posted December 29, 2008 08:32 PM         

Risperdal is an atypical antipsychotic that is especially made to treat schizophrenia, and has been used to treat Bipolar. It's been used off label to treat ADHDer's behavior problems. It now has approval to treat Autistic Spectrum people's behavior problems.

Risperidone (Risperal) approval by
the FDA - December 29, 1993 - http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cder/ob/docs/obdetail.cfm?Appl_No=020272&T\
ABLE1=OB_Rx

I see Risperdal as a medication that structures,disciplines,and
restricts divergence.

I believe that Eris is something involved because I believe it has to do with divergence,diversity,equal rights matters. The mythology,the highly eccentric orbit which is Persephone-like,involves being well
off the ecliptic unlike the planets. Ceres and Pluto were made equals as dwarf planets because of the discovery of Eris. Ceres was once classed as a major planet and was stripped of its planetary status,and
now Pluto has been given the same treatment. Demeter/Ceres and Hades/Pluto were forced to share Persephone/Proserpina. Eris' co-discoverer, Dr. Michael Brown says that Eris has a Persephone-like
orbit in that half of the time,it orbits away from Pluto. He thought Persephone or Proserpina were suitable name for Eris,but the names were already given to asteroids.

I used a noon chart
Washington DC

There are no aspects involving the regular chart.
Therefore, I checked the right ascension chart.
Right Ascension is the equatorial longitude that astronomers use to locate objects

Neptune in 21'56 Capricorn
square Eris in 22'14 Aries
(drugging of neurodivergents....Neptune also rules midiagnoses,of course oversensitivity to medications.....this fits with midiagnoses
of neurodivergents who tend to be oversensitive,and could be prone to side effects due to the oversensitivity to medications)

I checked the regular chart and looked at midpoints involving Eris

Saturn conjunct Mars/Eris - '28 applying
(structure,discipline,restrictiong of divergent actions,energy)

Saturn conjunct Sun/Eris - '48 applying
(structure,discipline,restricting of divergent ego,self expression)

Saturn conjunct Mercury/Eris - '40 separating
(structure,discipline,restricting of divergent mind,thoughts)

also Aug 30, 1992 was when 1992 QB1 was discovered. That was the first kuiper belt object discovered since Pluto was discovered. That was
like the opening of the can of worms in regards to Pluto being one of many kuiper belt objects.

so Risperdal was approved less than 2 years after its discovery.

I believe that the discovery of the Kuiper Belt and the skyrocketing increase of neurodivergents (ADHD children on psychiatric medications)
are in synchronicity with each other.

posted December 29, 2008 09:49 PM         

Our fast society runs wild over people with neurodivergency. The pressure is great to perform a certain way in society - everything needs to fit into a catergory. Medicating is a fast way to fit someone into a category that the majority can understand.

Eris is a viable connection to neurodivergent behaviour. Eris can bring issues to light and make us question how attitudes exist.

I have also seen neurodivergent behaviour better handled when the mainstream of society is removed from their realm. It's like separating oil from water. The pressure of mainstream behaviour is over-whelming. To be left on the terms and conditions of the person with the divergent behaviour is a more tolerable situation. Negotiations are usually difficult but not impossible.

I'm not suprised if Aries features closely with this Eris placement.

posted December 29, 2008 10:35 PM         

Neurodivergent, for the context I'm writing in, is someone diagnosed with a condition, that classifies it as some sort of disability where outside agencies are required to support that person to make adjustments/modifications in their life.

Not all people with neurodivergency need medical support. Skills can be taught from a young age along with healthy diet, routines and open, consistent communication.

posted December 30, 2008 12:30 AM         

very interesting. I didn't know that you're a neurodivergent. Your son has Aspergers. So it looks like neurodivergence runs in your family. From what I read autistic spectrum people tend to be common in families that also have other neurodivergent conditions like Dyslexia,Dyspraxia,ADHD.

I was forced to take Risperdal once. It was February 2002.
It was because of my speech irregularities.
I was in psychiatric hospital for depression. I also had issues with anxiety.

any ways...Psychiatrists made me take Risperdal because of my speech irregularities.

In 1999,I had an incident where I got lost trying to find my way back to my aunt's house(I had problems because of my poor sense of directions like getting left/right mixed up which are symptoms of Dyspraxia and Dyslexia and I had problems remembering what I read on the signs part of the Dyslexia) and this was in an unfamiliar area...I was visiting from Sacramento), and I ended up being in psychiatric hospital for that. It was a very traumatic experience for me. They told me about my speech in how I rambled,and I forget things when I talk. They told me that I had a "slight thought disorder"

But these people never asked me about my developmental history. If they had known about my special education experiences including my years of speech therapy,then they wouldn't have judged me. They only judged by what they observe. I have a lifelong history of speech problems. I had speech therapy in special education. My speech problems are Dyslexic,Dyspraxic-related. I was diagnosed in early childhood with an auditory form of Dyslexia as well as coordination problems. I had therapies to correct auditory processing issues and speech issues as well as therapy for my fine motor skills. Therefore,I had the history to argue against the schizophrenia diagnosis. Not psychotic-related. I was diagnosed Bipolar because I talked too fast. They didn't do any neurological nor psychological testing.

I read the reports in my medical in reference to my speech. They also noted that I had good judgment and good insight in the area where they said that I had a slight thought disorder. That didn't make any sense to me at all.

Dr. Levinson talks about the need to distinguish psychotic speech from Dyslexic speech. That's how I realized that the psychiatrists misdiagnosed me because of my speech. He believes that neurodivergent conditions Dyslexia,Dyspraxia,ADHD are part of a Dyslexic Syndrome connected to cerebellar vestibular dysfunction. He's controversial in his views about neurodivergent conditions. He seems to understand people like us. I flew from New York to see him, and he understood me. He was even sympathetic. He told me about how Dyslexics can forget things when they talk which is something that I didn't mentioned about me. After I told him about my history of Dyslexia,Dyspraxia and my misdiagnoses of schizoaffective bipolar disorder because of my speech, he said "unbelievable"

I said "Yeah...they said it was a slight thought disorder." He said "They are the ones with the thought disorder.

any ways...I was abnormal on most of the tests that I did at his clinic. He diagnosed me as having cerebellar vestibular dysfunction and had acknowledged my Dyslexic,Dyspraxic symptoms. In 2006, I took his results to the Veteran Affairs neurologists. They tested me too and they confirmed that I had neurological problems and that I wasn't suffering from schizophrenia nor bipolar. They also confirmed that I had abnormal cerebellar system. They had me do neuropsyche testing. After all that was done, they confirmed my Dyslexia and Dyspraxia. It was the first time that my neurodivergent conditions were acknowledged and documented since my special education years.

My testing with Dr. Levinson in 2005 http://astynaz.myphotoalbum.com/view_album.php?set_albumName=album01&page=1

My testing with Veteran Affairs neurologists,neuropsychologist in 2006 http://astynaz.myphotoalbum.com/view_album.php?set_albumName=album01&page=2

BTW..Special education depts don't keep the records. They throw them away. I believe that they need to keep special education records forever. Just in case, people need to use them verify special education,learning disability history.

any ways...my experiences motivate me to help others and prevent my fellow neurodivergents from having same experiences as me. I wanted to be a mental health human rights activist. I wanted to raise awareness about neurodivergent conditions and how they can be misdiagnosed as serious psychiatric disorders. I wanted to point out the strong need to differentiate neurodivergent conditions from mental illnesses. I wanted to apply that to Astrology. I always read about certain aspects getting interpreted and viewed as psychological problems when they also fit the symptoms of neurodivergence. Many other neurodivergents have been misdiagnosed too. In 2003,in a Dyspraxia yahoo forum, British Dyspraxic Mary Colley,a prominent Dyspraxic in the UK told me that many neurodivergents are misdiagnosed as having schizophrenia or bipolar in UK after I told them about my history of misdiagnoses. I read news stories about people with Autism,Aspergers misdiagnosed as schizophrenia. One was locked up in mental institution and medicated for years because of it.

also if you the DSM-IV-TR Diagnostic Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, they list soft neurological signs of schizophrenia like left/right confusion,poor coordination,disorganization,and speech irregularities like in disorganized speech. Those are symptoms that are shared with neurodivergent conditions.

posted December 30, 2008 12:36 AM         

Psychiatrists and other mental health professionals tend to think that if a person speaks rapidly then they have manic speech. They think that is their speech is tangential,then they must be psychotic. They tend to judge people by their speech,and then tell them that they have a thought disorder,and so they tried to get them to take a neuroleptic. Some even want you to take Risperdal. That's what it was like for me as a Dyslexic,Dyspraxic,ADD person. They didn't know that my rapid,tangential speech was cluttering. They never stopped to consider that at all. They told me that I had some "slight thought disorder" and wanted me to take a neuroleptic. When I came back to mental hospital for depression, they made me take Risperdal because of my speech irregularities. These psychiatrists never asked if I had a history of speech therapy nor special education. I had intensive speech therapy in special education for my Dyslexia,Dyspraxia. It's so important that psychiatrists differentiate cluttering speech from speech stemming from mental illness like schizophrenia,bipolar. This type of speech runs in families, my mother told me that my father had speech problems that including stammering and stuttering. I read that they were the same,and so I asked my mother if my father cluttered. My mother told me "No", but I read my mother about the symptoms of cluttering, and my mom said that's what he did. My father was a clutterer like me,and he was diagnosed paranoid schizophrenic by prison psychiatrists. My father was a black man in 1960's,and so it was common for black people to be misdiagnosed schizophrenic in those days. If you have Dyslexic,Dyspraxic,ADD issues like my father,your chances of getting diagnosed schizophrenic increase even more. Understanding cluttering speech is very important. Many nonprofessionals can even misjudge clutterers too,and look at them like they are clueless and/or crazy because they are ignorant about this type of speaking.

DISORGANIZED AND OR RAPID SPEECH IN DISORDERS OTHER THAN MENTAL ILLNESS

page 59 of DSM-IV-TR Diagnositic Statistical Manual of Mental
Disorders

The most common associated feature of Expressive Language Disorder in
younger children is Phonological Disorder. There may also be a
disturbance in fluency and language formulation involving an
abnormally rapid rate and erratic rhythm of speech and disturbances
in language structure (cluttering). When Expressive Language Disorder
is acquired, additional speech difficulties are also common and may
include motor articulation problems, phonological errors, slow
speech, syllable repetitions, and monotonous intonation and stress
patterns. Among school-age children, school and learning problems
(e.g., writing to dictation, copying sentences, and spelling) that
sometimes meet criteria fo Learning Disorders are often associated
with Expressive Language Disorder. There may be also be some mild
impairment in receptive language skills, but when this is
significant, a diagnosis of Mixed Receptive Language should be made.
A history of delay in reaching some motor milestones, Developmental
Coordination Disorder,and Enuressis are not uncommon. Social
withdrawal and some mental disorders such as Attention-
Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder are also commonly associated.
Expressive Language Disorder may be accompanied by EEG abnormalities,
abnormal findings on neuroimaging,dysarthic or apraxic behaviors, or
other neurological signs.

CLUTTERING UPDATED

Our research has advanced the following working definition: "Cluttering is a syndrome characterized by a speech delivery rate which is either abnormally fast, irregular, or both. In cluttered speech, the person’s speech is affected by one or more of the following: (1) failure to maintain normally expected sound, syllable, phrase, and pausing patterns; (2) evidence of greater than expected incidents of disfluency, the majority of which are unlike those typical of people who stutter." An example of cluttered speech can be seen in the sidebar at the center of p. 5.

This definition expands previous definitions that focused only on two components: an excessively rapid and/or irregular speaking rate, and disfluencies that are frequent but are not judged to be stuttering. Like all working definitions, this one must change as new data are gathered. Admittedly, the definition is not wholly satisfactory, partly because it is based on listener judgment. One especially frustrating problem is that people with the disorder frequently do not clutter, for example, when they speak in a short screening evaluation. In such cases, they either are not diagnosed or one must rely on subjective reports, by the client or others, that cluttering does indeed exist.

Another vexing issue is the extent to which language planning and pragmatic problems are implicated in the diagnosis of cluttering. We do not currently include language difficulties in the definition because there appear to be at least a few clutterers for whom language problems are not evident. A third confusing issue is that cluttering often—but not always—coexists with stuttering, although the two are now regarded as distinct fluency disorders by most authorities. Moreover, cluttering is often noticed before the stuttering takes over during development of the disorders and after stuttering is treated successfully, but not while a person manifests significant stuttering. Further adding to this confusion, even in relatively rare cases of "pure cluttering," is that most clutterers or their families refer to their problems as "stuttering."

Regardless, we are currently convinced that rate problems are somehow central to cluttering. There is the near universal impression that clutterers try to talk too fast, so fast that their speech intermittently breaks down. This explains the common clinical impression that most cluttering disfluencies result from placing excessive demands on the output capabilities of the speaker’s linguistic and other systems. Clutterers also tend to slur or omit syllables of longer words, which compromise intelligibility during spurts of rapid speech.

Many other symptoms have been reported in people who clutter. These optional symptoms include: lack of awareness of the problem; family history of fluency disorders; poor handwriting; confusing, disorganized language or conversational skills; temporary improvement when asked to "slow down" or "pay attention" to speech; misarticulations; poor intelligibility; social or vocational problems; distractibility; hyperactivity; auditory perceptual difficulties; learning disabilities; and apraxia. http://www.asha.org/about/publications/leader-online/archives/2003/q4/f031118a.htm

Cluttering is another problem that makes speech difficult to understand. Like stuttering, cluttering affects the fluency, or flow, of someone's speech. However, the difference is that cluttering is a language disorder, while stuttering is a speech disorder. People who stutter have trouble getting out what they want to say, and those who clutter says what they're thinking, but it becomes disorganized while they're speaking. Because of this disorganization, someone who clutters may speak in bursts or pause in unexpected places. The rhythm of cluttered speech may sound jerky, rather than smooth, and the speaker is often unaware of the problem. http://www.kidshealth.org/PageManager.jsp?dn=studenthealthzone&lic=180&cat_id=20357&article_set=35152&ps=604

page 47 to 49 from A SOLUTION TO THE RIDDLE OF DYSLEXIA(The DISCOVERY OF
CEREBELLAR-VESTIBULAR SYNDROMES by Harold N. Levinson, MD

Occasionally, dyslexics manifested a "loose" and telescopic quality to
their associative speech or thinking styles, and as a result tended to
be rapid,wordy, and rambling in their spontaneous descriptions. This
interesting speech pattern appeared independent of anxiety factors,
and tended to resemble a schizophrenic's "loose associations" and
tangential thinking. However, these dyslexic children were not
psychotic, and lacked autistic preoccupation and projective thinking
mechanisms. They merely seemed to forget momentarily the direction of
their thought sequences and/or the thoughts and words themselves.
Occasionally, the temporal spacing between words and sentences was
shorter than normal and even dysmetric.

Later studes noted nonpsychotic "absentminded" adult dyslexics to
manifest similar loose,wordy, and rambling speech patterns ----
clearly demonstrating the need to qualitatively and diagnostically
distinguish dyslexic speech patterns from schizophrenic patterns
(Kasaninin, 1964). Upon analysis, this loose, absent-minded dyslexic
thinking style prone to slips was found to be due to the very same
underlying memory, directional, and temporal spatial dyscoordination
mechanisms characterizing dyslexic reading, writing, and spelling.

Not infrequently these so-called absent-minded individuals intend to
do say or do one thing and wind up saying or doing another, even the
opposte of what was originally intended. Forgetting is commonplace. As
a result, the dyslexic's speech and action patterns may often exhibit
a disoriented and disjointed, even comical, quality, which many
clinicians fallaciously consider due to primary psychogenic
determinants. However, upon analysis, the dyscoordination or slip
between intention and speech or motor response was most often found
lacking a primary emotional causation, and appeared qualitatively
consistent with the dyslexic symptomatology. In retrospect, these
slips invariably provoked secondary emotional attempts at
compensation; and the unsuspecting psychiatrist and psychologist will
unwittingly mistake secondary defensive reaction with primary
causation. For example, some dyslexics become embarassed, blush, and
retreat socially as a result of their slips, while others attempt to
joke and rationalize them away.

Paradoxically, some dyslexics were found to demonstrate highly
organized, crystal-clear thinking and expressive styles. Upon
analysis, many of these individuals were found to have had subtle and
compensated speech impediments during their early childhood. In
retrospect, their highly condensed speech patterns appeared to be
defensive or adaptive attempts at minimizing speech output and
thinking errors. Although these dyslexics were often incapable of
spontaneous free-associative and reflective speech, they were more
than capable of performing these same very same functions in silence.
For example, when asked to freely think aloud about a question, they
could not or would not. But they could, and would,invariably produce
the answer after a silent pause----clearly demonstrating their highly
developed, silent associative and reflective thinking capacities.
Following recognition and resolution of their guarded or defensive
speech mechanisms, many learned to think aloud and to express
themselves without embarassed or fear of criticism. Later adult
stories not only confirmed these observations but revealed the
existence of dyslexics who were capable of free association and
reflection only when writing. Their fluent and lucid writing styles
appeared to be motivated similarly by dyslexic verbalization
difficulties which were compensated for by gifted and/or unhampered
writing functions.

Because the ability to free-associate is a cardinal and essential
prerequisite for candidates being evaluated for psychoanalytic
therapy, and since this ability may be nonverbally present, it
behooves psychiatrists and psychoanalysts to explore seriously these
clinical considerations in their diagnostic-treatment assessment of
psychoanalytic patients.

The first part are my problems. That's why I was misdiagnosed as
having schizoaffective bipolar by psychiatrists years ago in
adulthood,and they never did any medical testing. They only went by
what they observed.

Luckily, Dr Levinson understood that my speech and thoughts weren't
psychotic but Dyslexic. I saw Dr Levinson in June of 2005. He is
the psychiatrist/neurologist who diagnosed m e as having cerebellar
vestibular dysfuncion and recognized my Dyslexia,Dyspraxia,sensory
integration diffiiculties. He didn't diagnose me with any mental
illness. He thought my problems were neurological.

The second part is me too....mainly compensatory thinking,speech
mechanisms.

Raymond

posted December 30, 2008 12:55 AM         

Bright Solutions Dyslexia Advocacy site

Pre-school and kindergarten warning signs

If three or more of these warning signs exist, especially if there is dyslexia or AD/HD in the family tree, the child should be tested for dyslexia when the child becomes five years old. Also, phonemic awareness games and other reading readiness activities should be done daily during the preschool years.

* delayed speech (not speaking any words by the child's first birthday. Often, they don't start talking until they are two, two-and-a-half, three, or even older.)
* mixing up sounds in multi-syllabic words (ex: aminal for animal, bisghetti for spaghetti, hekalopter for helicopter, hangaberg for hamburger, mazageen for magazine, etc.)
* early stuttering or cluttering
* lots of ear infections
* can't master tying shoes
* confusion over left versus right, over versus under, before versus after, and other directionality words and concepts
* late to establish a dominant hand
May switch from right hand to left hand while coloring, writing, or doing any other task. Eventually, the child will usually establish a preferred hand, but it may not be until they are 7 or 8. Even then, they may use one hand for writing, but the other hand for sports.
* inability to correctly complete phonemic awareness task
* despite listening to stories that contain lots of rhyming words, such as Dr. Seuss, cannot tell you words that rhyme with cat or seat by the age of four-and-a-half
* difficulty learning the names of the letters or sounds in the alphabet; difficulty writing the alphabet in order
* Trouble correctly articulating R's and L's as well as M's and N's. They often have "immature" speech. They may still be saying "wed and gween" instead of "red and green" in second or third grade. http://www.brightsolutions.us/

Speech problems that include speech delays problems with articulating as well as immature speech,cluttering,stuttering are considered some of the early warning signs of Dyslexia.

I didn't speak any words until I was 2 myself. I have lifelong history of articulation problems. They are mild now. The Veteran Affairs neuropsychologist noted in my records that I had mildly dysarthric speech.

My father both stuttered and cluttered.
My maternal uncle was a stutterer too.

Adults with dyspraxia often have the following characteristics:

Atentional problems and poor concentration (often lose track of conversations and run off at a tangent, often display symptoms of Attention Deficit Disorder)

Language (quick and loud speech, problems with intonation and misinterpretation of language) http://www.angelfire.com/journal/ldps/Dyspraxia.htm

losing track of conversations and running off at a tangent while speaking is a symptom of Dyspraxia, and not just psychotic disorders

quick speech is also a symptom of Dyspraxia,and not just bipolar

so these speech issues that psychiatrists told me is schizoaffective bipolar are also neurodivergent symptoms.

Raymond

posted December 30, 2008 03:01 AM         

Strong Neptune influences can indicate being highly sensitive,and so there can be a hypersensitivity to medications. It also can indicate susceptibility to hard to pinned down conditions as well as misdiagnoses. This is especially so with the hard Neptune aspects which also include the conjunction.

Cosmobiology focuses on conjunction,opposition,square,semisquare,and sesquiquadrate to check out health problems,medical concerns. Cosmobiology is definitely my system of choice
That doesn't mean that I think it's better than traditional Astrology. I just don't trust using the zodiac signs nor houses when it comes to medical Astrology. I have reservations about using a northern hemisphere-based season zodiac for people born in southern hemisphere too.

What's confusing is that many psychologically oriented astrologers will focus on hard Neptune aspects as potentially psychotic,fantasy-prone,escapists,or too idealistic as well as deceptive,self deceptive,confusion. Of course,Neptune is associated with addictions..especially to drugs and alcohol.

Neptunians are definitely hard to pin down. As a person with a very strong,challenging Neptune energy, I am definitely hard to pin down and confusing to others.

There are definitely alternatives to medication. I believe that medication should be only used as a last resort. I strongly believe that medication shouldn't be used for neurodivergent conditions. Omega 3 fatty acids(especially DHA) are said to be important for brain functioning,and studies show that they can help with neurodivergent issues. That's why I take fish oil/cod liver oil. It might not work for everybody. Everybody is different in their own way. I believe that vitamins and minerals could be linked to psychiatric disorders. Studies show that they do.

Here are a list of helpful natural Medications for Inner Ear Determined Disorders that Dr. Harold N. Levinson listed in his SMART BUT FEELING DUMB,a book on Dyslexic Syndrome.
Remember that he believes that Inner Ear (aka cerebellar vestibular) problems are the root of neurodivergent conditions. He believes that Dyslexia,Dyspraxia,ADHD falls under the Dyslexic Syndrome because he noticed a significant comorbidity and overlap of the 3 neurodivergent conditions and their connections with inner ear problems.

I just want to add that I don't agree with everything that Dr. Levinson writes. I don't believe that inner problems are the cause. It could be the chicken or the egg what came first thing. That's how view even stuff like Omega 3 fatty acid deficiencies connected to neurodivergent conditions. I try to come up with alternative views,explanations for things....especially trying to approach with the neurodivergent perspective.

I looked up the symptoms of the deficiencies of these vitamins and minerals too too give you an idea of what these could be good for. I also listed the benefits of some of them too.

Dr. Levinson had prescribed me Meclizine(antihistamine used for motion sickness),and he recommended Ginkgo Biloba,Lecithin,DMAE.
He also recommended Piracetam which is a nootropic.

Piracetam (brand name: Nootropil, Qropi, Myocalm, Dinagen, Synaptine) is a nootropic. It is a drug which is claimed to enhance cognition and memory, slow down brain aging, increase blood flow and oxygen to the brain, aid stroke recovery, and improve Alzheimer's, Down syndrome, dementia, and dyslexia, among others.[1] Piracetam's chemical name is 2-oxo-1-pyrrolidine acetamide; it shares the same 2-oxo-pyrrolidone base structure with 2-oxo-pyrrolidine carboxylic acid (pyroglutamate). Piracetam is a cyclic derivative of GABA. It is one of the racetams. Piracetam is prescribed by doctors for some conditions, mainly myoclonus,1 but is used off-label for a much wider range of applications http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piracetam

Piracetam helps with coordination between the right and left brain hemispheres, and that's why it can be good for Dyslexia. It could also be good for Dyspraxia. Many Dyslexics and Dyspraxics have history of not knowing which hand to use in early childhood, left/right confusion. Many of them are ambidextrous or have signs of mixed handedness. Many have cross dominance (right handed but left ear,left eye,left foot dominant or left handed but right ear,right eye dominant.....numerous possibilities of cross dominance.
I am righthanded,left ear dominant,and left eye dominant just like my mother who told me that she has a lot of the neurodivergent symptoms that Dr. Levinson grouped as Dyslexic Syndrome because of the comorbidity and overlapping of the Dyslexia,Dyspraxia,ADHD. My mother also has signs of ambidexterity. She told me that I had history of not knowing which hand to use as a childhood and thought I was going to be ambidextrous. I had therapy for my poor fine motor skills. It's very possible that the therapist focused on the use of my right hand. I also have capability to write lefthanded,and I use my left hand to open sodas,bottles,and cans. I also open doors with my left hand. I pick up the telephone with my left hand too. I can punch hard with my left hand too. I also have the ability to throw with my left hand. I use my left ear to listen to telephone. I use camera with my left eye. I had a history of auditory reversals(turned words around when I heard it which led to speech reversals,disorganized speech that nuns thought it was a foreign language when I was in preschool which led to my testing,diagnosis in preschool),and so I was trained to listen in a different way. It was mainly my being trained to listen with my right ear which is wired to the left hemisphere of the brain which is the language part of the brain. My right hemisphere processes always interfered with left hemisphere functioning. I was trained to harness the right hemisphere processes in order to make the left hemisphere processes function better. Because I am primarily a picture thinker that includes continuous,nonstop visualization, my right hemisphere is always operating at the same time that I process language whether it's listening,speaking,reading,and talking which were issues. I always got left and right mixed up too, and so I am terrible when it comes to following directions when it comes to travel. My mother told me that she can relate to all those things too. Neurodivergents definitely run in families. She never had problems with speech,fine motor skills,nor auditory reversals. She believes that my problems with speech,auditory processing,and fine motor skills were inherited from my father because he had the same issues. My mother is an ultrasensitive,highly emotional person like me, and she told me that my father was too. Therefore, it seems that I have inherited my neurodivergence from both my parents. A close relative with a history of neurodivergent condition symptoms are considered early warning signs of neurodivergent conditions.

I take fish oil/cod liver oil and a multivitamin (especially for males because of hormone imbalances) .

Another thing too.......drink lots of water.......dehydration can lead to dizziness,mental fatigue. Water is important for brain functioning.

I believe that too much sugar,starches,and other carbohydrates can exacerbate ADHD hyperactivity issues.

Neurodivergents tend to have extremely sensitive nervous systems,and so they should watch what and how much they eat of certain things. IMHO food can be a natural drug which strongly influences our brain functioning. I can't stress enough the importance of nutrition.

Niacin(Vitamin B3) - deficiencies - depression, mental dullness,
confusion, forgetfulness, disorientation,
hallucinations,insomnia,nausea,vomiting

Vitamin B2(Riboflavin) - deficiencies - hypoglycemia, eyes have
abnormal reacton to light, blood shot eyes,mucous in eyes, bulbar
conjunctivitis, hypoglycemia, trembling, dizziness,sluggishness

Vitamin B6 - deficiencies - pancreas problems, diabetes,
hypoglycemia, skin disorders, extremities going to sleep, cramps in
fingers,hands/feet swelling, neural pathway disturbances

Vitamin B12 - deficiences - sore or weak extremities, poor reflex
action, exhaustion, diminished mental energy, loss of
concentration,lethargy, difficulties with walking,stammering,
tingling sensation in fingers,stiffness in body

Thiamin - deficiencies - tiredness, loss of appetite, emotional
instability, unexplained irritability, loss of mental alertness,
labored breathing, cardiac damage, erratic heartbeat, slow heart
rate, enlarged heart, indigestion, anorexia, severe and continuous
constipation, gastic antony, neural problems like neuritis

Choline - deficiencies - liver problems, kidney problems, high blood
pressure,and glaucoma, hypertension,nervous disorders

Lecithin - protect proper cardiovascular health, improve brain
function, increase energy levels, support of a healthy liver and aid
in digestion of fats

DHA - good for brain and eye functioning, deficiencies - deficits in
learning, hyperactivity, problems with brain and eye development,
problems with mental and visual functioning

DMAE - increases neurotransmitter acetycholine, improving mental
alertness and clarity of thinking, improve memory and learning
ability, increase energy levels, stabilize moods

Ginkgo Biloba - helps mental performance, improves inflammatory
condition, treats blood vessels, treatment for hearing loss and
tinitus, good for vision and hearing - helps with problems with
memory, alertness,attention,and disorientation

Mentalin - helps to support mental function, alertness,and memory,
promotes a positive mood and a sense of calm

Ginger Root - Ginger has been used by many as a remedy for the
common cold. Additionally, it has also been used as an effective
analgesic, anti-pyretic, anti-viral, in the treatment of
hypertension, and in the prevention of atherosclerosis. Other
benefits of ginger include its ability to cleanse the colon, reduce
spasms and cramps, stimulate circulation, and aid metabolism. Many
have used it to treat colitis, nausea, gas, indigestion, bowel
disorders, morning sickness, motion sickness, vomiting, congestion,
fever, and headaches. Asian medicine still uses it as a treatment
for asthma, shortness of breath, water retention, earache, diarrhea,
nausea and vomiting. Homeopathic practitioners even recommend it for
sexual disorders. An added benefit to Ginger is that it is a strong
antioxidant and effective microbial agent for sores and wounds.

Other nutrients that I added myself which I feel would be good for
inner ear functioning:

Pantothenic Acid (Vitamin B5) - deficiencies - fatigue,
depression,irritability, dizziness, muscular weakness, stomach
distress, constipation, adrenal exhaustion, cramping, lack of
coordination, hypoglycemia, insomnia, stomach/intestinal
disorders..burning,itching,painful feet

Folic Acid - fatigue, bodily weakness, irritable behavior,
insomnia,forgetfulness, intestinal disorders, gastointestinal
disorders, poor health growth, lackluster hair, balding or premature
graying, mental depression bordering on schizophrenia,.... women
can give premature birth,hemmorrhage after birth and to incur
toxemia, child's groth can be delayed, there can mental retardation
in child

Vitamins and minerals are factors.

I have a book called ADD AND ADHD Complementary Medicine Solutions

Physiological Risk Factors For ADHD

1. Food and additive allergies and sensitivities

2. Heavy and toxic metal toxicity

3. Low-Protein,High-Carbohydrate Diet

4. Mineral Imbalances

5. Essential Fatty Acid and Phospholipid Deficiences

6. Amino Acid Deficiencies

7. Thyroid Disorders

8. B Vitamin Deficiencies

Another thing too, I read that AD/HDers have abnormal levels of dopamine. My question is can't the amount of brain chemicals vary due to differences in personality and not necessarily be a mental disorder? Can't the amount of brain chemicals be strongly connected to the food,vitamin,mineral intake? Maybe the appropriate food,vitamins,minerals can help with normal brain chemistry. The thing is what's considered normal brain chemistry?

also the characteristics of giftedness and ADHD overlap too. Many gifted children have problems in the classroom because they are bored because the work is too easy. Imaginative,creative,and/or artistic children could be bored in the classroom too,and they might not necessarily be ADHD. However, many ADHDers are gifted,imaginative,creative,artistic,and or artistic. That complicates matters. The symptoms of ADHD and learning disorders overlap too. Many ADHDers have learning disorders. A matter of fact, it's recommended they test for both when testing a person for ADHD or a a learning disorder. Many people with learning disorders are gifted,imaginative,creative,and/or artistic. The combination of Gifted and LD or ADHD or some other neurodivergent condition that is seen as a significant problem is referred to as "Twice Exceptional"

also when I am talking about neurodivergent conditions,
I am actually referring to the ones that DANDA refer to.

DANDA – the Developmental Adult Neuro-Diversity Association has been set up for people with Dyspraxia, Asperger’s Syndrome, AD(H)D and other related conditions such as dyslexia and dyscalculia. http://www.danda.org.uk/pages/about-danda.php

They also included autistic spectrum disorders and tourette syndrome.

I wish that there was a DANDA here in USA and in other countries and not just the UK.

Comorbidity( 2 or more conditions in one person) of Neurodivergent conditions,which have overlapping strengths and weaknesses, seem to the norm and not the exception. I have Dyslexia,Dyspraxia,ADHD. I am one of many neurodivergents with comorbid conditions that overlapping weaknesses and strengths. Comorbidity of neurodivergent conditions will be modifying ......for instance a neurodivergent condition can counteract the weaknesses and strengths of another neurodivergent condition. They also can add to the case of the strengths and weakness of a neurodivergent condition.

That's like the same when looking at natal charts. A natal astrological placement,aspect can modify another astrological placement,aspect......it can counteract the weaknesses and strengths of another astrological placement,aspects. They also add to the case of the strengths and weaknesses of an astrological placement,aspect. That's why it's so important not to just focus on one aspect nor determine one's strength and/or weakness based on that. It's important to take the whole chart into account and look for strong themes. That means looking for things that repeat in the chart.

Raymond

posted December 31, 2008 02:46 AM           

I have never been diagnosed with neurpdivegen condition..and if i do have it..it has never been enuff to impair any functions in daily living. I do tend to think I have a small amount tho. But I also tend to think it was caused perhaps by childhood trauma.

I share your passion for not using medications with neuro-divergents whenever possible as well any misdiagnosis. And I admire ur work from the spiritual aspect..it has been abandoned by everyone entirely. I want to share this link with you...its an organisation to protect the rights of the mentally ill..that means..the right to NOT take medication and use other means of coping..to uise other support. I will find it and post it here.

posted December 31, 2008 02:58 AM         

I used to be a member of MindFreedom International which is a mental health human rights organization.

I got out of it because I wasn't sure about the activism. For me, there is a fine line between being angry and being an activist.
I have Mars in Aquarius in 6th,and I think that is in synchronicity with that issue.

I had even created a petition

it was about making both psychological and neurological testing mandatory to help differentiate neurodivergent conditions from mental illnesses to prevent psychiatric misdiagnosing neurodivergents and to keep them from being on medications that they don't need. That is a big problem in society today with neurodivergents...especially with children.

but I couldn't get enough signatures. I got disillusioned with it,and so I deleted my petition. I thought it was a great cause because I think that it's a serious issue. I just feel that too many people don't care unless they have these experiences or know people that do. That's with many things in life.