In November 1997 I was diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and Depression. This was not much of a surprise to those who knew me well, especially my family and close friends who had lived with my chaotic behavior for 27
years. There are many different theories and ideas about what causes ADHD and how it works on the mind of the person who has it, what we do know is that it tends to run in families, and that there seems to be more of it in places like the U.S. Canada, and Australia (places where large groups of "nonconformists" immigrated to). The idea that seems to make the most sense is that there is a decreased neurotransmitter activity in the frontal lobe of a person having ADHD creating behavior patterns that are difficult to deal with whether you are the person who has it, or the person who lives around someone with it. Some general behaviors associated with ADHD are:
People with ADHD are often very bright and creative
An inability to sustain focus on one thing for long, or a tendancy to focus on one thing so intently that they do not notice anything else
Often starts projects and doesn't finish them-they're already off onto another project
Often very disorganized- makes messes and doesn't clean them up, or leaves little "piles" everywhere (often for someone else to deal with)
Often very intuitive- able to find quick solutions to problems, but often can't explain how they got the answer
Intense "bursts" of energy followed by lulls of activity
Difficulty sitting still in structured environments for long- fidgets, drums fingers, taps shoes on floor
Very sensitive to their immediate environment- easily distracted
Often has chronic forgetfulness
Has great difficulty sustaining interest levels when bored
Extremely persistent- stubborn and loyal to a fault
Often lives for the moment- has difficulty in long term situations
Difficulty following a chain of command- trouble with rules and authority
Often can see the "big picture," but has trouble with the fine details.
Difficulty keeping track of time correctly
Often master procrastinators
Often very quick and intense mood swings- can be irrationally angry one moment and perfectly calm the next
Trouble with step-by-step instructions- has difficulty with general to specific (deductive) logic as oppose to specific to general (inductive) logic
High levels of frustration at not being able to compete simple tasks
Impulsive- acts or speaks without thinking
Difficulty in social settings- often misses important verbal and non-verbal cues
Able to react quickly in intense situations: normally good in emergencies
Attracted to "risk taking behaviors" such as drugs, unprotected sex, speed, and other dangerous activities
It is important to not that most people have some
of these traits from time-to-time people with ADHD never get relief from them.Unless they learn to cope with their brain chemistry or take medication, they often spend their lives hearing the same things from parents, teachers, friends, and loved ones:
"You're just lazy!"
"When are you going to live up to your potential?"
"Pay attention when I'm talking to you!"
"Why don't you just do as your told?!"
"When are you going to act responsibly?!"
"Think before you go off and do something foolish!"
"Stop making excuses and buckle down!"
"Work harder at it and you'll do fine!"
"Why don't you get organized?"
"You're old enough to do what you're supposed to do without being told!"
"When are you going to grow up and act like an adult?"
After years of hearing these words, I felt worthless, inept, and stupid about everything I did. I was often frustrated and openly defiant of people in authority because both they (and I) assumed the worst about me. I was a constant target of ridicule by my peers and I would give up trying things because I was sure I was going to fail. Elementary and middle school were exercises in futility for me. I was often sitting on my own in the back of the room or being yelled out for being out of my seat. I made impulsive decisions and then got myself in trouble for "going off half cocked." By the time I was in high school, I was into drinking, sex, drugs and other high-risk behaviors that kept me on the edge all the time. The booze and the drugs helped me quiet the "noise" in my head that often drowned out my thoughts, even if only for a little while. I graduated high school with a 1.8 GPA, and since I had no direction or future, I enlisted in the U.S. Navy. The structured environment of the Navy was a blessing and a curse for me. I had trouble following orders, but I desperately needed the structure. I got into trouble on several occasions, but not quite enough to get me busted. I did lose a promotion because a superior didn't think I deserved it. In college I found myself in big trouble because all of the sudden, nobody was telling me when to get up, when to go to where I needed to be, even when to fill out necessary paperwork. I nearly fell apart in college but I did manage to graduate with a teaching degree and get accepted to grad school. Graduate school was an entirely different ball of wax. After my first summer of classes, my grades plummeted. In grad school its practically a SIN to get anything less than a "B" but I managed to get 3 "C"s 2 "D"s and 2 "F"s. I simply could not hold everything together. Within a year of graduate school, I was hired to teach computers at a nearby high school. I found myself in a veritable nightmare of disorganization and confusion. I have spent much of my first year learning how to conform to what the district wanted me to do and be. I've been spoken with a few times about inappropriate remarks and my general demenor, and I've had other minor problems learning to get along. However, with proper medication and counseling, I have made incredible progress. I love being a school teacher! Recognizing my problem and doing everything within my power to correct it every single day has made all the difference in my life. What a long strange trip it has been so far, and the adventure continues...
I know there are those who believe ADHD is a myth, that it is an "excuse" for some people to behave inappropriately. ADHD is an explaination, not an excuse. ADHD explains and describes why I and others like me have trouble conforming to the "norms" of society. Some people believe that people who have ADHD should be able to correct the problem themselves by just working harder and not acting lazy all the time. ADHD is REAL, it exists. It is not an excuse for bad parenting, in fact, many parents of children who have ADHD discover they too have it. People who believe ADHD is a hoax are often people who have never had any experience with it, or they simply cannot accept it because ADHD seems too convenient of an excuse. ADHD is difficult to diagnose, hard to prove, and is different both in severity and variety of symptoms. Add to this the fact that most people show some of the symptoms occasionally, but don't actually have ADHD. The sad fact is that ADHD is no myth and these naysayers often make our lives more miserable by insisting our problems are imaginary excuses.
I do know people who use their ADHD as an excuse to stay screwed up rather than finding a way to turn it around. I ask them the same question I ask myself in the mirror every day:
"Ok, you've got ADHD, big deal. What are you going to DO about it?" Remember, ADHD is an explaination, not an excuse. ADHD can be turned around and become an extremely positive force in life. I wouldn't trade my ADHD for any amount of money. It confers on me gifts that most people would never imagine possible. People like Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Carlyle, Thomas Edison, and Albert Einstein who changed the world forever with their ideas, these are some people thought to have had ADHD.
ADHD LINKS
The following links are about ADHD. I haven't checked them lately, so if you find a dead one,
Mail me and I'll check it. I also included information on Individuals with Disabilities Education Act(IDEA), and Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Look at these sites with a grain of salt, some of them are better than others. Some sites call it ADD, some call it ADHD, but its the same thing in reality. PLEASE NOTE: I assume no responsibility for the content contained in these links!
