Psychiatry vs Personal Well Being and Growth

In the post two posts below, ADHD is addressed among other issues.

I have encountered people who have genuine neurological disorders, and ADHD, or at least something similar, is certainly among them. There are people who have problems with proper functioning of their neural pathways.

Sadly, as in the one link that I labeled as an ADHD joke, ADHD and the Brain: An Inside Look, horribly false statements are made. Amazingly, the three things that are listed by this pharmaceutical advertisement as being myths, are actually the things that have been scientifically proven. The one of greatest concern is the nutritional or dietetic contributor.

Two food additives that have been proven to be what are called excitotoxins are very powerfully destructive to the proper development of the neural pathways especially during the periods of gestational and early childhood development. At these critical stages of development, these neurotoxins can and often do cause permanent and irreversible damage.

The two neurotoxins are processed glutamic acid and aspartic acid, often commonly called MSG/glutamates and Aspartame. While these are not the only contributors to neurological disorders, they are documented and prevalent. Yet the mainstream medical professionals not only do not warn people, but actually deny their destructive effects. They actually lie, as in the video, saying that the causes are not known. Then, they prescribe other harmful drugs.

Thankfully there are health care professionals and researchers who are reporting these things. Many of the incidences of “mental disorders” can be prevented through avoidance of these toxins in the diet.

Amazingly, the other factors that the video farcically dismisses as myths are actually validated by what is later stated as part of proper treatment for ADHD. Consider the four things listed:

• Cognitive behavioral therapy
  
• Positive reinforcement
  
• Individual therapy
  
• Group therapy
  

Now compare this list to the list of so-called myths:

• “ADHD isn’t ‘real’ and it’s often blown out of proportion”
  
• “ADHD is caused by a poor diet or too much television”
  
• “ADHD is caused by poor schooling or poor parenting”
  

Do you see the fallacious presentation and misrepresentation? First, they combined ‘blown out of proportion’ with ‘isn’t real’ so as to present the two as both being false presumptions. However, they are not at all the same. The one is factual.

The second so-called myth actually has two factual items listed together in a way that they seem to cancel one another.

The third is presented in a way to anger teachers and parents into feeling defensive.

Yet their four approved methods of treatment all assume that teaching behavior modification and counseling and encouragement (which all belong to the role of parenting and teaching and are often overridden by too much TV and video games and Internet and texting) are the missing factors that are in need of being supplied.

Then, they add that stimulants can be helpful, and especially prescription stimulants. They may as well be promoting caffeine and nicotine. Those would actually be safer and less expensive!

But the last thing that they want to do is to tell people about the food additives that are flooding their foods and beverages.

And naturally they do not want anyone to think that the ADHD diagnoses are in any way blown out of proportion and often entirely wrong. Then parents and teachers might actually encourage these energetic youngsters to put their excitement and energy to something productive. The kids might actually be encouraged to investigate what special inborn talents and skills and aptitudes are driving their “hyperactivity” and eagerness to find more stimulating studies and activities.

Oh, they might even be led to discover that they enjoy learning, if they were given some encouragement to see how their aptitudes could be applied in real life applications.

Oh no!

- - -

More on Definition of an Expert

Someone hearing the title of this post rather than reading it could hear:

Moron: definition of an expert.

In my tree business, people will often respond to my question regarding their preferences: “Well, you are the expert. What do you say?”

I always share as much as I know and give the best advice that I am able regarding the condition and health of the tree or shrub, the structural integrity, the extent of damage or disease, the best pruning approach, safety, and such matters. I even give advice regarding the effects that actions can have regarding heating and cooling needs of the house, irrigation needs, and the aesthetic values.

Yet I always remember that my knowledge is limited. I share what I can state with certainty. Regarding what a person would prefer, I leave to the person to judge according to the best information that I can supply.

However, even after expressing that the decision belongs to the customers, they often will ask, “What would you do if it were your tree?”

In the Church, for the sake of the Church, Christ has given some to be “pastors and teachers.” He has given some to serve in the capacity of full-time study of the Word and teaching of the Word.

Prior to the Lord’s suffering, death, resurrection, ascension, and sending of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, the apostles tended to think of themselves as experts. This changed after they perceived the truth, after the Holy Spirit opened their hearts to what really is. St. Paul, the last of the apostles, likewise thought of himself as an expert before his conversion.

Afterwards, however, they perceived themselves and presented themselves entirely differently. Afterwards they were merely men appointed to speak and teach and preach what they had heard and seen. They were promised to be directed by the Holy Spirit and they thereafter spoke what the Holy Spirit directed them to say. When they spoke with absoluteness, they did so only regarding what they had received. They simply reiterated to others what had been told to them.

No one should hold a pastor or teacher more highly than this. The Jews in Berea (Acts 17:10-12) are commended for their caution in trusting Paul and Silas until they searched the Scriptures and found that Paul and Silas were indeed teaching in accord with the Scriptures. In this regard, there were many things that sounded to them as though they were brand new doctrines. But as they searched the Scriptures, they saw that these were not new at all, but were in exact accord with what had been previously written. Baptism fulfilled and superceded Circumcision. The Lord’s Supper fulfilled and superceded the Passover. The Old Testament was fulfilled and superceded by the New Testament, and so on.

Today there are a multitude of doctrines claiming to be in accord with the Scriptures. As St. Paul admonishes, “Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.” (Philippians 2:12)

Truly we need daily to examine what we hold to be true so as to be absolutely certain that we are not setting ourselves up as self-proclaimed experts, but rather, are hearing what the Spirit says to the churches.