This is not to let loose any toxic positivity in this realm. However, it has been rather evident that the information, content, and publicity available in written and visual stories about ADHD are focused on the troubled life one with a condition might have.
As October is an ADHD awareness month, it is time to focus on some positives ADHD brings to the world. After all, I am sure someone else finds this condition marvellous at times.
Lack of focus. One of the criteria for ADHD.
Being unable to focus is usually seen as being arrogant, lazy, or not caring enough to pay attention to something one is required to. But let’s not forget an ADHDer will pay 100% attention to the thing they adore, whether that be an item, an activity, or a person. ADHDer excels at something they like. It might not excel at it immediately, but persistence allows the skill to flourish. A person without a misplaced neurone might simply give up after analysing they might not be a great fit for this, as this activity might steal precious time for cleaning a flat. An ADHDer will simply live scattered.
Hyperactivity. Another criterion, for a hyperactive type of ADHD.
Stoicism is a virtue, apparently. That’s what they say, who are they? The majority of society, actually. This is completely untrue. Italians, am I right? Let’s leave this, we all know Italians are not Stoic.
Fidgeting while in the office is a sign of hyperactivity, usually seen as a nervous tick or an annoyance to one’s colleagues or whoever happens to be around a fidgeting individual. There is such a thing as a fidgeting gene, I bet ADHDers just got this one for all the other struggles. People with a fidgeting gene are typically less prone to health issues associated with obesity. Another significant thing of hyperactivity is efficiency, there is no way one can spread studying for something over the week, Sunday evening it is. Right before an exam, a deadline or any other thing that requires something to be done by a certain time or day.
Poor time management. They really could have added that to the focus.
Bad at prioritising and creating a comprehensive set of tasks and following through. I find it difficult to attend appointments (who set them? Not me). What is good about that? Every ADHDer is different. However, it can be assumed that what a well-organised human performs during the day and crosses everything off their to-do list, an ADHDer will perform in an hour if needed. Here, we are coming back to that efficiency.
Inattentive, not listening to someone speak.
Have you ever found yourself inventing a different way of baking an apple pie while in a conversation about dogs? This is inattention according to psychology. It can also be scattered attention, you might need to ask that person to repeat the sentence about the best dog food, but at the same time, you have that unique novel recipe in your head. Two birds with one stone.*
These good things are still a cause for stress. ADHD is not just a neurodevelopment disorder, it is also a piece of massive baggage of other things that an individual acquired during their life due to the inflexible society and unreasonable expectations. But these things can be good, once anxieties are overcome, once an individual with ADHD is confident and believes in themselves. Once they stop trying to achieve what others achieve using the same tools and tactics. When they forgo traditional ways of learning and existing.
People with ADHD are often faced with situations when alternative solutions are needed. Locked out of the house, and forgot to prepare for the meeting at work (because who remembers meetings?). Or forgot the entire recipe for an apple pie you invented. All of these situations require additional thinking. You might need to invent that recipe again, and it will be entirely different, you probably already tried to break into your house, how many meetings were simply ‘winged’? The necessity of using the brain to get out of common life situations makes ADHDers creative.
*You did not bake that apple pie, but still, you invented it.
Marianna x NeuroDump