Can ADHD be a gift?

Emory University psychologist Ann Abramowitz, PhD, doesn't see ADHD as a gift. She says the very diagnosis means a child is having problems. "If a child has ADHD symptoms but is not impaired, we don't diagnose ADHD.”

Is ADHD a curse or blessing?

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder is usually thought of as a negative — something that needs to be fixed, or at least mitigated. Mark Patey has a different perspective.

What are the gifts of having ADHD?

What is “The Gift of ADHD”? People of all ages who have the diagnosis of ADHD can reliably be observed to share a set of gifts including creativity, exuberance, emotional expressiveness, interpersonal intuition, ecological consciousness and leadership.

Is ADHD an evolutionary gift?

We suggest that, from an evolutionary point of view, ADHD symptoms might be understood to result from an 'evolutionary mismatch', in which current environmental demands do not fit with what evolution has prepared us to cope with.

Can ADD be a gift?

If you suspect a personal diagnosis of ADD or ADHD, what if you could view that diagnosis as a gift, rather than a curse? Come again? Yes, a gift, given that you can't change the diagnosis or the symptoms.

Dr Ned Hallowell on Unwrapping the Gifts of the ADHD Brain

Is ADHD a disability or gift?

Whether ADHD is a gift or a disability depends on the severity of the ADHD symptoms and how the person experiences his or her symptoms. It also depends on opportunities and environment. Someone with ADHD who thrives in school will have a very different experience than an ADHDer who finds school to be unbearably boring.

Are people with ADHD laid back?

Some people with ADHD are very hyperactive (they move around a lot and are not able to sit still) and have behavior problems that are obvious to everyone. Other people with ADHD are quiet and more laid back on the outside, but on the inside struggle with attention to schoolwork and other tasks.

Why are ADHD creative?

ADHD and creative thinking

Take impulsivity, one of the main symptoms of ADHD. The studies suggest it might lead people to have more original ideas. That's because people with ADHD often lack inner inhibition. This means they have trouble holding back when they want to say or do something.

How did ADHD start?

In 1798, a Scottish doctor, Sir Alexander Crichton, noticed some people were easily distracted and unable to focus on their activities the way others could. He reported that these symptoms began early in life. That's consistent with what we now call attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

Does ADHD have a purpose?

In essence, the traits associated with ADHD likely help more with enhancing hunter-gatherer skills than those of a settler. Up until about 10,000 years ago, with the advent of agriculture, all human beings had to hunt and gather food in order to survive.

Why is ADHD good?

Living with ADHD may give the person a different perspective on life and encourage them to approach tasks and situations with a thoughtful eye. As a result, some with ADHD may be inventive thinkers. Other words to describe them may be original, artistic, and creative. Being hyperfocused.

Can ADHD drive?

While additional years of experience can help to improve driving habits, adults with ADHD must constantly be aware of how symptoms can affect their driving. Adults with ADHD tend to be at greater risk for having accidents, receiving traffic tickets, and driving without a license or on a suspended license.

How does ADHD affect self esteem?

Several studies find that as children with ADHD grow into adults, their self-esteem tends to drop over time because of mounting criticism and challenging life experiences. In severe cases, Chronis-Tuscano says, low self-esteem can make depression and suicide more likely.

Why Is ADHD a superpower?

Are ADHD Superpowers Real? There's been a lot of focus on the harmful symptoms of ADHD. Although there's less research on ADHD superpowers, people with ADHD report that they are more energetic, creative, courageous, and resilient than people without the condition.

What jobs do most people with ADHD have?

Is ADHD Right Brain Dominant?

Most of the previous studies suggested that individuals with ADHD have a right hemisphere deficit; consequently, we hypothesize that a higher level of ADHD symptoms is related to a slower right hemisphere processing of perceptual information as indicated by a smaller size of LVF advantage, especially in the shape ...

Is ADHD caused by trauma?

Many people think that ADHD is a result of trauma, but is it true? The answer is yes, but more for some people than others. The truth is that 90% of the time ADHD is not caused by trauma, but if the trauma is extreme enough, it can cause severe ADHD-like symptoms.

What are the 3 main symptoms of ADHD?

What are the 9 symptoms of ADHD?

Are adults with ADHD intelligent?

In one study , researchers showed that there is no connection between ADHD and lower IQ. In fact, the study showed that there is no correlation between IQ and ADHD at all. Another study examined cognitive impairment differences between people with high IQs who did or did not have ADHD.

Do people with ADHD have good ideas?

Previous research has established that individuals with ADHD are exceptionally good at divergent thinking tasks, such as inventing creative new uses for everyday objects, and brainstorming new features for an innovative cell phone device.

Does ADHD make you messy?

People with ADHD don't only make messes. They often walk away from them. For example, they may constantly leave the top off the toothpaste or forget to flush the toilet despite being told many times. One reason that happens is trouble with working memory.

What ADHD feels like?

The symptoms include an inability to focus, being easily distracted, hyperactivity, poor organization skills, and impulsiveness. Not everyone who has ADHD has all these symptoms. They vary from person to person and tend to change with age.

Are people with ADHD clumsy?

Children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) do not only display hyperactive motor behaviour, but half of them are also clumsy when executing motor skills.

Is ADHD on the autism spectrum?

Autism spectrum disorder and ADHD are related in several ways. ADHD is not on the autism spectrum, but they have some of the same symptoms. And having one of these conditions increases the chances of having the other. Experts have changed the way they think about how autism and ADHD are related.