response to add/adhd and shame

• Welcome to the BOL Forum on Shame and Affect Theory by John Grohol, 2/10/96
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    • hyperactivity as shame by donald klein, 7/1/96
      
      

In response to a posted message about add/adhd and shame there is definitely a correlation, although an indirect one. In many cases of the shaming experience what is involved is a dysfunctional criticism and a lack of positive stimulation whether that be a pat on the back or eye contact. The importance in this is that in many cases the child is forced to turn inwardly and has had no positive reinforcements. This environment as dysfunctional as it may be, is the only environment the child has to develop. As many studies have revealed previously, that environments can alter the chemistry of the brain, it is no wonder that during the early developing years in life that area's of the brain that involve inhibition become under stimulated or not at all due to lack of environmental stimulation. The result is a poorly developed inhibition system thus causing the child to have a dysfunctional learning method as compared to another child with a stronger sense of self(through positive reinforcements). When the child does not learn along the same paradigms as other children their sense of self becomes diminished. This in turn leads to further shaming experiences where the child is forced further inward never experiencing any positive reinforcements. The child then searches for any kind of stimulation possible just to reassure themselves that they exist, since they can elicit some sort of response from an authority figure. Most often this is a negative due to the immediacy of a response after a rule or norm has been broken. Thus a viscious cycle.

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