . . . ADDitude readers reflect on their ADHD traits and how they view them.

Autism from the Inside
Am I Disabled?

The Counselling Channel (UK)
What is Neurodiversity?

Belief, Sensory Processing and Overload

4/20/2023

Conjecture

Fuentes says --- Hey --- why are we so complicated --- it's not that --- we had to be --- THAT'S NOT THE WAY EVOLUTION WORKS.
Well --- Yes and No.

On the one hand --- we're taking in an enormous amount of information ---
- On the other hand, we don't have an INFINITE CAPACITY TO TAKE IN INFORMATION
- and WE DON'T HAVE AN INFINITE CAPACITY TO PROCESS IT.

I think one of the things that makes Human Beings very anxious is having a NARRATIVE that doesn't hang together ---
- Especially, if it is about themselves.

Many of the great theologians and philosophers associated with various religious and spiritual traditions said ---- HEY, THIS IS BEYOND HUMAN UNDERSTANDING.

I don't think most issues are PERMANENTLY BEYOND HUMAN UNDERSTANDING.
- But there are some very real TIME AND PRACTICAL CHALLENGES
- and Neuro-Diverse People are often on the FRONTLINES OF THOSE PRACTICAL CHALLENGES.

Big Think
Agustin Fuentes
Why Sex, Food & Shelter Aren't Enough for Homo Sapiens

For some NEURO-DIVERSE PEOPLE in our societies --- we are pushing maturity not just to 25 but to 30 and maybe beyond.

For many Neuro-Diverse People our societies are SO ADMINISTRATIVELY COMPLEX

They are having a hard time FUNCTIONING.
EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONING CHALLENGES for People with Giant Brains ---
- Is not what we were EXPECTING.

Executive FunctionING, Neuro-Diversity and the NeeDS to Both Learn & TEACH

4/1/2023

This can be very hard for Neuro-Diverse People --- because we often don't understand our differences and neither does anybody else.

That is starting to CHANGE.

Understanding Our Own "Unreasonable" Limits & That of Others

& NOT Ignoring Them

Executive Functioning is pretty boring in a lot of ways and I think that is why we are just now getting to it.

BUT . . . It has a BIG IMPACT.

Short Term Memory
Organization
Planning
Emotional Regulation
etc.

If YOU don't know and the people around you, including professionals, don't know or don't understand that YOU have EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONING DIFFERENCES
- And you are unknowingly MASKING in a Neuro-Typical World
  - You could be headed for BURNOUTS or EVEN BREAK-DOWNS

For a lot of people PSYCHIATRIC LABELS can be a BIG IRRITANT --- and I don't think they are accurate ---
- I think that is a big reason why we are MISSING SO MANY PEOPLE ---
  - UNTIL THE CRISIS.

On the other hand, a lot of LATE DIAGNOSIS Neuro-Diverse people are quite GRATEFUL for that "DIAGNOSIS" ---

Even if we may have gone through HELL to get it.
I would knowingly and personally say that a DANGEROUS PSYCHOTIC EPISODE is HELL.

How we get out of this is GETTING TO THE UNDERLYING BIOLOGY and moving beyond VAGUE and OFTEN MISLEADING SYMPTOM CLUSTERS.

Strength-Based Approach

Employment Index

AAAS = American Academy of Arts & Sciences

The integrated stress response:
From mechanism to disease (2020)

Affiliations

1 Department of Neuroscience, Memory and Brain Research Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.
2 Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California at San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA

Abstract

Protein quality control is essential for the proper function of cells and the organisms that they make up.

The resulting loss of proteostasis, the processes by which the health of the cell's proteins is monitored and maintained at homeostasis, is associated with a wide range of age-related human diseases.

Here, we highlight how the integrated stress response (ISR), a central signaling network that responds to proteostasis defects by tuning protein synthesis rates, impedes the formation of long-term memory.

In addition, we address how dysregulated ISR [Integrated Stress Response] signaling contributes to the pathogenesis of complex diseases, including cognitive disorders, neurodegeneration, cancer, diabetes, and metabolic disorders.

The development of tools through which the ISR can be modulated promises to uncover new avenues to diminish pathologies resulting from it for clinical benefit.

I think the confusing thing about STRESS and Neuro-Developmental & Psychiatric Disorders:

the Stress is often going to one or more aspects of Executive Functioning ---
NOT TO SUBSTANTIVE KNOWLEDGE which may be quite high
- I think the Sensory Processing Load is sometimes to often driving both:
  - EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONING CHALLENGES, and
  - HIGH SUBSTANTIVE KNOWLEDGE in one or more areas

[See also Why Orchid?]

So I think people need to work at WHATEVER LEVEL THEY ARE AT for THEIR OWN MENTAL HEALTH --- and that level may be quite high.

The ACCOMMODATIONS or WORK-AROUNDS often need to go to one or more aspects of EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONING.

Why "People of the Book"* are MISSING SO MANY PEOPLE

2/15/2023

*The Book is the Outdated DSM that we're still using

At the end of the day, Neuro-Diversity is not so much about "SYMPTOM CLUSTERS" as it is SHARED GENES & DEVELOPMENTAL INFLAMMATION

And that Developmental and After-Acquired Inflammation can be quite IDIOSYNCRATIC.

The University of Colorado Boulder leads research linking psychiatric disorders, genetic makeup (2022)

“So what this is doing — is it’s starting to kind of shed light on the specific biological pathways that might be shared across these disorders; namely, these specific neurons that are sort of critical and just brain signaling pathways,” Grotzinger said.

With these findings, Grotzinger hopes to be able to identify what the specific genetic risk pathways are so an individual can be diagnosed and treated more efficiently.

The goal is to be able to give an individual one diagnosis and treatment for the disorders they have instead of multiple, if possible.

Currently, an individual cannot be diagnosed with bipolar and schizophrenia disorder.

However, these two disorders have an overlap in their genetic makeup — meaning that an individual can experience symptoms from both disorders.

Grotzinger hopes in the future diagnoses can be made “a little less sort of by the book.”

In addition, there also may be a possibility of treating certain diagnoses with psychotherapy versus prescription medicines.

The research team only analyzed the genetic variation that showed up in at least 1% of the population“

That really rare stuff might be really important.

And it’s something that we’re just now getting to the point that we can start to look at,” Grotzinger said.

The hidden links between mental disorders (2020)

[Psychiatrists have a dizzying array of diagnoses and not enough treatments. Hunting for the hidden biology underlying mental disorders could help.]

Researchers are also drastically rethinking theories of how our brains go wrong.

The idea that mental illness can be classified into distinct, discrete categories such as ‘anxiety’ or ‘psychosis’ has been disproved to a large extent*.

Instead, disorders shade into each other, and there are no hard dividing lines — as Plana-Ripoll’s study so clearly demonstrated.

Psychiatric Diagnostic Uncertainty: Challenges to Patient-Centered Care (2016)

[*Has this message gotten to Mental Health Professionals TESTIFYING in Court --- often not.

That IGNORANCE is not their fault --- but we need POLICY-MAKERS to address this.]

The Need for a New Integrated DSM

More on Neuro-Diversity, Gender & Sexuality Getting Beyond the "Culture Wars" in 2023

2/9/2023

Val's Take & Conjecture

Sarah Huckabee Sander's response to Biden's State of the Union was TELLING in more ways than one.
As a Society in 2023, I think we're pretty CONFUSED as to whether LGBTQ+ is a LIFESTYLE CHOICE or a BIOLOGICAL REALITY.
- And beyond that ---- what is the STATE OF THE SCIENCE?

I think we are NEEDING TO ASK SOME QUESTIONS both of the LGBTQ+ COMMUNITY & ALLIES and of the PERSECUTORS.

I think there is a HUGE NEED to get out of US vs. THEM THINKING and parse some of these issues --- because both sides can sometimes take ILLOGICAL POSITIONS.

So on the one hand --- if you're really for FREEDOM ---
- This should be easy
- People should be able to CHOOSE their partners

The problem in 2023 is this doesn't seem like such a "LIFESTYLE CHOICE" as COMPLICATED BIOLOGICAL REALITIES.

Further LGBTQ+ does seems to me to be "A PART" of the NEURO-DIVERSE COMMUNITY which includes HETEROSEXUAL people as well.

Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders

To me NEURO-DIVERSITY is very much about:
- Shared Genes and
- Maternal Immune Activation

It "appears" that the COMBINATION of SHARED GENES AND MATERNAL IMMUNE ACTIVATION is "DYSREGULATING" MULTIPLE SYSTEMS OF THE BODY in IDIOSYNCRATIC WAYS.

I think the IRONY for some TRANS people --- they really are trying to get to a more "NORMATIVE" and TRADITIONALLY REGULATED EXPERIENCE ---
- It is not clear to me the SCIENCE can always provide that.

If we want a PRO-LIFE CULTURE we have to INCREASE OUR UNDERSTANDING OF THE BIOLOGY OF LIFE.

Neuro-Diversity, Gender & Sexuality

Lateral Thinking & Conspiracy Theories

The Quest for an Accurate Narrative of Neuro-Diversity

2/3/2023

"Research from the field of narrative psychology shows a link between narratives and well-being. Exploring personal stories, reflecting on them, changing these narratives, and sharing them might make us vulnerable, but also helps us heal and grow."

How Storytelling Is Good for Your Mental Health

Val's Take

So much of Neuro-Diversity seems CONTRADICTORY
- Big Strengths and Big Weaknesses
- Logic Skills and Meltdowns
- Seemingly opposite Diagnostic Categories (notably ADHD & AUTISM) that are not distinct but blurred

To me, the DSM cannot provide a COHERENT NARRATIVE of NEURO-DIVERSITY
- and the DSM 5 is in fact PART OF THE PROBLEM

I don't think you push for the "UNDERLYING BIOLOGY" --- unless you have to ---

We've had to --
The recent new discoveries and conceptualizations of the last 10 years by Researchers around the world ----
- Mean a lot of the money we're spending in Mental Health has not been well-targeted --- EVEN if it has been well meaning.

SUSTAINABILITY for Neuro-Diverse People --- looks different ---

than what sustainability looks like for people who are NOT contending with:

Sensory Overload
Hyper-Connected Brains, and
Developmental Inflammation that is often impacting multiple systems of the body ---
- the Central Nervous System -- yes, but also
- the Immune System
- the Endocrine System
- the Metabolism, and
- the Microbiome.

Neuro-Diversity and its relation not only to Psychiatric Disorders --- BUT also Cancer, Metabolism Dysregulation and Auto-immune Diseases

1/25/2023

Conjecture

When you have a lot of people who have:

neuro-developmental inflammation,
hyper-connected brains,
intense emotions and
idiosyncratic executive functioning challenges ---

You could end up with the Society we have now.

FURTHER --- the SYMPTOM CLUSTERS as contained in the DSM ---

MIGHT be better than nothing ---
BUT those SYMPTOM CLUSTERS can also be EXTREMELY MISLEADING
- to the person AND
- the people around them

EVEN FURTHER --- DEVELOPMENTAL INFLAMMATION is not exactly RARE --- so the likelihood that at least some of the people around them are contending with their own DEVELOPMENTAL INFLAMMATION is pretty high.

In 2013 --- the National Institute of Mental Health said we have to get to the "UNDERLYING BIOLOGY."

I think at the time that was seen as COLD and UNFEELING by some ---
- BUT from my perspective the large number of people who are MISSED by the current categories and the LARGE NUMBER OF MENTAL HEALTH CRISES that are NOT AVERTED because we're not able to PREVENTATIVELY IDENTIFY BIOMARKERS ---
  - leads to numerous TRAGEDIES.

Further, I would say this is not just about about our MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS --

it's also CANCER
METABOLISM DYSREGULATION including Obesity but not limited to Obesity, and
AUTO-IMMUNE DISEASES

Cancer and Neuro-Diversity

Metabolism, the Immune System, the Endocrine System and Mental Health

Neuro-Developmental Inflammation & Metabolic Dysregulation

***Physical Health Issues, the Immune System & Mental Health Index

OBSESSIVENESS and Neuro-Diversity

1/22/2023

Let's just get really HONEST --- I don't have a website with over 1,000 pages because I'm NOT obsessive.

"OCD" is part of Neuro-Diversity and that can look a lot of different ways.
Further, Neuro-Diversity is very blurred and many to most people have more than one diagnosis.

Further, we have HYPER-CONNECTED BRAINS, Intense Emotions that are often "normal" in every way except INTENSITY and the much talked about REJECTION SENSITIVE DYSPHORIA.

You could see how this could go awry in many, many, many ways.

One of the experiences I have recently had is someone seemingly trying to CATFISH me for a few days.

Two of my favorite artistic examples of romantic obsessiveness gone awry are Miranda Lambert's "Mama's Broken Heart" and John Green's young adult novel "Paper Towns."

MTV's Catfish

"Nev and Kamie are back on the road, uncovering secrets behind elusive small-town crushes, mysterious international pop stars and more as they investigate how far catfishing goes in 2022."

The Scope: Why Do People Catfish?

Miranda Lambert
Mama's Broken Heart

John Green

Quentin "Q" Jacobsen

The protagonist and narrator of the story. Quentin is the stereotypical rule-follower. He likes things to be neat and simple, making him the complete opposite of Margo Roth Spiegelman. Quentin has had a crush on Margo since they were kids, but the distance he kept from her created a perfect image of her in his head that turned out not to be real. His desire to find her after she goes missing drives the events of the story.
--- Wikipedia

What is so cool about John Green is that he is very open about his OCD and I think it takes a lot of guts to write about romantic obsession as in "Paper Towns."

We are at the point of OPENLY talking about CATFISHING --- there is a 2010 film and a MTV Documentary-reality series.

Even as we are in the midst of FAKE IDENTITIES and SOCIAL MEDIA POSTURING ----

that is IRONICALLY ACCELERATING the NEED for MORE AUTHENTICITY.

Parsing Mental Health Treatment

1/18/2023

from Miraculous Treatments to Neuro-Developmental Conversion Therapy & Everything In-Between

Val's Take/Conjecture

One of the Symbols on the Orchid website is "MIXED BAGS" ---

that often accurately describes not only mental health patients but mental health clinicians as well ---
and often in the same person

So the "MIXED BAG" of the patient can be HIGH SUBSTANTIVE STRENGTHS --- but certainly the "perception" of LOW EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONING ---

even if that LOW EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONING is sometimes to often the RESULT of getting pushed outside our individual ENERGY ZONES
- Which is quite a "MIXED BAG" itself often including periods of "HYPER-FOCUS" or "HYPER-ACTIVITY" --- and a subsequent need to "CRASH."

WHO is PUSHING --- NEURO-DIVERGENT people outside their ENERGY ZONES:

Often Neuro-Divergent people themselves
WHO are SUPER-SENSITIVE to their ENVIRONMENTS and are in largely HYPER-COMPETITIVE ENVIRONMENTS in most parts of the world.
That sure FEELS like Orwell's "ANIMAL FARM" --- We're all equal --- Some are just MORE EQUAL than others.

BUT the SOCIETY is doing plenty of this PUSHING OUTSIDE OF HOMEOSTASIS as well.

It's just been really hard to get our heads around High Substantive Strengths / IQ over 70 and SIGNIFICANT EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONING challenges when compared with the NORM or Neuro-Typicals.

It's been particularly hard to address this PARADOX of "GIFTEDNESS" or "GENIUS" and "MADNESS" even though it has been referenced SINCE ANCIENT TIMES.

NOBODY WANTS THE "MADNESS" PART.

It is about SLOWING DOWN in come respects--- but often not how we think or clinicians or even REASONABLE PEOPLE would think.

Clinicians in many parts of the world have gotten amazingly skilled at addressing the MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS --- even if there are still a lot of problems.

Neuroscience News

Jan. 16, 2023

The Link Between Mental Health & ADHD is Strong --- Why Aren't We Paying Attention?

What MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONALS often SUCK at --- is after the Crisis because they don't understand and the person often doesn't understand that under all this TURMOIL and UPSET and COGNITIVE DYSFUNCTION is ----

A Neuro-Developmental Difference(s) involving shared genes, developmental systemic inflammation and hyper-connected brains.
- And this is making it hard if not impossible for the person to meet current demands as they are currently structured.
- Due to differences in EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONING and ENERGY.

So at least some people in Colorado notably mental health advocate Amy Smith --- and myself --- find --- that to truly get better ----
- You need to do your own RESEARCH, and
  - for some people --- you may ultimately need to get away from the MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONAL

It is NOT MY OPINION --- that is the IDEAL SITUATION.

I didn't do all this research because I just wanted to --- I'm a big believer in the PRINCIPLE of LEAST EFFORT ---

everything you see on this website was an enormous amount of effort for me and came at great personal sacrifice ---
I'm not very happy about it ---
BUT my life and the lives of my family are NOW --- and I couldn't wait for MENTAL HEALTH and the SOCIETY to get on top of this.

Failure to provide the RESEARCH and TRANSLATIONAL RESEARCH SUPPORT necessary and to FULLY INTEGRATE Physical and Mental Health mean Mental Health IS NOT COMPETENT and they don't have the TOOLS to become COMPETENT.

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