Approximately five to six percent of the American population is believed to have ADD/ADHD. ADD stands for “Attention Deficit Disorder.” ADHD stands for “Attention Deficit Hyper Disorder.” Today ADD is now labeled ADHD for some unknown reason. I will consider ADD to mean ADD and/or ADHD.

My belief is that ADD is misnamed. Instead, it should be named “Attention Expansion Advantage” (AEA). People with AEA/ADD have certain mental and physical characteristics that give them distinct advantages. These same characteristics also present several drawbacks. I believe the condition was named by focusing on the drawbacks and completely overlooks the advantages.

AEA/ADD people are different. They can rarely be controlled. Thus, normal (non-ADD) people have labeled ADD people with the “Disorder” tag. The term “Disorder” being defined by The American Heritage Dictionary as a “disturbance of the normal physical or mental health.”

ADD people can and do perform remarkable things, when they understand their advantages and utilize them, and understand the drawbacks and overcome them. For example, Thomas Edison, John F. Kennedy, Albert Einstein, John Lennon, Henry Ford, Whoppi Goldberg, Mozart, Galileo, Suzanne Somers, Winston Churchill, Michael Phelps, and Steve Jobs had ADD. Terry Bradshaw, Robin Williams, Magic Johnson, Henry Winkler, and Mohammed Ali are also believed to have it. (I personally conversed with Mohammed Ali for about two hours and was privileged to see how special his mind worked.) They were and still are very special people BECAUSE they have ADD.

The brains of AEA/ADD people operate much faster than those of other people. Estimates range from two to three times faster. For one thing their brains have to operate faster to process all of the additional input they are receiving from the five senses. In fact, their brains seek constant input. Their brains are almost always on full throttle. Consequently, AEA/ADD people appear to have much higher and longer lasting energy levels.

AEA/ADD people hear, taste, smell, feel, and see things that normal people do not.
They do not have the filters normal people have that restrict the volume and capacity of the brain to receive input from the five basic senses. Smell, Sight, Touch, Hearing, and Taste. It can be said that ADD people do not have an attention deficit. Instead, their attention is expanded, because they are far more attuned to their surroundings. They receive and process much more information through the five senses.

As an example, an AEA/ADD person might hear sounds between 10 and 40,000 Hz. I understand that a normal person can hear sounds between 20 and 20,000 Hz. This relative difference is true for the other four senses as well. They also have more difficulty blocking out input from the five senses. For example, it is much harder for AEA/ADD people to ignore noises that normal people can ignore, or do not even hear.

AEA/ADD people are most often very intelligent. Makes sense when you consider the brains of ADDers not only receive more information than others through their expanded 5 senses, but they also process this information much fasted than non-Adders. Much like a modern iMac can process data much faster with a dual Intel 3.2 Gigahertz chip and 2.0 Gigabyte of Memory at 667 Megahertz versus an older 0.600 Gigahertz single PC chip with only 0.5 Gigabyte of Memory at 128 Megahertz. And much like todays computers receive more information and faster with faster Ethernet, faster Wi-Fi and faster phone connections that did not exist only a few years ago.

But their intelligence is not always readily apparent. For example Albert Einstein was forced to take the fifth grade over again because he was considered slow. There are several reasons ADDers appear to be slow or less smart. We frequently forget names, titles and labels. We also have difficulty remembering times and schedules, and of course spelling. Or we forget to do things we want to do, even though they may be important to us. We have not forgotten them; we just have difficulties finding them quickly in the storage area of our brains.

Yet even though we cannot remember the title of a book, we can easily remember the contents of the book we read, or we can remember things about people we have met, when we cannot remember their names, and of course we forget to do the things we promised ourselves and/or others we would do.

Why do ADDers have such difficulty quickly remembering such things? I am not sure. I believe that our brains work different in many ways, one of which is that I believe our index system is either convoluted or just not there. We store this information somewhere but it is not connected to other parts of our data storage areas. Like the title of a book is not connected to the book, or the fact we met Jack last week at dinner, is not connected to Jack’s name. So when we meet Jack again, we can remember the dinner but not Jack’s name. This can affect spelling, names, things to do, and book titles.

It is also my experience that AEA/ADD is passed down directly from parents to their children.
We have found that vast majorities of AEA/ADD people have, at least, one parent who also has it, whether they know or admit it. This is a blessing, because this gives AEA/ADD children at least one parent who can easily relate to them by operating at their same speed.

AEA/ADD people operate in a mindset that is outside the world of normal people. Consequently, they constantly think out of the box. They see more of the world and are able to process the additional information to see the truth in things that normal people frequently overlook.

They are very creative and constantly take themselves, their thoughts, and their ideas places that normal people rarely know exist.

They want to be trailblazers and they most often are.

They are sometimes adept at reading other people, especially in one-on-one interactions. (My special gift)

ADD people can recognize, understand and organize extremely complex ideas, concepts, and processes.

They have an extremely sensitive, very acute and very accurate sixth sense.

Their hunches and intuition are remarkable, and are almost scary at times.

AEA/ADD people have the unusual ability to hyper focus, and do so for long periods of time. By hyper focus I mean they can direct their entire mind and body on complex, yet specific activities and get into zones of concentration that are very remarkable. This hyper focus produces spectacular achievements.

Thomas Edison was legendary for his spurts of hyper focus. He tested over 5,000 different light filament materials, before he finally found the one that worked. Michael Phelps admitted how he hyper focused while swimming between the lane markers helped him win so many Gold medals. Only someone with ADD could maintain such strong concentration for so long.

ADDers can achieve remarkable conclusions and results, and perform incredible feats.

ADD people can use their exceptional gifts to accomplish wonderful things, like their remarkable information gathering capabilities, their faster, and less restricted ability to process this additional information.

AEA/ADD people have the intelligence, energy, focus, and motivation to go places and create things that normal people are most likely not aware of.

They can think extremely fast on their feet and react faster than most people. (Like Muhammed Ali)

AEA/ADD people have a number of unique characteristics that caused normal people to label them with a “Disorder.”

Boredom is the greatest drawback to people with ADD. Boredom is also very understandable. You see we ADDers live in a world dominated by normal people. Normal people make up about 95% of the world. The world of normals operates at a much slower pace. Their world is is more more restrictive, and their world is much less active than the world we seek.

ADD people cannot be controlled.

We can be fidgety and impatient, especially in confined meetings, like school classes (Because we get bored being forced to conform to slow meetings designed for normals).

We appear to be disorganized (Invariably messy because they do not operate the same way as normals).

We also appear to be easily distracted, (Because we react to sensory information not perceived by others, and or because our fast moving brains seek something to keep us busy.).

In addition we can look like we have difficulty focusing on anything for very long. (Because we get bored being in a much slower world dominated by normals).

Conversely, we also get into zones where it is difficult to interrupt us. (Because we hyper focus on things we love)

Furthermore, normals believe we frequently forget to complete things (like completing paperwork), or forget about important dates and events (like meetings).

We can also frequently have brilliant ideas but often forget about them later.

What’s more, we can be difficult to talk to, because we frequently interrupt normal people and sometimes even finish their sentences, and we regularly bounce from subject to subject.

Additionally, we most often appear to be very impulsive, because our thinking process circumvents the “rational” part of our brain that restricts clear thoughts through outside (Rational) requirements of others. Accordingly, our impulsive actions are not always well received by normal people.

Therefore, we frequently do or say things that are out of the norm. We most often address the truth in things, and appear to have fewer social graces.

Moreover, we can be stubborn and challenge information presented by others. Yet, we are far too often accurate, which further bothers and most often intimidates others.

We normally do not perform repetitive tasks well. We seek new challenges. (New Stimulation)

We have difficulty turning our brains off, or slowing them down. Our minds are either seeking more input or creating more ideas.

The results to all of the above-described problems are the conflicts that occur between ADDers and normal people because of the major differences between the two groups. We are treated as the problems, because we are outnumbered 95% to our only 5%. Consequently WE are judged to have the “Disorder” label.

The world is organized, run, evaluated, and directed by and for normal people. ADDers have serious trouble making the many personal changes to conform to a world designed for others. Especially when both the normals and the ADDers are confused about or even unaware of the real differences, which leads to frustrations and tensions within both groups.

But someone has to be blamed, and that goes to the disruptors (ADDers) who don’t know why or how to fix it. Frequently, we will feel down, because of the frustrations of dealing with the normal, slower world, which can be troublesome if we let these frustrations get to us.

When two ADDers meet and interact, few of the above conflicts occur. Watching two ADD people talk about matters they both enjoy can be fascinating. Being involved in a conversation with another ADDers can be a real trip. The many “drawbacks” that frequently bother normal people, do not affect us. Thus, most of the drawbacks represent the uncomfortable ways normal people (Only) react to the behaviors of people with ADD.

Two ADD people will have similar energy levels, think at the same speed, focus at the same levels, are tuned into similar input from their expanded senses, and process the information at the same speed. We are much more in tune with each other and communicate with much less difficulty. We are not bothered as much by bouncing from subject to subject, fidgeting, impatience, boredom, lack of social graces and impulsiveness when we communicate with each other.

There are some drawbacks that ADD people will frequently want to overcome or reduce to live a more effective and enjoyable life in a world dominated by normals. There are frequently many simple very effective solutions to these drawbacks. These drawbacks include:

The tendency to:

be forgetful,

be over impulsive,

be impatient in communicating with normal people.

appear to have difficulty completing tasks and projects required by others.

show lack control over our desire and ability to focus.

have difficulties in remembering names of others.

also have dyslexia.

get bored; The biggest drawback of all.

ADD people are in the minority

The reality is that “normal” people far out number ADD people. Thus, we are frequently disparaged, degraded, and criticized because we do not conform to the way “normal” people think and interact with others. Normal people apply considerable pressure on us to get with the program and adjust to be like everyone else, which is like requiring very tall people to become short.

ADD cannot be fixed, because we are not broken. In my opinion having ADD does not require a “solution.” Yet, normal people attempt to IMPOSE “solutions” on us, because we act different.

We people with ADD ARE DIFFERENT! And that is our blessing! But many people, especially parents, teachers, bosses, and school administrators want to normalize their children, students and/or employees and they search for “solutions” to do so.

One of the most common “solutions” to “fix” ADD people is to prescribe drugs. Drug companies are more than willing to promise quick fix “solutions.” The profit margins to drug companies to cause us to take their drugs are astounding. Drugs are frequently used to convert ADD people (especially children) into appearing and acting more “normal” and more controllable.

These drugs slow our brains down, block our senses, and reduce our energy levels, or in truth DUMB us DOWN. The apparent main for changing us is to drastically REDUCE these symptoms that bother the normals, like our tendencies to be over impulsive, to be fidgety, to be independent, and to be distracted.

The most commonly prescribed drugs that normals impose on us to make us “normal” are forms of amphetamines. (Adderall, Ritalin, Dexedrine) These same Drugs are All Banned by most Professional Sports and Law Enforcement Agencies. And the common illegal drug Methamphetamine (Meth) is a concentrated form of these same amphetamines. Many normals take “Meth” and other amphetamines to accelerate their brain activity, to heighten their senses, and to feel smarter and more enlightened, or in other words get “High.”

Think of this irony. Normal people prescribe amphetamines to ADDers to try to normalize us by slowing us down and desensitizing us. While at the same time they illegally take the same amphetamines to try speed up their brains and heighten their senses.

Caffeine is another stimulant drug that slows down ADD people but not at the same level as amphetamines. How many normal people drink coffee and other caffeinated drinks to get a jolt or boost of energy to approach the natural energy levels of ADDers?

In my opinion, drugs are not the fix all solution for people with ADD. Not all ADD people respond favorably to the drug solution. The one time I used dex to study all night for a final in college proved to be a big mistake, and my two ADD children voluntarily chose to cease their prescribed medications, and prospered thereafter.

Drugs can appear to provide some assistance to some of the “conflicting drawbacks” of ADD, but not all of them, but at what price? The negative side affects these drugs cause by reducing of the brain activity and sensory perceptions frequently create more problems than they help.

There are other very effective ways to overcome the normal drawbacks of ADD. These include the full understanding of the behavioral differences of being ADD, and adjusting behavioral practices to control these issues at a very practical and desirable level.

As an example, let’s discuss an effective and easy solution to the forgetfulness drawback. ADD people can create a “to do” list that they have by their side at all times, and constantly monitor and review. Whenever they come up with an idea or agree to do something (without a time limit) they will want to immediately write the key words to each matter on the “to do” list. The “to do” list becomes their index for action items.

In addition, they want to have a calendar with them at all times that they also review frequently. Whenever they decide to do something that is time dependent, like meet someone for lunch, remember a birthday (We are notorious for forgetting birthdays and anniversaries) or turn in a report, they want to put it on the calendar. They can then frequently refer to their calendar to be sure they meet scheduled appointments.

Once ADDers understand themselves very well they can then change the conditions around them to accentuate their many blessings and avoid situations where they struggle.

ADDers will want to discover their:

true and special talents, (Like Robin Williams, and Magic Johnson)

unique self-imposed obstacles, the things they dislike doing (Like Mohammed Ali and Churchill)

genuine passions, zeal for creativity, (So they can hyper focus like Thomas Edison and Michael Phelps)

clear priorities, (Like John F Kennedy and Werner Von Braun)

values and beliefs, their integrity boundaries. (Like Steve Jobs)

In conclusion: All people with ADD will want to discover and recognize their unique ADD blessings so they can use their special gifts and talents to create great value into the world to benefit others and themselves simultaneously.

Consider how John Lennon used his musical talents to help create a whole new era in music, or how Einstein used his deep understanding of physics to expand human understanding of the universe, and how they both enjoyed their lives for doing so. They both understood their talents and passions and designed their life goals around both.

In other words, they created the situations where they achieved their personal goals by being themselves. By living and acting on their terms, they basically changed their environments to suit them. (What a concept).

Conclusion

We ADDers live in a very special and blessed category. We can easily enjoy a very wondrous and rewarding life because they have it, when we understand their our special blessings and extraordinary talents, manage our drawbacks, and accentuate our unique gifts to reach whatever life and other goals we set. This allows ADDers to take control of our lives and change conditions around us to suit us, versus always trying to change ourselves to conform to another world.

Just look at the remarkable lives enjoyed by the people I listed above with ADD and the wonderful contributions they gave us all, because they had ADD.I believe none of them ever took any ADD medications. These remarkable people and I have thoroughly enjoyed our gifts from ADD, and we have prospered because of what our blessings have allowed us to do. You can too!

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