Response to J. Morley's comments RE: Don's Theory of ADD/ADHD

• Welcome to the BOL Forum on Shame and Affect Theory by John Grohol, 2/10/96
  • A Family of Emotions and a Family of Psychotherapists by Don Nathanson, 1/2/96
    • Don's Theory of ADD/ADHD and Shame by Jennifer Morley, 4/16/96
      
      

Jennifer Morleys comments were interesting and helpful to me. I found her statement "I think you are saying that when a person with ADD has their interest impeded in some way they are triggered into a shame reaction" particularly interesting. Recognizing the simplicity and narrowness of my comments, I experience the troubling shame mechanism coming into play a bit differently. The real problem I often see comes into play later, not at the time the "Shaming" was initially applied. Often when the painful feeling rears it's ugly head, oftimes elicited by seemingly unrelated events, it tends to slam on our brakes while evoking one of four unhealthy responses. Don names the four poles of the compass "withdrawal," "attack self," "avoidance," and "attack other." This is how I read Don's fine contributions and concepts.

Don has certainly brought into clear view a priceless pointer in learning about the tenuous concept of self so often observed in ADHD.

• Primary and secondary shame by Don Nathanson, 1/24/98
  • re Don's response:Primary and secondary by Gordon Shannon, 7/13/98
    • Primary and secondary manifestations of ADD by Don Nathanson, 7/19/98
      • Secondary as trigger for primary by (No author), 9/22/98
        • affects are analogues of their stimulus conditions by Don Nathanson, 9/23/98