ADHD is Awesome

[Devin Mackey]

Okay, I've tried to reach a couple of people and no one is responding, I'm bored, so I'm going to speak off the cuff so to speak. Uh, Oh, I have come to the realization that ADHD is awesome. The majority call it a disorder, but is it really? I don't think so. We as ADHDers have some great abilities, such as seeing the big picture before others. What else, Uh. we are creative, intuitive, hyperactive, smart, and a bunch of other things that I can't think of right now. A book I read related ADHDer to the hunters back in the old days, I'm thinking like thousands of years ago, and related the "normal" people to the farmers. That is cool because we were the ones who were acutely aware of our surroundings and ready to leap at a moments notice loving the thrill of the hunt,while the farmers did their day in day out boring mundane stuff, no less important, just, boring. I read earlier I think on this site someone saying that just because we are the minority we are the ones with the disorder. I think not. We are quick witted, we get stuff faster than the farmers. We see through to the heart of the matter perty darn quick. We, as the minority are from what I read and hear, are above average intelligence, yet we are the ones with the disorder, huh! We are random and funny and in our funniness are random which is really funny. We are sometimes considered eccentric if we let our true selves show. I'm, because I'm bored, have no one to talk to here, and have nothing better to do, am becoming more aware of this conspiracy to label the intelligent ones with the disorder. I just the other day had this superior acting doctor sitting behind his degree, his pen and paper looking down his nose at me, get into some semantics because I asked him where the psychological and the chemical meet with anxiety, in other words, when does anxiety get bad enough that I need medicine for it, in which he hissed back through his forked tongue " there is no concrete answer to your philosophical question" and then the bantor begin. What a arrogant jerk. You as a doctor are going to arrogantly, without a handshake or so much as how was your day, are gonna perch yourself up in your chair, not get on my level, empathize, try to know or even smile and then try to treat an organ based on my interpretation of symptoms which you will interperate differently because of your arrogant attitude when you cant and are the only ones in the medical profession treating an organ you can't even see. Where is room for arrogance based on that? None, the doctor ought to humbly get on my level and let's synergestically come up with a solution through a conversation based on mutual respect. Just venting. My confidence and self-esteem for so long was knocked low because of these arrogant doctors playing their guessing games with DSM which are very not reliable anyway. Sooo, I'm turning over a new leaf. ADHD is not a curse, it is a blessing and I'm glad to have this blessing as to see things in this life that the farmers will never see. I've experienced incredible successes in short periods of time, time and time again, moving on, bored, what's next, too much sameness. I'm a dreamer and naive enough to believe that me as well as all of us ADHDers have incredible gift's that can change this world is we will step up look at this in a different light. Some of you may already, not discounting that , just realizing this stuff as I am typing. I'm 41 and have spent much of my life trying to be "normal" and couldn't, thank God He did answer that prayer to help me be normal. How boring that would be. How limited I would be. How much I would not see. When I read, the words are as the stimuli that comes all at the same time. So I have to pay attention that much more to what I read, a little slower perhaps, so what. I seem to grasp much more than most of those in class with me. I'm funny and random as are you who have ADHD. This world has tried to squelch that in me all my life, calling me a class clown, a goof off, as well as several other names I can't say. We are pretty damn special. I just dont' understand the deficit. If us ADHDers are in a new environment and the other half are the farmers, I guarantee ya we are more aware and are having alot more fun than the others. Who has the disorder. Normal, although respected, is limited. People, friends around me without our gift do not have insight, they are not as intelligent, they don't get things until pointed out by me. On the other hand, they, the farmers have their unique things that are valuable too, I just wouldn't want to be one of them. We drink coffee to calm and focus us, they drink coffee to pick them up, to get them to our speed. Huh, that's kinda odd, I didnt' think of that until just now. We are gifted, creative, intuitive, self-reflective, funny, random, eccentric, acutely aware of others and surroundings. Why are they calling this a disorder, because I couldn't sit in class with my farmer friends with blurting something out making them laugh, disrupting class. I couldnt' and knew better, that America educating our kids to be employees, good little employees, who if we are lucky, we will go on to college, make good grades, follow all the rules, graduate and work for someone else for the 40 years in an unstable economy. Thats boring, I believe it is the ADHDers who are the entrepreneurs, we relate to people. We are the C students in charge of the college graduates. We are breaking new ground. We keep things hopping. Unforturnately, for me, this didn't happen because I sold into the belief that I had the problem and had to become like the farmers. We are all unique. I wish someone would have caught me years ago and fostered my talents and gifts. But, I still believe I will change the world in one form or another, I just don't know how or what yet. I'm a big car with a big engine and no steering wheel but I'll get one. Thanks for the opportunity to just talk just for the heck of it. I'm bored and on to the next.

[Rochelle]

Devin, your boredom produces some very good thinking for each of us to realize. On days, when I feel like a total failure, I am coming back to read this. I really believe that NO ONE IS NORMAL! We all have something that someone else would consider abnormal or dysfunctional because it is not their norm.
Ok, where is your next post going???

[Devin Mackey]

Hey Rochelle, thanks for the compliment. I was really wanting to chat with someone, but am new, never been on a chat line, dont' know how to do it. When I go to the chat room I'm the only one there, so I'm bopping around the groups looking for something interesting to respond to.

[Rochelle]

I kept going there too, but I was all alone :) Maybe we can set up a time and "meet" there. The chat has never been big here, even though several of us have tried.

[Devin Mackey]

Hi again, if your still up, go to the chat place like at 12:10 and we will chat.

[Dave R.]

Devin,

You really sound upset. I am 62 years old and was not diagnosed with my ADHD until I was 45. As long as the people around us are aware that we are ADHD we are normal. As a kid, they did not have a term for me yet. Once I got diagnosed, it answered a lot of questions. I don't know about ADHD be awesome, but I am certainly proud of what I am. You hang in there.

Dave

[Devin Mackey]

Hi, Dave, just got your response and appreciate it. Ya, ADHD undiagnosed, caused alot of unneccesary stuff. I guess I have not reached your level of wisdom and or appreciation. I was misdiagnosed, unable to defend myself, in a fog for years. For approximately 12 years, treated for a disorder I didn't have. Yes Dave, I am a little upset at the psychiatric profession. My intent was to speak from the positive traits of ADHD and comparitively speaking, we have some awesome traits. My expression or outpouring of being proud of what I am. My traits being some common traits I see in others with ADHD is AWESOME. Say it Dave, your awesome. Thanks for the response. I look forward to talking again.

[Belle]

Devin,
you think sort of like me yay!! I love what you had to say and I will be sending this on to some friends so they can be more aware of me.

[Devin Mackey]

Hey Belle, thanks for the response. I look forward to talking to ya. Catch ya later.

God Bless

Devin

[Devin Mackey]

You know what, I just read this stuff for the first time. I hope I didn't offend any out there. I just at that time had a different look at this for the first time and had just seem some doctor that has no business in human relations. I tend to speak before I think. I want to focus on the good things about me, even now, just days later, in a different frame of mind, kinda depressed, all I see is the other. Life is kinda grey right now, I'm not stabilized on meds. and this basically, for lack of anything else to say, because my mind is sooooo foggy, well, this sucks. I feel like a complete failure and I'm writing before I think about what I'm writing about again, and I will read this tomorrow, probably I will be in a different state of mind, and then apologize again for writing before I thunk it. I'm gonna go now. Sure wish the chat line was operative, but no Bryan, I have no ideas about how to make it better, I'm not computer savvy. Talk at yall' later.

God Bless

Devin

[Jacqueline]

Hello, Devin
I enjoyed your post.....I 'm new here to. I'm hopping around this site reading all I can. Hoping to get as much information as possible. I like your attitude, you see the glass half full. That's awesome. I was diagnosed with the ADDI several years ago. I'm constantly trying to fight my way out of the fog. Somedays are so nonproductive it's not worth getting out of bed. Others days are bright and sunny.....look forward to reading more of your comments and experiences.

[Devin Mackey]

Hey Jacqueline, good to have ya join this site. I haven't been here to long, but it's awesome. I look forward to talking at ya later. Have a great day

God Bless

Devin

[tere]

Devin, It seems as though you are cycling through both the highs and lows of having ADHD, as do most of us, I am sure (God knows I do). It is awesome to be intuitive, random, funny, uninhibited, imaginative and all those wonderful things. However, it isn't so fun to be 41 (I am 41 also) and, unlike my farmer friends, unable to manage my money or keep my house clean or keep from blurting out inappropriate things at the wrong times. There is an ongoing debate about whether ADHD is a blessing or a curse, and it seems clear to me that it is both. If you are going to a party or giving a speech or performing in a play or interviewing for a job, ADHD is a rocking thing to have (since we usually have great charisma and make good impressions at first) but if you want a big fat savings account and a healthy retirement plan and a clean house and a respectable social standing in the community, ADHD can be a considerable liability. ADD can be quite challenging in the "adult" (ie, farmer) world we have to live in. As for me, I would love to have some of the things my farmer friends have (mainly financial security) but I also know that many of them would love to be me sometimes, too, when they get stuck and worried and overwhelmed and I am over here just going with the flow having a great time not giving a damn about much of anything. I hope you can enjoy the benefits to the fullest and have the stamina to ride out the times when those benefits aren't so obvious. Thanks so much for your great post. Keep them coming.