It's important to understand medication

On Wednesday, Laurie Dupar, PMHNP, RN, PCC, a certified ADHD coach and a nurse practitioner, answered questions from two readers. But I had some questions too.

So I took the opportunity to ask a real expert and satisfy my curiosity.

What great answers did Laurie have for me? Read on …

A creative photo of creative people

I abhor prejudice. To decide that someone is unacceptable on some level because of a perceived difference is intolerable to me. I cannot believe that a person is better, or worse for that matter, because of a difference in skin color, faith or religion, political affiliation … the list goes on.

Stereotyping, while a milder form of prejudice, is still a form of prejudice. And it isn’t always milder. Witness racial profiling.

In the same way that some people think that a person with a physical disability has all physical disabilities, a person who has the appearance of the so called “average terrorist” … must be a terrorist.

If you’re planning to move your family always look for a rock facing north. These offer the nicest neighborhoods. If you can’t afford a rock in this price range, look for a north facing crack edge on an east or west facing rock.

The internet offers a great, potential benefit to those of us who seek information on ADHD. There are, of course, problems with misinformation on the “infobahn,” however it also offers us the wherewithal, usually, to determine the truth. How very much like the real world.
But how do we tell what’s true?
When I was a child, it was pretty clear cut. If you heard it in the school room, from your grandparents or parents, or read it in a text book it was true. If you heard it out back of the school, from a friend while out camping or hiking, or read it on the back of a comic book, it was probably suspect (I’m still waiting for my real two-man submarine and my x-ray glasses, I’ve sent changes of address every time I’ve moved).

So the internet is like the real world, an extension of the same, if you will. There are things that are true or factual, and things that are patently false.
Note that I distinguished between true and factual

It's about time ...

“I remember that movie,” my boss said, “how did it start? I missed the beginning of it … ”

I looked at her, she looked at me, and we laughed.
How did I get here?
It’s been an unusual progression. My marriage afforded me with an executive function, my wife’s. This meant that I always had things to do. After her passing, I was left at loose ends, as they say.

I ended up helping out at a local café in exchange for a place to write and hang out in the day.

Can I count on this?

I often tell people, when age is being discussed, that I’m 70 physically, 53 chronologically, 29 intellectually and 12 emotionally. I’ve wondered if there was a formula to calculate my virtual age, my ADHD age, and today I decided to create that.
What? Why would I call that your ADHD age?
Well, let me explain … First, I’m 53. That’s just the fact. I’ve lived that many years, and while I do agree with people who say you are as young (or as old) as you feel, I have lived through those 53 years and experienced the events that have occurred in that time.

They have, to some extent, shaped my life, my character. That’s my actual age, so it is a number that has to be factored in when calculating my ADHD age.

The “Disorder” question was raised the other day by an acquaintance who thought it ought to be discussed. I agreed – to the discussion.

It seems that this person thought that calling ADHD a “disorder” was, perhaps, an insult to other disorders. Or to put it another way, “Is ADHD debilitating enough to be considered a real disorder?”

You would have been proud of me, I kept my cool. I took a deep breath and took inventory of what I wanted to say, what I should say.

The cigarette and bandanas are props, the bike and ax are real ... oh, and so is the old guy

You know, we’re not all alike. I love to point out the ways in which we ADHDers mesh. I love to point out that we understand how other ADHDers think and feel, and to a great extent that’s true, but we are not all alike. In fact no two of us are alike.
Spectral analysis
As you’ve heard me, and others, say before; ADHD is a symptom spectrum disorder. To be diagnosed you must present a certain number of symptoms and they must impact your life in a negative way. But no rule says that I have to have the same symptoms as you, although there will be overlap. And while symptoms are either present or not present in any one of us, they manifest at different intensities. It isn’t like having a third ear (and if I had a third ear I still wouldn’t pay attention to things that don’t interest me).

Sugar, ADHD cause or cure?

Okay, I did some thinking on this subject a while ago and I have to say … I agree, sugar causes ADHD.

Well, maybe “causes” is too strong a word. Here’s what I figured out: There are scientists and then there are people who prefer their “proofs” to be in the form of testimonials.
Testimonial truth

“I put on my red shoes and stepped out the door last week and immediately fell to the ground. If I’d only read Doctor HighArch’s study on the dangers of red shoes sooner I could have saved myself a lot of grief.” ~ Midge in Santa Mercury

Scientific proof
Scientists, and their groupies, prefer studies where conditions such as … I don’t know, broken heels, cracked sidewalks, too much gin for breakfast … are all carefully excluded from the testing.