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Choosing the Autodidactic Path

  Dedicating yourself to learning and problem solving is not as simple as just attending school. For some of those who do not fit into the school system very well, they prefer to teach themselves what they want, at the pace they want, and how they want. They become autodidaktikos, which is Greek for “self-taught.” Autodidacts are those who prefer to teach themselves, commonly rejecting the enforced school system and sometimes the optional (though fruitful) school system (K-12 and University, respectively).   Choosing the autodidactic path can look different for everyone, but there are some commonalities among those who engage in autodidactic activities. One commonality I already mentioned is rejecting the school system(s). While I do agree that mandating education for children and adolescents is beneficial in most cases, some are better off learning on their own with the guidance of a mix of wise, knowledgeable, and intelligent mentors. I expand more on the education system in subseque
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Understanding and Manipulating Systems to Maximize Gains

  If you pay close enough attention to the universe around you, you will realize that everything is either part of a system or a system as a whole. Most define systems as interconnected networks, but I argue that systems are interconnected networks that perform certain functions . Many systems are social constructs, many are political constructs, many are biological, many are psychological, and many are cosmic. Systems can even be part of a greater system, which is quite common.  An example: the healthcare system is a human-created system that is a network of interrelated things to accomplish certain functions. Some examples of interrelated things in the healthcare system are medications, medical staff (and the power dynamics between them), procedures, hospitals, and the billing process. The goal functions can vary depending on the particulars of a specific healthcare system, such as the country, the political motives of the healthcare authorities, or the socioeconomic status of the
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"Gifted Kid Burnout" - Other People's Experiences

  Last week, I wrote about how the “gifted” label has hurt me more than it helped me, twice-exceptionality, and how I want to break free from the confines of the “gifted child” prognosis. I want to expand on last week’s post by discussing other people’s experiences with advanced intellectual development.  There is a collection of thoughts and feelings that some “gifted” children, unfortunately, experience due to academic, social, and self-inflicted pressures. “What if I’m not intelligent enough?” “What if they were wrong, and I was never actually highly intelligent?” “I am just a heaping pile of wasted potential… Wait no, there was probably no potential to waste in the first place,” along with lack of motivation, depressed mood, existential anxiety, chronic boredom,  and a need for constant validation are common symptoms. There is a name for these experiences; this syndrome is called “gifted kid burnout.” It’s not a rarity among people who were labeled as “gifted” when they were childr
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Returning to "Giftedness" or Reinventing my Acuity?

  As a child considered “gifted” and diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, I was a part of the twice-exceptional crowd. I was, and still am, a very intense person. Now, that doesn't mean I am volatile or someone who is necessarily prone to black-and-white thinking. It means I naturally think more profoundly about the world and feel emotions deeper than most. Feeling emotions deeply coupled with a disorder that is often misunderstood can lead to something called “rejection-sensitive dysphoria.”  Rejection-sensitive dysphoria is when someone has a strong, negative reaction to criticism, even when the criticism is minor. As a twice-exceptional child, I was very different from my peers academically and socially. Academically, I could not focus long enough to get my homework done, yet I could understand quite complex topics for a child. Socially, I couldn’t understand my peers and their hobbies, but I bonded with adults quite well. Being different led to feeling misun
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The Art of Wholehearted Living with Chronic Illness

  Living with a chronic illness is no small feat. There are quite a lot of turbulent times, stigma, and emotions that come with living with a chronic illness. As a child, before my diagnosis, I was sensitive and could feel emotions very deeply. I could also take on the emotions of others like a chameleon as I was very empathetic. When I started to experience the first signs that something was wrong with my health, a wide variety of emotions of fluctuating intensity consumed me often. From fear of what was to come to grief over what I had lost, I was not ready to handle these feelings. But, nature and poor health don’t wait until you’re ready. Actually, they can’t wait until you're ready because you’ll never be truly prepared for becoming ill, especially long term. With my health declining, I became overwhelmed quite quickly. My emotions were set on overdrive. Anxiety engulfed my being and a deep sadness submerged my soul. I became drenched in desperation because I was constantly be
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Falling off of a Building, the Mean Between the Extremes, and the Importance of Virtue

There is much to be learned from the Ancient Greeks, especially if you are willing to work on yourself. Read on to get some essential philosophical self-help wisdom from Aristotle. Check-in: Week one of following my wellness routines was successful! Now that I am feeling better, I am able to exercise a lot, something I couldn’t do much of before. I am also eating so much healthier and I am really paying attention to getting the proper nutrients I especially need for my mind and body with my chronic illness and ADHD. A balanced diet high in healthy fats and protein has been serving me well so far with increased energy levels. I did still have a mini relapse though, so my diet and exercise haven’t changed my symptoms that much yet.  The mini episode was quite strong and scary, the intensity was like I was off of medication, which really surprised me because my medications usually can dampen down my flare-ups. It started with me leaving to go on vacation. I started feeling anxious for no
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Welcome!

Hello everyone, welcome to my blog, Wellness in Meaning. My name is Sophie. I suffer from a chronic illness and ADHD. Just getting out of my second hospitalization due to my illness, I decided that I will blog about my recovery journey. I want to recover my mind and body in all facets of my life; I want to improve my physical health, my cognition, my symptoms, my role functioning, and my ability to produce meaning in my life and in the world (wellness is nothing without meaning). I will write about a variety of things relating to wellness including my fitness progress, my emotional health, my intellectual pursuits, my musical and creative ventures, and some of my symptoms and medications. Some facts about me: I am an intense, passionate soul with a love of learning and beautiful things. As an amateur photographer and writer of poetry, I am into aesthetics as a way of expressing myself. Philosophy and the arts are what guide me through life, while the sciences keep me grounded. I love l
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