I’m mentioned in The Vancouver Courier Newspaper on Adult ADHD And The Harm of ADHD Stigma
I should have posted this much earlier. I was quoted in The Vancouver Courier Newspaper on Adult ADHD And The Harm of ADHD Stigma, by Cheryl Rossi, June 30th p. A13.
It’s related to this post NPA Vancouver Politician Melissa De Genova Publicly Shames And Stigmatizes Her Political Opponent Sarah Blyth For Getting Help For ADHD At Work
and this one What Others Have Said About NPA Vancouver’s Melissa De Genova ADHD Shaming And Stigmatizing
about this
Then Melissa De Genova asked why the governing party would not elect someone capable of doing the job and that she had disabilities too.
As I was leaving Commissioner De Genova proceeded to follow me out the door asking why I was playing the poor me card the disability card for many to hear in disbelief.
Sarah Blyth Facebook post.
and this post too.
What Others Have Said About NPA Vancouver’s Melissa De Genova ADHD Shaming And Stigmatizing
Melissa De Genova has two learning disabilities, dyslexia and written output disorder, went to a $20,000 a year + private school for ADHD & Learning Disabilities, Fraser Academy, and is on the City of Vancouver’s Persons with Disabilities Advisory Committee. Melissa is running for city council in November, Sarah is not running again
I asked @MelissaDeGenova on twitter if she has ADHD, but while she answered my other questions, she did not answer that question.
Here’s where she said she went to Fraser Academy.
Here’s one quote the Vancouver Courier printed
Some ADDers refuse to get diagnosed or treated because of stigma, many hide in the ADHD closet, many self-medicate with drugs and alcohol,” he continued, adding that studies have shown teens and adults with ADHD think about and attempt suicide more often than those without the disorder and have higher rates of depression, anxiety and eating disorders.
Here’s some more information backing that quote up.
Chart of ADHD and suicide. Rates of consider, attempted and hospitalization chart from ADHD in Adults: What the Science Says By Russell A. Barkley p 236
Eating Disorders. Females with ADHD were 2.7 times more likely to develop Anorexia Nervosa, had 5.6 times higher rates of bulemia, and higher rates of binge eating.
Google Pub Med for ADHD and depression and you’ll find 2,789 hits.
Google Pub Med for ADHD and Anxiety and you’ll find 2,392 hits.
Many people with ADHD are misdiagnosed with depression or anxiety.
See my posts on ADHD and addictions.
People in my Vancouver Adult ADD Support Group who’ve been to rehab for drug and alcohol addiction tell me that they were never told about ADHD in rehab. Despite 20-30%+ of alcoholics and drug addicts having ADHD, peer-reviewed studies show. Only 5% of adults have ADHD.
So we’re not even talking about the actual direct problems with ADHD yet.
This is why shaming and stigmatizing someone with ADHD as a public official is so wrong. It’s fine to ask about a politician’s spending. But no matter if you both don’t like each other, an elected public official shaming and stigmatizing someone with ADHD for getting help with it by business coaching by a coach with an MBA in executive coaching in a public park board meeting is so wrong.
Sends the message it’s socially acceptable to shame and stigmatize adults with ADHD. That should NEVER be acceptable.
Shaming and stigmatizing ADHD adults keeps us hidden in the ADHD closet vs coming out in the open. It reduces people from seeking an ADHD diagnosis and also lessens the chance of someone with ADHD actually treating ADHD.
No NPA Vancouver politicians, executive or board members have condemned NPA politician Melissa De Genova shaming and stigmatization of ADHD. In fact Kirk La Pointe, NPA mayoral candidate has approved her as moving up from Park Board to run to be on city council.
Would Kirk have done that if NPA Vancouver politician Melissa De Genova used the word “Depression” instead of ADHD? Or if Melisssa said you’re playing the gay card? (Blyth is straight).
NPA stands for Non Partisan Association, they’re trying to rebrand it as “NPA will also mean Naturally Progressive Association.”
But really that conservative Vancouver civic party should just be called the Not Progressive At All party.
Kirk La Pointe was managing editor of the Vancouver Sun when they wrote this article on ADHD.
If you don’t think the stigma against ADHD is a real problem?
Go read Stigma in Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.