Affluenza and its implications

I’m about to say some statements that are pretty heated. I believe that most mild learning disabilities and anxiety disorders can be largely classified as an illness known as “affluenza”. And no, I’m not one of those people who has it easy and thinks, “ those people could buck up and lift themselves out of the gutter’. I’m one of those people who had to lift myself out of the gutter ( r at least tried to). As a child, I was classified as learning disabled. Yet, besides my inability to hold back tears and use scissors, it was difficult to discern what my disability actually was. In school, I was largely an anomaly. I had a 130+ IQ yet I was in self contained classes in elementary school. In middle school and high school, I was on the high honor roll, in all honors and AP classes, on varsity teams, yet I was receiving resource room (during that period I simply got a head start on the homework). I was allotted extra time on tests, which only caused resentment and taunting from my peers. One wonderful girl stated, “you wouldn’t be getting these grades if you didn’t have extra time you probably would be failing”. This remark has left me scarred. In college, I didn’t take advantage of any services and graduated Phi Beta Kappa It’s been nearly 20 years since I graduated high school. Since high school. I have been prescribed anti anxiety and anti depressants, which have only caused me to go into a fog, lose my creativity, and gain weight (which thankfully I have managed to take off due to my naturally hyper active state that I lost hold of when on the meds).

After these experiences, I’ve determined that there are plenty of people who will experience some difficulties and challenges. But these obstacles aren’t enough to warrant classifying them, giving them special considerations, and making it easier for them. These extra entitlements simply cause people to believe that they are entitled and can get away with bullsh*t. These compensatory techniques only breed obsessiveness and a sense of entitlement. These aren’t traits that lead to success in the real world. In the real world, you can’t ask your boss for an extension on a work assignment. You can’t ask your supervisor to modify a task. You can’t always take an hour off of work because you are having an anxiety attack. You’ve simply got to either figure out a way to do the work or find a different job. Folks, we can figure out ways to beat our challenges. You can beat seasonal depression by getting extra sunlight and taking photos of beautiful stuff around you. You can learn to do your job by watching others and modeling them. You can conquer adversity with determination and thoughtful planning.