2 minute read Mental
To quote Plato, “to know thyself is the beginning of understanding”. As one who has lived with ADD I needed to acquire an understanding of the behaviours, traits, patterns of thinking I was experiencing as they were markedly different than those around me. This did not become apparent until my first year in school and it became abundantly clear that I did not functionally engage with school work as my classmates did. School subjects – the normal fare of the classroom rarely captured my attention and if they did I soon found my mind meandering off on some far more engaging imaginary venture. These reveries, though captivating for me, did not serve me well when it came to meeting the performance standards set by my teachers. My disttractible nature came at the cost of unfinished school assignments and I was soon falling way behind. The eventual fallout manifested in my year end report stating that I would be repeating first grade, much to the chagrin of my mother and to me.
This experience set the stage for subsequent years but did never the less serve as a wakeup call. In the years that followed I would dutifully engage with the school work, but only enough to get it done or what was absolutely necessary to pass. Grades were based on a percentile and 60% was required to pass the year and I inevitably got 60, 61 or 62%. This practice of brinkmanship served me well until I got into grade nine, the first year of high school. The work load increased substantially, something I was ill prepared for and my “just get by” approach fell short of the critical passing mark and I again had to repeat another grade.
This was devastating from a self esteem standpoint, but by this time I was beginning to sense some inner strengths and talents helping to boost the otherwise grim perspective I had about my academic capabilities. I again upped my game and squeaked by the rest of my high school years. Additionally, I now had some choice in what subjects I was taking which served to peak my interests to some degree.
It wasn’t until my late teens and early twenties that I began to acquire an understanding of the “condition” I had. I could readily relate to the negative labels commonly associated with ADD;
Inattention
Impulsiveness
Get distracted easily
Difficult time focusing on one thing at a time
A tendency to procrastinate
Get impatient easily
Lose track of time and have trouble with time management
Often misplace or have difficulty finding things
Act before thinking
Frequent racing thoughts
Get bored easily
Tend to make careless mistakes when working on a tedious task
Take risks frequently
Have difficulty starting or finishing a project
Tend to be disorganized
ADD and ADHD are often identified as a “disorder” or “disability” given the preponderance of negative characteristics associated with it. This, however is a misnomer as there are also some notable positive traits connected as well;
Vivid imagination
Heightened sensitivity to external stimuli
Extra sensory capacity for spiritual awareness
Creative thinking capacity
Able to delve into elements at a deep level
Persistent, tenacious, do not easily give up
Imaginative
Enthusiastic, passionate
Highly productive when something engages them
Good at ideas
Work well with a deadline
Big hearted
These are the;
- Innovators
- Explorers
- Inventors
- Risk takers
- Visionaries
It was learning to manage this trait by capitalizing on the strengths that ultimately made the difference. To a large degree it is about moving towards consistency and finding a creative outlet. Being with the right person who understands you also really helps.
Doctor Edward Hallowell, likely the foremost authority on ADD suggests from a career perspective to draw three circles. In the first write what you really like to do. In the second circle list what you are good at doing. In the third, list what someone will pay you to do. Where these three circles intersect is likely what you should do.
Further, he said “Find your feel and make it real. Do what works for you. You need to find a creative outlet.” I was fortunate in finding a creative outlet shortly after graduating and though I still struggle with ADD I have found my niche and to quote Robert Frost “I took the road less travelled by and it has made all the difference.”
Comments