ADHD. Attention Deficit Disorder. Ominous sounding, right? Wrong. I am so sick and tired of society dictating what behavior is the norm, or more specifically, the blunt assumption that anyone different than the standard 9-to-5-er is a threat to humanity in general and should therefore be gagged with hideous little green pills and hung upside down by their thumbs.
Let’s review, shall we? Pay attention now. *snicker* Ahem. Officially, ADHD symptoms include inattentiveness, the tendency to dream or space out a lot, being easily distracted by outside events that others tend to ignore, procrastination, general disorganization and discombobulation, forgetfulness, fidgeting and squirming, talking excessively (guilty as charged, your honor), and other various assorted goodies. ADHD sounds lovely, non? Actually, it is. Here, ladies and gentleman, is where your re-education begins.
Unfortunately for those of us gifted with the double-edged sword of ADD or ADHD, society and the mammals known as human beings tend to be afraid of and isolate those who are different from the general flock of sheep. Baaaaaah. Anyone who tends to go their own way or attempts to be different and question the norm gets labeled as an outcast. I’m not bitter here, these are just facts – Basic human psychology, folks. It’s because people with ADHD question the very fabric of society people are so comfortably blanketed in, and, well, it scares those who do not. So, conveniently for those not blessed with ADHD, they labeled it as a disorder and proceeded to attempt to sedate and/or stuff pills down the throats of people who don’t know better, in the hopes of making them conform – So they don’t threaten their perfect little world.
Now here’s where your re-education comes in. The facts are, in fact, that ADHD is not a disorder. Far from it. ADHD is so much of a gift, you wish you had it. Oh, sorry, there aren’t any little green pills that will magically give you ADD. Bummer. ADHD-ers are actually brilliant – They’re the heros when going gets tough, highly creative problem solvers, have unlimited energy (for those things that catch their interest), are industrious and ambitious, thrive in areas involving thrill, excitement and risk, rebels (with a cause), and make absolutely great leaders when their gifts are properly utilized.
Don’t believe me? Fine. Skepticm acknowledged. Ever hear of a little guy named Thomas Edison? Yes, yes, he invented the light bulb, genius, and yes, he also had ADHD. How about a quirky little fella called Albert Einstein? Yep, ADHD. You want someone more recent? Try George Lucas, P. Diddy and Bono of U2 – All ADHD and all unarguably quite freakin’ brilliant. It’s about time people both realize and acknowledge the fact that ADHD is not a disorder, but a gift.
This is also a perfect opportunity for those individuals with ADHD to realize that they’re blessed, unlike society would lead them to believe. There’s a fantastic new book out there, written by Garret LoPorto, a fellow ADHD-er, that enlightens the brilliance of the ADHD mind (which makes up less than 10% of the world population, mind you). The DaVinci Method (yes, he had it too) educates the world-at-large on the wonders of ADHD and more importantly, teaches you to harness and make use of the incredible gifts that ADHD has to offer. The DaVinci Method can be gotten here. It’s a fantastic read and highly, highly recommended. And as always, my inattentive readers, I’d love to hear any comments, criticisms or snorts, so please, feel free.
I LOVE IT! it’s so true everything you said !!!!I love the line “It’s because people with ADHD question the very fabric of society people are so comfortably blanketed in, and, well, it scares those who do not. So, conveniently for those not blessed with ADHD, they labeled it as a disorder and proceeded to attempt to sedate and/or stuff pills down the throats of people who don’t know better, in the hopes of making them conform – So they don’t threaten their perfect little world.”
Keep fighting the system!!!
We need to educate people!
Right on! I’ll make the T-shirts, you carry the banners, fellow villager.
I’m serious, we gotta do something. I just got fired from my previous job because of my A.D.D. , can i post my poem here?
Agreed. That’s blatant discrimination. And of course you can – post away!
where do I post?
Hey, I posted a new post on my blog, A.D.H.D related, I think you’ll like it!!!
Where can I , do I post it?
The diagnosis of ADHD has nothing to do with being "different than the standard 9-to-5-er." People with an attention disorder also don’t "question the very fabric of society."As for the historical people claimed to have ADHD, being brilliant and productive is not sufficient to diagnose someone.
This is hyperbole and wishful thinking with no facts or actual argument.
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Those are not symptoms that diagnose those with ADHD, they’re simply a proven byproduct of those who have been clinically diagnosed with ADHD.Again, being brilliant and productive are not sufficient on their own, of course. Look at Da Vinci, for example. He wasn’t just brilliant. He was notorious for beginning a multitude of projects, then dropping them when he got bored, a clear hallmark of ADD.
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You can’t diagnose someone through historical record alone.I’ve known people with ADHD who were not brilliant or productive, and in fact had considerable difficulty getting anything done. I’d like to say you’re confusing correlation with causation – which you are – but in this case I’ve never seen any support for the correlation.
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As do I. Most people with ADHD have considerable difficulty getting anything done. Before you summarily dismiss something as hyperbole, I’d suggest you research it thoroughly. I just finished reading The Davinci Method (http://www.davincimethod.com/) – He explains it much better than I ever could.
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He was notorious for beginning a multitude of projects, then dropping them when he got bored, a clear hallmark of ADD.That sounds just like me and I’m quite sure I don’t have ADD or anything similar. A=>B does not imply B=>A and all that.
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No thanks. That looks like a scam self-help book.
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Of course not. I was not indicating that those who drop projects have ADHD, I was simply indicating that it has been proven as a feature, if you will, in those who have been clinically diagnosed with ADHD.
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Scott_s, I’m not sure how you can summarily dismiss something based on handful of people you know, without any real knowledge. If you don’t want to check out the book, don’t. There’s plenty of the same info online. And the purpose of the entire article was just to point out that those who call ADHD a disorder is completely incorrect. And your argument is based on…your friends?
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First off, I love the google ads on this page. Kinda reinforces the point
Secondly, the one line here that stands out for me the most is in parens.
“(for those things that catch their interest)”
Having, I’m sure, some form of ADD or ADHD, I can honestly say you have about 2.5 – 4.3 seconds to catch my attention before all hope if lost.
The reason ADD / ADHD kids get put on meds is because their interests don’t align with what their parents had in mind for them. More often then not if little Jimmy doesn’t wana play baseball, it’s because theres something wrong with him. _NOT_TRUE_ … Jimmy would just rather be doing something else, except it. Nurture it. Don’t dumb him *down*, lift him *up* and help him reach his goals. Show him what it’s like to be helpful, and you’ll create a helpful person.
Hey Chris,
I completely agree. And having some form of ADHD myself as well, I’ll attempt to keep this response somewhat under the 4.3 second range or thereabouts.
Precisely! Parents (and society in general) tend to view anyone “different” as having something wrong with them, and therefore having to be “fixed”. I believe this comes both from fear, the media and a lack of education on the subject. And you’re right, meds don’t help the matter much, they just create a semi-stifled frustrated person. I believe a re-education for parents is in order.
Thanks for your response.
I’m dismissing what you’ve said based on my understanding of psychology. My anecdote was to demonstrate the existence of someone who does not adhere to your trend.If you’re going to claim ADHD is not a disorder, you need to make actual arguments. Analogies and gesturing at, but not citing, resources is not the same.
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I don’t claim to be an expert in psychology. What I’m suggesting here is not a theory of my own invention and has been cited numerous times by countless experts in the field.My claim that ADHD is not a disorder is based upon:
1 – The fact that I have it.
2 – Psychological and scientific proof. See the book that I "cited" and others, such as The Gift of ADD for specifics. There’s lots of of delightful information about the construction of the brain I’m sure would intrigue you.
3 – Simply psychology. People are afraid of those different and tend to classify them as rejects or somehow lacking. They attempt to make those that are different "fit" in a society tailor-made for people exactly not like them. People are afraid of things they don’t understand.
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