[dholowiski]

Because they only have to live long enough to reproduce. There are studies showing people with adhd have a much higher risk of accidental (and non accidental) death.

Adhd is not a superpower. It's an incurable brain disorder. It fucking sucks.

[dmak]

I don't like to view it as an disorder, because that says there is a correct way that your brain should function. I think it's just different. Viewing it disorder is self-defeating for people with ADHD, it's like saying they think there is something wrong with them at all times, but there really isn't. They just find different ways to do things.

[jotm]

Except the effects vary from person to person and in the worst cases, people never find ways to do anything.

[baristaGeek]

Exactly. It's just a difference in cognition.

[falcolas]

It is starting to aggravate me that every time we have articles like this come up that people keep trotting out the crap explanations of "it's just another way of thinking", because they saw it in some TED talk.

No, it isn't. It's a fucking neurological disorder which affects dopamine production, which interferes with normal brain function.

Imagine sitting down to work on something you really want to finish, but you can't. You're reading reddit instead, because that gives you a quick dose of entertainment. You keep yelling at yourself to do the work, because it's your job on the line. But no, you'll end up looking at cat pictures, because, hey, cats. That's what ADHD is like.

[walterbell]

Have you been to an ADD conference where you are surrounded by hundreds of similarly-wired brains? Neurotypical is defined by the local majority. In a hunter-gatherer society, slow reaction time means no dinner. Don't be fooled by labels which originate in specific social contexts. Environmental impedance mismatches can be addressed by changing the human or changing the environment.

[falcolas]

You know what else means no dinner in a hunter society? Your spear breaking because you forgot to fire harden it. Scaring away the pretty because you inadvertently bumped into a tree (inadvertently bumping into things on a regular basis is an indicator of ADHD). In a gathering society: not gathering because a butterfly distracted you. That's the effect of ADHD.

ADHD doesn't make you some magical hunter, patience does. Reaction time has nothing to do with ADHD, it comes from paying attention when the stimuli comes about, something a person with ADHD can't do.

As for "normal", I base it off the figure of 95%. That is, our brains are different from 95% of humanity. That strikes me as a good definition of abnormal, better than "I surround myself with th those like me, so I'm totally normal".

[walterbell]

If everyone has a spear-hardening "problem", there will be external structure and rituals to ensure that this activity is not forgotten. Reaction time is explicitly measured by one clinical test which diagnoses ADHD.

There is no normal, that's the main point. If you get enough people with "AD(H)D" in a room, and ask a few questions about preferred cognitive styles (sound, light, touch, motor movement) you will discover clusters of preferences and a wide range of differences.

The label ADHD is most useful as a search term for a vocabulary of common challenges. Naming any problem is necessary to develop shared solutions. Prior to the advent of this term, non-neurotypical people independently named their logistical challenges and independently re-invented solutions.

Are you familiar with the term hyperfocus? Is that a strength or weakness?

[colechristensen]

What are these conferences?

[walterbell]

Last year's Adult ADHD conference: http://www.cvent.com/events/adda-s-15th-international-adult-...

Tapes from older conferences: http://www.audiotapes.com/browse.asp?Topic=3

There is useful practical information buried among clinical studies and pathology discussions.

[colechristensen]

I've definitely known a few people who have used their diagnosis for a mild cognitive disorder as an excuse to exhibit it's negative symptoms. Knowing how to and proactively managing emotional and motivational responses is one thing, saying "I have ADD" and using that to be perfectly happy watching Netflix all day instead of doing your homework is entirely something else.

And I totally agree. Some people are given wrenches, other people hammers. The solution isn't to make people really good at tightening bolts with hammers.

[hgibbs]

Really? I think it gives me an advantage with respect to my peers.

Can we really say that it is a brain disorder? All that we know is that people with ADHD don't fit into the cultural definition of normal, but that doesn't mean that the definition of normal is correct or that not being normal is a "disorder". How do you know it isn't just a slightly different model of cognition that suffers at some tasks but excels in others. Humans are very good at detecting errors, such as ADHD caused impairment, but not very good at quantifying or detecting potentially positive effects of something like ADHD.

[falcolas]

After 35 years undiagnosed, I feel quite confident when I say there is no upside. Only lots of "if only I had known, I could have finished college", or "if only I had known, I would be the person running this company"...

I didn't know, and so I struggled mightily against myself to get to where I am today. In the few months during which time I have been medicated, I have made more career progress than any 5 other years prior.

[astazangasta]

"I took a drug and it had a nootropic effect" does not mean you had a brain disorder. What they give you to treat your "disorder" is amphetamines. Lots of people on Wall Street are enhancing their performance with cocaine. I'm sure this results in plenty of career progress - more energy, more confidence, etc. This does not mean they had a disorder beforehand.

[jotm]

I believe it is a disorder if it (severely) impairs your life.

We only get half a decade of productive life, if something that makes us piss away that time is not a disorder, well then wtf is it?

[astazangasta]

This is like saying not knowing group theory or being a loud asshole who people have trouble getting along with is a disorder. These are also things that can be improved, possibly with the help of drugs. They are not disorders.

[therobot24]

I don't. I often feel very bound to the 'operating hours' of the medication while friends can just start working at seemingly any time they want. If i take another pill there's no way i'm getting any sleep, but i still want to finish something up before calling it a night. It's just a constant struggle.

At this point i'm writing up my thesis, where tracking down, interpreting, and coherently organizing old notepads/napkins, papers, and result files is a full time job. If i want to keep my health (to actually sleep) i really only get 9-10 hours while the remaining 8 are anxiety that it's not getting done or frustration that i can't push out pages at any reasonable pace.

[hgibbs]

Your right. There are a lot of things that I struggle with, but over the years I have constructed a way to live which helps to minimise any difficulties I may face. I own very few things, I keep all my essential daily items in the same place every day and I have chosen a career where I don't have to deal with things that I struggle with.

The best advice I can offer is to accept your lack of control over some things. If I don't listen to my body and mind I will suffer. Like what you mentioned with sleep, I actually find it more beneficial to sleep than to work through the tiredness. That way I can come to the subject with a fresh mind.

[grovulent]

Yeah - living long enough to reproduce in modern times is easy enough now - but it wasn't back in the day.

I do wonder if survival back in the day actually required the level of risk taking that adhd people are capable of. If you stayed in one place - maybe you ran out of food - things like that.

[walterbell]

An important factor is the age of the mother at the time of her first child. If this age is earlier than the general population, there will be more generations in a given calendar time period. E.g. risk-seeking behavior among females could lead to early motherhood, which could be repeated in the child.