Attention Deficit Disorder

WHAT IS ADD? DIAGNOSING ADD WHAT ADD Is NOT WHAT'S IN A NAME? HOW THE ADD MIND WORKS RESULTS OF ANALOG VS. DIGITAL THINKING TYPES OF ADD

WHAT ADD IS NOT

I've been hearing and reading so much lately about ADD as an "excuse" that I want to start by saying, "ADD is not an excuse." It is a fact that ADD exists. Much of the way you see and react to the world depends on your ADD. That is just the way you are made.
It's kind of like being dealt a hand of cards. That's what you have to work with.

ADD is an explanation-not an excuse. You get to use your assets as well as com¬pensate for your vulnerabilities in the game oflife. That's true whether or not you are ADD.

ADD does not mean you're crazy, inadequate, or in any way inferior to anyone else. You are only different, just as someone who is not ADD is different from you.

You are not stupid. In fact, people who are ADD are often much brighter than they are initially able to demonstrate in the formal educational environ¬ment. Your intelligence may show itself in ways other than making top grades in school.

The current tragedy in relation to ADD is that some educators and clinicians immediately label ADD and seek medication, creating a problem where one need not exist. Further misguided training to help the person become something he is not begins. That pulls the person farther off track. Trying to teach a fish to fly, rather than returning it to the water where it can learn to swim effectively is too often the solution sought by people who think their way of being is the way.

And all too often, the secondary problems associated with being ADD go unrecognized for what they are. If you are that fish who had been sent to flying school-the one who lost connection with your sense of self or opposed what was happening to you-you are in danger of developing behaviors that hurt you or that others think are a natural part of you. These include depression, opposition¬al/defiant behavior, anxiety, low self-esteem, and self-medicating behavior (such as substance abuse). These are common problems for people who are ADD, brought about by the frustration and anger that comes from being forced to fit into a system that just doesn't fit the needs or natural desires of someone who is ADD.

How sad! None of these reactions need happen. They are a result of mistreat¬ment in an environment that doesn't fit. No more, no less.

Your job, though, is to believe in yourself and do two things. First, acknowl¬edge, respect, and pursue your own innate interests and talents, taking responsi¬bility for seeing that you share them with the world at large. This may mean making your living by those talents or it may mean enjoying them in addition to the work that provides you with the income you need to live a responsible life.

Your second obligation is to learn about the society you live in: the expecta¬tions, attitudes, beliefs, and rules. You don't need to agree with them. You don't need to respect all of them. But you do need to understand them and find ways to play the game.

Our culture is probably not going to meet you halfway, understanding your needs and reaching out to make things more equitable for you. You are the one who is going to have to reach beyond the midpoint in order to give others, who don't understand your talents and needs, what they think is appropriate. But you know the difference. Always be aware of the compromises you are making and why. That will save your neck and allow you to have a maximum amount of power in a situation that, though it doesn't fit for you, is the majority's way of doing things. Then you will gain in power yourself and can make your contribu¬tion to change cultural standards such as the educational system, legal system, or popular attitudes.