ADHD: A Shameful Mental Disorder or a Pathway to Unlimited Potential?

Photo by author Joe Trey: Daughter, Student and Artist, Sophia Trey

My daughter Sophia has ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). For that reason, it is a topic close to my heart. I also believe that I have lived a life of undiagnosed ADHD. In my youth, I often had outbursts and created disruptions. Inside my head was swirling with thoughts and ideas, all competing to get out. That has changed little as I've gotten older. But, I can now control it better.

Kids like me were often labeled as "trouble." Shamed by being sat away from the other kids in class. In extreme cases, disrupters got moved to "alternative school." I was often the recipient of the first punishment but never graduated to the second form.

Several of my friends got sent to an alternative school. Most were highly creative. Often, traditional schools could not manage, foster, or support such high functioning creativity. Sadly, today's student-teacher ratio continues to make it challenging. Making it difficult to discern harmful disruptions from trapped creativity.

Sir Alexander Crichton

Unknown author, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Research into ADHD appears to go back to the late 1700s. History shows Sir Alexander Crichton studied what he called "mental restlessness" in 1798. Researchers believe his work may have been among the earliest attempts to understand ADHD.

Are Boys and Girls are Different?

Stock Image: Licensed with Permission from Envato Elements

ADHD in children often results in a lack of focus and outbursts. Simple tasks may be challenging to complete. This can be a result of competing ideas rushing around in their heads. In adults, this lack of focus and extreme reactions can lead to problems at work. In severe cases, even maintaining a job can be difficult.

ADHD is diagnosed in boys more than girls — 12.9% in boys vs. 5.6% in girls. It is also very heterogeneous. This means the symptoms can differ in the extreme by the individual.

Boys may become more disruptive. Whereas girls can retreat and become quiet and introverted. This is why ADHD is often undiagnosed in young girls and women.

According to the American Psychiatric Association (APA), ADHD is a mental disorder. Defining ADHD as a "mental disorder" explains the stigma often associated with it. The APA estimates that 8.4% of children and 2.5% of all adults have ADHD.

The CDC estimates 6.1 million children have been diagnosed with ADHD since studies began.

ADHD Diagnoses of Children (2016 CDC Data)

388,000: 2-5 Years Old

2.3 million: 6-11 Years Old

3.3 million 12-17 Years Old

Scientific America took looked deeper into the positive sides of ADHD. Asking if people with ADHD are more creative? They acknowledge the hyperactive impulses associated with ADHD. Yet, they go on to describe more positive traits. Suggesting ADHD can result in "very spontaneous, curious, inquisitive, enthusiastic, and witty" behaviors.

The word "disorder" implies brokenness. Something in need of repair. Webster's dictionary calls it "the disruption of peaceful and law-abiding behavior." Making those labeled with ADHD seem like deviants.

I am grateful for Scientific America's position. I am not a doctor or scientist, but labeling ADHD a disorder adds to the humiliation. This may lead some to avoid diagnosis. Keeping them from unlocking their full potential to avoid feeling more shame.

There's a Drug for That!

Methylphenidate, or its common name, Ritalin, was first created in 1944. The United States approved it for Medical use in 1955. It is estimated that 2.4 billion doses of the medication have been taken worldwide. In 2017, 16-million prescriptions made Methylphenidate the 47th most commonly prescribed drug in the United States.

Like many prosperous "legal drugs," Ritalin became an easy fix. But, in some cases, it may have been overprescribed. Used to overcorrect situations that could have benefited from a different approach.

I'm glad I was never diagnosed for many reasons. In my experience, when I was younger, the medication stripped kids of the sensation of living. Turning them into zombies and robbing them of their creativity.

The goal was to get "problematic individuals" under control. Even at a young age, I could see who was benefiting and who was paying the price of being medicated. I feared losing my individuality to fit into someone else's definition of proper. I was sent to counselors but was never prescribed medication.

Artists and ADHD

Photo of Multiple Composers User:RP88, CC BY-SA 3.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

Neil Peterson is the Founder & Chairman of the Edge Foundation. He is a leading advocate for the disabled. Among other projects, he conducted research on the composers Handel, Mozart, and Schumann.

Studying their lives and behaviors, he concluded that they could have had ADHD. Perhaps they developed Hyperfocus. A trait sometimes associated with forms of ADHD. It can lead to an ability to focus on a single task for hours. The outcomes of this focus can be extraordinary. The key is knowing how to calm the mind without shutting it down.

Many creative people have varying degrees of mental restlessness. Some confirmed, while others sense their struggles without a formal diagnosis. In recent years, many celebrities have shared their challenges with ADHD. Helping to reduce ADHD stigmas.

From Outbursts to Extreme Focus

Image by Barbara A Lane from Pixabay

"It's not that I'm so smart; it's just that I stay with problems longer."— Albert Einstein

I learned first hand how having an interest could give me focus. I was never diagnosed, but I believe I have experienced both sides of ADHD. At a young age, it came as outbursts and bouts of inexplicable anger.

In my teens, something switched, and I became more hyperfocused. I attribute this somewhat to coffee. I have no scientific evidence, but something about caffeine calmed me. For most of my life, I also suffered from trembling hands. Coffee seemed to relax this as well.

Then music came into my life. It became a soothing muse. I could sit for hours writing and practicing. Years later, I applied this same focus toward software development. It was not a conscious decision, but in hindsight, I can recall the change that occurred.

In my workspace, I've always hung a picture of Einstein. It is accompanied by one of my favorite quotes. "It's not that I'm so smart; it's just that I stay with problems longer." That quote sounds a lot like Hyperfocus. Is it possible that Einstein had ADHD?

My Daughter and ADHD

Photo by author Joe Trey; Daughter, Sophia Trey around the time of her ADHD Diagnosis

When teachers suggested Sophia might have ADHD, I didn't protest. I recognized that her behavior could be extreme. She exhibited traditional male tendencies of ADHD. This included outbursts, spontaneous aggression, and loss of focus. But, I fought against medication being the first-line solution.

Eventually, an opportunity presented itself. As a family, we could participate in an ADHD research program at the University of Denver (UCD). A series of assessments and evaluations were administered. Not just for Sophia but our entire family. The whole process took months.

Upon completion, we received a comprehensive evaluation of our whole family. This is an integral part of the process. Determining how Homelife may contribute to what is happening.

Sophia was diagnosed with ADHD. We learned a great deal through the program. Even so, there can still be a fine line between behavioral issues and brain imbalances. There were several follow up visits. We met with psychologists and psychiatrists. After careful consideration, we agreed to try a mild dose of ADHD medication for Sophia.

I needed to know it was for Sophia. Not, for our own selfish frustrations and feelings of parental inadequacy. Doctors assured us that the medication would not make her a zombie. That at the first sign of a loss of interest or creativity, we could reevaluate the dosage or even stop.

Almost immediately, we could see a shift. The small dosage helped Sophia to better handle stress, fatigue, and decision making. Her creativity increased, as opposed to becoming diminished.

With the medication, Sophia could understand boundaries. Most great art has edges. Be it the length of a song or the frame of a painting. The focus she gained allowed her to leverage those edges. The medicine didn't erase her, as I had feared. It helped her to define herself more clearly.

I was also relieved to see many of her challenging behaviors still existed. She continued to have a temper, strong opinions, and occasional outbursts. It was clear; there was still room for parenting and the natural effect of growing up. The medicine helped her to engage in conversations and problem-solving. She maintained her personal-will without being a zombie. We were ecstatic for her.

At 12, she was capable of expressing how the medication helped her. Over the years, she has found many ways to express herself. Performing and building sets for school and summer theater. She developed nearly professional levels of skill creating makeup looks. By 14, she was being paid to do makeup for others. More recently, she has turned her attention toward visual art. Her focus in these areas has been substantial. She has even begun to profit from her art.

Sophia has learned to recognize when her medicine is wearing off. On days when she forgets to take it, she sometimes struggles. Internal and external stimuli can, at times, overwhelm her. Yet, she continues to develop patience with herself and others.

Working on self-control and expressing herself, Sophia has adopted a holistic approach. Managing her stress and fatigue through quiet time, breathing exercises, or delayed reactions. She evaluates which situations need immediate attention and which ones can wait. She often retreats to a comfortable space to create; a new makeup look, a painting, or crocheting. Later, returning refreshed and ready to face to interact with others.

She uses these various techniques, consciously and subconsciously. They help her to regain focus and control. With more experience, she may be able to rely less on her medication. Seeing her in a state of happiness and calm has been one of the most rewarding experiences.

It hasn't always been pleasant. But, it brings great joy to see her succeed. Not having to go through it the hard way, like I did.

Unleashing Potential

Stock Image: Licensed with Permission from Envato Elements

Individuals with ADHD and those living with them require understanding, patience, and support. Medication should not be a solution prescribed out of convenience but as a last resort. When administered with care and consideration, medication can unleash a world of possibilities. Freeing an individual who may be otherwise feel trapped.

A restless mind is not a disorder. It is not about stopping the brain. It is about slowing it down long enough to make a choice and act on it. When Hyperactivity converts to Hyperfocus, individuals with ADHD can become unstoppable.

A person with a restless mind holds a world of possibilities waiting for release. When they can organize and process their thoughts, it is a gift not only for them but also for the world.

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