#Because that requires common sense and minimal road rage

[badhotdog03]

Sometimes I wish I was a filmmaker, so I could have the Black sisters, on a road trip, listening to Beautiful, Dirty, Rich by Lady Gaga, without it just being italicised lyrics on a page...

[bethestaryouareradio]

FireScaping

“Some say the world will end in fire.” Robert Frost

A running crown fire came rolling down the hillside toward our Lake County mountain cabin, moving faster than any human could run. All exits were blocked. Trees vaporized. Sixteen civilians trapped in the valley were being gathered in the meadow around our house. This acre of lush green grass would be the safety zone, everyone’s last hope of survival. Ninety firefighters had been spread out along the roads, trails, and hillsides in the fire’s path. Their orders were to stay put until the fire was upon them, then to light a backfire and escape to our meadow.

The energy released was a hundred times that of a normal forest fire, with an explosive force nearing the intensity of a small atomic bomb. Everyone prayed. My sister and her husband said their goodbyes. Death seemed seconds away. Besides being a farmer, our Dad had been Captain of our volunteer fire department for forty-six years. Dad built the safety zone. “Daddy,” my sister prayed, “please don’t let us die like this.”

Then, almost imperceptibly, the roar began to diminish. The fire continued to rage for fourteen days in nearby canyons, ultimately burning over eighty-two thousand acres. At the time, it was the second-worst firestorm in United States history, the subject of national training videos for firefighters and showcased on an episode of the TV series, 20/20.

I chronicled this epic true story in my book, Be the Star You Are!® 99 Gifts for Living, Loving, Laughing, and Learning to Make a Difference. The chapter is appropriately titled The Gift of Survival. (First Editions available from http://www.CynthiaBrian.com/online-store).

When a town called Paradise is transformed into burning hell incinerating everything in its path within twenty-four hours and becoming the deadliest and most destructive wildfire in California and United States history, it is prudent for Lamorindans to make fire safety a priority.

A few months ago an Orinda resident reached out to me asking if I would write an article on how to landscape with fire prevention in mind. Melanie and Ken Light had contacted Orinda Fire Chief Dave Winnacker to find out how to become a Fire Wise neighborhood. Being fire wise is dependent on everyone in a neighborhood being diligent about keeping their property fire safe because fires do not honor property lines. If one home’s landscape is pristine and the neighbor next door has overgrown bushes, brush, or low hanging trees, all of the properties become indefensible.

Lamorinda is rural, wooded, and has minimal escape routes. Many of the plants and trees growing throughout our area are highly flammable including pines, cypress, cedar, fir, bamboo, acacia, juniper, Pampas grass, rosemary, ivy, arborvitae, miscanthus, and eucalyptus. Heat moves up and many homes are on hills. Fire speed and severity is stronger on slopes where vegetation management is crucial.

Just as there is no such thing as a deer-proof plant, a fire-proof plant is a myth. Under the right conditions, every plant will burn. Referring to a plant as “fire safe” means that it tends not to be a significant fuel source by itself. Some plants chemical compositions resist heat and combustion. It is critical to keep plants around our homes well maintained and pruned as a fire protection tool. The closer plants are to the house, the more care is needed.

Firescaping is simply a landscape design that reduces house and property vulnerability to wildfire. While enhancing the beauty of the property, we surround the house with plants that are less likely to ignite and create a defensible space.

Characteristics of Highly Flammable Flora ϖ Dry and dead leaves, twigs, branches ϖ Abundant, dense foliage ϖ Needles ϖ Low moisture foliage ϖ Peeling, loose bark ϖ Gummy sap ϖ Leathery or aromatic leaves ϖ High resin, terpene, or oil content ϖ High, uncut or dry grasses

Characteristics of Fire-Resistant Flora ϖ Hardy, slow growing plants that don’t produce litter or thatch ϖ Native plants that are drought tolerant with internal high water content. Generally, California natives are more tolerant of deer and fire. (see Nature’s Natives: April 17, 2019, https://www.lamorindaweekly.com/archive/issue1304/Digging-Deep-with-Cynthia-Brian-for-April-Natures-Natives.html) ϖ Trees with thick bark that restrict the growth of invasive shrub species and hardwood trees such as walnut, cherry, maple, and poplar are less flammable. Deciduous trees and shrubs are generally more fire resistant because they have a higher moisture content when in leaf, lower fuel volume when dormant, and usually do not contain flammable oils. ϖ Supple, moist leaves with little to no sap or resin residue. ϖ Low growing ground covers. ϖ Bulbs.

How to Create a Fire-Resistant Landscape: ϖ Include fire-resistant features such as pavers, bricks, pavement, gravel, rocks, mulch, dry creek beds, fountains, ponds, pools, and lawns. Water features including ponds, streams, and pools can be helpful fuel breaks. ϖ Select high moisture plants that grow close to the ground with a low sap and resin content. (See an included list of plants, shrubs, and trees) ϖ Maintain all plants and lawns. Clover, groundcovers, and grasses that are kept low and green through irrigation are excellent alternatives. Mow, prune, water, and space appropriately. ϖ Leave space between plants. ϖ Minimize the inclusion of evergreen trees within thirty feet of structures. Clear debris and understory. Have clearance of all trees within twenty feet of chimneys. ϖ Remove invasive species or swaths of flammable plants including ivy, rosemary, broom, and juniper. ϖ Moist mulch, rocks, or gravel can be used for firescaping. (Bark and leaf mulch can ignite unless sufficiently wet. Usage not recommended near structures.) ϖ When planting trees, identify the tree size at maturity. ϖ Prune trees carefully to remove the possibility of fire laddering. ϖ Arrange plantings in clusters and islands, with those near structure being smaller. ϖ Consider the combustibility of decorative features such as gazebos, fences, sheds, porches, and junk areas. Keep appropriate clearance to reduce the threat of burning embers. ϖ Bare ground is not recommended due to soil erosion.

General Rules of Fire Safety HEED the checklist from our local fire departments to create a defensible space around your home. To reiterate fire district recommendations: ϖ Prevent embers from igniting your home by clearing leaves, needles, and debris from gutters, eaves, porches, and decks. ϖ Mow grasses and weeds. ϖ Keep your garden watered. ϖ Prune tree limbs to keep the lowest branches 6-10 feet from the ground. ϖ Reduce “fire fuel laddering” by not allowing bushes or trees to touch one another. ϖ Keep combustible materials 15-30 feet away from structures. ϖ Maintain your property and be alert for any fire danger. For further safety tips visit http://www.mofd.org/fire-prevention/abatement

Through proper plant selection, placement, and maintenance, we are able to diminish the possibility of ignition, lower fire intensity, and reduce the spread, helping our homes to survive the blaze. A fire-resistant landscape reduces the risk to our homes while enabling firefighters a place to defend our structures.

Helpful Websites: National Fire Protection Association: https://www.nfpa.org

Moraga Orinda Fire District: http://www.mofd.org

Fire Safe Marin (We are not in Marin, but this is a great resource): http://www.firesafemarin.org

  Pacific Northwest Fire Resistant Plants: http://www.firefree.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Fire-Resistant-Plants.pdf

  University of California Cooperative Extension: https://ucanr.edu/sites/fire/Prepare/Landscaping/Plant_choice/

  Las Pilitas Nursery (although this nursery is in Santa Margarita it has the best website that gives burn times for various plants. Plus it also has deer resistant information as well.)https://www.laspilitas.com/easy/deerfire.htm

  Sign Up for Alerts: Contra Costa County Community Warning System: https://cwsalerts.com

Alerts for Your Specific Area: http://www.nixle.com

  Sample Listing of Plants that are Fire-Resistant (I reiterate, NO PLANT is fire-proof. Maintenance, pruning, watering, spacing, location are all extremely important elements for fire safety.)

Bulbs (tulips, daffodils, iris, hyacinth, freesia, etc. Cut stalks to the ground when leaves are dry) California redbud Sage Penstemon Heather Fuchsia Columbine Thyme Poppy Wild strawberry Common yarrow French lavender Lilac Coreopsis Ajuga California lilac Society garlic Alliums Dianthus Yellow or Purple ice plant Creeping phlox Lamium Sedum Succulents Veronica Armeria Agapanthus Trumpet Vine Daylily Heuchera Hosta Red hot poker Lupine Delphinium Echinacea Lamb’s ear Yucca Roses Salvia Evening primrose Daphne Boxwood Rhododendron Spirea Dogwood Mock orange Azalea Current Viburnum Horse chestnut Liquid Amber Honey locust Crabapple Purple robe locust Fruit trees (varieties of cherry, plum, pear, peach, apricot) Black oak Hawthorne Birch Aspen Poplar Maple Manzanita (prune without dead wood) Walnut

Harry Houdini wrote, “Fire has always been and seemingly, will always remain, the most terrible of the elements.” Use your common sense. If you need additional help, consult a professional. Contact your fire department for a Fire Wise walk. Invite neighbors to a meeting. Come talk to me at the Be the Star You Are!® charity booth at the Moraga Community Faire on Saturday, May 11th from 11-3pm. Buy garden gifts for Mother’s Day. (Https:/www.BethestarYouAre.org/events)

Fires are in our future. Hopefully, we won’t require a green meadow safety zone for survival, yet we need to be prepared. Make firescaping an ongoing conversation.

In the meantime, get out to weed, water, prune, and maintain. Do what you can to be fire safe.

Happy Gardening. Happy Growing. Happy Mother’s Day! See photos and read more: https://www.lamorindaweekly.com/archive/issue1305/Digging-Deep-with-Cynthia-Brian-for-May-FireScaping.html

  Cynthia Brian, The Goddess Gardener, raised in the vineyards of Napa County, is a New York Times best-selling author, actor, radio personality, speaker, media and writing coach as well as the Founder and Executive Director of Be the Star You Are1® 501 c3. Tune into Cynthia’s Radio show and order her books at www.StarStyleRadio.com. Buy a copy of her new books, Growing with the Goddess Gardener and Be the Star You Are! Millennials to Boomers at www.cynthiabrian.com/online-store. Hire Cynthia for projects, consults, and lectures. Cynthia@GoddessGardener.com

www.GoddessGardener.com

  Donate to Fire Disaster Relief via Be the Star You Are!® 501 c3 at www.BethestarYouAre.org

  Keywords: #firescaping, #preventfires, #fire-safe plants, #landscaping, #gardening, #cynthia brian, #starstyle, #goddess Gardener, #growig with the goddess gardener, #lamorinda weekly

[goddessgardener]

FireScaping

“Some say the world will end in fire.” Robert Frost

A running crown fire came rolling down the hillside toward our Lake County mountain cabin, moving faster than any human could run. All exits were blocked. Trees vaporized. Sixteen civilians trapped in the valley were being gathered in the meadow around our house. This acre of lush green grass would be the safety zone, everyone’s last hope of survival. Ninety firefighters had been spread out along the roads, trails, and hillsides in the fire’s path. Their orders were to stay put until the fire was upon them, then to light a backfire and escape to our meadow.

The energy released was a hundred times that of a normal forest fire, with an explosive force nearing the intensity of a small atomic bomb. Everyone prayed. My sister and her husband said their goodbyes. Death seemed seconds away. Besides being a farmer, our Dad had been Captain of our volunteer fire department for forty-six years. Dad built the safety zone. “Daddy,” my sister prayed, “please don’t let us die like this.”

Then, almost imperceptibly, the roar began to diminish. The fire continued to rage for fourteen days in nearby canyons, ultimately burning over eighty-two thousand acres. At the time, it was the second-worst firestorm in United States history, the subject of national training videos for firefighters and showcased on an episode of the TV series, 20/20.

I chronicled this epic true story in my book, Be the Star You Are!® 99 Gifts for Living, Loving, Laughing, and Learning to Make a Difference. The chapter is appropriately titled The Gift of Survival. (First Editions available from http://www.CynthiaBrian.com/online-store).

When a town called Paradise is transformed into burning hell incinerating everything in its path within twenty-four hours and becoming the deadliest and most destructive wildfire in California and United States history, it is prudent for Lamorindans to make fire safety a priority.

A few months ago an Orinda resident reached out to me asking if I would write an article on how to landscape with fire prevention in mind. Melanie and Ken Light had contacted Orinda Fire Chief Dave Winnacker to find out how to become a Fire Wise neighborhood. Being fire wise is dependent on everyone in a neighborhood being diligent about keeping their property fire safe because fires do not honor property lines. If one home’s landscape is pristine and the neighbor next door has overgrown bushes, brush, or low hanging trees, all of the properties become indefensible.

Lamorinda is rural, wooded, and has minimal escape routes. Many of the plants and trees growing throughout our area are highly flammable including pines, cypress, cedar, fir, bamboo, acacia, juniper, Pampas grass, rosemary, ivy, arborvitae, miscanthus, and eucalyptus. Heat moves up and many homes are on hills. Fire speed and severity is stronger on slopes where vegetation management is crucial.

Just as there is no such thing as a deer-proof plant, a fire-proof plant is a myth. Under the right conditions, every plant will burn. Referring to a plant as “fire safe” means that it tends not to be a significant fuel source by itself. Some plants chemical compositions resist heat and combustion. It is critical to keep plants around our homes well maintained and pruned as a fire protection tool. The closer plants are to the house, the more care is needed.

Firescaping is simply a landscape design that reduces house and property vulnerability to wildfire. While enhancing the beauty of the property, we surround the house with plants that are less likely to ignite and create a defensible space.

Characteristics of Highly Flammable Flora ϖ Dry and dead leaves, twigs, branches ϖ Abundant, dense foliage ϖ Needles ϖ Low moisture foliage ϖ Peeling, loose bark ϖ Gummy sap ϖ Leathery or aromatic leaves ϖ High resin, terpene, or oil content ϖ High, uncut or dry grasses

Characteristics of Fire-Resistant Flora ϖ Hardy, slow growing plants that don’t produce litter or thatch ϖ Native plants that are drought tolerant with internal high water content. Generally, California natives are more tolerant of deer and fire. (see Nature’s Natives: April 17, 2019, https://www.lamorindaweekly.com/archive/issue1304/Digging-Deep-with-Cynthia-Brian-for-April-Natures-Natives.html) ϖ Trees with thick bark that restrict the growth of invasive shrub species and hardwood trees such as walnut, cherry, maple, and poplar are less flammable. Deciduous trees and shrubs are generally more fire resistant because they have a higher moisture content when in leaf, lower fuel volume when dormant, and usually do not contain flammable oils. ϖ Supple, moist leaves with little to no sap or resin residue. ϖ Low growing ground covers. ϖ Bulbs.

How to Create a Fire-Resistant Landscape: ϖ Include fire-resistant features such as pavers, bricks, pavement, gravel, rocks, mulch, dry creek beds, fountains, ponds, pools, and lawns. Water features including ponds, streams, and pools can be helpful fuel breaks. ϖ Select high moisture plants that grow close to the ground with a low sap and resin content. (See an included list of plants, shrubs, and trees) ϖ Maintain all plants and lawns. Clover, groundcovers, and grasses that are kept low and green through irrigation are excellent alternatives. Mow, prune, water, and space appropriately. ϖ Leave space between plants. ϖ Minimize the inclusion of evergreen trees within thirty feet of structures. Clear debris and understory. Have clearance of all trees within twenty feet of chimneys. ϖ Remove invasive species or swaths of flammable plants including ivy, rosemary, broom, and juniper. ϖ Moist mulch, rocks, or gravel can be used for firescaping. (Bark and leaf mulch can ignite unless sufficiently wet. Usage not recommended near structures.) ϖ When planting trees, identify the tree size at maturity. ϖ Prune trees carefully to remove the possibility of fire laddering. ϖ Arrange plantings in clusters and islands, with those near structure being smaller. ϖ Consider the combustibility of decorative features such as gazebos, fences, sheds, porches, and junk areas. Keep appropriate clearance to reduce the threat of burning embers. ϖ Bare ground is not recommended due to soil erosion.

General Rules of Fire Safety HEED the checklist from our local fire departments to create a defensible space around your home. To reiterate fire district recommendations: ϖ Prevent embers from igniting your home by clearing leaves, needles, and debris from gutters, eaves, porches, and decks. ϖ Mow grasses and weeds. ϖ Keep your garden watered. ϖ Prune tree limbs to keep the lowest branches 6-10 feet from the ground. ϖ Reduce “fire fuel laddering” by not allowing bushes or trees to touch one another. ϖ Keep combustible materials 15-30 feet away from structures. ϖ Maintain your property and be alert for any fire danger. For further safety tips visit http://www.mofd.org/fire-prevention/abatement

Through proper plant selection, placement, and maintenance, we are able to diminish the possibility of ignition, lower fire intensity, and reduce the spread, helping our homes to survive the blaze. A fire-resistant landscape reduces the risk to our homes while enabling firefighters a place to defend our structures.

Helpful Websites: National Fire Protection Association: https://www.nfpa.org

Moraga Orinda Fire District: http://www.mofd.org

Fire Safe Marin (We are not in Marin, but this is a great resource): http://www.firesafemarin.org

  Pacific Northwest Fire Resistant Plants: http://www.firefree.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Fire-Resistant-Plants.pdf

  University of California Cooperative Extension: https://ucanr.edu/sites/fire/Prepare/Landscaping/Plant_choice/

  Las Pilitas Nursery (although this nursery is in Santa Margarita it has the best website that gives burn times for various plants. Plus it also has deer resistant information as well.)https://www.laspilitas.com/easy/deerfire.htm

  Sign Up for Alerts: Contra Costa County Community Warning System: https://cwsalerts.com

Alerts for Your Specific Area: http://www.nixle.com

  Sample Listing of Plants that are Fire-Resistant (I reiterate, NO PLANT is fire-proof. Maintenance, pruning, watering, spacing, location are all extremely important elements for fire safety.)

Bulbs (tulips, daffodils, iris, hyacinth, freesia, etc. Cut stalks to the ground when leaves are dry) California redbud Sage Penstemon Heather Fuchsia Columbine Thyme Poppy Wild strawberry Common yarrow French lavender Lilac Coreopsis Ajuga California lilac Society garlic Alliums Dianthus Yellow or Purple ice plant Creeping phlox Lamium Sedum Succulents Veronica Armeria Agapanthus Trumpet Vine Daylily Heuchera Hosta Red hot poker Lupine Delphinium Echinacea Lamb’s ear Yucca Roses Salvia Evening primrose Daphne Boxwood Rhododendron Spirea Dogwood Mock orange Azalea Current Viburnum Horse chestnut Liquid Amber Honey locust Crabapple Purple robe locust Fruit trees (varieties of cherry, plum, pear, peach, apricot) Black oak Hawthorne Birch Aspen Poplar Maple Manzanita (prune without dead wood) Walnut

Harry Houdini wrote, “Fire has always been and seemingly, will always remain, the most terrible of the elements.” Use your common sense. If you need additional help, consult a professional. Contact your fire department for a Fire Wise walk. Invite neighbors to a meeting. Come talk to me at the Be the Star You Are!® charity booth at the Moraga Community Faire on Saturday, May 11th from 11-3pm. Buy garden gifts for Mother’s Day. (Https:/www.BethestarYouAre.org/events)

Fires are in our future. Hopefully, we won’t require a green meadow safety zone for survival, yet we need to be prepared. Make firescaping an ongoing conversation.

In the meantime, get out to weed, water, prune, and maintain. Do what you can to be fire safe.

Happy Gardening. Happy Growing. Happy Mother’s Day! See photos and read more: https://www.lamorindaweekly.com/archive/issue1305/Digging-Deep-with-Cynthia-Brian-for-May-FireScaping.html

  Cynthia Brian, The Goddess Gardener, raised in the vineyards of Napa County, is a New York Times best-selling author, actor, radio personality, speaker, media and writing coach as well as the Founder and Executive Director of Be the Star You Are1® 501 c3. Tune into Cynthia’s Radio show and order her books at www.StarStyleRadio.com. Buy a copy of her new books, Growing with the Goddess Gardener and Be the Star You Are! Millennials to Boomers at www.cynthiabrian.com/online-store. Hire Cynthia for projects, consults, and lectures. Cynthia@GoddessGardener.com

www.GoddessGardener.com

  Donate to Fire Disaster Relief via Be the Star You Are!® 501 c3 at www.BethestarYouAre.org

  Keywords: #firescaping, #preventfires, #fire-safe plants, #landscaping, #gardening, #cynthia brian, #starstyle, #goddess Gardener, #growig with the goddess gardener, #lamorinda weekly

[mysteryshelf]

BLOG TOUR - Still Black Remains

  Welcome to

THE PULP AND MYSTERY SHELF!

About the Book

Still Black Remains Synopsis “Still Black Remains” is an original work of fiction.  It tells the story of Twist, one of the leaders of an inner city gang named the Skulls, and the architect of his gang’s decision to kidnap a mafia soldier in a last-ditch attempt to end a violent turf war.  The war started when the Skulls tried taking a bigger piece of the drug business in their Newark, New Jersey neighborhood from the organized crime family who had once been their partners.�� Like most great ideas, the plan doesn’t turn out as expected. Negotiations between the gangs deteriorate, words fail, the violence escalates, and the only recourse left is the inevitable execution of the hostage.  Chosen to be the one to execute the prisoner, the story covers Twist’s ability to pull the trigger, the consequences of that action, and his internal struggle.  As the volatile situation grows more explosive by the hour, the lines between right and wrong blur; resolution comes with a price and Twist has to decide if pulling the trigger will get him what he wants, and if he can live with that cost.

Guest Post from the Author

    The Process of Writing A Thriller: Writing Naked

  When we talk about writing naked, we’re not discussing another sequel to 50 Shades of Grey.

Or erotic literature.

Or if you’re old enough, that magazine section in the corner store where only adults were allowed to browse.

Writing naked is all about risk.

Risk is a broad term when applied to writing and writers, and takes on many forms.  But writing naked involves going to the hard places, especially when it relates to the mystery and thriller categories.  The best kind of writing in those genres – the kind that is moving and compelling, and stays with us long after we’ve finished reading that last page and closed the book – is the kind that lets it all hang out and pushes past our comfort zones. It’s writing that takes creative risks, changes the narrative structure, voice, or uses characters to tap into emotions and make hard-hitting social commentary.  Honesty.  Bleeding on each page and baring emotions without compromising integrity.

All writers carry a fear of failure.  Writing is one of those professions filled with the competing voices of self-doubt and critics who believe they can write just as well if not better than you.  The same critics who expect to see blood, sweat, and angst seeping from every page. Perhaps the worst thing a mystery or thriller reader can say about something you’ve written is that it’s “too predictable”, or that they’ve “seen this before.”  That’s the kind of criticism that cuts with a serrated edge.  Risk is the thing that can keep writing fresh and unpredictable, but more importantly, allow you to write with impact.  Taking risks is how writers become better.  Taking on risk starts the moment you sit down to write.  You can’t start off trying to write a book that will appeal to everyone.  Agreeableness is boring.  If you water down your writing to suit everyone’s tastes, you’ll never find the power of your own voice.

I didn’t write Still Black Remains for any particular audience or demographic, which might explain why it was initially difficult to find the right publisher – there might have been more options if I had chosen a genre like YA or NA with a more specific group of readers.  I wrote Still Black Remains because it was a story I wanted – needed – to tell, even if no one wanted to read it.  It started out as a simple crime story but once I pushed past my own comfort zone it evolved into something more.  The central theme in the book is about the struggle of a different generation trying to realize the American Dream against all odds, and through any means possible.  The characters have learned that hard work by itself will never help them achieve what they want – they have to work outside the system to get what they want. The inner city landscape where they live is filled with desperation, anger, and a sense of futility and in many cases violence is both the solution to problems and the result of problems.  Actions – no matter what’s involved or who gets hurt – are justified as being “part of the game.”

If I tried shaping the book towards a particular audience or played it safe, I might have been tempted to change the voice, minimize some of the violence, or sanitize the language.  It is a gritty story.  Life in the New Jersey neighborhood where Still Black Remains takes place is equally gritty, violent, and harsh.  There was no way to soften the writing without losing the legitimacy of the story.

It was a risky path to take because readers might be offended, but it was absolutely necessary to tap into the characters’ emotions and maintain the authenticity of the story.

There was no other way to write it.

As a writer you need to strip away the fears and worries that might hold back your story.  You need to go out on a limb to write with impact.  You need to write naked.  Write without fear.  If you don’t push your limits your writing won’t take off, and more importantly, it won’t matter to  readers.

    About the Author

Kevin Michaels’ Bio Kevin Michaels is the author of the critically acclaimed debut novel LOST EXIT, as well as two entries in the FIGHT CARD BOOKS series: HARD ROAD and CAN’T MISS CONTENDER. He also released a collection of short stories entitled NINE IN THE MORNING. His short stories and flash fiction have also appeared in a number of magazines and indie zines, and in 2011 he was nominated for two separate Pushcart Prize awards for his short stories. Other shorts have been included in the anthologies for SIX SENTENCES (volumes II and III) and ACTION: PULSE POUNDING TALES (2).

In April 2017 his latest novel STILL BLACK REMAINS will be published by Literary Wanderlust LLC.

He has also published a number non-fiction articles and stories in print publications ranging from the NYTimes.com and the Life/Style section of The Boston Globe to The Bergen News and Press Journal and raged in print at places like the triCity News, NY Daily News, and The Press.

He is the Founder and Creative Director of Story Tellers which is a community-based organization that develops and promotes literacy through writing. Story Tellers provides under-served teenagers, young adults, and women from distressed situations the opportunity to discover the strength and power of their own voices (self-empowerment through self-expression).

Originally from New Jersey, he carries the attitude, edginess, and love of all things Bruce Springsteen common in his home state, although he left the Garden State to live and work in the foothills of the Appalachians (Georgia) with his wife, Helen and an assortment of children and pets.

BLOG TOUR – Still Black Remains was originally published on the Wordpress version of The Pulp and Mystery Shelf

[douglasberger-blog]

Why ADHD is a Strange and Often Misunderstood Diagnosis

By Douglas Berger, Psychiatrist Tokyo, Japan

ADHD or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder is a commonly diagnosed condition said to affect almost 10% of the population. However, this diagnosis is often frequently misunderstood for a number of reasons, not the least being that the medical community has tried to make a complicated problem fit neatly in the four letter ADHD acronym. At least this was better than the previous diagnostic congener for ADHD called "minimal brain dysfunction", we can all imagine the problems associated with this kind of label. This short article will attempt to explain why ADHD is still such a misunderstood diagnosis.

Strangeness 1:

Persons with lots of attention problems often have a mess of hyperactivity associated with their inattention and vice-versa, but not necessarily. Sometimes inattention and hyperactivity are shared equally making for an egalitarian mess. The true diagnosis should really be "ADD and/or HD" under a diagnostic section titled, "Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorders", but this kind of diagnosis is not as compact as ADHD so that ADHD has held on to its troubled namesake.

Strangeness 2:

Now Strangeness 1 leads to some further problems. It's common for hyperactive patients to clamor they are quite attentive to their surroundings, not messy, and get lots done so they can't possibly have ADHD, and inattentive patients to clamor that they are not hyperactive so don’t have ADHD. Now the doctor needs to dig-in and explain that the ADHD acronym was made to give the disorder a sleek 4-letter look but it’s not so simple as 4 letters.

Strangeness 3:

While most psychiatric disorders cause trouble functioning, persons with ADHD may actually accomplish a lot of things- for better or worse. This can frequently lead these persons to deny they have a problem. Impatient and hyperactive persons can get a lot done (perhaps our newest head of state's brash spatter of activity comes to mind), and scattered and inattentive persons can hyperfocus on specific tasks better than anyone else (perhaps Einstein's messy hair and mess desk comes to mind).

Strangeness 4:

Young children with hyperactivity may have tantrums and run-around in class. Older children can be "class-clowns", pull pranks, blurt things out, or be aggressive, but the running-around hyperactivity gets better over time. As an adult, these people can become argumentative, impatient, and frustrated easily. They may deny they have hyperactivity disorder, and indeed they are not hyperactive, their hyperactivity has transformed into impatience, and this is a problem with the diagnosis of "Adult ADHD" which now you see should really be called "ADD and/or HD with/or without Impatience".

Some adults are hyperactive but do not show impatience or frustration. Hyperactivity is still hyperactivity, though hyperactive signs such as being fidgety, biting fingernails, tapping one’s pen on a desk frequently during meetings, etc. are not readily thought of as hyperactivity by the general lay person (no one sign alone makes a diagnosis). Impatience with slow persons, elevators, other cars on the road, waiters/waitresses, phone operators, etc. are common in everyone, but can clearly be seen to be part of a disorder when frequent and of some intensity out of proportion with what is logically necessary. It is almost like these persons have a mental “time-contraction” where waiting one second for them is the same as waiting a minute for a normal person.

Strangeness 5:

As alluded to in Strangeness 3, persons with ADHD can have hyperfocus and actually focus very well on a specific topic. The problem is that these persons over-focus or "zone-in" to some topic at the expense of relating to significant others (who may get irritated), and they may not be able to do a normal variety of activities. This can be exemplified by a scientist or academic who has an office full of paper piles, looks scruffy, is scattered and distracted in daily life, but is very knowledgeable about their particular area of expertise, or the teenager that spends hours just writing programing code and putting software up on the internet at the expense of normal social interaction, but lands a great job without even going to college.

Strangeness 6:

Hyperactivity often improves greatly from childhood to adulthood. Adults only rarely have tantrums, push in line, or show aggravation in public. Some do, however, and some show derivatives of hyperactivity they had in childhood: impatience, over-critical of others, irritated over small things, intolerant, road rage, air rage, pushing others, getting red with anger while arguing, etc. Inattention however tends to persist in adulthood; scattered objects in the home, disorganized papers, not following directions, etc. can all be seen in adults as well as in children. In fact, adults may have more trouble because the expectations are higher on them.

Strangeness 7:

What about the medication treatments for ADHD? Again it is not straight forward. First, having strong signs of ADHD does not mean the person will respond to ADHD medication (this is basically true for the medication treatment of any psychiatric disorder). Many persons give up because there is no response without realizing that a trial-and-error of drug doses and drug types, or combinations of types, is necessary in psychiatry. Some persons have side-effects, like headache, feeling too antsy, heart racing, insomnia, etc. Again this doesn’t mean that medications don’t work, it means the dose should be lowered or the drug type changed etc. Many patients make negative or giving-up conclusions about their medication treatment without looking at the treatment as a process that has to unfold.

Medications for ADHD can “clear the clouds” of attention deficit, decrease impatience and fidgetiness and increase focus. Persons can remember what they read and organize their life better. These medications can also cause normal persons to feel revved-up and engage in more activities than they usually do. Normal persons on these medications may also have increased focus and so that response to medications may not clearly confirm that the person had ADHD.

 Strangeness 8:

With all the strangeness noted above we would think it couldn’t get worse. What is a better way to make professional fame and fortune than to create a new diagnosis and of course a treatment system for this diagnosis? The more non-specific the diagnosis the more potential clients one can have. “Sensory Integration Disorder” (SID) is one example of a diagnosis and treatment deriving from ADHD although it is not recognized by mainstream psychiatry. These persons (usually children) are said to have a sensitivity to various stimuli: noises, certain textures on the skin, and they may have distraction and focus problems and/or anxiety, hyperactivity, and oppositional behavior. This sounds like the designers decided to mush a few common symptoms of Autistic, Anxious, and ADHD children (“the three As”) in to one “super diagnosis” that deserves the special (and costly) treatment the designers created, naturally it’s called, “Sensory integration therapy (SIT)”.

The therapy is also non-specific and neither the therapy nor the treatment have been validated (there is no way to double-blind this kind, or any kind of behavioral or psychotherapeutic intervention). Brushing the skin, improving coordination, “desensitizing” the nervous system over years of frequent and expensive treatments are more strangeness. Considering there are none or very few adults with sensory symptoms like this, it is likely that just letting children grow up in a loving environment, giving them a good education, and focused treatment for a clear instance of one of the “three As” if needed, will result in adults with few of these problems. For a closer view of SID and the problems involved please see this link: http://www.quackwatch.org/01QuackeryRelatedTopics/sid.html

Disorders and Treatments

What about “standard” psychiatric disorders and their treatments? Some could argue that maybe they should be thrown out the window, however, this requires a nuanced approach. Some psychiatric diagnoses like depression, ADHD, and schizophrenia have a better validation than others such as personality disorders. See my article in LinkedIn on, “Are Diagnoses Real in Psychiatry” here for the full discussion: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/diagnoses-real-psychiatry-douglas-berger-m-d-ph-d-?trk=pulse_spock-articles

For treatments, psychotherapy (including psychoanalysis, cognitive-behavioral therapy, mindfulness or meditation, etc.) may help persons function better in some ways. However, because psychotherapy research can not be studied in a double-blinded manner, there has never really been a validation of these modalities as being effective in any psychiatric disorder as bias due to hope and expectation in the subjective measurements of psychiatric conditions can not be eliminated (many studies have been done but none are single-blind (=patient blind), or patient and treater blind (=double blind) so that lay person and professions alike are frequently not aware of this huge problem. Masked raters only record the subjective report of the patient and is often mistakenly called single-blind (google “definition of single-blind”).

So while psychotherapy may be helpful for some symptoms in some persons, they are also over-sold as cures for a number of different psychiatric disorders. For medication, although outcome research can be double-blinded, blinding is not always effectively maintained (i.e., persons may sense they have a “drug” in them). For some persons medication treatment seems crucial, but there is also over-selling of medication to persons without a clear need. See my article on the problems in blinding outcome research published in f1000 here: https://f1000research.com/articles/4-638/v2

If your more confused now it is because diagnoses and treatments in psychiatry requires a nuanced understanding: confusing diagnostic terms that cause patients to deny that have the problem specified to them, over-selling and over-marketing of diagnoses and treatments, and unvalidated “me-too” for-profit treatments are springing up all the time. For example, running, juggling, meditation, and Tai Chi, are all valuable activities, but these activities can not be double blinded either so there is really no way to validate these kinds of activities as a treatment. Some of these have even been shown to help brain growth, but then again, most any activity that stimulates the brain will cause neuronal growth, also called “plasticity”. Perhaps you’ve noticed in the few seconds it takes to read these sentences that the only activities noted here amenable to making a profit for a therapist, meditation and to some extent Tai Chi, are actually the ones marketed by therapists. We don’t really need a therapist to run or juggle.

Of course psychiatric disorders do exist in the POPULATION even if the exact definitions and labels used to name these disorders have not really been validated. The problem is that it is harder to pin-down an exact label on an INDIVIDUAL with high accuracy. While the profession clearly needs to do more about educating the public about the problems in the validity of the current psychiatric disorder classification and in the outcome research of the treatment of these conditions, mental health professions fear letting the public and insurance companies know that we have so many uncertainties.

Douglas Berger, M.D., Ph.D. U.S. Board Certified Psychiatrist Tokyo, Japan

For more information about Douglas Berger Psychiatrist Tokyo visit the following website:

http://douglasbergerpsychiatristtokyo.com/