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I am back from the Study Day in London. It was very interesting- all about Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (of which Foetal Alcohol Syndrome is probably the best known.) I knew so little about this- internationally, it affects 1 in 100 babies born, and yet, here in the UK our national guidelines still say that it is safe to drink 2 units of alcohol a week after the first 3 months of pregnancy. I now know that that just isn't true- and will be joining many others in putting pressure on the people who write the guidelines to change them. Fast. :/
The other thing that really stood out was how much the symptoms of these disorders (especially among the invisible sufferers who do not have the characteristic facial features that people recognise) sounded just like my brother. And I mean, to a scary level. -__-; Chass and I are both adopted and we have no idea the details of our pre-birth life. It is very, very possible that his mother drank in pregnancy, and that has actually left him incapable of being a 'normal' person. He has all the classic traits- short attention span, creative mind but no drive to use it, inability to tell the truth even when lying is more effort, unpredictable rage/violet moods, inability to learn from mistakes or anticipate consequences.... very easily influenced by others..... finds it hard to keep jobs....
In a way, it's kind of a relief. I don't like my brother- never really have done- and I always feel bad about that. He has put my family through hell, and still does on a fairly regular basis. My mother was always convinced it was because he was involved in a car crash at 17 (he and a friend stole a car and totalled it, resulting in concussion for both of them) but he has been a complete shit since we were both very young kids. But this... this actually explains it. His brain may well be under-developed or even incomplete, meaning it has to work harder to do the things that the rest of us do with ease. And it is wired differently. He literally isn't capable of organising his thoughts the way other people are. >__>.
I kind of wish I could talk to him about it- if he got a formal diagnosis, his life would be a lot easier. But I know him too well for that- he is obsessed with the idea of being 'normal' and rages against anything that might mark him out as different. He even used to lie about being adopted because he wanted his friends to think he was 'normal.' So getting him diagnosed will be hard, if not impossible. But still... I think knowing this might actually make it easier for me to get on with him. I doubt we will ever be close, but understanding more about the way his brain works may actually make it easier for me to understand him, and I dunno.... maybe put away some of the bad feelings I have had towards him over the years. I dunno.
In Other News:
I saw my friend Nikki after the study day and we went out for a meal. After that we watched a film at her place, and she fed me some of her delicious gluten-free cakes. She is an amazingly talented baker. ^__^.
Because of this, my diet has basically been non-existent this week, but as of the morning I will be back on track. This is just a small blip... but totally worth it! XD
The other thing that really stood out was how much the symptoms of these disorders (especially among the invisible sufferers who do not have the characteristic facial features that people recognise) sounded just like my brother. And I mean, to a scary level. -__-; Chass and I are both adopted and we have no idea the details of our pre-birth life. It is very, very possible that his mother drank in pregnancy, and that has actually left him incapable of being a 'normal' person. He has all the classic traits- short attention span, creative mind but no drive to use it, inability to tell the truth even when lying is more effort, unpredictable rage/violet moods, inability to learn from mistakes or anticipate consequences.... very easily influenced by others..... finds it hard to keep jobs....
In a way, it's kind of a relief. I don't like my brother- never really have done- and I always feel bad about that. He has put my family through hell, and still does on a fairly regular basis. My mother was always convinced it was because he was involved in a car crash at 17 (he and a friend stole a car and totalled it, resulting in concussion for both of them) but he has been a complete shit since we were both very young kids. But this... this actually explains it. His brain may well be under-developed or even incomplete, meaning it has to work harder to do the things that the rest of us do with ease. And it is wired differently. He literally isn't capable of organising his thoughts the way other people are. >__>.
I kind of wish I could talk to him about it- if he got a formal diagnosis, his life would be a lot easier. But I know him too well for that- he is obsessed with the idea of being 'normal' and rages against anything that might mark him out as different. He even used to lie about being adopted because he wanted his friends to think he was 'normal.' So getting him diagnosed will be hard, if not impossible. But still... I think knowing this might actually make it easier for me to get on with him. I doubt we will ever be close, but understanding more about the way his brain works may actually make it easier for me to understand him, and I dunno.... maybe put away some of the bad feelings I have had towards him over the years. I dunno.
In Other News:
I saw my friend Nikki after the study day and we went out for a meal. After that we watched a film at her place, and she fed me some of her delicious gluten-free cakes. She is an amazingly talented baker. ^__^.
Because of this, my diet has basically been non-existent this week, but as of the morning I will be back on track. This is just a small blip... but totally worth it! XD
