Heck, I can't even manage to finish a paper a week ahead of the deadline. Or. A day ahead of the deadline for that matter. (I know what you're thinking and no, I'm not procrastinating right now. Not on a paper at least. And I can't think of something else so.)
I'd kind of like to start some sort of open debate thing here, but we all know that isn't happening. For one thing, in the three years (wait no, way more than that...) I've had this blog I've accumulated 24 total comments and let's not talk about the percentage of those belong to my mother (Love you mom...) For the other thing... I like debating, but it takes a lot to convince me I'm wrong. So. *shrugs*
So today I'll talk about being ADHD. Actually no let's talk about medication. And ADHD. But mostly meds.
Now before you freak out at me because "OH MY GOSH THE SYSTEM AND CHEMICALS AND OBJECTS AND THINGS AND LIESSSS all you believe are LIESSS!!!" Remember three things. Firstly, you probably won't feel like commenting because that requires typing your email, secondly it really does take me a lot to convince me I'm wrong, and thirdly actually hear me out before writing me off. I've thought a lot about this.
Quick history of me, my family, and medication. My family suffers this insignificant little thing called growth hormone deficiency. Meaning, our young maturing bodies don't produce all the things we need to be normal adults. Physically I mean. Not mentally. That's.... A whole other matter... Anyways. So my brother and I both in our childhood were put on medicine to correct this. As a result, my brother is now 5'8 with a fully functional metabolism and things, and I'm... Well. I'm short. But I didn't stop at 4'6, at the age of 10, and develop a full feminine figure in a year.
Therefore, can we just agree that yes, there are clearly some things that physically some bodies actually lack and need help with? I guess that's not the best proof, but the easiest example is how some women cannot give birth. And we all know leukemia exists, and we can't deny cancer either.
So when it comes to big, physical things... There is some pretty rock hard evidence out there that some medicines are helpful. Heck, did Jesus ever speak against doctors? No. Is there anything wrong with letting people trained in the area of medicine use their gifting and knowledge? No! I mean if they happen to be chanting and dancing and throwing incense at you then yes but that isn't medicine now is it.
What I don't see is the disconnect between physical medicines and mental medicines.... Ok, so I see there supposed disconnect. But can we dispel that?
Here's where ADHD comes in. Yes, I agree it is an over diagnosed thing and not every child has it and really what a lot of kids need is simply some loving discipline. No, I don't think it's fake. trust me, my brother and I grew up with loving discipline. We grew up well behaved and nicely trained to be good kids but... ADHD isn't the concept of being random and uncontrolled. ADHD is, most simply, when your brain works at such a speed that you can't help but have an insane amount of topics going at once. Outwardly it sounds like taco christmas fishsticks cars and a partridge in a pear tree, but inwardly each statement and concept that comes out is tied to a full and complete thought. And when someone like this loses their train of thought, it will usually come back and maybe even be more fully developed.
For instance, you could have been talking to my brother about an even that happened in youth group, and suddenly he's got your necklace in his hands and is inspecting it. And now he's playing with the person next to him's hair. If you stopped and asked if he was listening, he could recite to you exactly what you just said.
Treu story, really. He'd do that, he'd juggle things in class, he'd make paper airplanes... But he was listening. It just didn't look like it.
The easy answer is "Well, he must have been overstimulated so now his brain requires more than one thing in order to be satisfied. He's too attached to entertainment." If you consider being a missionary kid who stayed in his room and played quietly with legos to be overstimulated, then you can just leave. I'm done talking to you. You are boring and dense. We had an old laptop with no internet. We grew up with reading rabbit, carmen sandiego, and math blasters. If it didn't teach, we didn't have it. He evn played chess. And won every time.
"Where does the medication thing come in? I get it, your brother's ADHD and a genius and whatever else you're trying to say. Get to the point." Ok, ok getting there. Remember when I mentionned losing trains of thought?
The issue of ADHD is the insane amount of thoughts, mixed with the speed of thought, mixed with the depth. (Make a mathematical equation out of that, I dare you) The issue is, because your brain is just Going and Going... You lose yourself.
"And not like, oh I can't stop my mind wandering haha I'm such a ditz" although that's what I thought I was for the longest time. But it really does make focusing on anything feel impossible. You and I have a conversation in real life, let's say you ask me a simple question about my life or I ask you one about yours. An hour later (If you let me talk that long) we will have discussed music, my boyfriend, your love interest, the mentality of teenagers in this era, what the weather is like today, how many asians are in the room, what would happen if I could get everyone I know to wear a cape to school one day, what your family was like growing up, where you're going in life, your favorite tea, something about coffee and the easter bunny, and how simplistic and arrogant America is. (I dare you to complain about me saying that. Dare. You.)
Why? Because every phrase ever has a million tangents to it, and when someone is talking quickly the other person usually feels bad interrupting. And also, how would you respond if I asked you how many coconuts do you think that impressively large man could smash with his head before getting a headache?
That is how my brain works. That is how ADHD works. And I will try to end most of your sentences. Sometimes, I'll be right. It's not because I think I know more, it's because my brain wants to see if its pattern of thinking matches yours. It wants to see if I can solve the sentence before you do. (Also, I apologize in advance.) believe it or not, but that is one of the 18 symptoms of ADHD.
Meds. Right. Those. What are the pros of this?
Well, for one thing, when your brain feels like a tornado... It really helps to have a stabilizer. Something to let you stand on your feet for a bit. I'm not on meds right now, because I don't have time to see a psychiatrist and go through trials to figure out which one works the right way (I have been through... Mm.. Three or four? That didn't work) but I am on caffeine, which I get cheap because I work at a cafe.
Here's where I stand on medication.
If you find yourself unstable in any arena of the mind, seek wholeness. Yes, pray, but God didn't simply kick the gentiles out of the promised land. Israel still fought, knowing they had the victory because God was before them.
So fight, knowing you have the victory. Go see a counsellor. Read the books. Go to classes. Talk to people.
And, see a psychiatrist if needed.
If you are dealing with depression, don't just get mad at yourself and depressed because prayer isn't working. See someone and get something to use TEMPORARILY until you are on your feet. Same with any other mental thing.
Which brings me to my next point.
I do not believe all medicines should be something permanent. And that is why meds get a bad rep; because people use them as solutions instead of part of the equation.
If you need to be on some sort of pill, Do Not make that pill your answer. That would be like giving a strong pain killer to a man with a broken leg, and then sending him on his way. He can't feel it, but his leg is still broken.
If you have an issue, medication is not the bed to push your problem under.
Your mind still needs to be healed.
If it gets to the point where you are upping your dose because you're still depressed/moody/emotional/anything else, you should start considering exactly how invested you are into actually getting better.
That make sense? I can make a million more analogies (Medicine is a shelter after the hurricane. Work on making your mind a house. Don't move into the shelter...)
But... That being said, there are some things that are caused by real chemical imbalances.
If that is your case... There is no shame in having to take a pill for it.
Society is so quick to condemn. We see someone on medical drugs and think "Oh, they're an addict. Oh, they're incapable of taking care of themselves. Oh, they have such little faith" and a million other things. But you wouldn't think that of someone in a cast or a wheelchair, would you?
It's time we start seeing things with a new perspective.
Strike down fear. Learn to live. And learn to feel comfortable and safe doing what you need to seek wholeness and restoration.
Please, feel free to ask me questions. I will clarify and expound on anything!!
Heck, even try to debate with me ;) After all, it is in debate that all the facts can be laid out and weighed.
~Silver
