Yes there are things that people with
ADHD have a more difficult time doing than others. And no this isn't one of those "don't call me disabled" posts. This is actually a "people with ADHD will rule the World" post.
:)
Every individual example I use here is applicable to everyone at some level. Everyone reading this will say "I have that" or "I do that." Yet not everything I point out will apply to everyone with ADHD. Collectively the examples I'll use here, strengths and weaknesses, are most often found among people with ADHD.
Why ADHD is seen as a disability.
There are times, no matter how hard I try, that I cannot pay attention to a task. This goes beyond the usual *having a hard time paying attention*. I mean physically NO WAY to keep your mind on track. The science behind this (as I understand it) is there is not enough serotonin level to enable the synapses to relay messages to each other. No amount of effort helps. This is especially bad when I don't take my Ritalin. I also notice it when I don't eat enough carbs. I believe carbohydrates aid in the creation of serotonin.
Other issues with ADHD.
Besides the whole attention thing, people with ADHD are incredibly compulsive. We have a significantly higher propensity towards alcoholism and drug abuse. Actually we have a tendency to get addicted to anything (accept stimulants). Food, hobbies lifestyles, whatever.
We are typically risk seekers. It goes beyond having a high level of tolerance to risk. We're not just risk neutral (neither scared nor attracted to risk), we actively seek risk. We seek any kind of risk, physical, mental, professional and emotional. Couple that with the whole compulsive/addictive thing and you're starting to get an idea.
There are other general learning problems that typically accompany ADHD. K-12 (and most of college) was much harder for me than it was my friends. I worked my ass off in school to get B's and C's (mostly C's). To this day I still struggle with simple things like spelling. Everytime I spell week/weak, I have to stop and think about which one I mean. I cannot remember facts, like names and dates to save my life. History is lost on me.
However, I think the real problem with ADHD is that it's hardest on children and the collateral damage during those formidable years is their self confidence, which results in a vicious cycle of self destruction and negative self fulfilling prophecies. By the time they make it to adulthood, they're so beat up they don't stand a chance of reaching their potential.
Why people with ADHD will rule the World.
It's not all as bleak as it sounds though. There are some things that I (and others I know with ADHD) can do better than anyone else.
People with ADHD are known for possessing incredible creative problem solving skills. I can track multiple conversation threads in my head at the same time. Once I learn something I retain it and can recall it on a moments notice years after it's served any useful purpose. Just don't ask me where I read it. I think that information is stored where names are stored. I'm great with theory. Applying principles and philosophy from one area to another is second nature to me.
I poses the non-linear/abstract thinking skills of a math theorist. Just don't ask me to apply it to mathematics. I can consume, process, filter and act on a tsunami's worth of information like
Bruce Lee fighting an army of evil henchmen. And once my mind gets a hold of a thought or a problem that needs resolved, it doesn't stop thinking about it - ever. Even when I want to sleep.
People with ADHD tend to be intuitive and sympathetic. We're usually very charming and personable - as long as you're not trying to get us to do something task oriented.
So how does this lead to World domination?
As more and more of the world becomes digitized the simple things like spelling and grammar are *mostly* taken care for us. Thank you spell check!
Side note: Before all you English teachers, journalism majors and English language purists jump on me here to defend the honor of your grammar skills, I am not advocating that spelling and grammar are not important. I do think that (and I continue to try to) learning the proper use of grammar is vitally important. I just don't let it being a weakness stop me.
The amount of information we will have to deal with on a daily basis is not going to go away. The days of taking a safe job with a company are over. We now have to reinvent ourselves every decade or so. Every career path is risky.
Basically all of those things that make those of us with ADHD the way they are, enable us to succeed. If we are able to get in the right fields, something we enjoy, it's the equivalent of the physical abnormalities
Michael Phelps had that enabled him to be the greatest Olympian to date (BTW Michael Phelps also has ADHD).
