My FAST mind and two book recommendations

My mind resembles an office space if a tornado were to go through it, an EF5 one filled with anxiety, fears, forgetfulness, and hyperfocus, and you know what  I feel so Blessed that I have my mind, it makes me who I am. I have mild CP. Filmt  Rehab says, "Mild cerebral palsy refers to motor impairments caused by mild damage to the developing brain. Because the damage is not as severe, motor impairments may go unrecognized in the early years of childhood. However, as children with mild cerebral palsy develop, motor impairments may become more apparent. Fortunately, it is never too late for recovery. Even in adulthood, individuals with cerebral palsy can improve their movements." I stand, walk funny, my right hand won't work sometimes, and I have a speech handicap. I've been in speech therapy and physical therapy, had an aide to help me be my writing hand for me  What is ADHD? ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) is a neurological disorder that impacts the parts of the brain that help us plan, focus on, and execute tasks. ADHD symptoms vary by subtype — inattentive, hyperactive, or combined. I believe I have the inattentive type of ADHD. From Verywell Mind, "Characteristics or behaviors of inattention characterize this type of ADHD. People with this type of ADHD may have few or no hyperactivity and impulsivity traits. This form of ADHD is sometimes referred to as attention deficit disorder (ADD), although the term ADD is an outdated one that is not used anymore. So, is there a cure? No, it's a part of me, but there are treatment options. Such as CBT, which stands for Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, I have moderate inattentive ADHD.  

Concerning your safety and my privacy, I'm not going to tell you to take or not take meds, and I won't disclose whether I take or do not take meds. I'm not a doctor or therapist. If you need professional help, your primary care doctor should be able to assist you. With that out of the way, Storytime. When I was little, I had a very active imagination. Due in part to my ADHD,  which is still with me to this day, but it grew up alongside me. In the 4th grade, I wanted to be some kind of writer when I grew up. (now a writer and pastor of some kind)  (That would be a later blog topic.) After writing a short novel called "The Pie Thief" for National Novel Writing Month,

"National Novel Writing Month happens in November every year. Writers have between November 1 and November 30 to write an entire novel. This intense November-only event has been around for over a decade. I'll share the back cover: "Oh no! Aunt Olive's pizza has gone missing! We don't know who stole the long, lifegiving deep-dish pizza. Jack, Anna, and Tom will have to use all their courage. Pizza the Evil rat Peso might be a suspect. Will Jack, Anna, and Tom get the pizza back in time to make Aunt Olive happy, or will the bad guy win the day? Find out when you read The Pie Thief!" From the 4th grader, you might expect a kid TV show-type of my imagination was running on all four cylinders, more like what a ten-year-old thinks.

I had trouble with spelling and orthography when I was a little kid, too. More fundamentally, whenever I didn't do well on a weekly test in grade school or middle school, I would hyper-fixate on my crushes. In high school, I did well in politics, and in college, I excelled in those areas. I was involved in band and choir, and I don't think anyone noticed me daydreaming because  I knew how to hide so well. 

So I was a news viewer as a young kid, then switched in middle/high school to  Good Mythical Morning ( abbreviated as GMM) is an American morning daily show created and hosted by Rhett McLaughlin and Link Neal. The show is produced by Stevie Levine and Rhett & Link's lifestyle company, Mythical Entertainment, in Burbank, California. The show currently has twenty regular seasons and four summer seasons, with over 2,000 episodes. In my teens until I was in my early to mid-20s. I think my developing brain was starving for dopamine. And  GMM was fun to watch, but then I outgrew  it, and YouTube itself can be addicting, so I want to apply more digital minimalist( Cal Newport defines Digital Minimalism as, “A philosophy of technology use in which you focus your online time on a small number of carefully selected and optimized activities that strongly support things you value, and then happily miss out on everything else.”)  philosophy and practice, like not having Facebook anymore. I was addicted to it. (I don't know if I'll ever go back to it) And  Goodreads, I have and still want to pare down my use of it, getting rid of the feed and not having the app on my phone.

Nowadays, I run in the neighborhood where I live. Running is both enjoyable for me and beneficial for individuals with ADHD. ADHD is associated with imbalances in several key neurotransmitters, including:

1. Dopamine: Often referred to as the “reward” neurotransmitter, dopamine plays a crucial role in motivation, attention, and impulse control.

2. Norepinephrine: This neurotransmitter is involved in arousal, attention, and executive functions.

3. Serotonin: While less directly implicated in ADHD, serotonin affects mood regulation and impulse control.

Running has been shown to have a significant impact on these neurotransmitters:

1. Increased dopamine production: Physical exercise, particularly aerobic activities like running, has been shown to boost dopamine levels in the brain. This increase can help improve focus, motivation, and impulse control in individuals with ADHD.

2. Enhanced norepinephrine release: Running stimulates the release of norepinephrine, which can improve attention and cognitive function.

3. Elevated serotonin levels: Regular exercise, including running, has been linked to increased serotonin production, potentially helping with mood regulation and emotional stability. from Nerolaunch.com

I'm a Christian, so what does the Bible say about ADHD?

From the Bible, ask website: "While ADD and ADHD are not explicitly mentioned in the Bible, God’s Word provides profound encouragement, wisdom, and hope for those who face these challenges. The Bible reminds us that each person is uniquely created by God, and His love and purposes extend to all. Through faith, reliance on His strength, and the support of a loving community, individuals with these disorders can navigate their challenges and grow in their walk with Christ.

Scriptural principles such as focus, self-control, patience, rest, and encouragement offer practical guidance for managing these conditions in a way that glorifies God. Moreover, the examples of impulsive and energetic biblical figures like Peter and Paul show how God can use these traits for His glory.

I'm not saying that I have it all together, but I do know this: God loves you (John 3:16), sent his son to die for you, and made you in his image (Genesis 1:26), ADHD or not

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8yV0pu60Uqs&t=6s 

Books I read/listened to  on this topic 

Thanks for reading!