Bpd In A Positive Light,,,,

[alphaOmega]

What do ya'll think??

Hey, it made me feel better

Misdiagnosis of the Gifted

by Lynne Azpeitia, M.A. and Mary Rocamora, M.A.

Gifted individuals face many challenges.

One of them may be in getting correctly identified

by psychotherapists and others as gifted.

It's well known among researchers of the gifted, talented and creative that these individuals exhibit greater intensity and increased levels of emotional, imaginational, intellectual, sensual and psychomotor excitability and that this is a normal pattern of development. It is because these gifted children and adults have a finely tuned psychological structure and an organized awareness that they experience all of life differently and more Intensely than those around them.

These characteristics, however, are frequently perceived by psychotherapists and others as evidence of a mental disturbance because most of the population lacks accurate information about the special characteristics of gifted individuals, couples and families. Most people don't know that what is considered normal for the gifted is most often labeled as neurosis in the general population and as a result, the gifted are personally and emotionally vulnerable to a variety of unique relationship difficulties at home, work, school and in the community.

Since the gifted function with relatively high levels of intensity and sensitivity, when they seek therapy they are frequently misdiagnosed because therapists receive no specialized training in the identification and treatment of persons who have advanced and complex patterns of development.

Therapeutic assessment of gifted persons with asynchronous development, heightened levels of awareness, energy and emotional response, and an intense level of inner turmoil often results in their developmental transition being mislabeled as a personality or attentional disorder. Histrionic, dysthymic, cyclothymic, borderline, narcissistic, ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) or ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder) are a few of the diagnostic labels mistakenly used to describe normative stages of positive disintegration.

The results of this type of misdiagnosis can range from benign neglect to misguided counseling strategies that invalidate and attempt to 'normalize' the complex inner process of the gifted. When misdiagnosed gifted clients are prescribed medication to suppress the "symptoms of giftedness" there is the danger that the wonderful inner fury of the gifted process will be neutralized, thus minimalizing the potential for a life of accomplishment and fulfillment. As a result, those who have the most to offer society are the least likely to get their therapeutic needs met.

For the gifted, inner conflict is a developmental rather than a degenerative sign, because it drives the gifted person forward to replace current ways of thinking and being with those of higher level development. This type of positive disintegration is characterized by an intensified inner tension between what one is and what one could be.

This dynamic tension is what fuels the creative person's complex inner life and provides the impetus for growth and development. Any therapist who works with a gifted population must be familiar with these internal processes, which are utilized to develop advanced potential - otherwise, the therapist risks inflicting further psychological damage.

When working with the gifted, a therapist must address the following intrapersonal issues: the internal stress of being gifted; the emotional trauma of rapid development; the effects of introversion, intensity, perfectionism and extraordinary sensitivity on self and others; the recognition of the symptoms of insufficient mental engagement; the importance of interacting with other gifted persons, and channeling and focusing an abundance of physical, sensual, intellectual and emotional energy.

Unique interpersonal challenges that gifted individuals, couples and families encounter during their life span include learning to interact in the mainstream world; manage expectations and pressures to fit the norm; defuse unconscious hostility, resentment, antagonism and sabotage directed at them because they are perceived as intellectually, creatively or personally advantaged; set appropriate boundaries for the utilization of their abilities; collaborate with others, and manage the daily dilemmas of giftedness involving relatives, bosses, coworkers, neighbors, counselors, teachers and other members of the community.

The challenges that the gifted must face in order to achieve their advanced potential and maintain their health are many. One of the greatest gifts a therapist can give gifted, talented and creative people is a genuine valuing of themselves and their abilities. Professionals who are willing to learn about the gifted will certainly accomplish this.

[Barebones]

linda but you are gifted dear. Im not lol well my T thinks im gifted in having a so called sixth sense.. I just call it over sensitive.

Interesting reading though.. :)

[alphaOmega]

Some articles- they seem to have some difft info... if you can weed thru it. Had them copied/pasted into word file, sorry its so long. This is just too good- might kinda mean we're *gifted*, stubborn and ever evolving/changing:

Introduction to Positive Disintegration

While treating patents for mental and emotional disturbances ranging from the mild (children unhappy in school) to the severe (psychotic inpatients) Dabrowski noticed recurring characteristics and qualities in people who became disturbed and in those who were best able to recover from their problems. He developed a theory which encompassed these clinical observations and included his theory on how the human mind developed thoughout a persons lifetime. The theory is called Posistive Disintegration (PD). The name is quite descriptive of the actual content of the theory. Dabrowski believed that a person's development progressed from one stage to the next when the existing psychological structure within the individual was questioned and found wanting by the person and subsequently started to dissolve (disintegrate) causing anxiety, self-doubt, even depression and this period of indetermined psychic shape allowed the individual to re-order their personality. The successful integration of the personality would then halt the disordered phase of the development and the person would come throught the experince having grown and developed beyond the original state (hence the positive in PD).

It is helpful to consider an analogy...think about glass blowing or metal work or even moulding plastic. All these materials need to be heated for their internal bonds to loosen sufficiently for them to be reshaped. Dabrowski proposes the same process is necessary for our minds to reshape and develop. The thought patterns and behavioural traits that we all have need to loosen and slacken their hold on us in order for them to be reordered into something better. All psychotherapists opperate on the principle that this reordering is possible and indeed highly desirable if old ways of thinking/feeling/acting are destructive to the individual.

What makes Dabrowski's ideas unique is his realisation that many of the symptoms of mental illness or emotional distress in people are in fact characteristics of this first stage of disintegration. The conventional psychiatrist's view of depression or anxiety is that they are terrible things that must be treated immediately with drugs and can have no outcome other than the continued suffering of the patient. Therapy is designed to explore the cause of the depression/anxiety/whatever to ensure that it doesn't happen again. Dabrowski takes a stance similar to that of Aeschylus ie. " He who learns must suffer and even in our sleep, pain that cannot forget falls drop by drop upon the heart, and in our own despair, against our will comes wisdom to us by the awful grace of god," or to paraphrase "man must suffer to grow wise". The negative feelings and thoughts that beseige a depressed person are necessary for that person to grow. No growth=no disintegration=no bad feelings or to put it the other way round: growth=disintegration=unpleasant thought and feelings.

" Intense psychoneurotic processes are especially characteristic of accelerated development in its course towards the formation of personality. According to our theory accelerated psychic development is actually impossible without transition through processes of nervousness and psychoneuroses, without external and internal conflicts, without maladjustment to actual conditions in order to achieve adjustment to a higher level of values (to what 'ought to be'), and without conflicts with lower level realities as a result of spontaneous or deliberate choice to strengthen the bond with reality of higher level" (Dabrowski, 1972, p. 220).

Two aspects of Dabrowski's theory are worth isolating and looking at in more detail, they are the emotional development of the subject and the nature and role of excitabilities.

Emotional Development

Many psychological theories contain a model of idealised human development. Jung referred to his process of development as "indiviuation" and believd it to be the successful integration of the seperate parts of the personality such as self, ego, anima, animus etc. Abraham Maslow developed a theory of personality development which centered on the fulfilment of a heirarchy of needs (shown below). Only when needs lower down the heirarchy were met could the ultimate need of humans for self-actualisation be met. Both these models and all others like them assume that the goal or drive within humans is ultimately to be the best that they can, the most creative and productive with insight into themselves and healthy relationships with others. The differences between these models is generally in terms of how this self-actualisation/individuation occurs. They all assume that the goal of actualisation is the ultimate/best thing for humanity.

Maslow's Heirarchy of Needs:

• Physiological needs - Basic needs for the body, such as food shelter drink rest etc.

• Safety needs - Where the basic needs are reasonably satisfied we turn to thinking about protection from danger, security and order so that we feel safe. These safety needs can be a concern for physical safety but also covers psychological safety needs such as job security etc.

• Social needs - Once the first two needs are reasonably satisfied, social needs such as needing acceptance, giving and receiving affection and "belonging" become things that people want

• Ego needs - Next comes people's need for achievement, self esteem, self confidence, respect and status

• Self Actualisation needs - finally at the top of the hierarchy once all of the other levels have been reasonably satisfied is the need to become the person that we feel that we are capable of becoming. This means that we have achieved what we consider to be our very best.

Dabrowski fits into this mould as well.

Excitabilities

More Information about Positive Disintegration

Kazimeirz Dabrowski's Books

• "Psychoneurosis is not an illness" London: Gryf Publications (1972).

• "Positive disintegration" Boston: Little Brown & Co (1964).

• "Personality-shaping through positive disintegration" Boston: Little Brown & Co (1967).

• with Kawczak, A., & Piechowski, M. M. "Mental growth through positive disintegration" London: Gryf Publications(1970).

Other Authors' Books

Websites on Positive Disintegration

• Bill Tillier's SiteVery informative, highly reccommended.

Excitabilities

The excitabilities associated with gifted people fit into five categories. They are both sensory and emotional and act together to make a gifted person highly sensitive both to their physical and emotional environment. There are several examples given below of the kind of behaviour or experience that fits each excitability. A gifted person may not have all of these together. The way excitabilities, multiple intelligences and personality type fit together pretty much determine what dirction a person will take to actualise their talents. It also explains some of the problems that a particular person may experience when interacting with the world of average intelligence.

Kazimierez Dabrowski(1902 - 1980), was a Polish psychiatrist and psychoanalyst who developed a theory of the mind centered on the stages of a person's mental development. In the course of his research he noticed that individuals with certain characteristics were more able to develop than others. These qualities include the excitabilities. More about his theory can be found on the positive disintegration page.

Part of the Theory of Emotional Development of Kazimierz Dabrowski - "The forms of `overexcitability' are particularly prominent in the gifted and creative because there we find a higher level of energy and capacity for sustained effort; enhanced differentiation and aliveness of sensual experience; greater avidity for knowledge, discovery, and attitude of questioning and questing; greater vividness of imagery, richness of associations, and capacity for detailed visualization, and greater depth and intensity of emotional life. One may think of these five forms of overexcitability as the substrate of giftedness and creative talent." (Piechowski, Silverman, Cunningham, & Falk, 1982)

A. Psychomotor excitability:

Are you a high energy person?

Do you love intense physical activity and movement?

Do you feel constantly pressured to take action?

Are you impulsive?

Do you have nervous habits?

Are you restless, always on the go, incapable of just relaxing?

Do you talk compulsively?

Are you a workaholic?

~ ~ ~

B. Sensual excitability:

Are you often moved to tears by music or the visual arts?

Are you prone to eating and drinking excesses because they give you intense pleasure?

Are you adventurous where new sensory experiences are concerned (food, music, erotic experimentation, different environmental settings, for example)?

When you recall an experience, can you also recall the sensory aspects?

Is the touch, smell, taste, and sight of sex as important to you as having an orgasm?

~ ~ ~

C. Intellectual excitability:

(Not to be confused with high intelligence, since many highly intelligent individuals do not enjoy intellectual activities and pursuits)

Are you always questioning everything?

Do you love to explore a wide variety of theories and ideas?

Are you able to examine ideas outside of the framework of your own opinion?

Do you enjoy research, analysis, and theoretical thinking?

Is problem-solving a source of immense satisfaction?

~ ~ ~

D. Imaginational excitability:

Do you write, speak, think, or dream in vivid imagery?

Do you embellish the plain truth in ways that make your end of a conversation more impactful or amusing?

Do you express yourself in ways that demonstrate a rich association of images and impressions?

Do you entertain yourself endlessly with private jokes and wacky visual, auditory, or associational images?

Do you creatively reframe events to support your perspective on life?

~ ~ ~

E. Emotional excitability:

Are you excruciatingly sensitive, with intense emotions?

Can you describe your feelings with great precision?

Do you have intense emotional attachments to others?

Are your emotions sufficiently profound to take you beyond yourself into areas of philosophical consideration?

Do you suffer from extraordinarily high levels of fear and anxiety or suffer attacks of psychological depression?

~ ~ ~

The theory of Positive Disintegration developed by psychologist/psychiatrist Kazimierz Dabrowski describes the potential value of inner conflict - and five independent areas of psychic/emotional excitability or functioning - channels of information flow and modes of experiencing that affect how gifted and creative individuals reach higher regions of advanced development:

I Psychomotor - high degrees of energy, activity and movement; rapid speech, marked enthusiasm, fast games and sports; pursuit of intense physical activity

II Sensual - intensity and craving for pleasure; keen sensual aliveness to sights, smells, tastes, textures and sounds; seeking sensual outlets for inner tensions (e.g. overeating; sexual activity; shopping)

III Intellectual - questioning, questing, analysis, problem solving, theoretical thinking, curiosity, extensive reading, introspection, thinking about personal and social moral values; conceptual and intuitive integration

IV Imaginational - vivid imagery, invention, creative imagination, rich association of images and impressions, animated visualization, use of image and metaphor in verbal expression, rich fantasy life, ability to recall dreams in vivid detail; animistic and magical thinking; fears of the unknown; poetic and dramatic perception; imagery as an expression of emotional tension;

V Emotional - tense stomach, sinking heart, flushing; intensity of feeling, inhibition, timidity, shyness; strong emotional memory, concern with death, anxieties, fears, guilt, depression, suicidal moods, richly differentiated relationship and interpersonal feelings; strong empathy: identification with others' feelings; need for protection; attachment to animals; difficulty adjusting to new environments; loneliness; conflict with others; feelings of inferiority and inadequacy

Dabrowski's Overexcitabilities - from note by Stephanie Tolan (author of the book, "Guiding the Gifted Child")

"The original Polish word can be translated more literally as "superstimulatabilities." It's a stimulus-response difference from the norms. It means that in these 5 areas a person reacts more strongly than normal for a longer period than normal to a stimulus that may be very small. It involves not just psychological factors but central nervous system sensitivity."

PSYCHOMOTOR -- this is often thought to mean that the person needs lots of movement and athletic activity, but it can also refer to the issue mentioned on the loop of having trouble smoothing out the mind's activities for sleeping. Lots of physical energy and movement, fast talking, lots of gestures, sometimes nervous tics.

SENSUAL -- here's the "cut the label out of the shirt" demand, the child who limps as if with a broken leg when a sock seam is twisted. Also a love for sensory things -- textures, smells, tastes etc. or a powerful reaction to negative sensory input (bad smells, loud sounds, etc.) The kids tend to be sensitive to bright lights (squinting in all the family photographs, etc.), harsh sounds. A baby who cries when the wind blows in his face, for instance; a toddler who cries at the feel of grass on bare legs and feet. Another important aspect of this is aesthetic awareness -- the child who is awed to breathlessness at the sight of a beautiful sunset or cries hearing Mozart, etc.

IMAGINATIONAL -- these are the dreamers, poets, "space cadets" who are strong visual thinkers, use lots of metaphorical speech. They day dream, remember their dreams at night and often react strongly to them, believe in magic (take a long time to "grow out of" Santa, the tooth fairy, elves and fairies, etc.).

INTELLECTUAL -- here's the usual definition of "giftedness." Kids with a strong "logical imperative," who love brain teasers and puzzles, enjoy following a line of complex reasoning, figuring things out. A love of things academic, new information, cognitive games, etc.

EMOTIONAL -- this includes being "happier when happy, sadder when sad, angrier when angry," etc. Intensity of emotion. But also a very broad range of emotions. Also a need for deep connections with other people or animals. Unable to find close and deep friends (Damon and Pythias variety) they invent imaginary friends, make do with pets or stuffed animals, etc. Empathy and compassion. A child who needs a committed relationship will think herself "betrayed" by a child who plays with one child today and another tomorrow and refers to both as "friends." This is also the OE that makes the kids susceptible to depression.

Dabrowski believed emotional OE to be central -- the energy center from which the whole constellation of OE's is generated.

Highly gifted people tend to have all 5 of these, but different people lead with different OE's. The engineer types lead with Intellectual, the poets with emotional and imaginational, etc. But variations in the levels of the individual OE's explain a great deal about the temperamental differences we see between the kids!

PSYCHO-MOTOR : heightened excitability of the neuromuscular system.

Capacity for being active and energetic;

love of movement for its own sake;

organic surplus of energy [rapid speech, marked excitation, intense physical activity, need for action].

Psycho-motor expression of emotional tension;compulsive talking and chattering, impulsive actions, acting out, nervous habits (biting nails, tics), drive, workaholism, organizing, competitiveness.

~ ~ ~

SENSUAL : heightened experience of sensual pleasure or displeasure [seeing, smelling, tasting, touching, hearing].

Intense sexuality.

Sensual expression and outlets for emotional tension [Over-eating, buying sprees, wanting to be in the limelight].

Aesthetic pleasures [appreciation of beautiful objects, words, music, form, color, balance].

Trouble areas: being driven to distraction by sensory experiences that others do not notice. For example not being able to concentrate on work because of the smell from the canteen nearby.

Acute hearing beyond the normal range (e.g. Barbara Streisand, Roger Tory Peterson) making it seem as though you're "hearing things" (crazy).

Seams or tags in clothing as sources of intense irritation to skin.

~ ~ ~

INTELLECTUAL : heightened need to seek understanding and truth, to gain knowledge, analyze, and synthesize.

Intensified activity of the mind [curiosity, concentration, capacity for sustained intellectual effort, avid reading, keen observation, detailed planning, detailed visual recall].

Penchant for probing questions, problem solving; preoccupation with logic and theoretical thinking [... thinking about thinking].

~ ~ ~

IMAGINATIONAL : heightened play of the imagination.

Rich association of images and impressions (real and imagined).

Animistic thinking.

Spontaneous imagery as expression of emotional tension [ ... mixing truth and fiction, elaborate dreams, illusions].

Capacity for living in a world of fantasy.

~ ~ ~

EMOTIONAL : heightened, intense positive and negative feelings [extremes of emotion, complex emotions, identification with other's feelings, high degree of differentiation of interpersonal feeling, awareness of range and intensity of feelings].

Somatic expressions [tense stomach ...].

Strong affective expressions [ inhibition (timidity, shyness), ecstasy, euphoria, pride, strong affective memory].

Capacity for strong attachments and deep relationships [strong emotional ties and attachments to persons, living things, places].

Compassion, responsiveness to others.

Empathy.

Sensitivity in relationships.

Difficulty in adjusting to new environments.

Loneliness.

Conflicts with others over depth of relationship (this person wants an intense relationship other may not).

Intense desire to offer love.

Well differentiated feelings toward self.

~ ~ ~

Theory of Positive Disintegration

• Theory of human personality development where the guiding role is assigned to emotions

• Development is a progression from primary integration characterized by rigid, instinctual egocentrism to conscious altruism based on empathy, compassion and self-awareness, expressed the fullest at the highest level of development, the level of secondary integration.

• Development takes place through the process of positive disintegration, which is the loosening and partial, or sometimes global, dismantling of the initial character structure during the course of one’s life and replacing it by consciously created personality.

• Development is not related to human biological maturation process, does not follow a time schedule, although it progresses along an invariable sequence.

• Development forms a hierarchy of levels characterized by the predominance of either integration or disintegration on each level.

• The level a person can attain in her development is determined by her developmental potential.

Five levels of development

1. primary integration - rigid, stereotypical, impulsive actions; intelligence subsumed under primitive instincts, no inner conflicts

2. unilevel disintegration - loosening of the previously well-integrated character structure as a result of usually external circumstances - unilevel mental disturbances are very serious and have mostly unconscious character; moral relativity

3. spontaneous multilevel disintegration - the emergence of multilevelness - inner conflict of ML character; a growing sense of “what ought to be†and growing maladjustment to “what is†(positive maladjustment); actions guided by an emerging autonomous hierarchy of values and goals;

4. organized multilevel disintegration - conscious shaping and systematization of one’s behavior; conscious and planned self-transformation; growth of empathy, autonomy and clarity of values and goals;

5. secondary integration - organization and harmonization of personality and personality ideal; dynamisms of responsibility, authentism and autonomy, empathy, self-perfection, personality ideal.

Developmental potential

Developmental potential is the “original endowment determining the level to which an individual can develop, if his physical and social conditions are optimal.†(FiSEO 1984).

Developmental potential expresses the relationship between individual development and three main groups of factors influencing this development.

1. First factor - genetic and permanent physical traits (intelligence, OE, special talents, bodily constitution, temperament) (external locus of control and motivation)

2. Second factor - influences of social environment (external locus of control and motivation)

3. Third factor - autonomous forces and processes such as consciousness, inner conflict, free will and choice in one’s development, conscious self-transformation, etc. Third factor makes self-determination possible and is necessary for creativity and advanced development. “An active conscience.â€Â

DP can be limited to the first factor - egocentric and/or antisocial behavior

DP can encompass the first two factors - convention and conformity

DP can be a result of all three factors - autonomy and authenticity, transcendence of a biological cycle and social conventions, realization of personality ideal

High DP = above average intelligence, special abilities and talents, overexcitabilities, and the third factor (self-determination)

Three types of development

1. “Normal†- little DP, statistical norm, fulfillment of biological and social imperatives, no attempts at conscious self-transformation; underdevelopment of emotional functions

2. One-sided - one strong skill, talent or set of skills; only some emotional and intellectual potentials develop very well while the rest remain undeveloped

3. Global (universal) and accelerated - strong DP, all cognitive AND emotional functions develop with equal intensity, self-aware and conscious direction of one’s own development, positive disintegration

Positive disintegration

The royal path of development

- a process through which an individual's development can progress from one level of functions to another, from a lower level to a higher one.

“(…) disintegration means the differentiation through loosening of structures, the dispersion and breaking up of psychic forces. The term disintegration is used to refer to a broad range of processes, from emotional disharmony to the complete fragmentation of the personality structure. Loosening and even fragmenting the internal psychic environment, and conflicts within the internal environment and with the external environment, is the ground for the birth and development of a higher psychic structure. Disintegration is the basis for developmental thrusts upward, the creation of new evolutionary dynamic, and the movement of the personality to a higher level (…).†(1964)

Disintegration can be:

• unilevel, multilevel, or pathological

• partial or global

• permanent or temporary

• positive or negative

Multilevelness

a paradigm, in which different phenomena, including human behavior and human reality in general, can be seen as representing different, multiple levels of developmental achievement. Multilevelness is the result of the hierarchization of one’s internal and external experiences.

The hierarchization comes about as the result of positive disintegration. It is based on a growing awareness of universal human values and their role in shaping our personal growth.

Dynamisms

- instinctual-emotional-cognitive forces - present in people endowed with high developmental potential. Dynamisms, which are intrapsychic factors, are the forces fueling and shaping emotional development.

Developmental dynamisms arise from the interplay of high developmental potential with external conditions.

Conflicts and life difficulties are particularly important in shaping dynamisms of personality development.

Dynamisms

Level 2: ambivalencies and ambitendencies (unilevel conflict), beginning of shame, temperamental syntony, extreme or changeable identification with others, second factor

Level 3: hierarchization of inner conflict and development, disquietude with oneself, dissatisfaction with oneself, feelings of inferiority toward oneself, astonishment with oneself, shame and guilt, positive maladjustment, identification and empathy, inner conflict, disposing and directing center

Level 4: subject-object in oneself; third factor; inner psychic transformation (transcending the biological cycle and one’s psychological type); self-awareness; self-control; self-education; autopsychotherapy; self-perfection; ML (multilevel) identification: full identification with oneself, but never with others; empathy: full empathy toward others, but never toward oneself; inner conflict (strong, ML); creative instinct

Level 4 - level 5: empathy, responsibility, autonomy and authenticity,

self-perfection, personality ideal, creative instinct, disposing and directing center (firmly identified with personality ideal)

Personality

a self-aware, self-chosen, self-affirmed and self-determined unity of essential individual psychic qualities that appears at the level of secondary integration

Personality consists of

individual essence - talents, abilities and our unique personal characteristics (the sense of self)

social essence - ties to others and to the world at large (the sense of belonging)

Types of adjustment/maladjustment

negative adjustment - non-creative adaptation; conformity to social conventions, lack of reflection and criticism in approach to reality, adjustment to “what isâ€Â

negative maladjustment - disregard for social norms and conventions stemming from extreme egocentrism and ruthless realization of one’s lower level goals (psychopaths, criminals)

positive maladjustment - creative nonadaptation; critical discontent with the status quo stemming from a desire to transcend what is inauthentic, harmful and unfair in our lives; maladjustment to “what is†with adjustment to “what ought to be;†also a dynamism

positive adjustment - adjustment to one’s personality ideal embracing the highest human values; adjustment to “what ought to be.â€Â

Overexcitability (nervousness)

The tragic gift

OE is a higher than average capacity for experiencing internal and external stimuli, based on a higher than average responsiveness of the nervous system.

The prefix over attached to 'excitability' serves to indicate that the reactions of excitation are over and above average in intensity, duration and frequency. There is another essential feature characteristic for reactions of overexcitability, namely, that the response is specific for that type of overexcitability which is dominant in a given individual.

“One could say that one who manifests a given form of overexcitability, and especially one who manifests several forms of overexcitability, sees reality in a different, stronger and more multisided manner. Reality for such an individual ceases to be indifferent but affects him deeply and leaves long-lasting impressions. Enhanced excitability is thus a means for more frequent interactions and a wider range of experiencing.†(1972, 7)

Types of OE

1. psychomotor

2. sensual

3. imaginational

4. intellectual

5. emotional

Forms of OE

- all-inclusive (global)/confined (narrow)

- temporary/permanent

Overexcitability

an expression of the interplay between psychical and autonomic factors, which leads to an imbalance and moderate tension

(when the tension is higher, we see neuroses and psychoneuroses)

the expression of OE - its type, form and level - depends on physical constitution, hormonal factors, level and universality of development, and social environment

“OE on the one side accelerates individual development, and on the other, is the initial phase of neuroses and psychoneuroses. Although the latter increase the developmental dynamics, they also bring dangers of tensions too great to absorb and negative disintegration as a result.†(1964)

“Children, and mainly youth exhibiting different forms of OE, particularly emotional and imaginational, possess in their developmental potential beginnings of a hierarchical psychic inner milieu. Inner tensions, inhibitions, inner conflicts, psychic crises, disappointments and maladjustment to the most common forms of reality lead to an attitude of psychological isolation, to meditation on the sense of life and death, to development of the ability to observe, to philosophical reflection; and often deepen sensitivity to suffering of others.†(1979)

“Sensitivity (OE) without a developmental outlet turns into irritability.â€Â

“Irritability is the enemy of sensitivity - it reduces it and leads to disease.â€Â

“Oversensitivity (OE) without inner psychic transformation brings many unnecessary conflicts with others - magnifies the differences, and lessens and obscures the most important things.†(1972)

Psychomotor OE

an excess of energy manifesting in rapid talk, restlessness, preference for violent games, sports, pressure for action, or delinquent behavior. It may either be a "pure" manifestation of the excess of energy, or it may result from the transfer of emotional tension to psychomotor forms of expression such as those mentioned above (tics and self-mutilation). (1996)

Possible Origins:

1. genetic (brain dysfunction)

2. history of prenatal and neonatal trauma (mother's illness, fetal poisoning, FAS, esp. in ADHD, tics)

3. severe illness in childhood (such as meningitis, for example)

4. abusive or neglectful caregiving in early childhood

5. environmental conditions - no opportunities for

appropriate physical release.

Treatment of psychomotor OE

find appropriate and constructive ways to release excess of PM energy through moderate involvement in sports, contacts with nature, trips, participation in Boys/Girls Scouts

teach relaxation techniques, use physical therapy and sensory integration techniques

use medication to prevent exhaustion and to aid attention, concentration and slow development of self-control

watch out for tendencies to self-mutilation - avoid excessive criticism and punishment

Sensual OE

a heightened ability to experience sensory pleasure manifesting in an increased need to touch and be touched, hugged, kissed; early signs of sexual interest and development; interest in food and food preparation; aesthetic interests; drama; need for comfort and luxury; need for attention and company; dislike of loneliness

Possible Origins:

• genetic (hx of psychopathy, alcoholism)

• illness

• excessive parental adoration; sexual trauma

Treatment of sensual OE

depends on the strength of DP, but in general this OE is difficult to modify toward positive disintegration due to small potential for inner transformation

patiently encourage self-control and reflection

slowly build empathy for others

work on desensitization to overwhelming sensual stimuli

avoid excessive inhibitions and punishments which may lead to serious neuroses and antisocial behaviors

Imaginational OE

internal, image-base information processing with a relative exclusion of sensual, affective and psychomotor spheres

association of images and impressions, inventiveness, use of image and metaphor in verbal expression, strong and sharp visualization

combined with emotional OE - vivid dreams, nightmares, mixing of truth and fiction, fears of the unknown, intense living in the world of fantasy, predilection for fairy and magic tales, poetic creations, or invention of fantastic stories, tendency to prospection and retrospection, maladjustment to external reality

Possible Origins:

1. largely unclear (Dabrowski)

2. insecure attachment to caregivers, particularly disorganized attachment (Liotti)

3. co-existing and exacerbating diseases (respiratory and heart problems)

4. being an only child; excessive pampering; humiliation and feelings of inferiority induced by inappropriate parenting; traumas.

Treatment of imaginational OE

depends on the type of imag OE - creative or pathological (illusions, confabulations, delusions)

reward contacts with concrete reality and adjustment to it, teach differences between illusory and real, steer imagination toward creativity rather than non-creative isolation

provide opportunities for relaxation, even exemption from school activities when needed in periods of particular intensity

use medication when needed to aid relaxation

Intellectual OE

processing information, and decision making are localized in the cognitive sphere; manifested as a drive to ask probing questions, quest for knowledge, theoretical thinking, reverence for logic, preoccupation with theoretical problems, etc.; most frequently associated with exceptional abilities in children

Global (all-inclusive) int OE (frequent in ambiequal types - mixed introversion/extraversion) -when combined with emot and imag OE, aids the development of a rich mental structure with multiple talents and great self-awareness.

Narrow (confined) int OE (frequent in schizoid and introverted types) - one-sided development of specific abilities with co-existent inflexibility and life difficulties; may end in negative disintegration, or stunted growth.

Treatment:

should not be corrected or treated, but should be balanced by encouraging development of other forms of OE; particularly important to attend to a child’s emotional and moral development to counteract overintellectualization

encourage development of empathy and creativity

Emotional OE

a function of experiencing emotional relationships; manifests as strong attachments to persons, living things, or places; inhibition (timidity and shyness), excitation (enthusiasm), strong affective memory, concern with death, fears, anxieties, depressions, feelings of loneliness, need for security, concern for others, exclusive relationships, difficulties of adjustment in new environments

THE basis for multilevel positive disintegration

Emotional OE in extraversion and introversion

Extravert - emotional OE reactions are strong, very fast, uninhibited and often explosive, but quickly subsiding; extraverts with emotional OE tire (emotionally) easily, but equally easily recover;

Introvert - emotional OE reactions are strong, but are “delayed,†take longer (days, weeks, or months), and leave a permanent mark on the psyche.

Origins of emotional OE

• hereditary - familial hx of TB, heart and circulation problems, general constitutional weakness, neuroses and mental illnesses,

• past or present illnesses - TB, heart problems, upper respiratory problems, hormonal imbalances, developmental delays, retardation, handicaps making adjustment to everyday life difficult,

• psychological factors - trauma, humiliation and excessive external prohibitions and punishments leading to feelings of inferiority;

o improper parenting (abuse, neglect), excessive parental sensitivity,

o emotional tension in the family, unfairness in treatment of siblings;

o excessive or disorganized attachment; excessive schoolwork;

o excessive parental ambition;

o too abrupt separation from mother

Treatment of emotional OE

• start with a thorough physical, including checking for a possible hormonal imbalance, which needs to be addressed if present

• teach relaxation techniques, allow frequent contacts with nature

• develop talents and encourage creativity

• use bibliotherapy

• encourage friendships

• use medication if needed to aid relaxation and ease anxiety

Diagnosis of OE - descriptive and differential

Descriptive:

• what is the constellation of OE - its main and supporting types?

• what are their origins (genetic/environmental/)?

• what are the special talents and abilities, and the general intelligence level?

• what are the speed and direction (negative/positive) of the developmental changes caused by OE?

Differential:

1. socio-educational difficulties

2. neuroses and psychoneuroses

3. psychopathy or psychosis

Principles of mental hygiene in dealing with high OE gifted children at school

Teachers’ preparation is crucial in understanding individual differences and counteracting stereotypical and undifferentiated approach to gifted (or any) students.

• Be fair, patient and empathetic.

• Accommodate asynchronous, often one-sided, development.

• Be kind, accept and appreciate the child for who he is and who he is becoming.

• Look for signs of creativity and positive development in children whose behaviors appear unusual, inconvenient and strange. Remember that diagnostic labels are NOT people nor do they tell us about individual human beings.

• Facilitate contacts between children of similar abilities and sensitivity.

• Enjoy your students - grow with them, remembering that the so-called balance and stabilization are contrary to creativity and development.

TPD contributions to understanding the gifted

ties asynchrony, OE, creativity and advanced development

reframes such frequently encountered characteristics of gifted individuals as intensity, perfectionism, vulnerability to stress and traumas in a developmentally positive light

explains difficult social experiences of gifted and creative individuals as a result of a mismatch between a multilevel, multidimensional individual and her unilevel, one-dimensional environment

gives meaning to our suffering by showing its developmentally positive value

instills hope that during the process of personality development through positive disintegration, the gifted individual will create her own rightful place in the world and thus transcend her loneliness and non-belonging

Elizabeth Mika

[Barebones]

lets see how many of these things are me lol

as you can see i must be bored and need somthing to do..hmm so i wonder what this all makes me? linda? lol

A. Psychomotor excitability:

Are you a high energy person? yeah i can be when not depressed

Do you love intense physical activity and movement? sometimes

Do you feel constantly pressured to take action? yes

Are you impulsive? oh god yes i live by my impulsivness

Do you have nervous habits? yep

Are you restless, always on the go, incapable of just relaxing? relax is not in my bones

Do you talk compulsively? yeah tahts my nervous habit

Are you a workaholic? yeah when i work

~ ~ ~

B. Sensual excitability:

Are you often moved to tears by music or the visual arts? yes

Are you prone to eating and drinking excesses because they give you intense pleasure? eating part no its oposite drinking yes

Are you adventurous where new sensory experiences are concerned (food, music, erotic experimentation, different environmental settings, for example)? yes

When you recall an experience, can you also recall the sensory aspects? yep when i can remeberI

is the touch, smell, taste, and sight of sex as important to you as having an orgasm? yes when i fancy having sex lol but ive never had a orgasm so i guess i aint missing much lol

~ ~ ~

C. Intellectual excitability:

(Not to be confused with high intelligence, since many highly intelligent individuals do not enjoy intellectual activities and pursuits)

Are you always questioning everything? yes

Do you love to explore a wide variety of theories and ideas? yep

Are you able to examine ideas outside of the framework of your own opinion?yep

Do you enjoy research, analysis, and theoretical thinking? yes

Is problem-solving a source of immense satisfaction? very much so

~ ~ ~

D. Imaginational excitability:

Do you write, speak, think, or dream in vivid imagery? not in writing but everything else

Do you embellish the plain truth in ways that make your end of a conversation more impactful or amusing? lol yes

Do you express yourself in ways that demonstrate a rich association of images and impressions?not sure

Do you entertain yourself endlessly with private jokes and wacky visual, auditory, or associational images? lol very much.. god im the only one who laughs lol

Do you creatively reframe events to support your perspective on life? not sure again~ ~ ~

E. Emotional excitability:

Are you excruciatingly sensitive, with intense emotions? very much so

Can you describe your feelings with great precision? no

Do you have intense emotional attachments to others? yesAre your emotions sufficiently profound to take you beyond yourself into areas of philosophical consideration? dont know

Do you suffer from extraordinarily high levels of fear and anxiety or suffer attacks of psychological depression gee i guess so thats why im here lol

[alphaOmega]

linda but you are gifted dear. Im not lol well my T thinks im gifted in having a so called sixth sense.. I just call it over sensitive.

Interesting reading though..

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

AWWW (<--lol) We're ALL gifted- the stuff you wrote up there says so 6th sense is the best gift to have.

Hey, seriously- maybe we are and haven't found our gifted "area" yet? It'd be fun to experiment with bunches of creative stuff like sculpture, poetry, dance, decorating... fictional writing- music? Maybe read up on some quantum physics?

My Webpage <--- somethings the matter with that...

LOL, you sound like me with that sense of humor- ever get to laughing and can't quit? Forget weed, sugar will do it for me big time. I got like that with my last T. Hard to look like you've a problem when you can't quit laughing at him. Oh, Gawd, when someone falls down- or funerals... any time you're supposed to be *serious* its sick! Can't help it!

(PS, sorry that endedup being so long, did 't know it was THAT bad )

[Barebones]

i have one sick sense of humour which i can only get. one time when out with my husband for a drink one time.. eww long time ago actually i started on a rant about handicap people how they say that we are prejudiced. i said it aint me who is prejudiced i mean i dont mind but i dont have a chip on side of my shoulder the size of mount everest and take it out on everyone who is not handicap.. what is a handicap? i mean i have one and its called my brain dont mean i take it out on everyone else around me lol.

also those people who dont smoke or used to smoke and really glare at people who are smoking i mean ffs passive smoking? i think your car is producing more poisness gas that my little poor cig. i mean least you can stay in a room of cig smoke and not be gassed like if you stayed in a garage with the car running and you die .. you get my drift?

i mean that is prejudice.

ok little rant over ...wonder i just found my gift i can find a moan in anything lol

ive have lots of little stories of that nature.. sry if i have offend anyone

[kazzapants]

Crikey that was soooooo much information!!1.....am knackered.

Cheers for posting that linda, I'm in the middle of one of my frequent bouts of superiority - so as you can imagine that has done nothing to lessen my ego!!

But definitely bloody interesting - that bit about having to go through all the craziness in order to reach a higher level of development (or words to that effect) I can really relate to. I have spent my entire life having these little epiphanies - sounds weird, I don't mean in the practically creative sense, (so I dont actually think what I#m about to say applies to the gifted theory) - i tend to think about things constantly, things like foreign policy, international development, political theorisings of all kinds, evolution, big bang theory, creation vs evolution (evolution you fools!) mass extinctions, whatever is in new scientist this week, the future of the world - in terms of both 100's of years and millions of years, well absolutley everything really.

I dont worry about all those things, I just think about them, constantly, I think about everything all the time and I frequently have these breakthroughs where i feel like I#ve suddenly realised something or drawn a conclusion that has changed the way in which I view all these things - taken it to a different level is a really good way of describing things.

i expect everyone does, but its really great because my internal landscape is evolving all the time and it really feels, well I get really euphoric and high and bouncy and happy everytime because it feels so great. I#m feeling it now just because as I type!

Also Barebones - lol i totally get you - once I was in the cinema and for some reason they only let us out this one fire door at the bottom - so it was taking ages to get out and was a big queue, and this dude in a wheechair rammed in the back of my ankles and glared at me for being in his way!! I could have punched him I was so mad!

[kazzapants]

that list isnt even close to all the different things i have little epiphanies about - i could go on and on (boo's from the crowd) but seriously I am not sure I#m getting across the scope of my ponderings - its phenomenal.

I could just be stoned though. I think i just described what being human is.

oh god I#m so sorry I shouldn't be allowed here when I#m stoned!!

[Cactus]

. 

oh god I#m so sorry I shouldn't be allowed here when I#m stoned!!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

yes you should.Thanks to You an Bb youve made me feel better now I know its not just me. :lol:

[alphaOmega]

. 

oh god I#m so sorry I shouldn't be allowed here when I#m stoned!!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

yes you should.Thanks to You an Bb youve made me feel better now I know its not just me.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

LOL, no, I don't get stoned on pot- just sugar! Terri, I go on rants like that all the time... must be our wiring! But alas, I'm one of those x-smokers cuz I used to smoke 1 1/2 to 2 packs a day and then quit- and gained a damn allergy to them! Makes my head hurt and gives me a sore throat. I don't ever say anything, tho, its not my place to.

I do call the fire department on the assholes who burn leaves in our neighborhood on pretty, good smelling days. Can't open windows for the billows of smoke coming into the house. Gess I got that sense overexcitability thing, ha ha. Dogs barking- uck. Cats crapping in my flowers. double uck.

Kazzapants- I do that, too- sometimes I can't go to sleep cuz of it and wake up at like 4 AM!! With my head running like a race horse. Epiphanies?? Oh, yeah. They're there, but sometimes happen in gushes- then a "quieter time" (never truly quiet in my head, but a little bit) and then gush some more. I get damn bored and depressed without something to mull over.

Never know when to shut up either. Most of my stuff is related to psychology, art, science and spirituality/religion- and poor hubby. That poor man. Can't get into politics- you're one up on me My fave is psychology and religion. Color theory and how it relates to gender and creationism (color wheel is the 6 pointed star of creation), How the Catholic church is analogous of the nuclear family, how nuclear families crucify children to save the family (a microcosm of the Crucifixion going on everyday), that ADHD, bipolar and BPD is in the same family and involves same brain structures, that Dopamine receptors (dopamine or blocking agents) are responsible for impulse control disorders (ED, hair pulling, gambling), tourettes along with hoarding and OCD. What to do with this stuff?? Whose gonna care about an arm chair psych researcher? At least its fun.

I wonder how many of us are kin to a native person, someone very "native" to their area? Being 1/8 Native American Indian- don't look it tho- might make for a really sensitive person, to chemicals, stress etc.

Hell, I'm manic this evening. So sorry for rambling. Does anyone else see 333 everywhere (besides in my name)? I've seen it about 20 times in two days. Weird.

Ok, really gonna go to bed now.

[Barebones]

yeah i see 333.. lucky it aint 666

that should be me lol

[alphaOmega]

yeah i see 333.. lucky it aint 666

that should be me lol

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

ROFL!! thats what i said yesterday to Dh

[LadyMacbeth]

Hmmm...I want to try this.

A. Psychomotor excitability:

Are you a high energy person? No

Do you love intense physical activity and movement? Not really

Do you feel constantly pressured to take action? yes

Are you impulsive? I can be

Do you have nervous habits? yes

Are you restless, always on the go, incapable of just relaxing? Yes, I am restless

Do you talk compulsively? yeah tahts my nervous habit

Are you a workaholic? yeah when i work

~ ~ ~

B. Sensual excitability:

Are you often moved to tears by music or the visual arts? yes

Are you prone to eating and drinking excesses because they give you intense pleasure? No

Are you adventurous where new sensory experiences are concerned (food, music, erotic experimentation, different environmental settings, for example)? yes

When you recall an experience, can you also recall the sensory aspects? Yes

is the touch, smell, taste, and sight of sex as important to you as having an orgasm? No

~ ~ ~

C. Intellectual excitability:

(Not to be confused with high intelligence, since many highly intelligent individuals do not enjoy intellectual activities and pursuits)

Are you always questioning everything? yes

Do you love to explore a wide variety of theories and ideas? yes

Are you able to examine ideas outside of the framework of your own opinion?yes

Do you enjoy research, analysis, and theoretical thinking? yes

Is problem-solving a source of immense satisfaction? Yes

~ ~ ~

D. Imaginational excitability:

Do you write, speak, think, or dream in vivid imagery? Yes

Do you embellish the plain truth in ways that make your end of a conversation more impactful or amusing? Not really

Do you express yourself in ways that demonstrate a rich association of images and impressions?I think

Do you entertain yourself endlessly with private jokes and wacky visual, auditory, or associational images? Yes

Do you creatively reframe events to support your perspective on life?Think so

E. Emotional excitability:

Are you excruciatingly sensitive, with intense emotions? Absolutely

Can you describe your feelings with great precision? I can now

Do you have intense emotional attachments to others? yes

Are your emotions sufficiently profound to take you beyond yourself into areas of philosophical consideration? Yes

Do you suffer from extraordinarily high levels of fear and anxiety or suffer attacks of psychological depression Yes

[CathE]

A. Psychomotor excitability:

Are you a high energy person? ha ha too fukn depressed

Do you love intense physical activity and movement? as above

Do you feel constantly pressured to take action? yes

Are you impulsive? yes

Do you have nervous habits? yes

Are you restless, always on the go, incapable of just relaxing? Yes

Do you talk compulsively? yesAre you a workaholic? depends

~ ~ ~

B. Sensual excitability:

Are you often moved to tears by music or the visual arts? yes

Are you prone to eating and drinking excesses because they give you intense pleasure? yes

Are you adventurous where new sensory experiences are concerned (food, music, erotic experimentation, different environmental settings, for example)? no

When you recall an experience, can you also recall the sensory aspects? not always

is the touch, smell, taste, and sight of sex as important to you as having an orgasm? yes

~ ~ ~

C. Intellectual excitability:

(Not to be confused with high intelligence, since many highly intelligent individuals do not enjoy intellectual activities and pursuits)

Are you always questioning everything? yes

Do you love to explore a wide variety of theories and ideas? yes

Are you able to examine ideas outside of the framework of your own opinion?yes

Do you enjoy research, analysis, and theoretical thinking? yesIs problem-solving a source of immense satisfaction? Yes

~ ~ ~

D. Imaginational excitability:

Do you write, speak, think, or dream in vivid imagery? sometimes

Do you embellish the plain truth in ways that make your end of a conversation more impactful or amusing? yes

Do you express yourself in ways that demonstrate a rich association of images and impressions? sometimes

Do you entertain yourself endlessly with private jokes and wacky visual, auditory, or associational images? Yes

Do you creatively reframe events to support your perspective on life? yes

E. Emotional excitability:

Are you excruciatingly sensitive, with intense emotions? yes

Can you describe your feelings with great precision? no

Do you have intense emotional attachments to others? yes

Are your emotions sufficiently profound to take you beyond yourself into areas of philosophical consideration? Yes

Do you suffer from extraordinarily high levels of fear and anxiety or suffer attacks of psychological depression? Yes

[kazzapants]

Never know when to shut up either. Most of my stuff is related to psychology, art, science and spirituality/religion- and poor hubby. That poor man. Can't get into politics- you're one up on me My fave is psychology and religion. Color theory and how it relates to gender and creationism (color wheel is the 6 pointed star of creation), How the Catholic church is analogous of the nuclear family, how nuclear families crucify children to save the family (a microcosm of the Crucifixion going on everyday), that ADHD, bipolar and BPD is in the same family and involves same brain structures, that Dopamine receptors (dopamine or blocking agents) are responsible for impulse control disorders (ED, hair pulling, gambling), tourettes along with hoarding and OCD. What to do with this stuff?? Whose gonna care about an arm chair psych researcher? At least its fun.

I wonder how many of us are kin to a native person, someone very "native" to their area? Being 1/8 Native American Indian- don't look it tho- might make for a really sensitive person, to chemicals, stress etc.

Hell, I'm manic this evening. So sorry for rambling. Does anyone else see 333 everywhere (besides in my name)? I've seen it about 20 times in two days. Weird.

Ok, really gonna go to bed now.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

[CathE]

Kazza : "I always get side tracked by pictures of giant frogs, or chicken eating spiders."

TELL ME ABOUT IT!

but yeah, these discussions are great when ur stoned

Cath. x

[kazzapants]

Thank god I#m not the only one!!

I actually dont think I am gifted at all, I think its just that I'm frequently stoned!

Kazzah

XX

[alphaOmega]

Thank god I#m not the only one!!

I actually dont think I am gifted at all, I think its just that I'm frequently stoned!

Kazzah

XX

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Ha ha! I like the point that we might be gifted Its a decent way to frame it, huh? Its a nice thought that we are actually incredible creative geniuses wonderfully disguised as... us. LOL!

Thanks for the rambling/research "attagirl", we're not nerds. We're- something else

Yeah, get sidetracked by the spiders-chicken things too. Did you see the mouse eating frogs? WTF?? Rock on!

[kazzapants]

Nooooo!!

I totally missed mouse eating frogs!! I will go an look in a bit - hurrah! cheers for the tip dude!

It is lovely to think that actually we are geniusesesesesese and its the worlds loss that it cannot accomodate us. HAHA world!!!!

XXX

[undead66]

the 2nd theory (positive disintegration) doesn't seem testable and hence is not scientific.

also, i just don't buy it. human beings developed over millions of years with the goal of continued survival, procreation, and care of off-spring. if all personality changes have huge depressions, that's not going to help you to procreate and continue living. nice in theory, seems wrong in fact.

[Lindsey]

I think the gifted thing's right-I always have epiphanies etc and it really helps with my work-there's definately something in it because I see a direct correlation between the way that I think and my different perceptions and my academic ability-I'm at Cambridge!!

[kazzapants]

the 2nd theory (positive disintegration) doesn't seem testable and hence is not scientific.

also, i just don't buy it. human beings developed over millions of years with the goal of continued survival, procreation, and care of off-spring. if all personality changes have huge depressions, that's not going to help you to procreate and continue living. nice in theory, seems wrong in fact.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

that may be a good point - if it cannot be tested it doesn't qualify as a theory, just a hypothesis (although the same goes their surely?)...erm, idea then.

but, human beings did not evolve other millions of years with any kind of goal at all.

individuals live with goals maybe, but evolution does not incorporate goals that span anything other than a lifetime.

also - get you at Cambridge Lindsey!"!" hurrah for you

[undead66]

but, human beings did not evolve other millions of years with any kind of goal at all.

technically, you are right. i was being anthropomorphic for convenience.

natural selection operated in a way such that people who were able to not die and were able to procreate were the people who passed on their characteristics. thus, the result of natural selection was millions of years of evolution because of favoring adaptable traits.

[kazzapants]

so we have one anthropomorpheriser, and a pedant!!! (me)

it so simple I really can't understand the controversy!!

also I meant over, not other.

god I'm labouring the pedant point!!

XXXX

[alphaOmega]

IMO, I don't think natural selection has much of a place in human emotions or relationships anymore anyway- we seem to have more of a puzzle piece effect than anything- that, and the characteristics natural selection favors (aggression, greed, promiscuity) are the very things most societies now demean.

case in point, my family. My Dad, in natural selection terms, should be extinct- he's not bright, accident prone, depression-anxiety-dependency-prone, has way more bad points than good, you get the drift. My mom on the other hand? She's a compassionate healer-helper-enabler. She latched onto him like white on rice... they survived and had an offspring: ME.

Point is, (besides, no wonder I'm f*cked up, LOL!!) that for humans, for every screw up, there's someone who needs it that way. Kinda cool in a sick way :)