#nonadoptee

[adopteesarevalid]

Shoutout to any asian person who were ever made to feel that their experiences with racism weren’t valid, “not really racist”, “not real problems”, unimportant in the ‘black and white’ world! I see you and you are important!

[aerialklove]

Non-Adoptees: An Adoptee Perspective

I grew up with one other adoptee in my house which is my twin brother. However we had very different views on our adoption. I now have five adoptee friends ( and all of you :) . When I was younger, I didn’t have any so talking about adoption was out of the question. It was very taboo in my house as well.

When I speak to non-adoptees who are interested in hearing my story I get these two reactions:

 1. “ That is so interesting. Your parents are so special for taking in you and your brother. I hope you are grateful for them and for being raised in a good, loving family.

2. “ Have you found your birth family? Why would you want to look for them? They are the reason you were adopted.....etc.”

3. Extra one from my non-adopted younger siblings: “ You have us and that should be good enough. ( basically)

So you can imagine how much I want and don’t want to talk about my story.

Non-Adoptees make up the outside part (respectively) of the Adoption Triad. Think of the adoption triad triangle <| in a circle. A big circle. That is non-adoptees. My social workers may have been non-adoptees, my birth mother was not adopted neither was my mom. The judge on my case probably was not either. So non-adoptees do influence adoption in a big way.

Trying to tell or convince  a non-adoptee that my story is a part of who I am has been the hardest part of my journey. Telling someone that adoption, as beautiful as it can be, is traumatic, is grief stricken, is loss, is identity crisis, is anger, is sadness, is troubled feelings, is a whirlwind, is something that I probably will not do myself if I can’t have kids... makes me exhausted.

People should just get it or actually listen. That would work out for me.  Hearing my mom talk about my younger siblings birth stories hurt my heart because I feel left out. Then when I tried to tell a story that I heard about my birth ( how I was Baby B but was born first through C-section) they really didn't listen.

I give non-adoptees the benefit of the doubt though. They don’t know because they haven't experienced these things. I just hope that there will be space created to tell our stories.

[ouridentityarchive]

Nonadoptees, what are ways you advocate for adoptees? • Adoptees, we must acknowledge our own stories and continue to take each day at a time. We deserve happiness.

[glorioustidalwavedefendor]

The Mental Health of US Adolescents Adopted in Infancy

Adoptees scored only moderately higher than nonadoptees on quantitative measures of mental health. Nevertheless, being adopted approximately doubled the odds of having contact with a mental health professional (odds ratio [OR], 2.05; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.48-2.84) and of having a disruptive behavior disorder (OR, 2.34; 95% CI, 1.72-3.19). Relative to international adoptees, domestic adoptees had higher odds of having an externalizing disorder (OR, 2.60; 95% CI, 1.67-4.04).

https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapediatrics/fullarticle/379446

[finne2-blog]

Assignment 1

Chosen Data Set: U.S. National Epidemiological Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions (NESARC)

Research Question:  Are children raised by foster parents more likely to be associated with earlier  drug experimentation than children raised by adoptive parents?

Hypothesis:  Children raised by foster parents are more likely to be associated with earlier drug experimentation.

Literature Review:

Search terms:  “Foster Care and Substance Abuse” and “Adoption and Substance Abuse”  and “Adoption and Drug Use”

    A child’s status as being raised by an adoptive parent or a foster care parent versus those children who have not has been shown to be associated with and increased prevalence of lifetime substance abuse (Yoon et, al., 2012; Blome et al., 2009, National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 2005). Overall, adoptees have been determine to have a 1.87-fold increase (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 1.87, 95% CI 1.51–2.31) in the odds of any lifetime SUD compared to nonadoptees (Yoon et. al., 2012).  Interviews with 320 adolescents in foster care found approximately 40% used alcohol, 35% reported marijuana use, and 25% described using both in the prior six months (Thompson & Auslander, 2007). It is though that children living with adoptive parents versus foster care have more stability.  Children in foster care are typically there for a short time and usually return to their families.  However, longer stays and multiple placements are also possible and these have been found to be related to negative developmental outcomes (Shin, 2004).  In comparison, adoption is associated with many positive aspects.  Placement with and adoptive family most likely results in better childhood experiences, healthcare, family stability, and family relationships

 Blome W, Shields J, Verdieck M. The Association Between Foster Care and Substance Abuse Risk Factors and Treatment Outcomes: An Exploratory Secondary Analysis. Journal Of Child & Adolescent Substance Abuse [serial online]. July 2009;18(3):257-273. Available from: Education Research Complete, Ipswich, MA. Accessed April 1, 2018.

Dube, S., Felitti, V., Dong, M., Chapman, D., Giles, W., & Anda, R. (2003) Childhood abuse, neglect and household dysfunction and the risk of illicit drug use: The adverse childhood experiences study. Pediatrics, 111(3), 564-572.

Hawkins, J. David,Catalano, Richard F.,Miller, Janet Y. Risk and protective factors for alcohol and other drug problems in adolescence and early adulthood: Implications for substance abuse prevention. Psychological Bulletin, Vol 112(1), Jul 1992, 64-105

 Langbehn DR, Cadoret RJ, Caspers K, Troughton EP, Yucuis R (2003) Genetic and environmental risk factors for the onset of drug use and problems in adoptees. Drug Alcohol Depend 69: 151–167.

National Survey on Drug Use and Healt. (2005). Substance use and need for treatment among youths who have been in foster care- February 18, 2005. Washington, DC: SAMHSA.

Thompson, R., & Auslander, W.  (2007). Risk factors for alcohol and marijuana use among adolescents in foster care. Journal of Substance Abust Treatment, 32, 61-69.

 Westermeyer J, Bennett L, Thuras P, Yoon G (2007) Substance use disorder among adoptees: a clinical comparative study. Am J Drug Alcohol Abuse 33: 455–466

Yoon G, Westermeyer J, Warwick M, Kuskowski MA (2012) Substance Use Disorders and Adoption: Findings from a National Sample. PLoS ONE 7(11): e49655. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0049655

[adopteesarevalid]

I just found this pie graph in a hollywood diversity report and I haven’t had the chance to read it all but I think this is very telling lol