Who Is This Person?
I’m gonna give you a list of characteristics and, as you read through them, try to think of the person I might be describing:
- Search for high stimulation
- Intolerance of boredom
- Many projects going simultaneously
- Impatient
- Impulsive
- Sense of never quite meeting goals
- Difficulty getting organized
- Say whatever comes to mind
- Easily distracted
- Often creative, intuitive, and highly intelligent
- Trouble following proper procedures
- Frustration can be a reminder of past failures
- Look for problems to worry about
- Mood swings
- Restlessness
- Lots of nervous energy
- Tendency towards addictive behavior
- Inaccurate self observation. Don’t accurately gauge impact on other people. See self as less effective and powerful than other people do
- Hate waiting
- Was class clown in school
- Received letters home from teachers in school for bad behavior
- Has a reputation for being rude
- Lots of piles around the house or office
- Need to be moving in order to think
- Need to be the boss, or will probably get fired
- Move to New York City, L.A., or Las Vegas at some point in their life
- Can appear self-centered or indifferent
- Can’t stay with emotions long enough to work them out
- Hyperfocus on negative circumstances
- Can easily feel rejected
- Inside find themselves saying, “I’m not stupid!”
- Can read a page to the bottom and then realize don’t know what they just read
- Fiercely independent: Need to do things on their own schedule
- Live life minute-by-minute
If you know me, you might think that I just did a great job describing myself. But it’s actually a list of characteristics of people who have A.D.D. (from the book Driven To Distraction). And yes, it also does almost perfectly describe me. And maybe it describes you?
If so, you know it sucks having A.D.D. People like to laugh about it and make jokes, but it’s not funny. There are benefits – I can get more done in an hour or two than most people can in an entire day, and I suspect part of it is my A.D.D. But in most ways it’s really difficult to live with. And if you’re with me on that, I understand.
Tomorrow I’ll give you a few suggestions for what to do if you struggle with ADD.