I'm aware that I'm less than some people prefer me to be, but most people are unaware that I'm so much more than what they see.
I'm ADHD, a condition
characterized by behavioral problems including inattentiveness, hyperactivity
and impulsiveness. In spite of what some people might believe, ADHD (or ADD) is
real and it can have negative repercussions in one’s life. Don’t minimize its
significance and impact. We certainly have a lot to learn and spread awareness
(especially in a country like India) about this disorder and what it really
implies. Yet, just because we don't fully understand something, doesn't mean we
can deny its existence.
Also, there is a stigma attached
to the word “disorder.” People assume that it means something is unbalanced or
dysfunctional. In a sense, that is what it means, but that should not be
interpreted as an implication that something is unnatural. Our inherent
imperfections are what make us both human and unique. Not to mention, something
is only “dysfunctional” when the system refuses to accommodate it. If people
understood ADHD better, then it wouldn't be viewed as such a debilitating
ailment or something to be cured. I've ADHD for as long as I remember and it’s
no fun!
A lot of stuff never made sense to
me before I actually discovered this “explorer gene”.
Normal people have a sort of
mental secretary that takes most of the irrelevant crap that crosses their
mind, and simply deletes it before they become consciously aware of it. As such
their mental workspace is like a huge clean whiteboard ready to hold and
organize information.
ADHD people have no such luxury.
Every single thing that comes in the front gets written directly in bold,
underlined red letters no matter what has to be erased in order for it to fit.
It has a significant social impact
on one's life, causing disruption at school, work, home and in relationships.
It's kind of like your brain is moving at a different pace than the rest of
world, like having a Ferrari brain but with chevy brakes. You become a mess of
your own thoughts. It’s like driving in the rain with faulty windshield
wipers. Moments of clarity along with lots of blur.
Having a normal conversation can
be a serious challenge. I have to struggle to stay in the moment when talking
to someone, paying attention or waiting, and the whole experience is so tiring
that I find myself avoiding situations that will involve a lot of social
interactions or detail. It's hard to collaborate with anyone and to be
in tune with someone else.
Doing mundane things can also be
incredibly difficult. When a task isn't sufficiently stimulating and you lack
the focus to address it, it ends up becoming an unmanageable source of anxiety.
This could be little things like making a phone call or checking your email.
Your style of thinking is nonlinear and you have to parse things non-linearly
which makes it difficult to follow the mental preferences of other people.
Unless something is super-exciting or addicting, it takes an immense amount of
activation energy in order to do anything at all.
Although ADHD doesn’t cause
learning disabilities but people with ADHD are more likely to have
complications like OCD, Bipolarity, Anxiety disorders, Depression etc.
Obviously, it presents a huge issue. This is why the experience of being ADHD
can be so isolating and why many adults mistake it for depression or something
other.
The ADHD tendency to hyperfocus
can, in some situations, be a really good thing. The same mechanism that makes
you obsess over a hobby can also make obsess over a hard problem until a
solution seems to come to you out of nowhere. Unfortunately, thinking about
problems isn't all society asks of you. You have to manage relationships, take
care of your body, pay bills and juggle a hundred other things, which can all
be very hard when your brain makes you miserable every second you're not doing
that thing you are supposed to and can't stop thinking about.
To put it simply, ADHDers are
wired differently and they experience persistent symptoms and functional
impairments which varies at each stage of life, depending upon its severity. It
affects not only the lives of the patients themselves, but also their families
and carers. It deteriorates the overall quality of life.
However there is a brighter side
to ADHD. It’s worth noting that some of the trait’s most common characteristics
– creativity, multi-tasking, risk-taking, high energy and even resilience– are,
in fact, strengths when leveraged in the right way and in the right career. Of
course in our over-diagnosed, over-medicated culture, we choose to only focus
on the negative aspects of ADHD, which include procrastination, inability to
concentrate, forgetfulness, disorganization and easily distracted. One easy way
to think about ADHD is having a low boredom threshold. Those with the trait
become frustrated with routine, whether that includes sitting in a
classroom for eight hours a day, or spending time chained to a desk at the
office performing routine tasks. But there is so much more to this trait that
can be leveraged to an advantage.
ADHDers are often
at their best in crisis mode, multi-tasking and free associating to
intuitively reach a solution. And if they find something they truly love to do,
they are able to focus for hours on end.
ADHD is the price paid for creativity.
ADHD are innately creative and
entrepreneurial. Daydreaming can lead to some pretty monumental ideas.
Entrepreneurship fits perfectly with the ADHDer’s need for stimulation and a
willingness to take risks. Individuals with ADHD possess innate energy, grit,
creativity, originality, insight and interpersonal skills. And these are
the ingredients of entrepreneurship.
I think it's often served as a source of strength for me. In spite of the lifelong malady that is ADHD, people affected by it can thrive. ADHD may allow you to thrive as an entrepreneur. Embrace it, and leverage your condition to achieve success.
All in all, having ADHD makes life
paradoxical. You can superfocus sometimes, but also space out when you least
mean to. You can radiate confidence and also feel as insecure, can perform at
the highest level but feeling incompetent as you do so. You can be loved by so
many, but feel as no one really likes you. You can absolutely intend to do
something, then forget to do it. You can have the greatest ideas but feel as if
you can’t accomplish a thing.
But, India is a terrible place to
have ADHD. Citing ADD/ADHD for reason of underperformance and underachievement
is laughed at. More because it is still unheard of, and people are not aware.
People with ADHD/ADD go their entire lives being told they are lazy,
unorganized etc. Even psychiatrists in India are skeptical about the validity
of this disorder. If you have ADD, it’s your damn problem. You might be
considered dull and be even forced to push on.
ADHD is not a new thing. There
always has been people in past who were ADHD but these people never had to sit
7-8 hours in school or office. They were thinkers, philosophers, writers
working on their own terms and was always in control of their work environment.
But in modern world ADHD is a big curse. Only way out is to find a work
environment where you are in control.
By the way as per research
conducted wrt ADD/ADHD, the people with ADD/ADHD are generally more intelligent
than their counter parts (Not a rule of thumb though). It is just that they
need to find something that really interests them before the actual flow starts
to kick in.
So, never sell yourself short
because of ADHD, be proud and use the abilities ADHD gives you. It's not a
disability; It's a different ability.
People should think before they judge. ADHD is not a choice, learned behavior, temper tantrum, a willpower issue or an inability to willingly control oneself. It is a medical condition, chemical imbalance, a big deal to those who suffer with it, a fight to fit in, a struggle to develop relationships, deathmatch to maintain focus, a war to maintain brain and body, a REAL thing!
Please educate before you conversate.
It's hard and its real. There’s a
reason we are, the way we are.
(c) 2016 Doyen Corporations
