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The Eclectic Writer

Written by: Micheal D. Woodruff
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  • Summary

  • Not everyone fits into a singular niche. We have different tastes, different interests, and different ways of expressing ourselves. As an Eclectic Writer, my writing explores fiction in multiple genres, non-fiction on multiple topics, and the occasional random thoughts put into print. Open your mind to the possibilities while you listen to stories and articles from The Eclectic Writer podcasts. Show your support with a subscription or donation and visit linktr.ee/mdwoodruff for more eclectic works. Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/micheal-woodruff/support

    neurodivergentlife.substack.com
    Micheal D. Woodruff
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Episodes
  • I’m not a wet blanket

    I’m not a wet blanket
    Nov 18 2023
    But I do have one stuck to meI have this bothersome king-sized damp wool blanket draped over me daily. It’s never dry, though the amount of dampness varies. Some days it’s like a morning mist, gently laying on top. Other times it’s more akin to sopping up one of the great lakes. The range between the two covers just about everything. Sometimes it’s hot and other times frozen. This king-sized damp wool blanket, always wet, always itchy, is this misunderstood thing called depression.Am I clinically correct in my description? Probably not. But what do I know? I don’t have any degree in that regard and the one I do have is outdated. Still, if it helps you to understand, then I’ll stick with my analogy.Why am I depressed?Well, isn’t that the $10,000 question? Or is it $100,000 now? Whatever it is, I can’t afford the answer. I guess it depends on how you define depression. Clinical depression, classified depression, chronic depression, mild depression, or whatever category you can think of, may or may not fit me. Again, I don’t know. I’m not a professional. I might have been told but fat chance of me remembering.Anyway, lest I digress into the Pit of Carkoon, let me move on. Feeling “happy” isn’t a normal thing for me. At best, I’m moderate. Occasionally I’ll have a jolt of joyful excitation - much like a power surge that trips a breaker. And like the power outage, I fall deep into dark despair afterward. However, most of the time I’m functional and can get done what I need to get done. This week has been an exception.I had a busy weekend. Class reunion, catching up with an old friend, spending some time with one of my sisters. Overall it was a great time. Lots of reconnections, laughs, and stories of days of old. I don’t much remember the two days after that and by Thursday, I was emotionally drained. The wool blanket became soaked. Try as I might, I had a difficult time under the weight.I tried to think of the reasons I felt so down. There wasn’t a trigger though there were contributing factors. Like having such a busy weekend, unexpected expenditures without compensating income, and finding out my general income had been dramatically reduced. The combination of those, and other factors I don’t care to mention at this time, kept adding moisture to my blanket.On top of that, I feel bad about feeling bad.Neurodivergent Life is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.It could be worseIt’s something people say in an attempt to help you feel better. It might work if the person is just sad or a little down in the dumps. For people like me, it just makes me feel worse. What right do I have to complain when there are so many other people who are suffering far more than I am? How can I be depressed when I’ve got “so much going for me”? Instead of seeing “how good I’ve got it”, I see how selfish I’m being. What kind of horrible person am I to think that my situation is even worth considering?It piles on from there and, if I don’t put a stop to it, buries me beneath a pile of king-sized sopping-wet wool blankets.But…potentialThere’s that word again. Potential. If you’re not familiar with my view on that, here’s an article that clues you in. Knowing I have the potential for so many things only reminds me that I’ve failed at all of them. Some I haven’t even tried because I “know” I’ll fail. Others I failed because I didn’t have the guidance or the right drive or the right discipline or any number of stubid stupid reasons. One thing I know for sure is that I’ve yet to live up to any of my potential. Discovering it was easy - happens all the time. Doing something with it that’s profitable?... HAHAHAMedication helpsYes, I do advocate for proper medication in the proper doses for those who actually need it. I do not, however, agree with prescribing (self or by doctors) quick fixes. Medications aren’t a “way out” to avoid dealing with everyday life. They should be used to help regulate and allow a person to interact with day-to-day life successfully.In my case, medication can be tricky. I become immune to pain medications after the first or second dose. I don’t mean that it affects me a little less each time. I mean by the second or third dose it does absolutely nothing. When it comes to psychological medications, that tolerance is a bit slower but it does happen. I think that might be what’s been going on with me the past few weeks. It’s becoming less and less effective. Or I could just be off my noggin.Whatever the reasons, I’m less functional and feel less enthusiastic or motivated with each passing day. Some days I’ll get a temporary lift then sink back down again.Not being a downerI don’t share all of this for anyone to start feeling sorry for me. Pity parties are solo events. (That’s a joke.) I share this with you so you can know that if you...
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    7 mins
  • Why Do I Feel What I See?

    Why Do I Feel What I See?
    Oct 28 2022



    This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit neurodivergentlife.substack.com/subscribe
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    7 mins
  • Girls can’t get ADHD

    Girls can’t get ADHD
    Oct 17 2022
    The paramedics rushed the gurney through the emergency room. The receiving nurse took the report from one of them.“What have you got?” She asked.“Ten-year-old patient. Ambulatory and Alert. No signs of physical trauma. Heart rate eighty-five BMP. BP One-Ten over Sixty Eight. Breathing is normal. Hyper-Talkative, easily distracted, forgetful, impulsive, and showing signs of extreme shyness.”The receiving nurse put her hands on her hips and huffed. “Are you telling me you brought in a patient showing signs of ADHD? Really?”“Did I mention the patient is a female?” The nurse dropped her hands and called to the desk. “Contact Doctor Svikt stat.” She turned to the paramedics. “Put her in room eight.”It’s not an emergencyThere are plenty of reasons why someone should be transported by ambulance to the nearest emergency room. ADHD is not one of them. Given the stigma that only boys can have ADHD, something so rare as a girl showing signs of ADHD might be cause for concern.If you believe the stigma that is. While boys are more likely to be diagnosed with ADHD, girls are just as likely to have ADHD and go undiagnosed. A lot of it has to do with how it manifests. Many boys are misdiagnosed as having ADHD simply because they are more active. They may show one or two signs here and there and a jump diagnosis is made.On the opposite side, many children go undiagnosed well into adulthood. Girls are often overlooked because they don’t fit the stereotype.Her symptoms are differentWith boys, in most cases, the signs of ADHD might be obvious. They fit the typical description implied in the name. Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. Their attention span is shorter than other kids their age. They are constantly looking for something else to do. They fidget and can’t sit still. They are in a constant state of motion.Girls, on the other hand, display these same traits in different ways. Instead of bouncing in their seats they doodle, move things around on their desk, cross and uncross their ankles.Girls with ADHD are more likely to stare out the window or get lost in a picture hanging on the wall. Their minds are in a constant state of changing thoughts. They might start talking for no apparent reason or jabber at high rates of speed. They might show extreme emotional sensitivity or no sensitivity at all for others.Some girls may become hyper-focused on a task or assignment, not realizing that their environment is changing. They’ll stay out in the rain while reading a book until the physical conditions overpower their hyper-focused state.They can also be hyper-active the way boys are, tomboyish if you will, enough for someone to be concerned that maybe something else might be going on.Boys, Girls, and ADHDIt can be easy to get caught up in the stereotypes of what ADHD looks like. Boys with ADHD will exhibit these kinds of behaviors.* Hyper Active* Anger Issues* Inattentive* Lack of Focus* Etc.While girls will exhibit these kinds of behaviors.* Emotional* Hyper-Focused* Daydreamer* Hyper-talkative* Etc.ADHD manifests itself differently in boys than it does in girls, but sometimes there is a crossover. The same attributes that boys might have can also be displayed by girls. The reverse is also true. Learning to look for the various signs of ADHD overall rather than looking for specific male vs. female signs can help many children to not be overlooked.A boy who is hyper-imaginative, staring into nothingness, is also demonstrating signs of ADHD but is often overlooked because those aren’t typical traits for boys.A girl who is hyper-active, ready to run and run and run, could be revealing a symptom of ADHD. ADHD doesn’t care whether it is affecting a boy or a girl, a man or a woman. The indicators may be displayed differently based on their sex but it’s not a one size fits all formula.For more information about ADHD in Girls, check out this article on Very Well Mind.Don’t jump to a diagnosisOnce upon a time not that long ago, and possibly still happening, if a boy was active they were fast-tracked to zombification medicines. All it took was a note from a school nurse or counselor and a doctor would prescribe Ritalin without doing any further investigation. The understanding of ADHD was limited and the popular medication seemed to solve the “problem”.These days we have plenty of access to information about ADHD. Some good. Some not so good. The temptation, as is always the case for a quick solution, is to view the first or most popular information about the subject and start checking boxes. That should be the start of the diagnosis not the conclusion.ADHD affects the mind. It causes a person to see the world in a different way. It’s not a disease that can be spread nor does it mean that there’s something inherently wrong with the person.That’s not to say it should be dismissed as something made up. It is a real issue and can contribute to real problems. The feminine ...
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    7 mins
Social Sciences
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