Sorry to be a drip. Dispirited, because all of this recognition wasn't recognized until too late to do me any good. When the book "You Mean I'm Not Lazy, etc" came out, like a personal diary of my life, I dared to enquire at Kaiser mental health did they have any services for ADHD. The receptionist nearly sneered at me. It was several years later that wow! How about that! Kaiser practitioners formally diagnosed me. My Mom had my school review cards from elementary school, boiling down to: "She's really bright, BUT doesn't apply herself; can't get anything in on time; not paying attention;" (Kind of flaky!) Emotional disregulation? The whole nine yards would have been nice to have some kind of a handle on to cope with. Especially because the gifts are there, too. "Seeing patterns others miss?' CREATIVITY? God bless my sisters and brothers being recognized now. You go, kids!
My experience with Kaiser mental health wasn’t good either. I have compelling evidence that I was diagnosed at ten and that my parents hid it from me. I have memories of being tested.
I went to Kaiser for conference and was given a test that I clearly saw as culturally biased and told I showed signs of psychosis.
You brought back another memory of mine: I dared to enquire about possibility of parasites in completely different situation from mental health, and got referred to a social worker on suspicion of some kind of derangement! Now you can hear TV ads constantly warning to tell your doctor about parasitic infection! Kaiser definitely clung to dogma prejudices, but it's hard to forgive when they were disrespectful!
"ADHD isn’t a disorder to be managed, but a powerful cognitive toolkit that evolved for exactly these kinds of high-stakes, fast-moving environments." This is exactly what I'm talking about in the (ranty) podcast episode about neurodiversity I uploaded today. We aren't sick, or broken. We are just different.
I am a hunter, and I underperformed. This had largely to do with my blue collar upbringing. My Mexican heritage was another factor. The nearly all white schools I attended dismissed my gifts. I excelled in a blue collar trade and that put a target on my back for many less talented coworkers.
Sorry to be a drip. Dispirited, because all of this recognition wasn't recognized until too late to do me any good. When the book "You Mean I'm Not Lazy, etc" came out, like a personal diary of my life, I dared to enquire at Kaiser mental health did they have any services for ADHD. The receptionist nearly sneered at me. It was several years later that wow! How about that! Kaiser practitioners formally diagnosed me. My Mom had my school review cards from elementary school, boiling down to: "She's really bright, BUT doesn't apply herself; can't get anything in on time; not paying attention;" (Kind of flaky!) Emotional disregulation? The whole nine yards would have been nice to have some kind of a handle on to cope with. Especially because the gifts are there, too. "Seeing patterns others miss?' CREATIVITY? God bless my sisters and brothers being recognized now. You go, kids!
My experience with Kaiser mental health wasn’t good either. I have compelling evidence that I was diagnosed at ten and that my parents hid it from me. I have memories of being tested.
I went to Kaiser for conference and was given a test that I clearly saw as culturally biased and told I showed signs of psychosis.
I never went back.
You brought back another memory of mine: I dared to enquire about possibility of parasites in completely different situation from mental health, and got referred to a social worker on suspicion of some kind of derangement! Now you can hear TV ads constantly warning to tell your doctor about parasitic infection! Kaiser definitely clung to dogma prejudices, but it's hard to forgive when they were disrespectful!
"ADHD isn’t a disorder to be managed, but a powerful cognitive toolkit that evolved for exactly these kinds of high-stakes, fast-moving environments." This is exactly what I'm talking about in the (ranty) podcast episode about neurodiversity I uploaded today. We aren't sick, or broken. We are just different.
I am a hunter, and I underperformed. This had largely to do with my blue collar upbringing. My Mexican heritage was another factor. The nearly all white schools I attended dismissed my gifts. I excelled in a blue collar trade and that put a target on my back for many less talented coworkers.