ADD Is More Than Just Losing Keys

Stop telling people with ADD you must have it too, just because you lose your keys... sometimes. It feels super insensitive and just makes them want to hurl. We all get sad sometimes too, that doesn't mean we are all clinically depressed. 

ADD is one of the most commonly diagnosed mental health conditions. It is also one of the most misunderstood, ignored or overlooked. Popping a pill doesn't make it go away and neither does becoming an adult. It's a developmental neurological condition. Did you know there a multiple ways to treat ADD that do not involve medications?   

Here some facts for you that may make you rethink ADD:

1. ADDers are 300% more likely to become an entrepreneur!  Radical thinkers, game changers, they think outside the box, though sometimes they don't even see the box. They can be wildly successful millionaires! Entrepreneurs and ADDers take risks and go after big ideas, when others chose to stay on the sidelines.

2.  Late is Not Lazy. Arriving to work presentable and on time takes three times as much energy and effort than non-Adders. Late is not lazy. In fact, the have likely been working harder than you before they even have their first cup of coffee. They were up creating, contemplating and being revolutionary while you were in la-la land. When they crash, they crash hard! Cut them some slack.   

3. Square Peg, Round Hole. Try living in a world where you feel like you are a square peg in a round whole, full of other people's judgments, assumptions and telling you to just "try harder." They are some of the most hardworking people out there.   

4. Diagnosis: A Missing Puzzle Piece.  A diagnosis of ADD can be the puzzle piece people have been missing. Finally, there's a name for all of the complex daily challenges ADDers face.    

5. ADDers Lose Our Keys Everyday! Yes, we win the Guiness Book of Records Award for the number of times a person loses their keys in a day or week. Key racks by the front are not just a nice thing to have, they are a necessity for arriving anywhere, let alone on time.  

6. Who Stole The Remote?  ADD is like someone stealing the remote and changing the channel several times an hour, without our permission. It can make us overwhelmed and irritable, and we often feel like we are playing catch up.    

People with ADD have deficits in the production of dopamine, the pleasure chemical brains produce. This means if life is not stimulating, they will create situations to get this stimulation. They crave novel, new interesting experiences in order to feel good.  

Deadlines are difficult. Unless there is an immediate negative consequence for putting off a boring task, we will put it aside. Non-ADDers may not like to do boring tasks but they can do them with relative ease. It is excruciating for ADDers to do repetitive tasks for an extended period of time.  

Playful Awareness helps kids, teens, parents and families learn how to effectively manage impulsivity, self-care, focus and organizational needs related to ADD. To schedule an appointment, call Sara at 913-244-8786 or send an email to [email protected]. For more information, follow us on FB, Twitter and LinkedIn.  

Keep smiling,

Sara