Are we pathologizing 'normal' behaviour and character traits?

[kuzadd]

Of course....except when reminded that pregnancy itself has been declared a disorder to be "cured" by pharms and/or abortions. There now...made it all better!

Hmmm, never have I heard pregnancy labelled a "disorder" but, whatever floats your boat?

[xul]

I keep getting this feeling that we are still over-pathologizing our kids because their behaviours don't meet our expectations.

I think this is a good issue to discuss.

Unfortunately, from scientific view, modern men are the descendants of a couple of abnormal ancient monkeys. And some famous scientists and inventors does not represent very normal as they were kids and teenagers.

How could we define abnormal depends on how could we define normal. The only problem is---who is the normal man?

[Rue]

Smoking is a really addictive situation and people seem to need it.

Nicotine in many ways is a much harder addiction to treat then heroin believe it or not. The physical withdrawal is real that is not imagined. For some it literally paralyzes them and they can not function.

I also share your concern about all this genetic manipulation.Lord knows what we are spawning.

[Rue]

I think this is a good issue to discuss.

Unfortunately, from scientific view, modern men are the descendants of a couple of abnormal ancient monkeys. And

Lol. I would suspect Margrace and Melanie are fully aware men are apes ( even when we put the toilet seat down ).

[Rue]

If anyone is interested in what Melanie is getting at you can go to;

http://www.inchem.org/documents/pims/chemi...nical%20effects

Here is a portion right on point to what she said;

Nicotine in any form may be harmful to the fetus.

Exposure to nicotine during the last trimester has been

associated with a decrease in breathing movements.

These effects may be the result of decreased placental

perfusion caused by nicotine. One miscarriage during

nicotine therapy has been reported. Studies of pregnant

rhesus monkeys have shown that maternal nicotine

administration produced acidosis, hypoxia and hypercarbia

in the fetus. Nicotine has been shown to be teratogenic in

mice treated cutaneously with 25 mg/kg, which is

approximately 300 times the human oral dose. Studies in

rats and monkeys have not demonstrated a teratogenic effect

of nicotine in newborn which occur during cigarette smoking.

Cigarette smoking is associated with impaired fetal growth

and development.

Breast feeding

Nicotine passes freely into the breast milk in small

quantities, which are not clinically significant,

averaging 91ppb in one study. Heavy smoking (20-30

cigarettes per day) may alter the supply of milk and

cause nausea and vomiting in the infant.

[Rue]

http://www.cqs.com/50harm.htm

The above is an interesting article on genetically engineered food and suspected links to cancer, allergies, etc.

Oy I am depressing.

[kuzadd]

Besides being an Alternative Health nurse my daughters specialty in Univercity was Pychiatric nursing. She eventually went to work with a pychiatrist. When they advised that her ADD son be given medicine she was very vigerous objections, in fact she told them where to put their medicines. She does not have a very good feeling about pychiatrists or public schools in general. A lot of the religious schools are just as bad. in her opinion.

I often wonder about add, adhd, and bi-polar being diagnosed in kids?

Kids act pretty erratic anyway, they are so emotional, I mean extreme in their emotions.

very sad, very happy.

They are full of energy!

I often wonder if the fact that kids, watch to much t.v , video games sit in front of computers, etc. They don't get all their energy used up, to physically tire themselves out. They then engage in "bad behaviours" to burn off all that energy.

Personal note: when my child was much , much younger, she was busy, busy, busy! To put it mildly.

My MiL insisted, my 'baby' was hyperactive, what did I really know, I had one child, she had raised three.

I didn't feel that my kid, was hyper, though. Next doctors visit, I said to the doc, who was excellent BTW, my MiL, is always saying, my tot is hyper. He said ridiculous! Your tot is just busy and interested! To this day, I appreciate his wise response. Another doctor may have said, give the tot, some meds!

MY little tot was one big going concern, I think I followed her endlessly. My Sisinlaw, said, god get yourself a playpen, if anyone has ever needed one it was you!

Long story short, straight A student, all through grade and high school, who infact, we sent to a French language school, we figured if she needed lots to do, she was going to learn another language, that would keep her engaged.

Now she is fluently bilingual, though we are both English speaking only.

Hyperactive my foot!!!!

Edited February 5, 2008 by kuzadd

[Oleg Bach]

I often wonder about add, adhd, and bi-polar being diagnosed in kids?

Kids act pretty erratic anyway, they are so emotional, I mean extreme in their emotions.

very sad, very happy.

They are full of energy!

I often wonder if the fact that kids, watch to much t.v , video games sit in front of computers, etc. They don't get all their energy used up, to physically tire themselves out. They then engage in "bad behaviours" to burn off all that energy.

Personal note: when my child was much , much younger, she was busy, busy, busy! To put it mildly.

My MiL insisted, my 'baby' was hyperactive, what did I really know, I had one child, she had raised three.

I didn't feel that my kid, was hyper, though. Next doctors visit, I said to the doc, who was excellent BTW, my MiL, is always saying, my tot is hyper. He said ridiculous! Your tot is just busy and interested! To this day, I appreciate his wise response. Another doctor may have said, give the tot, some meds!

MY little tot was one big going concern, I think I followed her endlessly. My Sisinlaw, said, god get yourself a playpen, if anyone has ever needed one it was you!

Long story short, straight A student, all through grade and high school, who infact, we sent to a French language school, we figured if she needed lots to do, she was going to learn another language, that would keep her engaged.

Now she is fluently bilingual, though we are both English speaking only.

Hyperactive my foot!!!!

It's not "normal" to be a male. It is not normal to be a traditional female either - it is not normal to create a nuclear family that is a power structure on it's own - it is not normal to depend on extended family according to ancient tribal traditions - It is NORMAL - to be a victim and to have no support systems in place - so as the utlitarian corporate facist that run the show can have their way with us as if we were lone animals in a pen...and if a man stands up for familiar and human rights..he is considered agressive and angry and is persecuted and crushed if he persists in being independent and protective of his own personal realm...what is sad is that males are not just feminized but mentally nutured..that is NOW normal.

[Community Advocate]

I often wonder about add, adhd, and bi-polar being diagnosed in kids?

Personal note: when my child was much , much younger, she was busy, busy, busy! To put it mildly.

My MiL insisted, my 'baby' was hyperactive, what did I really know, I had one child, she had raised three.

I didn't feel that my kid, was hyper, though. Next doctors visit, I said to the doc, who was excellent BTW, my MiL, is always saying, my tot is hyper. He said ridiculous! Your tot is just busy and interested! To this day, I appreciate his wise response. Another doctor may have said, give the tot, some meds!

MY little tot was one big going concern, I think I followed her endlessly. My Sisinlaw, said, god get yourself a playpen, if anyone has ever needed one it was you!

Long story short, straight A student, all through grade and high school, who infact, we sent to a French language school, we figured if she needed lots to do, she was going to learn another language, that would keep her engaged.

Now she is fluently bilingual, though we are both English speaking only.

Hyperactive my foot!!!!

I'm so happy to hear this success story! It can be done if we just let it happen and provide the resources (such as no playpen and no meds!)

[kuzadd]

I'm so happy to hear this success story! It can be done if we just let it happen and provide the resources (such as no playpen and no meds!)

I was so happy too!

As a young mother at the time , I lacked the confidence, to be sure my gut feeling was right!

I am forever grateful to that doctor, believe me.

he was, old school, common sense, kind of doc!

No playpen ever, free to explore, safely in the house.

Edited February 5, 2008 by kuzadd

[margrace]

Our laddie is now going on 21. He is living on his own and still has some learning to do but he has his grade 12 which his mother feared he would never get. He is learning how to fix motorcycles and for part time is teaching snowboarding. He thinks he has died and gone to heaven.

Sad to say that much to his step fathers regret he could never take over the family business so sadly it had to be sold. But he is the first one to tell you that he knew himself he couldn't do it. He still tends to be very immature for his age but he is getting there. He still is the lovable kid he always was and its hard to be angry at him when he does something that he shouldn't have. The biggest problem is he does first and thinks afterwards, no parimiters. That is something he is slowly learning hopefully. But he has never been on any kind of medication . I shiver to think what it might have done to this life loving kid.

[xul]

Lol. I would suspect Margrace and Melanie are fully aware men are apes.

If ape authority psychologized or pathologized every abnormal ape and cured them to normal, there would be no men left today.

I'm also not sure I have correctly caught on the issue. I think it is about some parents and teachers over-pathologizing their kids because their kids' behavior seems not as normal as other kids. They don't understand each kids are different. Sometimes they lack some kind of ability temporarily does not mean they will not have these ability permanently. Einstein disliked mathematics when he was a teenager and fortunately he father did not pilled him to normal.

I think most of rebellious kids don't caused by pathological problem but only by lacking of proper instructions or these instructions don't carry out in time----I mean, parents' instructions usually works more effectively before kids beome rebellious by lacking of instructions.

[Melanie_]

Lol. I would suspect Margrace and Melanie are fully aware men are apes ( even when we put the toilet seat down ).

Men may be apes, but I'm happy to live in the zoo with them!

[Melanie_]

I was so happy too!

As a young mother at the time , I lacked the confidence, to be sure my gut feeling was right!

I am forever grateful to that doctor, believe me.

he was, old school, common sense, kind of doc!

No playpen ever, free to explore, safely in the house.

Kuzadd, what a wonderful story! I too believe that children need lots of freedom, and only used a playpen as an extra sleeping space – and I had 4 kids and ran a home daycare! Good for you for making sure your daughter wasn’t one of the legions of kids who are diagnosed with something for the convenience of the adults around them, rather than for an actual medical need. (Although there are kids who do have the medical needs, and we can't lose sight of providing supports to the ones who actually need them.)

Edited February 9, 2008 by Melanie_