You’re distractable, impulsive, and constantly worried if you’re doing the right things.
But you’re unpredictable, fun, and always trying out new things.
Having ADHD can be a real pain in the butt. Still, it gives you strengths and differences that you probably don’t appreciate.
It’s up to you to learn how to use the good and accept your limitations.
Great Success
People with ADHD can be incredibly good at focusing on what’s important to them, impatient in some ways, and able to multitask really well. They tend to get excited by things which are new and exciting to them and can think of entirely new ideas, innovating.
Michael Phelps, one of the most admired swimmers ever, has ADHD. He used his ability to focus on what matters to him to become the best in the world.
Paris Hilton, celebrity and businesswoman, has ADHD. She has been on medication since a child; her ability to fit the rapidly changing and demanding stereotype of her audience while building a massive business is classic ADHD.
Seth Godin a modern marketing guru, has ADHD. He used his out-the-box thinking to come up with marketing ideas that are ingeniously simple and effective.
I know several executives who have ADHD and they are all extremely interesting people, highly accomplished and fun to work with. The technology business and popular music scene are always evolving, require learning new ideas constantly, and always changing – perfect for people with this condition.
Challenges
But it’s not all good. People with ADHD can find it incredibly hard to finish tasks, to sit through meetings, or plain pay attention. Social relationships can also be a challenge. Friendships may be exciting at first but lose their luster, with your friends feeling unappreciated, or simply not understanding the way you show your care for them.
If you have it, you may only feel fully comfortable in certain environments. You may, for instance, only be able to think about a subject for an extended period of time while doing something totally unrelated, like taking a walk or riding a bus.
And you may have brilliant ideas that, when you actually have to do, turn out to be a lot more boring than you thought. Or when you pursue them, you get bored just as they start becoming successful.
You may even be confused for someone with bipolar because of the many similarities between the two conditions.
Ultimately…
ADHD is so common that it could be argued to be normal. If you have it, then that’s what you have, and you’re different. That doesn’t mean worse or bad, but it does mean that you have to understand your strengths and weaknesses. And don’t downplay your strengths.
If you can’t make it through a long meeting, but can spend hours doing your own thing – that’s great. Think of it like this: the vast majority of people can do what you can’t, which means it isn’t that special. But, because ADHD talents tend to be really esoteric and focused, there is hardly anybody who has the ability to do what comes easily to you.
You also have to realize that you may work in a different way than other people. And you have to take their feelings into consideration as well as realize that what may make perfect sense to you might not to them. Don’t be overly neurotic, of course, but be smart and realize there is a difference and, sadly, it’s up to you (because it’s your life) to bridge the gap.
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What do you love about having ADHD? Or what do you hate?
[...] What Sucks About Having ADHD – and what Rocks [...]
[...] What Sucks About Having ADHD and What Rocks [...]
I notice that I am usually bored with everything. Not too many things excite me or surprise me. I think my tone of voice most times is pretty dull or bored-sounding, tired. If something does happen to excite me, it doesn’t last long. I have occasional episodes of explosive, short-lived anger and am pretty moody most of the time. I experience anxiety symptoms all of the time (some times are worse than other). I have trouble organizing my thoughts without writing them down step by step (for example when thinking of my “to do” list). Have trouble with time management while running those errands or taking care of the tasks on my list throughout the day. I am impulsive; spend too much money when I shouldn’t, when online, skip around from site to site very frequently because I am constantly thinking of new things to research or questions that I have. I am concerned that maybe my ADD is not the cause of my anxiety, rather that my anxiety is the cause of my inability to concentrate. I was, however, diagnosed with ADD-inattentive type. Which bring me to another question: Do I have ADD-Inattentive type, or do I have one of Dr. Amen’s 6 types: ADD-Ovefocused type? I match, and way more accurately, with that type than with the inattentive type. I deal with excessive worrying and stressful thoughts about hypothetical events happening. I think a lot about death, fear of dying, of running out of time to do things with my life. I suffer from guilt most of the time about things I have done, things I am doing, things I’m afraid I will do in the future. However, I never think about suicide and would NEVER hurt myself or anyone else. Only worry about dying and my loved ones dying.
On a brighter note: It is because of these thoughts that I never take my family for granted and always make sure to kiss them goodnight and goodbye. I am as the article says, very good at focusing on things that are important to me, and usually end up being very good at those things which are important to me. Things do come to me a lot easier than others-say in my college algebra class for example. I get the problems the first time while others may be scratching their heads still. I am good at focusing in on little details (like when writing a paper for class-proofreading, editing, spelling, etc.) I am very creative, innovative, and quick witted. I am good at all types of work in school, whether it is more mathematical, scientific, or creative. I can get interested in pretty much any subject for a period of time, but as I stated before, that period never lasts long for many things. I can see or notice things about people before they tell me and sometimes before I have even met them because I notice little things about them by simply paying attention to the details and physical mannerisms about them. Sometimes when chatting online with friends I can tell when something is wrong or what mood they are in even if they try their hardest not to seem upset. I believe I “feel” more, am more open-minded to things than most people because of my ADD and am more optimistic about people and life in general because of it. I am definitely more spiritual and romantic in thinking than most people that I know. I am also good at multitasking most of the time, but I cannot keep my focus on everything I need to and cannot get things done without having to keep going back to them because of switching around.
I forgot to mention the symptoms of Dr. Amen’s “Overfocued ADD” type:
1. Worries excessively
2. Oppositional and Argumentative
3. Locked into negative thoughts, having same thought over and over again
4. Tendency toward compulsive behaviors
5. Holds grudges
6. Trouble shifting attention from subject to subject
(only have this when I’m doing something that is important to me)
7. Difficulty seeing options in situations
8. Holds onto his or her own opinion and wont listen to others.
I have them all. Is it possible that these are under an umbrella of ADD-inattentive type? Does anyone else deal with the experiences I listed in the last post?
You know what SUCKS about ADD? The fact that I can only focus on what SEEMS important to me at the time. So I’m trying to understand my Grandfather’s explanation of how to maintain a healthy portfolio and all I can focus on is how badly I am paying attention. People catch on to that, and they basically avoid speaking to you. I don’t have many friends, and the few I do are contemplate why they remain friends with someone so unappreciative. I have intelligence for days, but it’s the focus that counts.
I myself deal with ADD. I have the anxiety, but overall i find myself to be abnormally neutral. neutral as in unhumanly neutral. im not sure if this has anything to do with ADD, but whenever i think of a subject i cant help but think of the literal opposing opposition. if anything my oppeness seems to fuel my depression (opposing thoughts always contradict my own (logically so, but its negative none the less))
Like Brooke i am bored with almost everything. Every bit of information that passes through my head seems to be put into two categories. The stuff that makes sense and what is abstract to me (ie stuff ‘i wouldnt be able to think of myself’) How it clumps these groups i have no idea but it gives me delusions of grandeur at times it would seem. Even as i type this comment i find myself battling the every increasing blight that is dis-interest. Sucks bro it really does.
The only benefits of ADD in myself ive noticed is an uncanny ability to absolutely kick ass in video games that are manic in nature such as Halflife 2: Deathmatch as well as constantly monitoring the stock market. Alright, now ive completely lost interest. ending post LAWLAWLAWLALWLAWLWLAWLAWLW
NOW, SLIGHTLY EDITED – AGAIN – DAMN ADD! I’M 43, NOT 33.
Sucks and Rocks — I don’t know what could be worse. I was in college for 6 years, changed majors 4 times never finishing any. I am better at nursing, writing, business management and engineering than most who did, so there is a silver lining. Admittedly, the nursing skills were picked up as a Special Forces medic. Nevertheless, the result has been that I have never had a job that paid much more than maybe – double the minimum wage at 33 years of age. However, in my own businesses, I have been able to achieve regular monthly incomes of 30 – $80,000 per month, for 7 years straight until about two years ago. I was sometimes putting in whopping 10 – 15 hour work weeks. There are no jobs that will pay you these amounts unless you invent them. I’ve always been driven by passion for whatever it may have been. The drive fires up without warning but subsides even faster and for little or no reason. The lows can, and have resulted in outright poverty. I am currently storing several hundred thousand dollars of high end furniture, art, clothes and general CRAP that once graced a $2.5M home that was mostly paid for. It came to this after continuing arguments with a wife that generally ended with her threatening to “take [me] to the cleaners” in a divorce. So, I stopped working and blew it all in about a year. She may now leave with what she came with: NOTHING. I’ll be back on my feet within a year and it has been a year already – I hope. Let’s face it — THAT WAS NOT THE BRIGHTEST STRATEGY! I need to find a happy medium – fast! Adderall helps, but for now it all sucks, as the ability to bounce back without too much suffering is contingent on many factors – a decent economy would help immensely. The person who wrote the bit about we can do things no one else can do is so right. I know some ADD’ers. All suffer from unusually high IQ’s. It is a different brand of suffering, so don’t bother looking for sympathy because you won’t find it. You had it, or have it too good and it came far too easy for most to accept. You are surrounded by jealousy, fair-weather friends, leaches, mooches and doubters. Only your parents, your pets (gotta have a cat and a dog to survive the tough times) and maybe a special friend will be there for you. Thank God every day for them and never take them for granted, as they are your greatest gift. GOOD LUCK………..
Glad to see this post managed to capture some of what it’s like to have ADHD! That said, I wonder how the stock markets are doing.
*ahem*
Brooke: Thanks for sharing. As you can imagine, however, we’re probably not the best people to help you figure out which type of ADHD you have. That said, I’m doing a bit of research into the types of ADHD and may be able to get back to you with more info later. =)
ADHD-ski: That really sucks. The best thing to do, in my experience, is find people who think on the same page you do. Join a walking club – or do something that is going to attract ADHD people.
ADHD people can make wonderful friends. Their friendships tend to be very, very strange, sometimes full of swearing (“screw you, man!” “No, screw you!”) and high energy. But fun.
sausagecart: So all you have to do is use your ADHD abilities to monitor the markets to make so much $$ that you can do whatever the heck you want. Heck, you could pay someone to be entertaining for you! :)
betterleftunsaid: That is quite the story. I hope you don’t mind, but I took the liberty of erasing the versions you previously made. Your attitude is right on, but life still sucks when the people you love are different from you and don’t get the way you operate.
I know it’s tough to be different but you have to keep in mind, when you are in the lows, all of the things that make you special and shine. The trick I think is working on keeping yourself grounded when your feeling good. It will make it easier to pick yourself up when your feeling down. You feel more in control and that is important for a person with ADD/ADHD.
Also try being aware of your thoughts and remind yourself to “reroute” the negative ones. Thoughts determine your reality. Negative thought patterns need to be broken. When they are replaced with encouraging and supportive thoughts, you attract better quality people, more opportunites and other positive things in your life.
In that way, our “disability” becomes the thing that makes us “special” and unique. I know its hard when you feel burned just for being you but know that you can gain control and you can capitalize on who you naturally are. Your ADD can be your greatest asset.
Plus, it’s better than being “boring.” That would be the pits.
I was recently diagnosed with ADD. I have always had difficulty paying attention, doing things that I dont feel interested in doing, and understanding complicated things. But I still didnt feel like all of my problems had been fixed. I always worry about things, I am very stubborn, and I can focus for hours on anything that doesnt make me feel stressed. I can talk to friends online or on the phone for hours on end, and i always pride myself in the ability to randomly change the topic and never let the conversation end, but I cant focus on schoolwork for even five minutes. I found this article by accident and reading it, along with Brooke’s comment about characteristics of ADD, I finally feel like i understand whats going on with me. I am starting medication in a few weeks and I am very hopeful that it will solve most of these problems, although I am a bit concerned with losing some of the things that “Rock” about having ADD.
Also, I see alot of people have been commenting about their problems with ADD and I thought I should offer some advice of things that helped me a bit.
First, for anyone who has a Mac, there is a program that you can find by simply googling “Freedom for Mac”. I fount that i often turned to the internet as my main distraction, and freedom allows you to shut off your internet for a pre-set time (you set how many minutes) and you cant turn the program off until either the minutes run out or you restart your computer. Although it wont solve for all of your problems, it certainly helped to some extent.
Second, I bought a big calendar that hangs on my wall and every monday i take 5 minutes to write everything i need to do for the week on the calendar, updating it as the week goes by. I’ll even plot out what days Im going to start any assignment and what days ill work on it, etc. I found it to be more motivating and it helped me get the work done faster.
I hope these help anyone who wants to try them out. Again, its just a minor check, but its certainly better than nothing. I am hopeful that medicine will help me even more.
anonymous:
thanks for sharing, and I’m sorry to hear that you’ve been facing some challenges. It can be amazing to learn that you’re not stupid or a bad person – you just have a neurological condition, like 5% of everyone.
Thanks for sharing your advice on how to stay focused. One of the major ways to succeed with ADHD is to hold yourself accountable, plan ahead, and make yourself meet small deadlines. Break a hard task into 10 small, easy ones that fit into your attention span – and you’ll be good to go.
That said, hopefully medication will help you realize what it’s like to have a more normal attention span!
You might be interested in what will be my latest post: the secret to success with ADHD
As grandma to several ADAH grandkids, these are great articles FOR adults. Now could you please rewrite them for 8 to 10 year olds to understand!