There is a canyon near where I live. You can descend down into this thing and its a beautiful drive. BUT when you start to come back out, the walls get more and more narrow. Finally, you reach a point where it looks as if you cant drive through. Hanging above this point is a sign that reads "Thousands of others have made it; You can too!" (Of course, this sign was wiped out one day by an out of state driver in an RV, but thats beside the point!)
Anyway, these people made it.... you can too (unless you are the aforementioned out of state driver in the RV.)
Courtesy of OneADDPlace
Albert Einstein
 
Galileo
Mozart
Wright Brothers

Leonardo da Vinci
Cher
Bruce Jenner
Tom Cruise
Charles Schwab
Henry Winkler
Danny Glover
Walt Disney
John Lennon
Greg Louganis
Winston Churchill
Henry Ford
Stephen Hawkings
Jules Verne
Alexander Graham Bell
Woodrow Wilson
Hans Christian Anderson
Nelson Rockefeller
Thomas Edison
Gen. George Patton
Agatha Christie
John F. Kennedy
Whoopi Goldberg
Rodin
Thomas Thoreau
David H. Murdock
Dustin Hoffman
Pete Rose
Russell White
Jason Kidd
Russell Varian
Robin Williams
Louis Pasteur
Werner von Braun
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Robert Kennedy
Luci Baines Johnson Nugent
George Bush's children
Prince Charles
Gen. Westmoreland
Eddie Rickenbacker
Gregory Boyington
Harry Belafonte
F. Scott Fitzgerald
Mariel Hemingway
Steve McQueen
George C. Scott
Tom Smothers
Suzanne Somers
Lindsay Wagner
George Bernard Shaw
Beethoven
Carl Lewis
Jackie Stewart
"Magic" Johnson
Weyerhauser family
Wrigley
John Corcoran
Sylvester Stallone
Alberto Tnmba
and lest we get too cocky
... an estimated 90% of the US prison population.. so get it together!
 

 

 

Find related books at Amazon.com

 

 

 

There is a canyon near where I live. You can descend down into this thing and its a beautiful drive. BUT when you start to come back out, the walls get more and more narrow. Finally, you reach a point where it looks as if you cant drive through. Hanging above this point is a sign that reads "Thousands of others have made it; You can too!" (Of course, this sign was wiped out one day by an out of state driver in an RV, but thats beside the point!)
Anyway, these people made it.... you can too (unless you are the aforementioned out of state driver in the RV.)
Courtesy of OneADDPlace
Albert Einstein
 
Galileo
Mozart
Wright Brothers

Leonardo da Vinci
Cher
Bruce Jenner
Tom Cruise
Charles Schwab
Henry Winkler
Danny Glover
Walt Disney
John Lennon
Greg Louganis
Winston Churchill
Henry Ford
Stephen Hawkings
Jules Verne
Alexander Graham Bell
Woodrow Wilson
Hans Christian Anderson
Nelson Rockefeller
Thomas Edison
Gen. George Patton
Agatha Christie
John F. Kennedy
Whoopi Goldberg
Rodin
Thomas Thoreau
David H. Murdock
Dustin Hoffman
Pete Rose
Russell White
Jason Kidd
Russell Varian
Robin Williams
Louis Pasteur
Werner von Braun
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Robert Kennedy
Luci Baines Johnson Nugent
George Bush's children
Prince Charles
Gen. Westmoreland
Eddie Rickenbacker
Gregory Boyington
Harry Belafonte
F. Scott Fitzgerald
Mariel Hemingway
Steve McQueen
George C. Scott
Tom Smothers
Suzanne Somers
Lindsay Wagner
George Bernard Shaw
Beethoven
Carl Lewis
Jackie Stewart
"Magic" Johnson
Weyerhauser family
Wrigley
John Corcoran
Sylvester Stallone
Alberto Tnmba
and lest we get too cocky
... an estimated 90% of the US prison population.. so get it together!
 

 

 

Find related books at Amazon.com 

 

There is a canyon near where I live. You can descend down into this thing and its a beautiful drive. BUT when you start to come back out, the walls get more and more narrow. Finally, you reach a point where it looks as if you cant drive through. Hanging above this point is a sign that reads "Thousands of others have made it; You can too!" (Of course, this sign was wiped out one day by an out of state driver in an RV, but thats beside the point!)
Anyway, these people made it.... you can too (unless you are the aforementioned out of state driver in the RV.)
Courtesy of OneADDPlace
Albert Einstein
 
Galileo
Mozart
Wright Brothers

Leonardo da Vinci
Cher
Bruce Jenner
Tom Cruise
Charles Schwab
Henry Winkler
Danny Glover
Walt Disney
John Lennon
Greg Louganis
Winston Churchill
Henry Ford
Stephen Hawkings
Jules Verne
Alexander Graham Bell
Woodrow Wilson
Hans Christian Anderson
Nelson Rockefeller
Thomas Edison
Gen. George Patton
Agatha Christie
John F. Kennedy
Whoopi Goldberg
Rodin
Thomas Thoreau
David H. Murdock
Dustin Hoffman
Pete Rose
Russell White
Jason Kidd
Russell Varian
Robin Williams
Louis Pasteur
Werner von Braun
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Robert Kennedy
Luci Baines Johnson Nugent
George Bush's children
Prince Charles
Gen. Westmoreland
Eddie Rickenbacker
Gregory Boyington
Harry Belafonte
F. Scott Fitzgerald
Mariel Hemingway
Steve McQueen
George C. Scott
Tom Smothers
Suzanne Somers
Lindsay Wagner
George Bernard Shaw
Beethoven
Carl Lewis
Jackie Stewart
"Magic" Johnson
Weyerhauser family
Wrigley
John Corcoran
Sylvester Stallone
Alberto Tnmba
and lest we get too cocky
... an estimated 90% of the US prison population.. so get it together!

 

How are We Different?

How Different are We?

all material © Bob Seay. Please give appropriate credit if you quote this. Also, please give credit to the sources I have cited here. Thank you

For your added convenience, you may scroll down the page, or choose from this convenient
MENU:
INTRODUCTION
BLINKING: It doesn't just happen with your eyelids..
SCANNING: Hey, dude, lets surf!
MULTI-TRACKING: Why stop with just stereo?
FLOODING: Who left the gate open?
RADIAL THINKING: To boldly go where no one has gone before
HYPER-FOCUS: Dock and Lock
Click here to go back to Bob's Little Corner now

If you like this, try the past and present features at
The Mining Co. ADD Site

 

 

INTRODUCTION

ADDers are no easier to stereotype than any other group of 10 to 20 million people. Within the broad umbrella of behaviors and symptoms are varied degrees of severity, ranging from mild to chronic. We know that while all hyperactive people have ADD, not all ADDers are hyperactive, or at least not physically hyperactive (mental hyperactivity is certainly a possibility). Many times, there are other factors, such as obssesive-compulsive disorder or, more commonly, depression, which co-exist with the ADD.

ADD is a neurological disorder, and therefore invisible to others. It is often covered up in a variety of ways. These coverups work until the mask slips. An inappropriate remark is made. An out of context topic enters a conversation. Or worse.

Adult ADDers who change jobs often or move from town to town often do so because of the negative feelings they perceive as others around them begin to notice that they are "different". An ADDer will enter a new job like a house afire. Unfortunalty, he eventually has difficulty and cannot sustain the blaze.

Some hyperactive children become socially acceptable adults who have learned to better conceal their hyperactivity. Instead of running around the room, they rock back and forth in their chairs. (The ADDer is the guy who was always being told to put ALL FOUR legs of the chair on the floor.) Or they bounce their leg, table drum , or any number of other "nervous habits" which may go unnoticed at first.

Even when the most commonly recognized symptom, the fidgeting and other manifestations of hyperactivity, is not present, the individual must still contend with others as he tries to interact in a socially acceptable manner.

The sad reality is that the church is not that much more accepting than the rest of the world. And the ADDer, already well acquainted with the feeling of rejection, can pick up on this immediately. He wonders why this group is no different. The group wonders why he is SO different. Why does he DO that? Why is he so defensive and argumentative?

Simply put, he is argumentative and defensive because he has ADD.

ADD really comes down to a breakdown in the brain's ability to filter and process information. Even hyperactivity and impulsivity can be seen as the brain failing to process what is appropriate, what will be allowed, and what is not. In earlier research several possible causes for this are theorized, such as environmental toxins, caffeine, food additives, and sugar. As we learn more about ADD, it appears that these theories are being rejected as the causes of ADD, although the disorder may certainly be exacerbated by environmental factors.

There seems to be a strong genetic connection, possibly in as many as 90-95 % of all cases. Certainly, we can see cases where ADD runs in families, but how much of that is based strictly on genetics is unclear. It could be said that the gene pool for the United States, or at least for those of European descent, is loaded in favor of ADD. This may help to explain why more cases of ADD have been diagnosed here than in Europe. When you consider the type of person who would be willing to take the risk of immigrating to a new and unsettled country, the impulsiveness of some of these individuals, and the sense of curiosity and adventure that one would need to survive in such an environment, that statement begins to make a lot of sense.

Of course, it could also be said that the dominant culture of the United States suffers from a massive case of inattention, impulsivity, and hyperactivity- in short, ADD. (Hallowell & Ratey, "Answers to Distraction, Pantheon, 1994, p. 229-230)

The reasons why over 10 million people have ADD is very important to those who are interested in research and therapy. Knowing that ADD may be caused by such things as a deficiency in dopamine or some other neurological chemical can help neurologists to treat the disorder.

However, for those who have ADD, the "why" is almost a moot point. The bottom line (and we do tend to be bottom line people) is that we have to live with our own neurological make up. It is impossible to list or imagine all the ways that ADD impacts our lives.

ADD has so much to do with the way we experience the world around us that it cannot be ignored. The ADDer, especially the undiagnosed ADDer, doesn't realize that others around him literally do not think as he does; he only knows that he often feels out of place or different. At the same time, he often is unaware, or unable to verbalize, his unique perceptions of the world around him.

Those who wish to understand this group also have to understand these differences. You can't think like an ADDer anymore than an ADDer could think like you. That doesn't mean that you can't agree or even understand each other. It just means that the thought processes themselves operate in significantly different ways. ADDers are on a different wavelength!

Being able to put his life into words is one step towards healing some of the frustration. He no longer feels like he is all alone. Understanding that the majority of people do not think as he does helps the ADDer to be patient with the general population (those unfortunate enough to not have ADD!). Understanding that he is not alone gives the ADDer hope.

Many ADDers speak of feeling as if they finally have found "their people" or have experienced the feeling of "Family " for the first time. These very rewarding and positive feelings of acceptance, friendship and commonality that the ADDer may be experiencing for the first time are an important part of the healing process.

Eventually, however, the ADDer must be able to understand and interact with those of the Non-ADD world. As much as we might wish, we can not surround ourselves with like minded ADDers all of the time. I mean, who would run the meetings?

Part of understanding comes through being able to speak a common language. We need to somehow be able to verbalize the experience of ADD. Verbalization requires vocabulary. Often, it is most difficult to express something as abstract and yet as personal as the very way we tick; the manner in which we think. Analogy is often the best we can do.

return to MENU:

BLINKING:

Imagine that you are going down the interstate and you blink. Just to make the math easy, well say that you have your eyes closed for one second. At 60 mph that comes to 88 feet of road you have covered with your eyes closed. But its no big deal, because you're in the middle of nowhere and no one is around.

Now think of that same situation at rush hour. Would you dare drive for 88 feet in bumper to bumper traffic at 60 mph with your eyes closed? Would you try to merge into traffic?

This is often how an ADDer feels. He might be trying to listen, to focus on the conversation, but he keeps finding himself "blinking" in and out of focus, often missing key parts of what is being said. This happens to many ADDers as they try to read, watch TV, or do anything that requires sustained attention.

If this blinking happens when you're reading, you can always go back and reread. It's a lot like driving on the open road. No big deal. However, when you blink during a conversation, people consider you rude, or stupid, or inattentive. You may try to fill in the blanks, just have something to say that you hope will make sense. Sometimes you get it right, sometimes you don't. You miss out not only on spoken language, but on the little social nuances, such as inflection and body language which often can make all the difference in the world about what the speaker intended. We don't take people seriously when we should and we over react to seemingly harmless statements, all because we are trying our best to maneuver through high speed traffic while our mind keeps blinking involuntarily.

This is another reason why an accurate diagnosis by a professional is so important. There are several serious neurological conditions which can cause this blinking effect, including seizure disorder. It cannot be repeated enough: Do not self diagnose. Find out what is causing the problem before you try to treat it.

return to MENU:

 

SCANNING:

Police scanners are a favorite toy. They move from channel to channel on their own, just like our brain does, and they are just about the right length for our attention span!

The scanner is great because it filters out static and goes straight to where something is happening. It locks clearly onto just one thought at a time, then moves on.

Most people have a scanner in their brain which does pretty much the same thing. Having once found something to lock onto, they then can decided how much priority to give that particular bit of information, and then either stay tuned or move on. The scanner is programmed to screen some information even before it gets that far, not even stopping for what it considers to be a low priority.

However, imagine what would happen if one day the scanner began picking up several channels at once, each competing for your attention. Then suppose that it went completely crazy and no longer filtered out all the static. How do you sort through all of that?

ADDers are keenly aware of their environment. They see things that others people seem to naturally screen out. How many other people will drive through town and actually read all the billboards, store fronts and street signs. This becomes a problem when he is so distracted by a billboard for the zoo that he runs a red light. In restaurants, he overhears conversations several tables away (assuming his hearing is capable), yet doesn't seem to be able to hear his wife, who is sitting just across the table. This doesn't sit well with her. She wishes he would look at her instead of all around the room.

ADDers love malls and big cities. ADDers love crowds. ADDers love INPUT!

Even though they might love input, too much of a good thing is no longer good. While wading through all the information which those around him seem to disregard, his mind appears to drift. His senses are doing their job of gathering input very well. He becomes distracted by things that those around him don't even notice. The trouble is that the scanner is receiving on too many channels at the same time, letting too much information get through, all competing for his immediate attention, some canceling the others out.

I was thirty years old before I realized that not everyone had to turn the radio down if they wanted to smell something cooking on the stove!

return to MENU:

 

MULTI-TRACKING:

In a recording studio a song is made by recording each part on a separate track. This is called multi-track recording (and was first introduced by Buddy Holly- just thought I would throw that in so you could impress your friends.) The tracks are then played at the same time and mixed down to the final version which you can buy. Because all the tracks are of the same song, they make sense when you play them together.

The mind of an ADDer works a lot like this. They might be "recording" (listening) on one track while another is playing in their head. Unlike the multi-tracks in the recording studio, which fit together to make a complete song, these ADD tracks don't always seem to fit together. Imagine being in a room with several tracks, each by a different artist doing a different song, playing at the same time, each with something that demands your attention. The ADDer is trying to decided which track to listen to, and which to ignore. He is afraid to totally ignore any of them because you never know when one of them may have something important or useful.

In conversation, they may jump from one topic to the next, or back and forth between topics, depending on which track they are paying attention to.

This combination of tracks makes sense to the ADDer who is running the studio, but not to anyone else. ADDers hear the phrase "What are you talking about?" a lot, almost as often as we get "The Look".

The positive side of this is that ADDers can make connections between seemingly unrelated subjects, like recording studios and neurological disorders, which other people might miss. Their conversations are full of analogies, asides, and parenthetical information which makes them interesting conversationalists, as long as they are given enough leeway by those they are talking with.

return to MENU:

 

FLOODING:

In the very helpful and informative book "Attention Deficit Disorder in Adults", Dr. Lynn Weiss discusses the concept of "emotional flooding". Weiss writes that the pourous system of the ADDer instantly absorbs all that is in his environment, in such an intense and pervasive way that it floods the person, causing them to overreact when compared to most people. (p. 36-37) This is very true, and can be devastating to relationships. Emotional flooding causes the person to "push away the pain", be it from a person or a situation; whether it be real or imagined.

An important concept to remember when handling a person in such an emotional state is that hurting people hurt people. "Flooded people" are hurting, and often are as scared of the strength of their emotions as the people around them. The flooding may trigger a number of responses, even the most basic survival instinct of "fight or flight". The flooded individual may almost go into a panic state as he desperately tries to overcome the situation. At this point, the ADDer is dealing with much more than simply the situation at hand. His defense mechanisms are in full use, fueled by memories and expectations. He is literally fighting against the past, present and possible future all at the same time. He can't understand why others aren't as upset as he- to him, they obviously "just don't get it".

In extreme cases, the reaction of the flooded ADDer may become unpredictable and even frightening. As he deals with emotional panic, what little impulse control he may have had under normal conditions soon becomes even less. Hyper-focus (see below) comes into play as well, and the battling ADDer becomes almost obsessed with "winning" the argument.

Flooding is not confined to just the emotions. As I write this, I am flooding with ideas for this book. New topics, ways to rewrite (again!) sections I have already completed, what color the cover is going to be, and more. There is no way I can type fast enough to get these ideas down. Even if I were speaking, I would not be able to speak quickly enough to get it all out. Flooding is like multi-tracking gone wild.

Dr. Russell Barkley, a prominent expert on ADD, states that ADDers not only deal with hyperactivity but hyperREACTIVITY as well. In fact, according to Dr. Barkley, more ADDers deal with this than with the traditional hyperactivity. This hyperreactivity causes the ADDer to be constantly churning inside, pushing thoughts through his emotional network, always dealing with the inner motion of nonstop reactions to stimuli, both external and from within. (Russell Barkely, cited in Driven to Distraction, p. 178) This contributes greatly to the "flooding" of the ADDer.

While the emotional flooding described by Weiss subjects the ADDer to all that is in his environment, this "Multi-track flooding" of ideas comes from within. And, while you can exit a room or end a conversation, making any kind of easy exit from this internal flood is difficult. ADDers will often go to bed physically exhausted, yet unable to shut off the ideas and get to sleep. He feels pulled apart, torn between the need for sleep and the unrelenting march which demands he goes on. ADDers will typically stay awake until they literally are about to drop.

Our bodies seem at times to work out compromises with our brains. I have laid in bed knowing that my body was asleep. My eyes are closed, I cannot move my limbs, my respiration is that of a sleeping person, and yet that my mind is running at full speed. These are not dream states, nor am I manic. My physiology simply cannot keep up with my neurology. I have heard other ADDers describe similar states of "sleep".

At first glance, this high volume of ideas and information would appear to be helpful to a writer. But please remember that our little ADD addled brains have an extremely difficult time prioritizing information. There seems to be a snowballing effect. Once the flooding begins, it isn't very selective. What could be a blessing of a high level of ideas and energy instead becomes a draining struggle to maintain focus through an ever thickening cloud of thoughts. Even relevant ideas become a distraction, as the fear of losing something before getting it down increases.

Many times, this mental hyperactivity will result in little or no productive work at all. Like some desperate Midwesterner trying to save the farm by bailing the Mississippi River one bucket at a time, the brain becomes so overwhelmed by the sheer volume of data that the system just gives up, shuts down, and goes to the kitchen for something to drink. Which is what I'm going to do right now!

return to MENU:

 

RADIAL THINKING:

Most people think in a fairly linear fashion, moving from point A to point B and so on. Conversations tend to progress along these lines. A linear thinker like this will naturally prioritize thoughts by how far they are removed from a given point. If we are discussing "A", then "B" is obviously more closely related than "D".

Radial thinkers do not have this linear pattern of organization. Imagine a group of concentric circles with a series of spokes, or radials, going out from the center. In this arrangement, point "A", the center, might be as close to point "B" as it is to point "X", or "Y" or for that matter "Z". Linear thinkers are in for a real roller coaster ride as they try to keep track of topics covered and how they relate back to what was being discussed in the first place. For the ADDer, probably all of the topics seem to be related.

Then, to further inflame the situation, the ADDer will stop right in the middle and say something profound like "What were we talking about?"

Radial thinking, like multi-tracking, can result in some very creative problem solving skills. We tend to see everything as part of a greater whole, we tend to overlook details and see "big pictures". By making connections that others might miss, the ADDer can make great contributions to his job and his church. If only he doesn't drive everyone crazy in the process.

If a linear (I refuse to use the word "normal") thinker were to try and keep up with a conversation between two or three radial thinkers, he would have a very good idea of what the "blinking" sensation described above feels like. He would feel "dazed and confused".

return to MENU:

 

HYPER-FOCUS:

Thomas Edison probably had ADD, although we'll never know for sure because ADD isn't found in the DNA and Edison himself isn't currently giving interviews. We do know that he didn't sleep much. His use of cocaine is well documented. (Cocaine, incidentally, behaves in the body much like some of the medications used to treat ADD. However, people who attempt to self- medicate using street drugs end up with many more problems than they had to begin with.)

When people think of Edison, they don't think of ADD, or sleep disorders, or of cocaine use. They think of his accomplishments. They think of the positive results of his ability to focus exclusively on what he was doing. Whether they know it or not, they think about Hyper-focus.

Imagine yourself adrift in a stormy sea. What is the one think you want more than anything? Unless you are an ADDer who really enjoys high risk behaviors, you would probably be praying for some kind of port, or anchor, or something to attach yourself to.

An ADDer craves to have focus. Because our neurology has put us adrift and out of control, we seek something to tie ourselves to. This is why, on those occasions when we do achieve sustained focus, we get so irritable when we get interrupted. We live in a world of mental butterflies, all appealing, all in motion. When we finally do catch one, we want to hang on to it. Sometimes, you feel like crying because somebody just comes along and smashes your butterfly!

So it is with hyper-focus. Catching a butterfly, achieving and maintaining focus, is a precious moment. I want to cherish that feeling, to gorge myself on it. I am a much happier person at these times.

It becomes all I want to do. My job, my family and my health all become secondary considerations, if they are even considered at all.

My family, however, does not share this state of focused bliss. My wife cannot understand why I come to bed at 1 a.m. and get up at 5, or 4, in the morning. My children can't appreciate that I can't go out to play. This presents a problem. The joy that I find in these times is diminished by the realization that I am disappointing those around me. Once again, ADD snatches defeat from the jaws of victory!

The real down side of this condition is the emotional crash that comes when the project is over. Often there is a deep depression as everyone is congratulating a job well done. The joy that others find in accomplishment is diminished for the ADDer by the pain of the realization that its back to the butterfly field. Again, the family is effected. Mom and the kids want to go celebrate. "Dad's back! What ever was so important is finished! Hurray for Dad!" Meanwhile, Dad is mourning his loss.

Hyper-focus is one of the confusing paradoxes (paradoxi?- does that sound like twin Dachshunds?) of ADD. While the individual exhibits a true lack of focus most of the time, scanning and blinking his way through conversations and work, he is fully capable of "Hyper- focus" at other times.

(I have a home music studio where I write and record a lot of music. I have averaged as little as two hours of sleep per night for weeks at a time as I have become more and more involved in various projects.)

This really infuriates uninformed teachers, spouses, and others, and can turn even a .positive effort into a negative experience. How many students have heard "I knew you could do it if you really tried." Why not just stop at "I knew you could do it!"? Or "I wish you would work this hard on everything" Trust me. The ADDer wishes he could, too. Or the ever popular "If you would work like this all the time you wouldn't have so many problems." (Like I'm so stupid that I don't already know that.) The list goes on and on. My personal favorite is "You just need more discipline!"

Feeling literally trapped, the ADDer experiences as much condemnation for completing a task as he does for walking away.

return to MENU:


click here to go back to My Little Corner of the Web

Balance Check Links

The Mining Company

Find related books at Amazon.com

 

 

 

 

Statistics