Obsessed with this. I just started at a new job, and I keep looking for advice on how to deal with my allistic coworker. I know this was meant to be kinda silly, but it is genuinely helpful for explaining why allistics can be inefficient and confusing in their socialization.
Thanks for another great post! It's interesting; I observed the "Common Traits of Allistic Individuals" and thought them strange as a child. I have said that "euphemistic" language was my mother tongue. None of it made sense to me, it seemed dishonest, even crazy, but when I tried to point it out, it was my thinking that was wrong. Truly crazy-making stuff! Later, I learned those characteristics are signs of dysfunctional family systems and I had to unlearn them which was not that hard because I never learned them well in the first place. I was basically incapable of going along - which made life problematic - wonder what that says about me.
Full Disclosure: I am high IQ, medium sensory sensitive, excellent working memory, very few vulnerabilities to what we currently call ADHD. 79 years old. White. Retired shrink, who specialized in learning about and providing services and updated information to those trying to figure out if they fit that traditional set of characteristics used for currently diagnosing ADHD.
I do not support the concept of "disorders" as used in the brain/mind assessment arena. (Oh, sorry, I don't support the use of the term "mental health," or, for that matter the term "patient.") It seems to me that these are contrivances that are used to quantify "productivity and efficiency of working class" produced by institutions that benefit from classifying people in such obviously commerce-tuned manners. So, yes, "conditions" is a pretty good term. I think vulnerabilities and strengths would be more truthful.
I commented on Sher's earlier, similar post at "Impulsive Decision-Making Disorder IDD: A Cognitive Deficit in Allistic Individual" on March 7. So, I will not reiterate all of that here. My comments are there.
However, I will say this, as an "extended" teaser for my comments there, and my book. The characteristics of "allistic" folks happens to also describe the reigning characteristics of the West, especially North America. In other words, US mainstream cultural characteristics fit the criteria for what we currently call ADHD.
In my world, after thousands of pages of reading and over 10 years of clinical practice learning from and assisting folks with understanding and mitigating the downside of the ADHD scenario, it is clear to me that the so-called allistic or neurotypical is actually what we currently call ADHD (without sensory sensitivity). The reigning brainset vulnerability of the West is now being challenged enough by data loads to "show up" at "skyrocketing" levels.
A teaser: The huge downside of the nonADHD, sensory neutral (the other minority, and the one I belong to) is we are awful at threat response at all levels. Over-amped on a dopamine threat response is not useful. Look up the inverted U-shaped dopamine curve. Working memory is degraded, not improved, reaction times get longer, distractibility goes way up, feel overwhelmed, panicky, shakiness, increased blood pressure, heart rate, among other things, like nausea and vomiting. In other words, worse for survival by far than the ADHD brainset (except in those who also experience significant sensory sensitivities) -- threat essentially treats the low working memory responsible for almost all of the downsides of what we currently call ADHD.
It is becoming more than a little clear that the best brain for survival is and has been the baseline low tonic dopamine type (the sensory sensitive ADHDers would have been the tribal scouts). You can say that the nonADHD and ASD brainsets with average to above average IQ are likely the best brain-types for "civilization" (reading, academics, thinking, planning, anticipating, waiting, good follow through), but not so great for the "jungle."
I, personally, am still trying to find members of my tribe. They are far and few between. I totally align with ASD types but without any of the usual "diagnosable" characteristcs, no particular sensory sensitivities, a large working memory capacity – but, not able to smoke, drink, over-eat, get addicted (I've tried), or do well in threat situations. Blood and guts? No way. I went into medicine knowing I was going to specialize in psychiatry. My aversion was so strong, that I was able to get through to my residency without having to do a single central vein puncture. (Most docs would not be proud of that.)
If you want a deeper dive into this subject matter, it can be found in my 2013 free pdf book @adhdexplainer.
And, yes, I love the balance in this piece. It is not just funny. It. Is. Highly. Illuminating. And, that is no joke! Take care, Ron
Obsessed with this. I just started at a new job, and I keep looking for advice on how to deal with my allistic coworker. I know this was meant to be kinda silly, but it is genuinely helpful for explaining why allistics can be inefficient and confusing in their socialization.
Thanks for another great post! It's interesting; I observed the "Common Traits of Allistic Individuals" and thought them strange as a child. I have said that "euphemistic" language was my mother tongue. None of it made sense to me, it seemed dishonest, even crazy, but when I tried to point it out, it was my thinking that was wrong. Truly crazy-making stuff! Later, I learned those characteristics are signs of dysfunctional family systems and I had to unlearn them which was not that hard because I never learned them well in the first place. I was basically incapable of going along - which made life problematic - wonder what that says about me.
Full Disclosure: I am high IQ, medium sensory sensitive, excellent working memory, very few vulnerabilities to what we currently call ADHD. 79 years old. White. Retired shrink, who specialized in learning about and providing services and updated information to those trying to figure out if they fit that traditional set of characteristics used for currently diagnosing ADHD.
I do not support the concept of "disorders" as used in the brain/mind assessment arena. (Oh, sorry, I don't support the use of the term "mental health," or, for that matter the term "patient.") It seems to me that these are contrivances that are used to quantify "productivity and efficiency of working class" produced by institutions that benefit from classifying people in such obviously commerce-tuned manners. So, yes, "conditions" is a pretty good term. I think vulnerabilities and strengths would be more truthful.
I commented on Sher's earlier, similar post at "Impulsive Decision-Making Disorder IDD: A Cognitive Deficit in Allistic Individual" on March 7. So, I will not reiterate all of that here. My comments are there.
However, I will say this, as an "extended" teaser for my comments there, and my book. The characteristics of "allistic" folks happens to also describe the reigning characteristics of the West, especially North America. In other words, US mainstream cultural characteristics fit the criteria for what we currently call ADHD.
In my world, after thousands of pages of reading and over 10 years of clinical practice learning from and assisting folks with understanding and mitigating the downside of the ADHD scenario, it is clear to me that the so-called allistic or neurotypical is actually what we currently call ADHD (without sensory sensitivity). The reigning brainset vulnerability of the West is now being challenged enough by data loads to "show up" at "skyrocketing" levels.
A teaser: The huge downside of the nonADHD, sensory neutral (the other minority, and the one I belong to) is we are awful at threat response at all levels. Over-amped on a dopamine threat response is not useful. Look up the inverted U-shaped dopamine curve. Working memory is degraded, not improved, reaction times get longer, distractibility goes way up, feel overwhelmed, panicky, shakiness, increased blood pressure, heart rate, among other things, like nausea and vomiting. In other words, worse for survival by far than the ADHD brainset (except in those who also experience significant sensory sensitivities) -- threat essentially treats the low working memory responsible for almost all of the downsides of what we currently call ADHD.
It is becoming more than a little clear that the best brain for survival is and has been the baseline low tonic dopamine type (the sensory sensitive ADHDers would have been the tribal scouts). You can say that the nonADHD and ASD brainsets with average to above average IQ are likely the best brain-types for "civilization" (reading, academics, thinking, planning, anticipating, waiting, good follow through), but not so great for the "jungle."
I, personally, am still trying to find members of my tribe. They are far and few between. I totally align with ASD types but without any of the usual "diagnosable" characteristcs, no particular sensory sensitivities, a large working memory capacity – but, not able to smoke, drink, over-eat, get addicted (I've tried), or do well in threat situations. Blood and guts? No way. I went into medicine knowing I was going to specialize in psychiatry. My aversion was so strong, that I was able to get through to my residency without having to do a single central vein puncture. (Most docs would not be proud of that.)
If you want a deeper dive into this subject matter, it can be found in my 2013 free pdf book @adhdexplainer.
And, yes, I love the balance in this piece. It is not just funny. It. Is. Highly. Illuminating. And, that is no joke! Take care, Ron