Giftedness iS not necessarily what it is cracked up to be
Patient #1 @ CMHIP: High Level Computer Science education and abilities, for the most part he didn't mention because not directly relevant to matters at hand, very concrete. During his time @ CMHIP he also tried to advocate on behalf of himself and others.
Patient #2 @ CMHIP: Homeless almost all of his life, left school early --- So how did he get that vocabulary and his writing skills? Seems like some out-sized natural intelligence. AND why is he wanting to take care of everybody and fight the system regardless of the personal cost to himself? We are pretty sure it is not because he has Anti-Social Personality Disorder.
Patient #2 @ CMHIP: Homeless almost all of his life, left school early --- So how did he get that vocabulary and his writing skills? Seems like some out-sized natural intelligence. AND why is he wanting to take care of everybody and fight the system regardless of the personal cost to himself? We are pretty sure it is not because he has Anti-Social Personality Disorder.
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Overexcitability & the Gifted
http://sengifted.org/overexcitability-and-the-gifted/ Why Smarter People Are More Likely to Be Mentally Ill http://www.medicaldaily.com/why-smarter-people-are-more-likely-be-mentally-ill-270039 We REALLY NEED to talk about this because so many people with mental illness do have high IQs or above average and it's not always what it is cracked up to be and sometimes it comes with learning disabilities, sometimes it doesn't or other developmental issues. Further, this "giftedness" which comes in all shapes and sizes and colors is often NOT recognized by clinicians. But clinicians may observe "over-excitabilities" associated with giftedness and attribute that to all kinds of things, including "personality disorders." We think that mis-diagnosed personality disorder is even more likely in the context of an exam on a forensics unit -- there won't be any gifted patients there, right? WRONG! Some of America's Most Gifted KIds Wind Up in Prison https://qz.com/317309/how-some-of-americas-most-gifted-kids-wind-up-in-prison/ Further, the patient's intelligence rather than being recognized as a great strength is more likely to be labelled as evidence of some kind of "manipulative ability" or otherwise cast in some negative light. The IRONY OF IRONIES is that far from suffering from an Anti-Social Personality Disorder, both patients were PRO SOCIAL PAINS IN THE BUTT complaining on behalf of themselves and others to reform THE SYSTEM -- what a gifted thing to do. We think people present really complicated pictures and to say that someone doesn't have an Anti Social Personality Disorder is not to say there may not be other issues and in the second situation paranoia. We really would like to work with the State in developing a model protocol with regard to the assessment for Anti Social Personality Disorder and a truly Strength-Based Approach. We've included this video from Dr. Dan Peters in which he discusses common characteristics of "gifted" kids/people. One of those characteristics is a pre-occupation with fairness and justice. That is absolutely a characteristic of the two patients we referenced. Our observations have been that when Systems are confronted with such people and those people are relatively powerless and maybe even disfavored:
We know that people present very complex situations --- we are here mainly to add another dimension of complexity to the mix and we think there are other dimensions that need to be added as well. We do think that in the second situation a biologically based mental illness was missed -- the person is diagnosed with such an illness and receives SSI payments when not incarcerated and there is good basis for this. We would like to work with the State in developing a protocol for preventing such misdiagnosis in the future and work with the various parties to correct Situation #2. |
Very Long Podcast. What is the Cost of Misdiagnosis of Adults in the Criminal Justice System with Anti-Social Personality Disorder -- It's NOT Pretty. Overexcitability & the Gifted http://sengifted.org/overexcitability-and-the-gifted/ 5 Types of Over-Excitabilities: Gifted People More Likely To Have One or More of the Following:
So what is more likely to freak people out? Probably, Emotional Over-Excitability EMOTIONAL OVEREXCITABILITY Emotional OE is often the first to be noticed by parents. It is reflected in heightened, intense feelings, extremes of complex emotions, identification with others’ feelings, and strong affective expression (Piechowski, 1991). Other manifestations include physical responses like stomachaches and blushing or concern with death and depression (Piechowski, 1979). Emotionally overexcitable people have a remarkable capacity for deep relationships; they show strong emotional attachments to people, places, and things (Dabrowski & Piechowski, 1977). They have compassion, empathy, and sensitivity in relation-ships. Those with strong Emotional OE are acutely aware of their own feelings, of how they are growing and changing, and often carry on inner dialogs and practice self-judgment (Piechowski, 1979, 1991). Children [and adults] high in Emotional OE‚ are often accused of “overreacting.” Their compassion and concern for others, their focus on relationships, and the intensity of their feelings may interfere with everyday tasks like homework or doing the dishes. EMOTIONAL STRATEGIES
GENERAL STRATEGIES It is often quite difficult and demanding to work and live with overexcitable individuals. Those who are not so, find the behaviors unexplainable, frequently incomprehensible, and often bizarre. Overexcitable people living with other overexcitable people often have more compassion and understanding for each other, but may feel conflicts when their OEs are not to the same degree. Finding strategies for helping children and adults deal with and take advantage of these innate and enduring characteristics may seem difficult. However, resources may be gathered from varied places: Literature regarding counseling, learning styles, special education, and classroom management; parenting books; even popular business texts. Perhaps the best place to begin is with the following general strategies, applicable regardless of which OEs are present. DISCUSS THE CONCEPT OF OVEREXCITABILITY Share the descriptions of OEs with the family, class, or counseling group. Ask individuals if they see themselves with some of the characteristics. Point out that this article and many others like it indicates that being overexcitable is OK and it is understood and accepted. FOCUS ON THE POSITIVES Jointly discuss the positives of each overexcitability when you first introduce the concept, and continue to point out these merits. Benefits include being energetic, enthusiastic, sensual, aesthetic, curious, loyal, tenacious, moral, metacognitive, integrative, creative, metaphorical, dramatic, poetic, compassion-ate, empathetic, and self-aware. CHERISH AND CELEBRATE DIVERSITY One outcome of the pursuit of educational and societal equity has been a diminishing of the celebration of diversity and individual differences. Highly gifted individuals, because of their uniqueness, can fall prey to the public and personal belief that they are not OK. It is vital when discussing OEs that individuals realize that overexcitability is just one more description of who they are, as is being tall, or Asian, or left-handed. Since OEs are inborn traits, they cannot be unlearned! It is therefore exceedingly important that we accept our overexcitable selves, children, and friends. This acceptance provides validation and helps to free people from feelings of “weirdness” and isolation Another way to show acceptance is to provide opportunities for people to pursue their passions. This shows respect for their abilities and intensities and allows time for them to “wallow” in what they love, to be validated for who they are. Removing passions as consequences for inappropriate behavior has a negative effect by giving the message that your passions, the essence of who you are, are not valuable or worthy of respect. USE AND TEACH CLEAR VERBAL AND NONVERBAL COMMUNICATION SKILLS All people deserve respect and need to be listened to and responded to with grace. Overexcitable people need this under-standing and patience to a greater degree because they are experiencing the world with greater intensity and need to be able to share their intensity and feelings of differentness to thrive. It is vital to learn good communication skills and to teach them to children [and adults]. Good communication skills are useful on multiple levels, from improving the chances of getting what you want, to nurturing and facilitating growth in others. Regardless of one’s motivation for learning these skills, the outcomes will include less stress, greater self-acceptance, greater understanding from and about others, and less daily friction at home, school, work, or in the grocery store. When learning communication skills be sure to include both verbal-listening, responding, questioning, telephoning, problem solving (Faber and Mazlish, 1980), and nonverbal-rhythm and use of time, interpersonal distance and touch, gestures and postures, facial expressions, tone of voice, and style of dress (Nowicki, 1992). Verbal and nonverbal strategies improve interpersonal communication and provide the skills individuals need to fit in when they wish to, to change the system if necessary, and to treat others with caring and respect. TEACH STRESS MANAGEMENT FROM TODDLERHOOD ON Everyone deals with stress on a daily basis. But overexcitable individuals have increased stress reactions because of their increased reception of and reaction to external input. There are many programs and books about stress reduction. The key components are to (1) learn to identify your stress symptoms: headache, backache, pencil tapping, pacing, etc. (2) develop strategies for coping with stress: talk about your feelings, do relaxation exercises, change your diet, exercise, meditate, ask for help, develop organizational and time management skills and (3) develop strategies to prevent stress: make time for fun; develop a cadre of people to help, advise, humor you; practice tolerance of your own and others’ imperfections. CREATE A COMFORTING ENVIRONMENT WHENEVER POSSIBLE Intense people need to know how to make their environment more comfortable in order to create places for retreat or safety. For example: find places to work or think which are not distracting, work in a quiet or calm environment, listen to music, look at a lovely picture, carry a comforting item, move while working, or wear clothing which does not scratch or cling. Learning to finesse one’s environment to meet one’s needs takes experimentation and cooperation from others, but the outcome will be a greater sense of well being and improved productivity. HELP TO RAISE AWARENESS OF ONE’S BEHAVIORS AND THEIR IMPACT ON OTHERS Paradoxically, overexcitable people are often insensitive and unaware of how their behaviors affect others. They may assume that everyone will just understand why they interrupt to share an important idea, or tune out when creating a short story in their head during dinner. It is vital to teach children and adults to be responsible for their behaviors, to become more aware of how their behaviors affect others, and to understand that their needs are not more important than those of others. The key is to realize that you can show children and adults how they are perceived, you can teach them strategies to fit in, but they must choose to change. [Ed. Comment: This is pretty biological so we think it appears pretty normal to the person so if there is any changing to be had it has to be pretty conscious so it may be perceived by others as "insensitive" but it is not really perceived that way by the person and in fact the person may perceive others as "insensitive."] REMEMBER THE JOY Often when overexcitability is discussed examples and concerns are mostly negative. Remember that being overexcitable also brings with it great joy, astonishment, beauty, compassion, and creativity. Perhaps the most important thing is to acknowledge and relish the uniqueness of an overexcitable child or adult. |