Question:
If ADD is a subset of supposedly "normal" behavior, what are the
characteristics of the other extreme end of the spectrum? What is the
name of the syndrome and what are the required symptoms to be classified
as this type? What medicines are used to treat it?
Are autistics even more bombarded by external stimuli than we are?
Are catatonics completley devoid of exterior stimuli awareness?
I am not looking for expert opinions, just opinions. Thanks.
Answer:
Or did it ever occur to you that perhaps your inquiry never reached
some newsreaders? Jumping the gun to judge people isn't going to get
you too far in this world. (I didn't see your question until it was answered, obviously, by your
lone respondant.)
Upon rereading the question, it also occurred to me that maybe there
aren't many people with knowledge broad enough to answer your
question. I suppose that's because instead of learning, they're all
at that pity party. I know that there is some indication of a hereditary relationship
pattern between ADD and autism. My own suspicion is that they are
related. I feel like I become mildly autistic in certain
high-stimulus situations. I also get easily bothered by the sensations of constriction caused by
my belt, shoes etc- even though they fit qute well. Also: even the
smallest electric light on in the room, i.e. the answering machine,
will keep me a wake at night.
No "opposite" that I can think of, since ADD can include both
inattentiveness and hyperfocusing; hyperactivity and depression, etc.
Catatonics report being fully aware of external stimulus. I've worked
with several. Rather, they are unable/unwilling to respond.
I haven't come across any sort of empirical research to support this.
In fact, I got near-perfect scores on the verbal section of the GREs.
My thinking also tends to be *very* abstract. Concrete thinking is
considered to be a "lower-order" form of cognition in developmental
terms, i.e. it is usually obtained around age 8 (the "Concrete
Operational" stage of Piaget/Latency phase of Freud). Abstract
capacity develops in the early teens (Piaget: Formal Operational
Freud: Genital). Also, one has to wonder why so many ADDers are talented musicians. This has been my observation as well. I call it being "trapped on the
far side of the metaphor." The DSM-IV categorizes four types of schizophrenia: Paranoid-type,
Catatonic-type, and Disorganized type. The Paranoid type is by far
the most common. I've worked with dozens of them, and none of them
have ever entered into catatonic states. I've come across maybe three Catatonic types. When not in the actual
Catatonic state, they tend to be quite normal. As they decompensate,
they go through a period of resembling the "Disorganized" type before
re-entering catatonia. There are two kinds of catatonic states:
"waxy" and "rigid." The former will remain in whatever position they
are placed in, i.e. if another raises their arm and lets go, the arm
will remain up indefinitely.
Statistically speaking, catatonia is a rare condition, much more so
than Paranoid Schizophrenia.
There has been no observed "preference" for hemispheric style. In
terms of physiology, though, one trend is for ADDers to have *more
equal* frontal lobes in terms of actual size than normals. In the "normal" brain (statistically defined), the right frontal lobe
is usually a little larger. It is known that the RFL has an overall
inhibitory function, whereas the LFL has an overall excitatory
function. This would explain much of ADD quite well; our right brains
are unable to "clamp down" on our left brains as effectively.
On the other hand, this may actually be a form of superiority. There
is a line of theory that links interhemispheric coherency with the
higer functioning of consciousness. ADDers may, in fact, be "more
conscious" than normals. Note, however, that terms like "conscious"
are rather ambiguously defined.
With this model, if there were an "opposite" to ADD, it would be those
who lack the connections of the corpus callosum. This "bridge"
between the two hemispheres is sometimes done surgically for people
with extreme seizure disorders. While it creates a lot of problems in
its own right, it is done when seizure activity is so frequent that it
threatens to cause the brain to degenerate.
There are also a few "acolossal" individuals, who are born without
this bundle of fibers which connect the two hemispheres.
Interestingly, the only detectable difference they have from the rest
of us is an inability to rhyme. Weird, huh?
BTW, I never saw your original post, but got it from another reply.
Sometimes posts don't get around too well; that may account for lack
of response. Whatever. I saw the ? and was thinking of a reply but decided not to
answer it,
because I didn't feel like writing something along the lines of, We're
better,
they are limited and boring> which is what came to mind, more or less. Really though, they don't question authority, are satisfied with the laws
and
reasoning of their culture to a greater degree. They don't have to prove
everything to themselves and re-invent the wheel, like I do, again and
again.
More accepting, less questioning. What do you call that? Passive?
I don't think there is a pathological label for that. Our culture does
encourage conformity, after all, as do most I guess. So there wouldn't be
a label.
