Re: Dr. Mate's theory of ADHD being caused by early adversity

[Bettyboo]

Well, I thought that Dr. Mate theory is interesting; however, I really didn’t feel that he created a solution itt is just basically a theory. When I was diagnosed with add a long with my children, it was explained to us that ADD doesn’t change who we are it supports our brain. So, I believe that at the end of the day everyone has symptoms that resemble ADD not all of them have it. It could be the survival skills they need while growing up in a dysfunctional family…and aren’t we all raised in some sort of dysfunction whether we were directly involved or we indirectly some how experienced it. How we dealt with it is totally individual. We are multifaced human beings and there is no possible way that our care givers (parents etc) could have taped into every emotion that we had or need resolve with.

Trauma in a young person life is very difficult and changes who they are to grow up to be. ADD is a genetic disorder…to me (again to me only), I know how I internally struggled with it…no one knew but me how I felt. I looked under control on the outside but on the inside I was fighting with everything. I know that my girls were feling that way as well. Medication is for my brain and if my brain could talk it would say “thank you for giving me peace.” I’m still the same person I was but now I’m organized, focused, and attentive. I’m able to understand the dysfunction I grew up with much better and I’m not playing such a victim role. I’m not perfect and I do have bouts of instibility but doesn’t everyone…am I nuts or is every one happy happy all the time. I don’t believe so. I’m grateful for the medication and now I have to combine behavioural thearpy with it so that I can be the best person that “I WANT” to be not what any one, society, or media dictates me to be. I’m working on myself, and I have to allow my children to recognize what they need to be the adults they want to be…not what I want or anyone else…just what they want.

When I listened to dr. Mates i realized that my thoughts and feels are being devalued and that I’m not being heard…once again let’s not deal with the issue. If ADD was cancer would we make the same excuses…I have ADD, my children have ADD, my 1st cousin has ADD, her son has ADD, my nephew has ADD, my other cousin has ADD…I did not go through any tramatic birth nor did any of my relatives. I came from a dysfunctional family my children did not…so how does that work now Dr. Mates.

Enough skeptics, enough wanting to change who we are, enough fighting your brain…please be excepting of ourselves and work towards being the best person you can be for yourself and only yourself…have faith in yourself. If medication is what you need to control ADD, depression, or cancer then take it because it helps you be the best YOU. Take care of yourself as well…eat well, exercise, coaching, counselling what ever works but please stop beating yourself up because you have ADD.

This is so hard for me to hear and it has me wanting to not be part of forums, organizations etc…I want to look at ADD as a gift and the goodness of what I can create for myself and those around me not the evil that was created on me. I’m for the medication and my good health.

I have add and I’m loving it.

These are my views without judgement

Elizabeth

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