Most people who don't have ADD do not understand it. Unlike having an imagination as to what it might feel like to be an alcoholic, the individual with ADD is keenly aware that the non-ADDers of the world can quite relate. Despite reading about symptomatology and understanding the core sentiment of ADD- poor attention, impulsivity, lack of listening, etc., most adults believe that it is more in an individuals control than they think. To be fair, there are many people who use their diagnosis as justification for poor decision-making and although they may have some defense, often the world become weary of excuses that they believe are correctable issues with proper discipline and structure.

What makes ADD so controversial is that it is littered with contradictory tendencies and traits that circle an individuals world and shows up in some places consistently and at other times erratically. This intermittent appearance often fools the layperson's assessment who will attribute its non-appearance as a "you see, you can pay attention if you just try hard enough" thought.

There are numerous ingredients that comprise the ADD individual. Some of these include:


a fast-moving and easily distracted mind
high physical and mental energy
lack of inhibititon as compared to others
a tendency toward procrastination
trouble with remembering, plannning and anticipating
highly creative or innovative thinking
irritability
underachiever despite often being told of their intelligence
a tendency to worry unnecessarily
a high intense attitude alternating with an unclear thought process
a tendency to underestimate the duration of a task or time needed to be somewhere
unpredictability and impulsivity
disorganization despite all the efforts of oneself and others
a tendency to be a non-comformist
forgetfulness
Casual observers are often able to detect a difference between someonw with ADD and someone without it. Like Edward Hallowell, M.D., I too have disdain for the title ADD because it has become to convenient, too misunderstood and too pigeon-holing. ADD is like driving in the rain with bad windshield wipers. Despite poor visibility, there is no desire to slow down as it is not the way of the ADD brain. It has also been referred to as like listening to a ball gameon a radio station that coming in with a lot of static. The harder you strain to try to hear it, the more frustrated you get. Once in awhile a static free interval passes through and you can hear as clear as a bell but then it's back to the static.

In many ways, the ADD brain is synonymous with a race-car brain. Your brain goes faster than the average brain and there is much difficulty putting on the brakes. You get one idea and then you have to act on it, and then, what do you know, but you've got another idea that causes the abandonment of the original idea until the third idea enters soon. You get the idea! How to stay on task with so many thoughts. The ADD brain is full of excitement and creativity but often fails to follow through on much, leaving him/her often as an innovative underachiever. With ADD, time seems to collapse, often making life feel as if everything is happening at once.

More to come on this topic. Let me know if you would like more insight, stories or just to share your personal experiences. Thanks.


Bryon Remo, M.Ed., LMFT

Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist

Specializing in Adolescent Issues