John Scrivin’s Response to His Vancouver Sun Adult ADHD Article

Post from: Adult ADD Strengths

I received this from John Scrivin, its his response the the Vancouver Sun article that profiled him and Adult ADHD, I’m posting it in full. My apologies for misspelling your name before John.

The Article is now in 2 place on the Vancouver Sun’s website, different headlines but same article, both with many comments. Some denying ADHD exists or minimizing it’s impact and some real stories from people with ADHD, quite moving ones. I guess John’s courage to tell his story inspired other adults with ADHD to do the same. More of those and maybe the BC politicians might take Adult ADHD, currently NONE of the BC political parties mention ADHD in their platform. Looks like they’re going to ignore the BC medical Association’s 8 ADHD policy recommendation’s unless enough ADDers convince em otherwise. I’d encourage everyone to read both of them.

B.C. lacks resources to treat, diagnose adults with ADHD

Man turns life around after ADHD diagnosis at age 55

Here’s John Scrivin’s response.

In response to the article in the Vancouver Sun, April 13 profiling my ADD issues, I would like to add the following. I felt it was a bit unfortunate for the comments on ADDers being accident prone and the fact that I am a professional bus driver and have been for the last thirty some odd years. Several issues need to be brought up here. First, the medications ADDers take should to be very carefully chosen by the prescribing doctor. In my case, several medications were selected and tested out separately on minimal strengths until the best was selected. Each test took about six to eight weeks. After the best (for me) was chosen, the strength was increased to the appropriate level. In my case, they needed to provide focus and not easily and negate distraction when performing the task at hand. However there was also a need not to hyperfocus either. A delicate balance. I would suggest also that the selection of appropriate medications or other therapeutic interventions is critical for all ADDers. I have heard too often that ‘my meds don’t work’ or ‘I can’t handle the side effects’. Perhaps these are indications that the therapies need to be revisited and/or reassessed as to the validity for that particular ADDer. What is true for all people, especially ADDers is to be in the right environment, occupationally, romantically and one’s other associations. We do not fit well in boxes designed by others and therefore often exhibit the well-known characteristics of the stereo-type ADDer that the world seems to know. What is so missing are demonstrations of the positives of ADD. There are thousands of ADDers who have done wonderful things not in spite of their ADD, BUT BECAUSE OF IT. Many entrepreneurs are ADDers who have followed their passion. Perhaps Leonardo da Vinci was the most prolific of all. Steve Jobs is another and I could go on and on. Perhaps we cannot totally emulate these high profile ADDers, but when our environments are right for us, we can soar. ADD is a gift One really needs to enjoy what we do and who we associate with on a day to basis. What are the results? We are infinitely happier. ‘Anger Management courses’ are not required. Our senses of humour are even sharper, others enjoy our company much more and unkind comments either by ourselves or others are minimal. We need not rely on illicit drugs or alcohol to make the world go away. We need not to be aggressive in a negative way. Our physical health improves. Our job satisfaction and performance soars and our relationships are joyful. Need I go on? I remember many years ago an advertisement in a national magazine from an employer who said, “Send me someone who reads.” I look forward to the day when the statement will be “Send me an ADDer.”

B.C. Lacks Resources to Treat, Diagnose Adults with ADHD – Vancouver Sun

Post from: Adult ADD Strengths

Today’s Vancouver Sun Monday April 13th 2009 has an article on Adult ADHD on p A5. The title is B.C. lacks resources to treat, diagnose adults with ADHD by Amy O’Brian. Web version is here.
They interviewed a local adult with ADHD, John Scrivin.

Please check it out and let others that might be interested in it know about it.

If you have any opinion about the article you might want to express it in the comments section at the end of the article. Here’s a few excerpts.

John Scrivin spent his whole life feeling like he didn’t fit in — like he never quite understood what was going on.

As a teenager and an adult, he identified as an outsider. Angry outbursts were common and he was eventually diagnosed with depression.

But Scrivin always suspected there was something more going on.

It wasn’t until he was 55 that he was diagnosed with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder or ADHD, a disorder most commonly associated with children, but also highly prevalent in adults.”

Finding out it had a name and treatment was huge,” he said.

“Even at the tender age of 55, it made a world of difference in terms of my happiness.”

How many more people will have to wait 5 decades or more to get diagnosed with ADHD?

John Scriven: “There is no doubt I would have been diagnosed sooner if there had been more resources.”

Yes this is a very common problem for adults with ADHD in BC. As an Vancouver based adult ADHD coach, I get calls and emails on a regular basis from people trying to find someone that knows enough about ADHD to diagnose it, especially in adults. Some say their doctor says they can’t have ADHD because they did well in school or work, which show their ignorance of the condition since there’s a MENSA ADHD group with 500 people in it and billionaires with ADHD. But there’s also a lot of addicts with ADHD, people in jail with ADHD and many in between

Medical student’s & psychologists aren’t properly taught about ADHD in University according to many BC based doctors, psychiatrists & psychologists I’ve talked to who DO know about ADHD because they went out of their way to learn about the condition on their own time and dime.

“There are few resources for adults with ADHD and not enough awareness about symptoms and diagnosis, says Dr. Derryck Smith, a Vancouver-based psychiatrist who treats people of all ages with ADHD — including some in their “geriatric years.”

“There’s nowhere to send these people for treatment,” Smith said.

“We want more resources in the adult treatment sector. We want Pharmacare to cover some of the longer-acting, more modern medications. And we want the government to have a treatment strategy for dealing with this as a public health issue.”

The BC government currently has NO STRATEGY for ADHD. None.

Also there’s no sign that the NDP will be any better at dealing with ADHD. The Green party leader is pretty clueless about ADHD.

Expecting people with a condition that’s known for having problems with distraction, impulsivity, poor time management, and forgetfullness to take a pill 3 times a day every day on a regular schedule? Isn’t that sadistic? Even without the problems of the rebound effect of short term ADHD medications? Maybe one day BC will catch up to Saskatchewan, Ontario & Quebec that do cover long acting ADHD medication.

The only public Adult ADHD clinic in the province, the BC adult ADHD clinic at Children’s hospital had a year long wait list for an entire year for adults. They asked the government for money to deal with the waiting list, the BC Liberal government refused and they closed the clinic in 2007, and didn’t reopen the clinic at another hospital, they abandoned adults with ADHD because the long wait list was politically embarrassing.

Hopefully people with ADHD & their family members will ask their potential MLA’s if they will implement the 8 recommendations of the BCMA’s ADHD policy paper. Best time to get a politician’s attention is when they want your vote. There’s a BC election May 12 next month.

contact your local NDP candidate

contact your local Liberal candidate