About Me
Who am I?
In addition to being a full time college student I am also a daughter, a sister, a friend, a dog lover, an aspiring dentist, a sweets lover, a summer child, and a person with a passion to help others.
As a child I was goofy and awkward but it was always worth it to make someone else laugh or smile. I cannot thank my parents, especially my mom, for letting me be an individual and not forcing me to be like "all the other girls." By allowing me to be different so early on in life I was able to develop an understanding for others because I was able to see life from many different perspectives. I mentioned that my mom was especially important in letting me be who I am and here's an example of a time she let me do just that:Up until I was in 6th grade I was always a princess or a witch for Halloween. My mom would find adorable costumes and do my hair so I could feel like Cinderella for the evening. However, when 6th grade hit I remember wanting to dress up with my brother and my other neighborhood friends as a military personnel. I knew if I made a compromise by wearing my Pumpkin Princess costume to school I could probably get my mom to agree to let me spread mud on my face and dress in camouflage for trick-or-treating. I wore the costume to school and when it came time for trick or treating my mom was not too happy at first that I didn't want to wear the cute costume she so carefully selected for me. Instead I was dressed in oversized army pants and had the black paint on my face that football players wear. She eventually let me leave to go trick-or-treating around the neighborhood. I don't know if my mom realizes how important it was to let me dress up like that for Halloween. By letting me be an individual and not conform to the ideas of what others think it right or wrong, I have become a person that is able to think from different viewpoints and be understanding and accepting of people who seem like the oddball I was that Halloween. I encourage any parent to let their child have this individuality because at the end of the day all that was different was that I had paint on my face.
Why ADHD?
ADHD is a complex condition and should be treated as such because what works for one child may not work for another. In my life I have had the opportunity to be just a little different and I think that has been important to my upbringing. Throughout my studies as a physiology major in college I have gained a respect for the many differences each person can experience within their own bodies. I personally was never diagnosed with ADHD, but I did have friends growing up who were. One of my friends was quickly put on medication in second grade because she became a handful for teachers to deal with and her parents didn't know what to do otherwise. Later on in life I talked with her about her medications and she admitted to feeling calm, but not in control of her life. She also expressed her difficulty with coming on and off the medications because during the summer or on the weekends her parents didn't want her to take it. She said she would feel confused about why she had to take it in some social situations and not others. In high school she began to wean herself off her medications and focus her energy on other things such as sports and art and found that these in combination with a healthy diet and overall lifestyle helped her to manage her ADHD. After seeing this I had a different outlook on what it meant to be ADHD and what it meant to live with it. Another reason I was interested in this topic was its prevalence in our society. Whether ADHD is over-diagnosed or not, I know there are many children and adultds who struggle with attentiveness and that I will have patients who are like this. Dentistry is a profession that involves a deep understanding for others and understanding how psychology relates to core science topics such as chemistry and biology. It is extremely important to me that I am prepared to treat a variety of patients ranging from those with different socioeconomic backgrounds, varying ages and diseases, and those who may just need extra attention to get through an appointment that to most is dreaded from the second they walk through the door.
I considered other topics such as Autism, but ADHD was most interesting to me because there are many alternative ways to treat its underlying symptoms that seem to work. I encourage any parent who is feeling shamed or embarrassed by their child's ADHD symptoms to consider different treatment methods before switching their child to high dose medications. If you have any feedback for me on my website please feel free to comment on any of the pages.