The Davinci Life Script:

The Gift and Curse of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity DisorderCheryl Leong, MA, LMFT #52417, ADHD #314.00

The gift-disorder of attention deficit?A paradoxical diagnosis that is a gift at its best and a disorder at its worst.Doctors, researchers, psychologists, therapists & counsellors have not come up with a reliable and consistent way to diagnose, treat or support the diagnose.Current diagnostic criteria for the DSM is vague.Professionals vastly defer in opinion around this diagnosis.Not enough literature around how to make a differential diagnosis.

Davinci.Attempted countless paintings- completed only 25.he was an inventor, scientist, carpenter so much morehis ideas were endless!today- we would say he has ADHD.Thomas edison was always in trouble at school, day dreaming and being talkative, impulsive.There are incredible research that find a co-relationship between creativity and ADHD.

Coincidence of Creativity & ADHDShaw, G.A. (1992). Hyperactivity and creativity: The tacit dimension. Bulletin of the Psychonomic Society, 30, 152-160.

Limitations of the dsm diagnosisGives an incomplete picture of this neurological type.Pathologizes a learning and personality difference.Limited understanding of the disorder in adults.Does not distinguish genetic/environmental factors that affect attention span.Does not consider other traits of the ADD personality that go beyond mere attention difficulties.

ADHD GIFT IGNOREDHyperfocus is an intense form of mental concentration or visualization that focuses consciousness on a narrow subject, separate from objective reality and onto subjective mental planes, daydreams, concepts, fiction, the imagination and other objects of the mind. It is a state that may occur during hypnosis, especially at theta rhythm brainwave levels- (wikipedia)Hartmann, Thom:-A.D.D.: A Different Perception.-The Edison Gene

Flip Side of being hyper-Focused:Obsessive/Addictive traitsVideo game addictionIntrusive obsessive thoughtsProcess addictionsCompulsive behaviours

Differential diagnosis/Co-ocuring DisordersExamples:

Mood DisordersAnxiety Disorders- e.g. OCDSensory DisordersAnxiety DisordersPersonality Traits/DisordersPost Trauma SymptomsSleep DisorderSubstance abuse/dependenceProcess addictions

40, 000 years ago.The story of the (7R) & (2R) allele of the human dopamine receptor D4 (DRD4) gene

ADHD genetics are called the novelty seeking gene that emerged only 40, 000 years ago..Scientists believe that this gene enabled human beings to survive the ice age.This gene allowed for adventurous types, day dreamers, ones with imagination and intuition, creativity to explore new lands to survive the ice ageHuman beings as a result survived by leaving africa.Papua new guinea has the highest concentration of this genetics- it is the furthest from africa.Thats the story of the davinci ancestry.

Out-of-Africa migration selected novelty-seeking genesRichard P. Ebstein, Ben-Gurion University in Beersheva (1996)http://www.nytimes.com/1996/01/02/science/variant-gene-tied-to-a-love-of-new-thrills.html?src=pm

Chen Chuan Sheng, UC Irvine (2001)Evidence of positive selection acting at the human dopamine receptor D4 gene locus

Luke Mathews, Harvard University (2011)http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/gnxp/2011/05/how-the-fierce-people-came-to-be/

Brain waves

ERIC BERNEsPsycho-Biological Hungers- Stimulation: 5 sensesTime Structure: Calendar marking, Incident: news, the latest gossipRecognition: sense of identity, belongingContact: touchSexual: sexual needs

Davincis are that much more hungry.Low dopamine leaves the brain feeling a hunger for stimulation.

What early decisions were made when these hungers were unmet/met? Were these decisions pre-verbal/verbal?How are these Parent introjects like?How did the child make sense of his/her being?

3rd Degree impasseDream & DisappearCrash and burnTake drugs to be meTake drugs to not be meDeath/Imprisonment

P0A0C0

Literature/research- parents reportdifficulty soothing/ feeding challengesas well as lack of responses to touchcontact during infancy.Dont be hungryDont feelDont beDont existsDont needI want milkI feel Im here!I need you

A2P2C2P1C1A1Dont beDont FeelDont BeDont Make ItDont BelongI want to beI want to FeelI want to to make itI want to belong2nd degree impasse

1st Degree ImpasseP2

Follow the rulesHave PatiencePay attentionSettle downBehaveStay out of troubleIm boredI want to do what I wantI don't careI want what I want

A2C2

EGO-STATE PORTRAIT

NeurologyLow executive functioning(Adult/Parent)Low Dopamine levelsAPCTime management, planningcommunicating ideasin an organized way, organizational skills

Authority Figures, RomanticPartners, Friends, Helpful(Or Rescuing) strangers

Aside from neurological pre-dispositions, ongoing relational patterns contribute to Adult/Parent ExclusionsSymbiotic Relationships

Gift and curseHyper-ActivityImpulsivityObsessive/addictive/inattentiveBad with detailsOverly DetailedDistractedConduct IssuesEnthusiasmRisk-takers/courageHyper-focusedBig-picture/visionariesImaginative, integrating various ideas into novel concepts/stories. Creativity

Challenges

Advantages

Challenging Ways of Getting Hunger Needs Met

Low Dopamine

Dopamine Seeking -ve Strokes

Anticipation of Consequence

ExternalConsequences

Guilt, shame, anger, sadnessRACKETEERING

Some Proposed interventionsPermission to get hunger needs met in authentic ways.Permit the A1 (LP) to be the creative explorer or experimenter Offering the experience of a nurturing and firm Parent ego state Offering Adult decontamination.Re-parenting for deeper impasses Holding counter-transference material as clinical information to facilitate script change.A SENSE OF PLAY SERIOUS PLAY.

Early Challenging DecisionsWORLD- regular, ordinary world of structure, rules and boring predictability (Youre Not OK).I- different, trouble maker, out of place, a burden, careless, impulsive, rule breaker, social misfit, black sheep of the family (Im Not OK) .

Early Winning DecisionsWORLD- appreciates and is accepting of my unique and special qualities (Youre OK). I- am an imaginative wonderer, different, creative, brave, risk taker, seeker of the extraordinary/novelty (Im OK).

The Integrated Davinci(Winner Script)

Thrive, be you, survive, compromise.

If I want to thrive/survive then this makes sense

I want to survive, I want to be.LPNC

games therapists play with davincis

Con (client is helpless/scattered Victim) + Gimmick (therapist takes over/Rescues -> Switch -> X Client feels controlled and Persecutes therapist, Therapist feels like an unappreciated/helpless Victim => Payoffs / Racket feelings

Early decisions are reinforced.

(Educators) Facilitating Healthy TransformationsAffirm/attend to interests, ideas and creativity.Improve relationship life through authenticity training.Reinforce natural sensation/thrill seeking/creative obsessions while discouraging addictive behaviours.Affirm students when they seek novelty through healthy means.Manage parents expectations, e.g. getting their child to stay still for long hoursAffirm imagination and day dreaming after school work is done.

ADHD CoachesIncrease study skills based on their specific learning styleIncrease organizational skills, time managementGrounding/mindfulness techniques to increase attention span.Increase their relationship & communication skills- listening, keeping to commitments.Behavioral treatment for oppositional behaviorsSystemic work with parents and teachers to work on firm and consistent boundariesCouples therapy/professional coaching for adult ADHD

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