What is your occupation?

[Big Clint]

1) tax accountant/lawyer (working as a contract tax accountant at the moment)

2) not particularly

3) tax is just too hard at the moment, it is fairly difficult to just keep up with new legislation that is being released, not to mention the existing legislation.

I have done 7 years in public practice and am now working in commerce. Commerce is alot better, no time sheets for one.


Clint

[derekcohen]

1. What you do for work

Around 25 years as a clinical psychologist specialising in paediatrics of which the past 20 years have largely been in private practice.

2. Do you like it

Let's see. 8 hours each day in face-to-face consultations, with an additional 4 - 6 hours in paperwork (reports, preparing workshops, reports, accounts, reports, invoices, bloody reports). I have to say that this forum lets me escape every now and then and think about something else.

Yeah, I like my work, but there are days when I wished I was a lumberjack (well, that computer programme said that was my ideal job!).

3. Why

By nature I am quite hyperactive, constantly on the go. I actually began life after school training in the building industry, worked on building sites, studying at uni. My father and my sister are architects. I nearly became a quantity surveyor (but found it TOOO boring). I became more interested in journalism, began studying this, discovered psychology (one of my subjects), and the rest is history.

Regards from Perth

Derek

[RETIRED]

Derek, you probably have 20 years work ahead of you on this board alone.

Just think of the paper you could write on the antics here.

[derekcohen]

you probably have 20 years work ahead of you on this board alone

Oh God, help me!!!!!

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Bob Willson]

Oh God, help me!!!!!

Sorry derek, I'm a bit busy right now. Call me a later.

God

AKA

[Rocker]

Derek,

At least you can prescribe yourself your own ritalin.

Seriouly, do you believe that AHDD is a real disorder requiring drug treatment? Or is it a figment dreamed up by drug companies, incompetent teachers, and people with inadequate parenting skills?

Rocker

[derekcohen]

Hi Rocker

ADHD (Attention Deficit Hy[eractive Disorder) is a very real disorder, unfortunately mostly misunderstood by much of the public, and often by many professionals as well. Most of all, the media are responsible for such incredible misinformation that the diagnosis now comes with a cloud of mistrust.

I will try not to give a lecture here, but very briefly ADHD is not a behavioural disorder - although it presents with behavioural problems - it is, in fact a neuropsychological disorder, which means it has its roots in brain functioning (which can be clearly demonstrated on the appropriate tests). While the main feature is a problem with attention, this is misleading since those with ADHD are capable - under the right conditions - of attending very well (e.g. to things of interest). What they have great difficulty in doing is maintaining attention and awareness for several things at the same time, and the net upshot is they get very easily side-tracked and remain disorganised. There are degrees of this impairment, so it is not a black-and-white issue.

Perhaps the classic symptom of poor multitasking skills (as I refer to it, a term I have borrowed from the computing world) is the woodworker who appears to have several projects on the go at the same time and never completes anything. The ADHD individual (and this disorder occurs in both children and adults) actually does not manage to organise and shuffle his projects. Instead, once something is put aside (because it is no longer the priority interest) it ceases to exist. It is this inability to multitask, plus poor forward planning (= poor to nonexistent awareness of consequences) that defines ADHD. Throw impulsivity into this mix, and you have a potentially explosive mix.

Some joke that the above defines most of the male population!!!

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Ivan in Oz]

Hi Rocker

ADHD (Attention Deficit Hy[eractive Disorder) is a very real disorder, unfortunately mostly misunderstood by much of the public, Regards from Perth

Derek

Very missunderstood by me :eek:
especialy when school kids turn it off and on to suit themselves.
I do some community work with some

Going to leave this one alone now.

Count

[derekcohen]

turn it off and on to suit themselves

Count

It is just this impression that makes people believe that the behaviour is deliberate. But it is very misleading. When you have a problem with focus (in the way of ADHD) then motivation is a very big issue. In other words, the lack of motivation may be a symptom of an underlying problem. Of course, low motivation is not only associated with ADHD - it can be due to many other factors, and a proper diagnosis always assesses and excludes the possibility of emotional factors, such as anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder, depression, etc. There are many look-alike disorders. That is why you need to seek out a professionals' opinion, not go to your local psychic!

Regards from Perth

Derek

[outback]

For long and boring reasons i won't go into, our school counsellor diagnosed our daughter with ADHD, (she has no qualifications to do so, but hey). her advice was to seek medical advice with the intenetion of putting her on Ritalin!

Missus and i panicked, went and saw our GP, he asked a couple of questions and counted out ADHD quite categorically.

Since then (4 years) our daughter has been accepted into a course for gifted students.

What hope has the public got understanding the problem when "professionals" can't get any grip on it.

[Rocker]

Derek,

Thanks for the comprehensive reply about ADHD.

Now I know my problem; I really must finish up those other two projects whose parts are cluttering the workshop

Rocker

[derekcohen]

What hope has the public got understanding the problem when "professionals" can't get any grip on it

Outback

You're right.

This is NOT a criticism of the professions or the professionals just a recognition that this area (like other professions) benefits from specialist knowledge. You can't know it all.

Time to get off my soap box!

Regards from Perth

Derek

[derekcohen]

Now I know my problem

Rocker

Finally! The denial is over!! (you know denial is not a river in Egypt)!

You really must visit me at my clinic in Perth for treatment. I prescribe beer and conversation.

Warm regards from Perth

Derek

[outback]

Geez, can anyone make an appointment?

You sound like my kinda prescription giver outer

[Caliban]

Derek,

is it a figment dreamed up by drug companies, incompetent teachers, and people with inadequate parenting skills?

Rocker

Rocker
You're deliberately picking on me now, I'm not a drug company, but hey, two out of three ain't bad.
Derek
Does your private consultation include some lessons on hand tools as well as beer and conversation?
Lots of people on these forums already have a hand on their tools, so some lessons on the real meaning of my above sentence is probably needed.