Harness, not Repress

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I’m old enough that I was spared the craze of this generation. The diagnosis of ADD or ADHD (attention deficit disorder or attention-deficit-hyperactivity disorder). It spared my elder children, as well- but my youngest was born when such diagnoses were far more prevalent.

But, I fear this is yet another craze. Because when 10 to 12% of the population is diagnosed as such, it’s not clear to me that it is a disease. Rather, it may be symptomatic of the failure to help our children use their energy more effectively.

When we are bored, we seek the new. We seek the exciting. We are restless with the humdrum, boring activities to which we often yoke our children (and ourselves). And, given the desire of our educational system to “control”, to classify children, to deal with the middle and not the whole class, this sort of diagnosis is not surprising.

I admit to viewing this syndrome from my personal experiences and those of my children- as well as those of those with whom I surrounded myself at my firms and research institutions. As a lot, we were the insouciants, those who would create problems in class, wouldn’t sit still.

Yet, as a lot, we were still able to sit for hours describing our perfect inventions, to work in the lab for 22, 32, 40 hours at a clip, perfecting those ideas into reality. Does that sound like ADD to you?

Or, in my case, to sit for hours conniving some great strategy to bring a new device or drug to market. To envision scenarios and financial plans to insure the successful introduction of “our babies”.

Dopamine Receptors

Because you see, these trailblazing efforts forced another part of our brains to secrete dopamine, to stimulate our reward center, so we’d keep going…and crave more.

It’s not surprising that Dr. Nora Volkow (author of many studies such as this one or this discussion on the Diane Rehm show) director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse (part of NIH) has found that those diagnosed with ADHD had fewer dopamine receptors than those not so diagnosed. And, the fewer the receptors, the greater the inattentive behaviors. As such, those diagnosed need more stimulating activities to preclude boredom than “normals”.

(That’s why Adderall and Ritalin are effective. These chemicals block the ability of neurons to absorb dopamine, which means there is a higher level of dopamine available,which can then activate the various (and fewer) reward receptors in the brain. It (fewer active receptors for dopamine) may also explain why some folks are more prone to drug and alcohol abuse.)

[It’s probably also why kids are more prone to be found with ADHD, than are adults. Because children must do as they are told. A great number of adults get to choose their lives and live in environments that better meet their needs.  I recall a study at MIT [Dr. Aaron Matfeld] that showed that adults that chose their environments had changes in their brain physiology that rendered them less prone to ADHD. (These subjects had ADHD diagnoses when younger.)]

It’s probably why I was a great researcher and inventor. Because there was no routine in my work. As such, my restlessness was and is my greatest asset. (It’s also why I can seemingly flit from one project to the next, from one client to the next, from biotechnology to finance, from developing a new food to conceiving an appropriate tax strategy.)

Maybe that’s the kind of strategies we should be teaching all our kids. (I did!) Because I fear our new approach to education, where the school environment is highly regimented- contrasting with our unregulated smartphones, computers, and other devices (including digital games)- that leaves our children at a loss. Why would they prefer the classroom to the more stimulating digital world?

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8 thoughts on “Harness, not Repress”

  1. Of course it’s not a disease. It’s an aberration from the norm. You can diagnose 0.0001% of the population or 0.9999% of the population, depending on how near or close to the norm you wish to place the marker dividing “normal” and ADHD/Asbergers/whatever.

  2. I am of two minds about this. I believe that each child is different, and that some may need more stimulations than others. Just like you, I don’t understand this need to put a label on some kids and give them drugs. That said, for the more extreme cases it must help.
    Muriel recently posted..Remembrance Day

  3. A long time ago I realized that schools were developed for passive females and active males were constantly “in trouble.” So were some of the girls. In the 1960s-70s I was of the opinion that kids should study what interested them a la A. S. O’Neill’s Summerhill. It was when I began homeschooling my youngest that I actually put some of this into practice. The end result is that she learned how to learn. I have a very active son, who excelled when he got into a tech school learning about how to work on air planes. My other son was totally artistic and would have learned best if he could have turned what he learned into an art project. He of all three would have done best in homeschool developed around his learning style. Where any of these kids ADHD? I am sure they could have all been typified that way. And I am definitely ADD, but that is what makes me creative. Thanks for a great article.
    Ann recently posted..Do You Have What It Takes for Inbound Marketing?

    1. Hmm. I am not sure they were designed for male or female- but clearly for those easily “boxed” in.
      But, I agree with your methodology- and am always amazed that folks can home-school their own properly.
      Kudos to you!

  4. I agree that in many cases, it’s more about neglecting to help our kids manage their energy.

    I believe that we’re all unique and that we’re all awesome as we are. Some of us are more random, active, easily bored, etc. That should be celebrated, not stifled . . . and certainly not medicated in an attempt to squash kids in a box and control them.

    If our interests and characteristics were known (and viewed as strengths) and allowed to flourish, our kids would be much better off.

    I’m all for serious changes to the education system. I’d love to see a school that helps kids understand themselves, discover their passions and purpose and personality . . . and then pursue those things. I’d love to see creativity and entrepreneurship taught. I’d love to see kids’ learning styles honored (and only the kids who thrive in structure and rows be using that type of arrangement :)). And I could go on and on.

    Having said that, though, there are many more disorders these days than there used to be. When I taught, I taught kids with severe special needs. Some of those kids were diagnosed with AD/HD. In some of those cases, medication helped them. I’m not a med advocate, but I’m open to the possibility if it’s beneficial to the child.
    Leanne Chesser recently posted..Why Being Your Unique Self is the Foundation for Your Business

    1. Thanks for that great addition, Leanne!
      My ex also taught those with special needs. And, yes, in some cases, the medication helped- but not in all. But, if they can learn coping mechanisms, they are set for life.
      I loved your statement that schools need to work more intimately to help nurture the child’s passions and needs. The cookie-cutter approach that is employed now is clearly not working.

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