Best posts made by Selerik

@Prototart Wasn't the first documented outbreak among the clergy too?

A while back, I switched to infinite scrolling on a lark to see what it would be like. Since I did that (and quickly switched back, it was awful hard to keep track of anything) the game has consistently been dumping me at the wrong spot of ongoing threads I return to.

I don't mean the start, I don't mean the end, I mean somewhere in 2017 (on average).

...Halp.

@insomniac7809

There is a quote of Bill Gates, saying he'd always hire a lazy person to do a difficult job. Why? Because a lazy person will find an easy way to do it.

Over time I've come to believe what Bill Gates saw as lazy was just ADHD. People who are more creative than willing to do drudgery.

A thread to collect tidbits that are not common knowledge, but extremely helpful to know, pertaining to health. I'll start this off.

Vitamins C and B compete with stimulants in the body, but your body can't distinguish between them very well. This is why most people who get juice energy drinks report them having no apparent effect, the caffeine in the juice is watered down by having ingredients that directly compete for absorption.

Coffee Jitters? Take some OJ, and it'll probably balance you out, but it will also make the caffeine start to leave your system more rapidly.

Corollary: This also means that supplementing with such while on a medication that is a stimulant, particularly ones typical of ADHD and similar treatment, can cause the drugs to lose effectiveness.

@Auspice On the one hand...

Yay, it isn't just me.

On the other hand...

@Lotherio @silverfox

My oldest son went through over a dozen IEPs and was misdiagnosed three times over three years before we got an external expert to diagnose and treat for ADHD. It was part of the reason I did all of this research and re-evaluated myself, the realization both of what the impacts on him were, how they mirrored my younger life, and how much the treatment is helping him.

@DeadEmpire

Vitamin A is very common as a deficiency in third world countries, but in developed countries, the more common issue is having too much in your diet. Many of the foods we get are loaded with vitamin A, and if you take a supplement you're probably pounding that home.

This is called Hypervitaminosis A, and you can read more about it below.
https://www.healthline.com/health/hypervitaminosis-a

Going beyond that article, research dating back to the 1990s has been finding Hypervitiminosis A has a partial relationship with chronic fatigue conditions, including Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. That means it is a documented cause of some sufferers, but the science isn't developed enough to determine how many or how often. The method for testing is part of the problem, since the only proven relationships were on those studies that caused Hypervitaminosis A while being performed.

If you do a yearly checkup, you might think this is covered in your regular bloodwork. It isn't. There is a test, but it is designed to detect deficiency, and has proven to be unreliable for testing toxicity.

This is one of those issues where awareness is key, since it is something you can only really detect and correct in your diet.

@silverfox The in-system diagnosis was from a professional provided by the state, and part of establishing the IEP. Part of the problem was the professional didn't have the time to do a proper diagnosis, and gave it based on limited observations. This will vary state to state, but in our case it just caused more problems as they started trying to treat things he didn't have.

@Auspice said in The ADD/ADHD Thread (cont'd from Peeves):

forcing me to go through exorcisms because demons.

@Kanye-Qwest / @Auspice I'm as glad to know you as I'm glad not to know your dad.

@Arkandel said in RL things I love:

I have people I eat

I love taking things out of context for comedic value, just so long as the people involved know it is in good humor.

For reasons, I'm studying the way our body handles changes of diet on a neurophysiological level. I found the below study today that sort of shocked me.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4790398/

The TL;DR is that our body can ACTIVELY HATE US when we diet, making us depressed. This is one of those knowledge is power things, where once you know what your body is doing you can put in place a plan to counteract it.

If I'm reading this study right though, that is a short term response. Long term it trends the opposite direction if you maintain the caloric restrictions.

One of them is a course towards PMP certification, project management professional.

They stipulate you need to outline the projects you've worked on.

They stipulate the projects are supposed to be sequential. As in, one project ends BEFORE the next one starts.

@Wretched I've heard it is good practice to wait at least a month before stacking on a new med, but I had no idea about the cannabis thing. That is interesting, I'll have to keep it in mind if I'm ever in a state where I have the option.

I'm also super happy for you. Sounds like you're doing fantastic things for yourself!

@Auspice If I were in your area I would without fail. Unfortunately I live in Arkansas, not a land known for a glut of MUSHers.

Three things tend to get doctors to change their tune on mental health. There is a lot of things I could ask to customize this advice for you, but these are almost always applicable.

1. 'Have you used the DSM-5 to evaluate what I've been telling you my symptoms are? Are you trained in the DSM-5? If not, can I been seen by someone who is?'
   The DSM-5 is the diagnostic criteria for mental disorders, fifth edition. The one currently in use everywhere, and the one off which all doctors have to demonstrate a patient's medical needs.

2. 'I've reported my symptoms to you and stated the care I'm seeking. You've refused to provide me help for what I am seeking help with. I would like you to put your refusal into writing, if you're really going to tell me no again.'
   By putting it in writing, a doctor risks malpractice if your situation is ever reviewed. They know that. Many fold when this comes up, but a few will get erratic. If they get erratic, MAYBE they were not a good person to be seeing in the first place. I realize you may not have a choice with your insurance situation, whatever it is.

3. 'This condition is threatening my ability to do my work. I've spoken with an attorney who handles disability claims, and I will need a copy of all medical records you have on file along with your choice not to treat me. If I can manage to keep my job, great, but if I lose it because of this I need full documentation.'
   Attorneys who handle such claims pro-bono can be found in every state. They do indeed require your full medical records related to the condition you're seeking disability for, so this is an accurate description of your situation. Saying you've spoken to one isn't accurate as of today, but you could easily fix that.

I sincerely wish you luck and hope you get the care you need.

@Auspice Was worth a shot. I hope you find something that works!

I'm a big fan of trolling LinkedIn for people /actively in the jobs I want/ and requesting copies of their resumes.

They'll surprisingly often just give it if you ask, and it could lead to an opportunity.

@Auspice It is a misapplication of the Leadership practices taught by Maxwell which is, from what I've seen, surprisingly effective. It fails at high level offices, only really works on people that are themselves part of the rat race culture.

PSA

Allergy meds increase blood pressure.

Cold meds increase blood pressure.

ADHD meds increase blood pressure.

Do. Not. Mix. All. Three.

This message paid for by my fucking sinus infection.