Attention Deficit Disorder Article - The
Gifts of ADHD
The common response to an Attention Deficit
Disorder diagnosis is fretting and plenty of hand wringing. People
simply do not let out a whoop and celebrate this diagnosis that
has so often been looked at as a sentence for failure. Yet, there
are many incredible attributes that the ADHD personality brings -
namely creativity, the ability to multitask like nobody’s business
and unbridled energy and enthusiasm.
I was thrilled to pick up this past week’s issue of Newsweek to
see an Attention Deficit Disorder article that focuses on the
gifts of ADHD. Instead of providing a summary of the article, I am
sending it over in its entirety. Enjoy the read. I hope this
Attention Deficit Disorder article changes some negative views
about the disorder. We need more Attention Deficit Disorder
article topics like this!
Attention Deficit Disorder article, Newsweek, March 14, 2005 - Sam
Grossman grew up thinking he was stupid, lazy and irresponsible—"a
screw-up," as he puts it. Struggling with
attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), he constantly
disappointed his parents and teachers alike. So how, at the age of
24, did he end up as a partner in a Massachusetts real-estate
firm? He credits an unlikely source. "The key to my success," he
says, was his ADHD.
For struggling parents, ADHD—which affects roughly 3 to 7 percent
of Americans—may not seem like the key to anything other than
frustration. But two new books, "Delivered From Distraction" by
Dr. Edward Hallowell and Dr. John Ratey and "The Gift of ADHD" by
Lara Honos-Webb, advance the controversial notion that
distractibility, poor impulse control and emotional sensitivity
have flip sides that are actually strengths—namely creativity,
energy and intuition. "A huge proportion of criminals have ADHD,"
says Hallowell. "So do a lot of successful artists and CEOs. It's
how you manage it that determines whether it becomes a gift or a
curse."
Chief among the potential assets is creativity. A mind that flits
easily from one thought to the next may not be good at mastering
the material for a biology test, but the authors contend that a
nonlinear mind can excel at combining ideas in new ways. "While
the A students are learning the details of photosynthesis, the
ADHD kids are staring out the window and wondering if it still
works on a cloudy day," says Honos-Webb, a psychologist at Santa
Clara University. This sort of thinking can translate in adulthood
into the ideas that drive new businesses, launch innovative ad
campaigns and crack scientific problems. Take David Neeleman, the
founder of JetBlue Airways, who calls ADHD one of his greatest
assets. He pioneered several discount airlines and invented the
e-ticket. "We make great entrepreneurs," says Grossman, "because
we think out of the box. We can't help it." And instead of
dithering over a decision, they're willing to take risks. As he
puts it, "Impulsivity isn't always bad."
Critics charge that the whole approach risks romanticizing a
serious disorder. "People with ADHD are more likely to be in
serious accidents, more likely to be fired for misconduct, more
likely to commit suicide," says Russell Barkley of the Medical
University of South Carolina, who's studied the problem for 30
years. But Hallowell and Ratey insist that the difficulties can be
overcome with a broad treatment program that helps patients learn
to capitalize on strengths and compensate for weaknesses. They
should know. Not only did they help Grossman turn his life around,
they both have ADHD themselves—and both ended up as Harvard
psychiatrists. © 2005 Newsweek, Inc.
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