02/16/2021
Is it hard living with ADHD?
Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is marked by difficulty concentrating, hyperactivity/impulsiveness, disorganization, low frustration tolerance, and other symptoms that impair normal functioning. Treatment and lifestyle changes can help manage the symptoms so you can live well with ADHD.
As, per the current trends from COVID-19 we have seen an increased remote working. With which focus and concentration, distractions, absent mindlessness, forgetfulness are becoming more and more provident. We define these symptoms as attention deficit disorder; the symptoms are becoming more and more difficult to manage by adults. The discussions in this post are about how to live with these symptoms? How to adjust and manage within best of one’s ability?
I believe ADHD symptoms is a preview of what you have to deal with Dementia when you get around 90+ or so. Dementia, from which many people will be familiar with, it is this condition, where a person suffers with forgetfulness, memory loss, unable to recognize kin and kids etc., un-treatable focus and concentration distractions may lead to many collateral damages to other parts of one’s brain and these may cause anxiety, depression, OCD, etc.
They contribute to financial distresses, lacking in achieving effectiveness in one’s work at their respective workplace. struggling with time constraint challenges, feeling unmotivated, lonely, etc. I believe ADD symptoms builds up collateral damages just like a singularity or known, as a black hole, in an individual’s mind. Black hole, involves absorptions and destruction of all matters nearby, but its powerful pull provides with an opportunity to reshape the spacetime. Same as the middle of our own galaxy has a black hole, still life thrives on earth. With ADD, if left unhinged it may lead to, of course, destruction but also creates new ideas or new creative perceptions. If you see the current trends more and more people can recognize and screen ADD and ADHD, and are trying to take a lot of primitive steps from life coaches to medications and what not to control developing condition, but the flip-side of this management too prevents the creations of the “black holes” which will reduce the impetuous to innovative thinking, original ideas, etc.
In summary, I believe if ADD symptoms not treated and managed, sure can create a lot of challenges but likewise, it might be a condition that create a lot of opportunities for a person, if he/she can withstand with the support from family and other resources.
Our new treatments for mental health disorders, conditions our brain and mind. Sure, in this 21st century with new screening tools, genetic testing, lab and blood testing and what not, the ability to find out mental health disorder from an early onset is helping more people to discuss this condition with several treatment options. These treatments include medications other invasive and non-invasive devices from magnetic stimulation to Vegas nerve stimulation, etc. are conditioning the brain to manage these symptoms. Mental health symptoms are no wonder creates a lot of chaos by pain and uncertainty, not only for the individual, but for their family members as well. It is humane for everyone to see how to stop this mental health bleeding, put a tourniquet on it and manage it. To makes this person normal meaning productive in work, manage relationship, etc. Managing one’s brain and mind no doubt can create superficial calmness or normality with the help of treatments. No wonder, this type of strategic treatment approach, is what most doctors opt for to manage the condition and not letting it to get out of control.
This treatment is not in a way or the other stopping the root causes and they are very much what I believe a symptom fixated treatment strategy. When I see history of last 2 to 3 centuries based on my best abilities, there were no pre-screening treatment tool until past 4 to 5 decades. This treatment strategies have become more prevailing only in last one decade. Conditioning of brain or conditioning of mental health though looks very enticing in a family where they see their kin or kid going through stress but such individual with stress who has being conditioned, there are possibilities and these people have a particular strength that also can be un-hinged if they could persist being untreated. Meaning if they undergo the conditioning of their mental health symptoms with treatment, the creative prospects of an individual will never come up and deprives the individual of a future as a painter, an artist a scientist, or any profession which may produce breakthroughs through their original work.
Families have to decide including the individual on this move to what extent they test what may be called a profit-and-loss statement for allowing an individual’s minds to be in its original state and not to influenced by medicines and treatment, etc.
Every feature of the condition suitable or either poor, expressing such condition I often use my favorite analogy of a ‘bottle being half full or half empty’. If an individual or the family have the resources, they may allow the untreated mental health disorders observed without meddling with the treatment. It is a challenge to take this opportunity hoping to achieve excellent results. I do not have any crystal eye on whether these strategies will work but for sure when mental health disorders get treated creatively and becomes more conditioned by either chemical routes, magnetic routes and depends on what other roots we choose to treat the individual.
What happens when mental health disorders are not being treated?
This is both an ethical issue and a dilemma for everyone. For most humans they believe in a life that is trouble free, symptoms free and manageable, they dislike chaos and wishes for stability etc. untreated mental health disorder was an enormous challenge until the 20th century there were not any types of treatments beyond black magic or some rituals so. If we look at the history of famous people like emperor Nero, or many artists and other well-known individuals, mental health disorders untreated also created unique opportunities both tragic and with happy endings. It is unbearable for anyone with mental health disorder symptoms to exhibit full florid of symptoms, that may be destructive, and may lead to harm themselves or to others, and keeps one’s self on the edge, this applies for both the person who deals with the condition and also their care-givers. however, having seen the controlled aspect of treatment to mental health disorders the success or failure of this treatment is best described as mediocre. It is very unusual to believe treatments for mental health disorders are absolute success, they might be described as success if their description of the individual being productive at his work place - sort of taking care of one’s own self, taking care of his basic needs, ability to manage routine things in life. But there is another form which get compromised with the treatment, original thinking, inventive thinking are the biggest casualties with mental health treatment, there are some who believes that such individuals when treated can be productive. I do not dispute that, productivity is relative to the subject of definition, productivity means leading an average life, self-sustaining, independent etc. is one way to define productivity but some of these individuals in this turmoil, pain and the destruction also, might get creative, which gets amplified in many stories until the 20th century in people from all over the world.
Untreated mental health disorders, is a brain that gets liberated, not controlled, or not get manipulated either by magnets or chemicals, or other evasive treatments, it can let itself grow and do unique things that cannot have accomplished by other people, who are not going through that crisis. Untreated mental health disorders may sometimes liberate the person’s genius, and such strategies, if a family or a person has resources might, bring up that enlightenment, the brilliance and genius aspect in an individual’s mind or brain.
Regards,
Dr. Rama Prayaga
04/09/2020
