dwcoon's blog: ADHBD the Book Foreword draft v1.07

Foreword – June 2014

A Message About the Value of Education for Posterity's Sake

Posterity n. future generations. Being responsible for our decisions we make as they effect the future world that our children will inherit.

Pos·ter·i·ty – päˈsteritē/ noun. All future generations of people.

We are truly blessed to live in the age of information generation. Humanity has never had access to this much knowledge and information about the universe before. Science, the Scientific Method, the study of nature, the search for truth, the curiosity of human nature to understand our lives, our world and our universe has lead to a revolution of information. Our need for meaning in our lives, and our natural ability to learn and our desire to always be improving our lives have led to where we are today. A time like non other in human history.

Life is always evolving, changing and as natural selection explains, always improving to better survive and prosper in life. And because the concept of science is to always be improving, we as individuals are always improving and thus we as a society are always improving.

Each generation has it better than the last. The people and nations that are always improving by learning from not only their own mistakes, but from all the recorded mistakes made in all of human history are the people and nations that are going to survive and proper the most. The people and nations that apply the scientific method to search for solutions to fix mistakes and then makes necessary changes to makes those mistakes a thing of the past are the people and nations that are going to be the leaders of the world. And finally the people and nations that simply identity and fix the most common mistakes (as identified by the scientific community), and stop making the same mistakes over and over again are the people and nations that are going to be the most successful and prosperous of all. The people and nations are aren't learning, who aren't improving, who keep making the same mistakes over and over again are the people and nations that are doomed to failure.

I see my community and my country as one with great potential. However if nothing changes, if we stay exactly as we are now, we will fail. We as a society must change some big changes if we want to stay on top of the world, if we don't, the United States will join history's long list of once triumph but now fallen empires. The fact of the matter is change is inevitable, and as nature has taught us, only the strong and smartest survive. Now we need to make the conscious decision to improve, shedding false and negative beliefs that are holding us back, our survival depends on it.

The good news is that even though our society isn't perfect (I don't know anyone who thinks the world is perfect just as it is), it is somewhat functional and it has got us this far. It's not perfect but on the bright side it's not all that bad either. Acceptance of reality is an incredible important place to start. We have to work with what we have, and I think we all agree that it definitely needs a lot of work. No matter who or what you are, there is always room for improvement.

And really with all things considered, we really have come quite far as a species. Humanity has endured an ice age, survived biological plagues and deadly pathogens, invented technology, managed not to wipe ourselves our with the weapons created from that technology, pasted down culture from one generation to the next, acquired a tremendous array of knowledge and understanding of nature. Finally humanity has effectively conquered much of the natural world, and through our understanding on the natural sciences (biology, chemistry & physics) we are on our way to eventual mastery of the universe its self.

As an American who grew up in upstate New York in the 90s and 2000s, I've actually had it pretty good. I am well aware that as a average middle class American that I have had a better life than a majority of humans throughout history. I've had plenty of healthy food for most of my life, decent enough healthcare to get me this far, a roof over my head (except for the multiple homelessness periods I had to go through (details in Chapter 7 - Real Drug Recovery – DWCOON's autobiography), access to educational resources that have greatly enriched my life, I've had access to clean clothes and all the little necessities of life.

My point is that we are all very luck to live in a modern, civilized first world country at the most prosperous and peaceful (more than not) period of time in human history. We are safe (relatively) from war, there is little chance that we will be invaded by a foreign army. America has been land war free since the British last attack us and burnt down the White House in 1812. Since then we've only been attacked twice, Pearl Harbor in 1941 and September 11 in 2001. Given the war history of the past 2,000 years, our track record is actually pretty good.

And most importantly we are free (mostly). There are some serious moral and philosophical conundrums that are currently holding us back from maxim progress (see Chapter 8 – Liberty and the War on Drugs for more information). But overall our society isn't that bad, we have made tremendous progress over the past few centuries. Woman have gained pretty much equal status in society. African Americans have earned their civil rights and racial discrimination isn't acceptable anymore. Homosexuality isn't considered a mental disorder anymore (see Chapter 1 – ADHBD - A History of Psychology, the DSM & Modern Mental Health Care for the details and the rest of this story). We have made tremendous progress as a society. But we still have a long way to go.

We live in a period of time that civilized world governments work together using diplomacy and bureaucracy to resolve conflicts and protect world order. The United Nations backs up its resolutions to prevent, stop and punish human rights violators. Countries from around the world come together and collaborate on the ISS (the International Space Station) to study astrophysics and space travel and to future our technology and our understanding on science.

People no longer tolerate countries with brutal un-elected cruel dictators. People united and as a result of the information from the internet, life changes, citizens demand democracy or at least a representative government. No nation in the world will ever be completely alone and isolated again. News from across the world is heard in a matter of minutes after it happens. A scientific breakthrough in Spain could save someone's life in Columbia or cause a revolution in Cuba. Anyone with internet access can see what society could and should be like from the leading nations on the world like Switzerland, France, Germany, Canada, Turkey and even the United States.

Information is open and free. Thanks to the collaborated efforts of intelligent people from all over the world, we have websites like Wikipedia that give us reliable, scientifically approved, up to date information on just about everything in the known universe. The word “wiki” means collaborated effort of the community. Governments can no longer keep information secret and hidden from the public, thanks to the brave efforts of those responsible for Wikileaks. The voice of the people will be heard, it cannot be silenced. No longer can an oppressive government shield its people from the wealth of information from all over the world. If the majority of the world is successful and prosper under democracy, free press and free speech, then those countries that don't have it will start to demand these modern first world models for their own societies. Corruption, both government and by private business and corporations will always be a problem, but because of the fact that that type of power structure is unsustainable, it will eventually be exposed (take Enron for example).

Truth will be revealed. The truth will be discovered. The truth will be found. Given enough time, the truth will always be known. The fundamental principle of science is that we are always getting closer to the truth.

Thankfully our society does value education. Sadly, education isn't our government's or societies first priority, maybe as it should be. But on the positive side, clearly there is some public support for education. Just look at our public school system, far from perfect, but not that bad, it could be a lot worse. However if America's public schools are compared to other first world countries' public school systems, we don't look too good. America has some of the best schools in the world, we also have some of the worst (mostly in poor inner-city communities). Clearly, as with everything in the world, we have a lot of room for improvement. Our higher education system isn't the best in the world either, as I believe it could be (public funding for college as a reward for citizens that serve the country in one way or another, whether it be military service, individual meaningful contribution or simple earned volunteer hours given to charity are just a few ideas to improve our higher education system). Here's an idea, why no just follow the example of the successful countries, and strive to improve upon what is already proven to work.

All we have to do is follow the example of what has already been proven to work. Study and vicariously learn from those who have already been successful. Then improve upon their process. Learn and understand the mistakes they made, and for frickin sake don't make the same mistakes yourself.

My favorite way to illustrate this concept is to take an example from classical music history. Bach greatly influenced all classical music after him, including Mozart, who then influenced Beethoven.

We have the great privilege to be influenced by all three plus all other great composers in music history.

♪ “History reveres Bach as one of the greatest master of musical expressiveness who ever existed. Starting in about 1695, Bach for 45 years, created, composed and conducted music of the highest quality. No man, it is said has ever composed so brilliantly and consistently as J.S. Bach. He without a doubt had major influence on all musicians after him, including Mozart and Beethoven.”

Who influences you? Who do you want to be like?

Who do you want to not only be like but better than?

No matter what, the only thing that is absolutely certain about the future of education is that it is going to change. The very concept of the classroom, standardized tests, textbooks in print format and even the traditional brick and mortar school house itself is rapidly changing and evolving. I see a world where your IQ (intelligence quota) is measured by an comprehensive analysis of your internet activity, your community involvement, your contribution to society and by the list of books that you have read and added to your virtual book shelf on the website Good Reads (details in Chapter 10 – Valuable references). Those countries and communities that embrace the changing nature of education, those who embrace the technological revolution and run with it are the countries and communities that are going to dominate and lead the world in the 21^st century.

Thank god for public libraries, museums, public parks and wildlife perverses. I personally love the local public library. I mean what a great place. Everything is free to borrow. Books on every subject imaginable, free internet access and wifi, art, fiction, music CDs, DVD movies, audio books, newspapers, magazines and more. Now that is what I call a winning business model (more at the UPL – United Public Library website) Encouraging institutions dedicated to the non-profit benefit of the general pubic for the sake of education is just about the best thing that you can do. I am so grateful that these places are all over the place. Teaching the public about world history, culture, science and pretty much anything you want. And raising awareness of humanity's greatest achievements like walking on the moon as well as mankind's darkest hours like world war, the holocaust and the genocide in Africa. We as a society must learn from history's successes and failures, so that we may only repeat the good parts.

But it's all about education. The best part of education and learning is that it leads to wisdom, more meaningful lives, happiness, fulfilled sense of purpose and ultimately enlightenment (thou few human souls ever reach this epitome of consciousness - see Levels of Consciousness article by Steve Pavlina).

There is a certain comfort in ignorant bliss, like an innocent child without a worry in the world. The problem happens, and it often does is when the the truth is finally learned it can be shocking, even hurtful and dangerous or sad and heart-breaking. And once you learn the truth, you can never go back. You cannot unlearn the truth once you consciously learn it. And thus is the curse and burden of knowledge (as all good things have a catch).

But you have to ask yourself, do you want to know the truth? Do you really want to know? The risk you take by learning the truth is that it could shatter reality. It could change your world as you know it. It could ruin everything that you believe in. You must ask your self, is the truth worth knowing? Only you can decide that. And whatever you choose to believe becomes your reality.

Would you rather be a monkey or other lower life form, one with less consciousness? Must be nice to be a family pet dog in a loving home. Which would you rather be? Ultimately the higher life form wins. It is always better to know the truth than to believe a lie. Because it is only by understanding the truth that you have a chance to reach the highest possible level of consciousness. A human being has the potential to reach enlightenment (see Levels of Consciousness in Chapter 10). I'm sorry to any animal lover out there, but a dog cannot reach enlightenment like a human can. It is always better to know the truth than to not.

But the truth can be elusive....

And that's one of the best things about the fundamentals principle of science. It is always the best of what we know. And when something new comes along that is better, or closer or that disproves the old way of thinking, then we throw away the false beliefs in favor of the one that is closer to the truth. Closer being the key word here, because that's all that we can do, we may never actually find the real truth (think the Matrix). Anyways, science is always the best guess by an educated intelligent community of scientists. There is no favor or preference or loyalty for one belief or anther, and no dishonor about being wrong, or being accepted as right then proven wrong. Science is humble like that. It doesn't matter who is right or who is wrong, all that matters is the science. Beliefs are always changing to better reflect our understanding of reality. Sometimes it's hard to change our core beliefs, but in order to be part of the successful crowd, you must be willing to change. Go with the flow. Be flexible and open minded and accepting of new ideas. This is the definition of progress. And the core of ADHBD's progressive treatment approach.

Scientific research is my favorite. Because often the scientist doesn't even know what they are looking for, they just explore nature and attempt to understand it as best as they can. Who knows what they are going to find. Countless major historical scientific breakthrough have been made just by studying the fundamentals of nature. Using the scientific method, science has created all of the wonderful, and ever improving technologies that we all enjoy and rely on every day.

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My Favor example of scientific exploratory research is NASA (National Aeronautics ans Space Administration). Someone with a conservative point of view might say what is the point of putting a man on the moon at the cost of billions of tax dollars when we have other more pressing domestic problems that need fixing. How does space exploration help lower the cost of food at the grocery store for example? What do we as a society benefit from putting a man on the moon?

In order to answer those questions, first let us take a brief look at the last 40 years of history at NASA and the Space Shuttle Program. It was supposed to cost $30 billion and the space shuttle was supposed to take 200 trips over the course of 20 years. However it ended up costing more than $90 billion and the shuttle only took 50 trips. On paper it looks like a total failure. What did we get out of it? The answer: more than we could have ever imagined! No one know what technological advancements the space program would bring us. No one could have predicted to what extent that the resulting technology from the space program would change the world forever. Now it's everyday technology that we couldn't even imagine living without. Satellites, cell phones, GPS, instant would wide communication just to name a few... These technologies came to us not as preconceived concepts, but rather as unpredictable rewards as results of successful scientific research and human curiosity. There are countless other examples throughout world changing technologies that have come about purely as a result of none other than science's fundamental pursuit of learning as much as possibly about the natural world around us.

The point is that education is the key, curiosity is the fuel, reading-writing-asking questions is the vehicle, open mind is the oil, the internet & books are the mechanics, teachers are the manufactures and dealers, degrees and published works are the licence, registration and proof of insurance, and finally the year, make, model, mileage and condition represent the age, childhood environment, resources, time spent learning and overall intelligence.

When everything is right, when you have the right keys, plenty of fuel in the gas tank, when your vehicle is in good working condition with the proper maintenance, when you have the proper legal documentation and the roads are clear and open then you have everything that you need. You can travel anywhere and learn anything that you want. The world is yours, open before you to go anything your heart desires, anywhere your imagination can dream of. When everything is right, there are no limits, any destination is possible.

Learning is the journey with enlightenment being the ultimate destination.

Education empowers you to become anything you want. Your doubts are your only limitations. Your imagination is

"Whether you think you can,
or you think you can't,

you are right.”

The Law of Attraction is an undeniable fundamental fact about the universe (see Law of Attraction in Chapter 10). You are what you think about most of the time. The Law of Attraction is always working. If you want something, and that is all that you think about, you will eventually get it. If you want to learn something, and that is all that you think about, you will eventually learn it. If you fear something, and that is all that you think about, you will eventually bring that fear into the reality of your life. It works both ways, attraction will bring both positive and negative energy into your life. The good news is that you have control over what you choose to think about. These means that you can create whatever kind of life you want to live. You literally create the world that you live in. Your level of consciousness will determine what kind of world you live in and ultimately your quality of life.

And the fact of the matter is that something is going to happen to you as long as you are alive. That something is a complete and total reflection of what you think about. And because you have control over what you think about, you can conscientiously create any world you want. Hence the more education you have, and the greater your understanding of the world around you, the more power and choices you have to shape the world as you see it. But if your stuck in the lower levels of consciousness like fear or anger, and you don't make conscious decisions about your life, you are more than likely to end up somewhere you don't want to be.

So it is best to consciously decide what you want your life to be like, rather than just let it happen. That is the reality for most humans that have ever lived. That unfortunate truth is that a majority of people live their lives in the complacent lower levels of consciousness. It's not their fault, it is more a response to living life in modern day society. There is no wonder things that take your mind of life are so popular in today's world. Non-tangible things like entertainment; movies, tv series, time-consuming games on your smart phone, video games, comic books, etc... To more consumable mind altering things like drugs (see chapter 5). There is more to life than that. All you have to do is learn about it.

The best, most mind opening explanation of the courageous it takes to live life as consciously as possible came to me in the first article I ever read by Steve Pavlina. And I can't say it better than he has, so please read “Deciding what to do with you life” in Chapter 10.

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The study of quantum physics and astrophysics has taught me many things about our world and universe. One theoretical concept in particular has caught my attention in a life-changing way that I would like to point to you now. I'm referring the Heisenberg Uncertainty principle of observing the electron position and the nature of quantifying light as a particle or a wave. It's all very fasinating and the details are extremely complicated, but the point is that one electron can literally be in two places at once, transmitting information faster than the speed of light, transcending one of the most fundamental laws of the universe. The true nature of how this really works, and how it effects physical matter on a bigger scales is still unknown, and may never be known. But how it teaches me is that anything is possible. Literally anything is possible. The universe is always changing, and you can literally create any world you want, and you have everything you need right now to do so. All you have to do is think and believe and take action and let the Law of Attraction will do the rest.

I want to do my part to improve the world. I am a science teacher at heart, specialized in sociology and psychology. I have earned my BA, I have fought a war, I have worked over 30+ jobs and I have learned a thing or two. I have experienced a lot about the good and the bad about the world. I have struggled with the neurological disorder ADD/ADHD my whole life. I have an educated, fresh new perspective to provide and plenty of innovative and progressive ideas to help stimulate positive progress in the special field of ADD treatment.

The point is that I have studied this one problem nearly all my life. I've seen dozens of doctors, shrinks, psychiatrists, social workers and therapies. I have received good care and bad, I absolutely know what went right and what, how, where and when things went wrong. I know what works for me and what doesn't. I know what should and needs to be improved. Finally most importantly, I have an intelligent and meaningful contribution to make to improve the system for posterity's sake...

This book tells the story of modern psychology and mental health care as it grew, evolved and progressed in the late 1980s into the 90s into today. This book sheds light on private civilian mental healthcare as well as government provided healthcare to myself as a veteran at the VA. The tragic VA story.

I believe that I can improve how ADD is treated in this country (progressive treatment ideas presented in this book). I believe that I can influence how the general pubic views ADD sufferers (defining as a diagnosis instead of a disorder removed the stigma of the disorder).

I can do a better job treating people with this specific neurological problem than my doctors did for me. And I should! I should do what I can to help improve the understanding of and treatment of ADD. Progression and advancement is a natural part of the cycle of life. Those who learn and advance are the ones that survive and prosper. Those who don't learn and grow, die away. All we have to do is study the past, learn what works, repeat what works, improve and evolve upon what works, avoid the obvious and costly mistakes and most importantly, always remain positive, optimistic, brave and courageous to always keep up the good fight.

I would be stupid to continue to make and repeat the same mistakes of my predecessors.

Just as I expect that the next generation of scientists will improve upon, expand and evolve my work. I expect that the next generation of scientists will learn from the inevitable mistakes that I will make, so that they don't have to make the same mistakes themselves. I hope that the next generation of scientists: embrace science, treasure and valve learning and education, dedicate themselves to sustainable and honest public health policies rooted in compassion and science, and promote healthy honest moral values. I hope that the next generation of scientists continue to learn the truth of nature and continue to improve themselves and our society. Most importantly, I hope that the next generation of scientists get closer to peace, love, joy and enlightenment than I have.

As I'm sure I'm do to make mistakes too. I don't claim to have a perfect answer, however I'm sure that what I have is better that what we have now. Slow and steady improvement is all that we can really ask for. Nay, demand!

It is my hope that this book helps people, at least someone with ADD live a better and more productive happy life.

And to evolve Attention Deficit Disorder to Attention Deficit Hyperactive Brain Diagnosis; to removed the negative social stigma of the disorder.

Thank you for reading this book. I hope you enjoy this book. I hope you learn something valuable from this book that improves the quality of your life in at least some small way.