ADHD and ADD benefits

ADHD and the little sister variant without hyperactivity: ADD, are disputed disorders, and loads of descriptions, opinions and on-line tests are available on the Internet. 

I will now solely focus on some benefits of the two disorders, just to cheer up those who suffer from either one.

I will try to write gender neutrally and only when needed use the feminine reference "she". I come from a culture where you always refer to a person as a neutral. The word is "hän". But saying "hän" would definitely distract the main audience so I use "she" because the disorder is still under-diagnosed in the female population.

So what is the differences between the two, ADHD and ADD?

ADHD stands for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. Many things are going on simultaneously. The person feels very efficient, and is only happy when "efficient"*, but often finds herself buried under a self-created chaos.

* Efficient as in "I can brush my teeth, browse the latest news on my iPad, stand on one foot to practice my balance and plan my five next actions and tomorrow's dinner, plus wiggle to music at the same time".

 ADD is the same but without the hyperactivity. This is the type who gets absorbed by and in their inner world. Their brains create so much entertainment they don't feel like needing the outside world. 

Many of the positive traits considered as correlated to ADHD / ADD are naturally also seen in the general population and my intention is certainly not to glorify the condition.

That said; here are the benefits of having ADHD:

Living in the moment

This is very trendy these days, and for many good reasons, happiness not being the least. Living in the moment comes quite naturally to a person with ADHD. In fact, you can't help it, you only have the moment. So you can't plan real, tangible things. You certainly do plan a lot, but the plans are usually not doable, necessary, or in any immediately obvious way useful.

The ADD people might also live in the moment but they are most of the time in the  "wrong moment" - at least if you ask their spouses or colleagues.

Being creative

An unfocused mind that jumps from one thought to another at rapid speed is likely to generate new ideas and discover connections between seemingly unrelated things. This is creativity in its purest and rawest form.

ADHD only:

Burning calories

Those who can't sit still for long, and constantly fidget and get up to walk around without knowing why are bound to burn lots of calories for "free".

ADD people unfortunately do not have this calorie burning benefit, but they may be thinner than their unaffected companions just because they forget to eat.

And many ADHD medications suppress the appetite.

Being intuitive

Noticing things and details others may dismiss as unimportant. Jumping to conclusions, following their gut feeling. Not a bad thing, but don't take my word for it; read Blink by Malcolm Gladwell. (Oh, that surname...!)

Expressing flexibility

Able to quickly change gears. Adapts to new situations fast, excited about new things and ways of doing new things.

Being impulsive 

Can be positive. An ADHD person acts when others just stand there, thinking about what to do. This can make a significant difference in an emergency situation. In normal social circumstances this trait frequently leads to embarrassment -but that thickens your skin and amuses the surroundings!

Rebellious

Difficulty and/or refusing to follow orders combined with a short attention span and fear of boredom: Sometimes new and innovative ways of doing things are found. Often things don't go according to plan, but this is something we all should learn to accept. 

Getting things done

Thanks to the short attention span a person with ADHD/ADD will finish a job when it is good enough, or a little before. 
A true 80/20 Pareto rule applier.

Eager to move on

Forgets (or ignores) past mistakes, ready to believe she will do better next time. 

Hyperfocus

This is the best, the blissful moments of hyperfocus! If there only was a switch... It is contradictory, that people with attention deficit are prone to hyperfocus. Hyperfocus is flow at it's best. Will get back on this topic.

So, having a brain that is

• brave
• enthusiastic
• quick
• able to think out of the box**
• curious
• fearless

sure gives you some advantages!

**as the "problem" of  ADHD/ADD is ability to stay in a box.

Take your condition as a gift rather than a curse and use your endless energy to harness your mind to work for you and not against you. Practice discipline and daily meditation.

...of course, you can be all these things without having ADHD but chances are higher all these traits are found in a person with the disorder. Perhaps it should not be called a disorder but rather a feature?

I'm quoting a doctor who treats children with ADHD, he says they are "the hunters among a bunch of farmers".

There are many lists of famous people with ADHD on the Internet. You find Albert Einstein in nearly all of those. There is no way to prove he had the disorder. 

Famous people who claim or are claimed to have AD(H)D:

Justin Timberlake Adam Levine Kurt Cobain  Winston Churchill Harry Belafonte Jim Carey Michael Phelps Alexander Graham Bell Pete Rose Babe Ruth Cher Sir Richard Branson Walt Disney Bill Gates Vincent Van Gogh Pablo Picasso Robert the Cat Abraham Lincoln Nelson Rockefeller Alexander Graham Bell Michael Faraday Benjamin Franklin Leonardo Da Vinci Magic Johnson Michael Jordan Jason Kidd Carl Lewis Henry Ford Tom Cruise Leo Tolstoy Jules Verne Kirk Douglas Agatha Christie Ernest Hemingway Whoopi Goldberg Thomas Edison Albert Einstein Alfred Hitchcock Dustin Hoffman Steve McQueen Edgar Allan Poe George Bernard Shaw Socrates Jack Nicholson Joan Rivers George C. Scott Will Smith Steven Spielberg John Lennon Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Ozzy Osbourne Sylvester Stallone Henry Winkler Eva Longoria Liv Tyler Paris Hilton Cameron Diaz Emma Watson Jamie Oliver Megan Fox Dwight Eisenhower John F. Kennedy Ludwig van Beethoven Stevie Wonder PS. There is very little science behind this post. I did some research and I talked to friends with diagnosed children and a psychiatrist who treats adults with the severe type of the disorder (those, who cannot function according to society's expectations without medication). It also runs in the family so I have more personal experience than I'd care to have. The list of people, especially those who are dead, is probably crap. I mean, Einstein! This is not serious, click here for further reading as sugar at the bottom (a Finnish saying).