This really great article from the NYT's International Herald Tribune talks about viewing ADD as a gift.
I have been advocating this point of view for a long time, and encourage everyone else to do so as well. The title of this blog was chosen to emphasize the good qualities of ADD.
Having ADD means we have a neurotransmitter processing deficiency. It does not make us deficient people. For some situations this can present challenges, but as anyone who has ever tried to brainstorm solutions to a problem -- or get through a crisis -- can attest, being able to throw ideas out quickly and creatively can sometimes be an asset, not a challenge.
A critic in the article suggests thinking of ADD as a gift is dangerous thinking, but let's use a few parallels to examine why it is not only more helpful for ADDers to think in terms of positives than negatives, but also perfectly justified:
-- Caucasian people suffer from melanin deficiency.
-- Being left handed is not as good as being right handed.
-- We should not encourage those with physical handicaps to think of their challenges as a gift. There is nothing good about being blind or deaf.
Pretty quickly we see that these statements are not only ridiculous, but pretty insulting.
My own personal theory, and one I know not everyone will agree with, is that ADD is an evolution of the human brain, one that makes some of us more apt for dealing with the overload of information our society has reached, and therefore is becoming more prevalent.
I know some people have a hard time believing in evolution, but let's also consider a faith-based approach: I have a heartfelt belief that I am as valid a human as the person next to me with six fingers and the person next to her with a heart capable of pushing him to win the Tour de France seven times. Instead of looking at how we can prevent or treat these conditions, maybe we should look at how these unique traits can help us all advance as the human race.
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2 comments:
Found while surfing: An interesting take on my theory of ADD as evolution. I've never heard the term "Indigo children" before, but the description fits.
http://mommymystic.wordpress.com/2009/01/16/indigo-children-new-age-myth-or-proof-of-evolution/
And before we get too mystical and dreamy, here's wikipedia's entry pointing out the lack of scientific basis for "IC." (Though not necessarily for my theory that ADD could be evolutionary. Still, it is just my own personal theory. I invite some social psychologist to run with it.)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indigo_children
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