I have a student with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. I teach him for a full hour. It's fun, I enjoy it, but there are certainly times when it hits the upper edge of my patience.
He was recently put on a new medication, and his mother asked me to let her know if it helped.
That lesson went remarkably well. We got a lot done, he was focused, he was attentive. And I couldn't help but think that whatever he had taken had somehow switched my student out for someone else.
I mean, what is it exactly, that makes people decide what kind of behavior is socially acceptable, and kinds are not? Are we just collecting enough substances to make sure everyone remains the same? And that any sign of abnormality is brutally suppressed?
Probably not. But this story was how I worked out the thought.
~~~
Pharmacology
The IV pulsed. Heart rate increased, chemical signals sent through the brain, and his thumb twitched to the surface of his Attention. He pressed twice, and opened his eyes. Once more, and felt life roll through his body. He shifted, reached out a hand and increased the flow of the IV. His heart responded, and he lay back for five more minutes.
*
Water ran down his face, diluting the residue of night sweat and sleep. The medicine cabinet and its catalogue of choices taxed his interest in the day, and he pressed the button, hitting the ceiling of his hourly proscription.
A few minutes before the reset.
*
He opened his Daily Planner; three Wit, and extra strength Professionalism, ten Motivated, thirty Sociable. His regular mix of Amusing, Confident, and Creative. Relaxed for lunch break. Satisfied for the drive home.
The lid clicked shut. He’d left out Sensitive on purpose. He just couldn’t fit it in today.
*
A glass of water washed down the Professionalism. He checked his watch – ten minutes till the business meeting. A few casual taps of his Attention. His heart was being monitored, of course, but he would need the edge.
*
Lunch break. She was talking to him. His Relaxed kept him bored, so he swallowed a few Sociable to compensate.
*
The conversation had been a disaster. His Confident suppressed most of his frustration, and his Satisfied kept him focused on the business meeting – where everything had gone perfectly.
He was on the phone. His best friend’s wife had just filed for divorce.
He hung up. He’d call back when he got home and took a Sensitive.
*
He forgot.
*
He plugged in the IV and felt a lethargy flow through his body.
*
They shut off his vitals. Subject Liam, version 347, had performed below expectations. A few tests for overall health and toxicity levels revealed side effects of Professionalism and impurities in his generic brand of Sociable.
They would adjust his medication.
