39. What is ADHD?

This is probably the best account I've found of my own ADHD, whilst I've been 'surfing the net':

Imagine living in a fast-moving kaleidoscope, where sounds, images, and thoughts are constantly shifting. Feeling easily bored, yet helpless to keep your mind on tasks you need to complete.

Distracted by unimportant sights and sounds, your mind drives you from one thought or activity to the next. Perhaps you are so wrapped up in a collage of thoughts and images that you don't notice when someone speaks to you.

For many people, this is what it's like to have Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, or ADHD. They may be unable to sit still, plan ahead, finish tasks, or be fully aware of what's going on around them.

To their family, classmates or coworkers, they seem to exist in a whirlwind of disorganized or frenzied activity. Unexpectedly - on some days and in some situations - they seem fine, often leading others to think the person with ADHD can actually control these behaviors.

As a result, the disorder can affect the person's relationships with others in addition to disrupting their daily life, consuming energy, and diminishing self-esteem.

See the whole article here at:

http://www.nativeremedies.com/focus_for_adhd.shtml

technorati tags:ADHD, ADD, Attention, Deficit, Hyperactivity, Disorder, self, esteem, behaviors, distracted, frenzied, activity, disrupting

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38. More To Prove?

It is well documented that many people who have learning difficulties go on to be very successful. But is their success despite their difficulties? Or is it because of their ADHD?

Could it be that they feel they need to prove themselves more than most people? There’s no bigger incentive in my opinion, to prove people wrong after being told you’re useless at something. I pulled out all the stops to prove someone wrong because they had embarrassed me in front of my classmates.

My history teacher Mrs Harris, told me in front of thirty other kids, that I’d never pass History ‘O’ Level at sixteen, and that I’d be a loser all my life! So I studied hard, and I could just about remember all the information, as long as my memory was jogged by being given the titles of each section. So I had to cheat in my history exam, by having the names of battles of treaties on price stickers on the inside of my hand. I still only scraped through with a C though, because I couldn’t write fast enough. I’m still working on the second part of what she said!

Richard Branson is famously dyslexic, and yet was an entrepeneur at school, selling Christmas trees. Well it beats Geography! As stated in the ‘Tonight’ Programme about The Dore Programme 2002, a UK government report says 70% of all criminals were found to have learning difficulties, so it is possible that sufferers can go one way or the other; great success or complete failure. Well I’ve tried the failure part, and I’m a bit bored with that now. And anyway, I still need to prove Mrs Harris wrong!