Long conversation with the daughter in the UK this morning via ‘chat’. A week or so ago she’d gone to her GP about a problem with one of the kids and after chatting to her had referred *her* to a psychiatrist. Ok I know it sounds ‘bad’ but there were real reasons for her to see the GP and real reasons why he felt it might help her to talk to a psych… neither of which I’m going into right now.
What is important is the result of this preliminary consultation. From his time with her, the psych determined she might well have both Asperger’s Syndrome and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (the underlying links take you to useful information about each condition).
Moving on… the psych said she was so obviously a ‘classic case’ that it was amazing nobody had picked it up before. Well I must admit we’ve all had suspicions she might have had this since in retrospect her behaviour as a child was a little ‘off the wall’ as a norm! At the very least it explains all sorts of strange behaviours, mannerisms and attitudes that we’ve noticed through the years.
Of course, whilst I’m sitting here typing I have to remind all and sundry that it’s almost certain this has come from my side of the family since my own personality development was blighted by much the same issues… and still *is* affected badly by it. Much as her mothers side of the family displayed strange behaviour through the years, it was very much ‘normal’ weirdness and I wouldn’t say they were certifiable… much as I’d have liked to see some of them locked up! 🙂
So. Question is once you realise you have this… what do you do about it? Basically it seems… almost nothing *can* be done. Each is a form of ‘high level’ autism and each is interlinked with the other. Right now there is little that is effective other than drug therapies to try to control the more florid aspects of the condition and in an adult the drugs have far less effect than in the young whose behaviour is less constrained by experience.
All that can be done in reality is to try to manage it on a day to day basis. For that the ‘sufferers need support and training to overcome the more socially debilitating aspects. Even at the daughters age there is still a good chance she can be helped. For myself… nope. I’m too old and set in my ways to go down that road. My only concession to it is to take Modafinil which I *still* maintain has done great things to wake me up a little. Nevertheless *I’m* looking forward to hearing what treatments he suggests and (if possible) applying them to my own life… who knows it might help!! 😀
Either way, at the very least you’d hope she can pick up tips to help her kids overcome the psychological barriers we’ve both come up against.
Of course inheritance is a big thing. Where most people have these little knick-knacks passed down as family heirlooms… we have our own little genetic peculiarities to hand over. I’ve handed it on to my two daughters… tho, luckily for him, not my son (as far as I know…!!) and my daughter has handed it on to *her* kids.
I know I can’t get rid of it, it’s a lifelong thing and it’s hard for other people to understand exactly what this is and how horrible it is to live with. In fact even now after being married 30 years, the wife *still* keeps telling me I’m just a hypochondriac despite my (constantly) displaying a large numbers of the specific markers!! Maybe we’re just abnormally annoying? 😀
Anyway, for me, since I can’t get rid of it, or do anything about it, the only real question I have is that since both my parents seem to have been excruciatingly normal (according to the markers indicated in the links above), where did *I* get it??
The Eclectic Interweb 
oh come on … Aunty Phyl clearly had the same “symptoms” … definitely not originating with your good self
🙂
Firstly, I must say quite a brave blog (I assume EJ gave you prermission to write this and to that I would say the same to her). Offering this type of ‘extremely’ personal information I would say in itself is a significant step forward even if it only offers a level of explanation at a personal level let alone to others.
Secondly, I have read a few things about these conditions since it was known these types of illnesses were in the family and I think it is worth ensuring ALL the issues are properly considered before medication is used to couteract these types of behaviour in children specifcally when using Ritalin. Adults I believe can make thier own decisions for themselves, but prescribing drugs to kids has to be one of the most difficlut decisions a parent has to make. To make matters worse, this is probably one of the most confusing subjects I have ever encountered and I don’t have to make the decision..!!
However, I thought these sites might help – one from Dr Peter Breggin who essentially doesn’t believe in ADHD and has serious concerns over the damage being done to children via the drugs being provided etc.. and another from someone discrediting him. How you make up your mind from these very compelling arguments… who knows…
http://www.breggin.com/ritalinbkexcerpt.html
http://www.quackwatch.org/04ConsumerEducation/NegativeBR/breggin.html
Thirdly, luckily as you say I do not present ‘any’ of those symptoms listed, with exception of interuptions (but I put that down to unprecedented levels of rudeness and arrogance on my part, something which won’t come as a shock to anyone).
Finally, where did it come from….the milkman perhaps…?
Wouldn’t have written it without permission… and I’ve mentioned before that I have both Asperger’s and ADD! 🙂
I wouldn’t say it was ‘brave’ really. There’s nothing to feel ashamed over… life is what it is and I learned very early in life that we’re *all* handicapped in one way or another either by genetics or upbringing… c’est la vie. We just have to learn to manage with what we have.
I wouldn’t advise Ritalin either unless there the situation would be otherwise uncontrollable… but having had experience with Modafinil I’d recommend it to anyone, but it isn’t something I’d do lightly in any case. Over prescription of drugs to children is endemic all over the ‘developed world’ as parents fail to come to grips with apparently hyperactive kids.
Strangely the doctor who ‘diagnosed’ me originally was treating me for sleep apnoea and weight loss. He approached it obliquely telling me that whilst he personally had always had grave doubts about either Asperger’s of ADD existing as diagnostic entities… I was the first person he’d met and dealt with who fitted the classic picture symptomatically.
Trust me you are *very* lucky not to have any or very few of these symptoms. I think a lot of the ‘issues’ between you and your sister have developed through the years might have their source in the condition, but that’s another story. 🙂
I think you got it from me cos I haven’t got it any more – or maybe I just can’t remember where I put it – damn you ……
Personally I think it’s all an elaborate facade to disguise the fact all of you are completely barking mad.
I read this to the dogsbody who says you are entirely wrong… there *is* no facade… we *are* all barking mad!!
Charming… nice to have some sympathy innit!! 🙂
I am sympathetic really … honest …. there but for the grace of god etc .. or the window cleaner possibly …. but we are genetically so close and given everything else we jointly suffer from you’d think that as another male son I’d have exhibited some form of similar behavioural traits as well?? (Quiet in the back please)
It really does appear utterly random the way that genetic code gets transferred between siblings and children when you think what you Carol and I share and don’t share with Mum & Dad, and with each other.
It does explain some of E’s excentricities though that’s for sure (I’m sure she won’t mind me saying that!) Must be awful to live with Chris.
Sorry – that shouldn’t read with the emphasis on the word “Chris” by the way but then thinking about it – well done Deb!! 🙂
Very satisfying to an ancient parent to have his long held suspicions confirmed= can go quietly into that dark night with all doubts eradicated= well perhaps not all!
At last… sympathy… comes at a tangent but gratefully accepted! 🙂
Actually I might laugh now, but it isn’t easy for EJ in the slightest. I have Deb to look after me… EJ has to cope with three kids!
Thing is though that as hard as it is to live with our ‘eccentricities’, life with us is always ‘interesting’ to say the least!! 😀
Still, as the old saying goes… knowledge is power. Once you have a handle on things and have some understanding of what the problem is you can deal with it. What seems like a major setback becomes empowering.
And besides, now we know that after all these years the old man was right all along… we *are* all mad!.
Excuse me. there are two of us in this family who are not mad, but Im not sure whether its me or your mother
Work that out!
I can’t belive I’ve had this for so long and not know about it.
I wouldn’t say I’m a classic case for both, but I have these symptoms as well, not all of them mind but enough of them to start me thinking about it (as long as I can be bothered thinking about it)
Explains quite a few things really
Damn you genetics
EJ: looks like we opened a can of worms here flower!! 🙂
Mark: Welcome to the club – it was obvious to the rest of us! 🙂
Dad: I say nothing!
Si:
All I can say is lucky for me I’m the one with all the talent, good looks, natural charm, wit, grace, elegance, …
Now where that nurse got to with my slippers????
The problem is that no-one can mention that talent without the authorities being alerted to your whereabouts lol
And all that remains is for us to say… welcome to the club!
hypochondriacs the lot of you!
(just another part of your madness!)
Apparently the term ‘hypochondriac’ is now almost defunct due to advances in technology and a new term ‘Cyberchondriac’ has been cretaed.
As you may guess it means…
It is the latest condition to add to GPs’ workloads. In severe cases, patients armed with print-outs from wacko websites install themselves in the consulting room and begin reading aloud. Doctors have complained of being cornered into carrying out dozens of tests for obscure, nonexistent infections, because the cyberchondriac has memorised an impressive set of symptoms. 🙂
Sorry, for some reason the comment update everything I updated (pops..? any ideas..??).
Anyway Cyberchondriac means – the deluded belief you suffer from all the diseases featured on the internet