We Are The World!…. NOT

“Oh, come on, nowadays everyone is ADD.”  ”Yeah.  Everyone is.”

Uh, No.  No.  NO!   Not they are not!

The whole world is NOT ADHD.  Yes, more people are multitasking and under the gun and feeling more stress and have way more to do in a day… So yes, sometimes they get glimpses of what it’s like to have ADHD.  Sometimes they’re living it for months on end.  But they can go on a two week vacation, sip Mai Tais, and ‘cure’ their overwhelm.  We can’t.

Have you had someone dismiss or downplay ADHD because, ‘Everyone is, nowadays.’   Or because ‘There’s just too much sugar in our diet.’  Or ‘It’s all those video games and the Internet.’

I learned to smile and not grind my teeth as I wondered, “Okay, where do I start?”

I would try to be as warm as I could be and then began, “Yeah, you would think so.  Actually, the rates of ADHD have stayed the same for decades.  Even as we’ve added more sugar in our diet.  And started playing video games.  The rate is the same as it was before the internet.  It’s actually the same in societies that have almost internet, no video games, and no Blackberries…”

They grow silent.  They nod.  They look thoughtful.  I used to believe they were pondering what I was saying and really taking it in, impressed by my knowledge, and they were reassessing what they had heard and realized how ignorant they were about the condition.  (Insert hooting and derisive laughter here.)

In fact, they are usually thinking, “What does he know?  He’s probably being paid by someone.  Boy, is he ever defensive, he’s probably ashamed that I’ve revealed that ADHD is a hoax.”

Here’s the point—when people glibly sneer, “Everyone is ADHD,” what they mean is that everyone is under a lot of stress, and barely coping, struggling to manage their feelings of overwhelm.   And many folks think that is what people with this disorder, ADHD, are experiencing.

No.  Not really.

The people with ADHD are NOT coping.  That’s what makes it a disorder. ADDers are NOT managing their schedules.  They are NOT reaching the point of overwhelm.  They are already overwhelmed.  Even after all the deadlines pass and they are on that two week vacation sipping the Mai Tai.

I know, I know, I’m generalizing.  Obviously, this isn’t the case for everyone with ADHD.   There’s a spectrum, from very severe to mild.  I’ve been told I’m not severe.  And everything I’ve done since getting the diagnosis to deal with it has made it far less of a problem for me.  (Another whole topic there on Brain Plasticity and rewiring and the difference structures can make to our brains.)

So, the whole world ADHD?  No.  But as Dr. Edward Hallowell points out in his book, Crazy Busy, life is so fast paced today, more and more people are living lives that have them feeling many of the same symptoms—overwhelm, confusion, forgetfulness, and the rest of the lovely menu of impairments.

Welcome to our world.

I’ll write more about this tomorrow.