I think many good traits come out of having ADHD.I'm dedicating this to be "The Big Headed Thread."
I tend to over analyze things, ecspecially when it comes to what people say to me. Half the time it ends up hurting my feelings.I think and think until my mind convinces me someone hurt me. Most the time I just took them the wrong way.The + on this end is that I consantly put my feet in everybody's shoes. I would hate to think that I disrespected somebody because I know what it feels like.
As you all know, we all have are strengths and weaknesses.I'm good at imagery and imagination but really bad at math and fly by the seat of your pants problems.
Alright guys, Your turn
Think positive, and what your proud of

No takers ??? Errrr, Umm, OK. I know ADHD has put quite a few dints in my life, but I tend to look at the brighter side. I'm not good on keeping friends because in my messed up head, it seems to turn into a responsibility. I hate to feel obligated. On the brighter side, I do make good empressions upon people. I feel respected. Besides, if I talk to people for to long, I'll say something rude or stupid and then give them the wrong empression. I won't know that I insulted them until after I rethink the conversation. It always happens, and then the over analyzing comes in. I don't want to get into that.

Well, ADD has certainly given me cause to think about who I am and what I am doing... so I guess it has made me more self aware.

I have a spontaneously creative side that possibly stems from my ADD.. or possibly from my HFA.

I'd rather not have ADD, but I like who I am. If I had to give up who I am to be rid of ADD, I think I'd chose to still have ADD.


Me :D

You see, That was written perfectly. I wish I could write less and still feel like I got my point across like you did. Thats something I need to work on.
Thanks speedo

I'm just now beginning to accept my ADHD. It's taken a couple of months of counseling but I've allowed myself to see the up-side to ADHD. I'm creative, I can multi-task like nobody's business, and I'm good for comic relief (intended or otherwise).

One a daily basis now, I have to remind myself that I'm not broken I'm just outside of society's box. And being outside of society's box is where all the fun and interesting stuff happens. Someone here refered to the non-ADDer's as 'mundanes'. On the days I think I want to be in the box, I look at the mundanes and remember the line from "Joe vs. The Volcano". Meg Ryan's character says, "My dad says that just about everybody in the world is asleep. There are only a few who are truly awake and they live in a world of constant amazement."

I think she was talking about us!!!

Eric

While I wouldn't wish ADHD on anyone, some of the positives for me personally are that having it gives me an advantage (or a better perspective) in diagnosing & treating it over a non-ADHD clinician,and I also try and use it (constructively) in problem solving.

What I mean by the latter remark is that while I have to be careful with impulse control and the propensity for careless mistakes, ADHD (the hyper part here), helps me "cut to the chase" in some instances in solving problems

Whenever possible, I try and "focus on the solution and not the problem." If I know and understand what the problem at hand seems to be (that also implies that I know what it is I want or want to happen) and recognize that I can solve it, I try and skip the angst in the middle and go right to doing whatever it is I need to do to accomplish the task.

While that cannot always be done, it does allow me the opportunity at least to first search for solutions.That alone is a positive aspect of my ADHD.

In terms of "worrying," I try and "don't sweat the small stuff," although that's often easier said than done. Overall though, I've found throughout my life that worrying only makes me feel bad. If it did something constructive, I might do it more(I'm referring to day to day things and not major life situations.If I had family in the Gulf Coast, I'd be very worried right now).

Mostly, worry wastes valuable time that I could be using to either solve the problem or simply move on. That attitude in part is a function of my impatience,which is of course one of the symptoms listed.

All of this is presented with the caveat that my meds also have to be working well in order for me to do my best.


Those were all excellent posts. Thanks.:)

Those were all excellent posts. Thanks

Same to you mctavish!!!!!!



My ADHD and short attention span help me to let go of regreats and resentments that would otherwise hold me prisioner. I mean holding grudges takes too much of an attentions span and drains energy. I am able to do this relatively easily because I am soo easily distracted by more positve and important issues.

Although I do not have the focus to devote more than 30 minutes on grudges I do have the working memory to avoid placing myself in a position to re-injuried. I also am able to look at situations where I made a mistake and have enough analysing characteristics to see where I can learn what not to do...and dismiss over worrying by coming up with alternitives ways to handle people or situations more productively.

I also am able to come up with unusaul cross functions for tools like butter knives (exelant medium sized screw drivers) forks (great for loosening dirt around potted house plants can be used as a quick comb in a pinch after potting soil cleaned off).

Great idea for a thread SRHTinker! The AD/HD pluses in my life are as follows...
I'm very honest and open and people seem to feel very safe talking to me (people I've just met will open up and talk about very personal issues); like Speedo I have a spontaneous creative side, like McTavish I'm good about cutting to the chase and seeing what's really going on; like Meadd I'm good at letting go of grudges and anger. I'm very much in the present moment which is a really good thing when interacting with people on a deeper level (I'm not thinking about somewhere else -- heck I can't even remember somewhere else;) ). I'm uninhibited and energetic which seems to have helped me be successful in facilitating personal growth workshops. I'm good at thinking outside the box (frequently don't even notice there is a box there to begin with:rolleyes: ) and I make connections between ideas out of unrelated fields and am able to present them as a coherent whole. If I'm interested in something, I can hyperfocus like crazy and learn a lot about it in a short time or accomplish a lot in a short time (for instance almost all my term papers in college were written the night before they were due:p ). Finally, I'm very sensitive to what other people are feeling and will sometimes even feel their feelings in my body. Sorry to go on so long, but one of my homework assignments from my therapist (which I forgot to do) was write what I liked about myself, so this was a great reminder, plus reading what you wrote about yourselves reminded me of things I like about me too. Also I've been feeling pretty down about me and needed a good contradiction. So thank you for your indulgence.

Scattered

Well, a lot of it seems to be a double-edged sword.

The impulsiveness has gotten me into a lot of trouble, but it's also gotten me into good and interesting life experiences, from life-changing to randomly deciding to cut all my own hair off (which turned out well).
If it weren't for these wacky impulses, I wouldn't have the positive results of many of the things I just decided to do, like moving to a strange city far away from any family. It was an impulse, but it worked out extremely well.

Yes, I blurt and my humor is often highly inappropriate, but some seem to really dig my humor, in fact, I tend to get along with the most far out people because of it. I love far out people most of the time.

The obsession du jour thing has gotten me deeply into a variety of subjects where I delve intensely until the next thing comes along. So, I wind up with a lot of information that resurfaces at suprising times.

I'm good with creativity. Art, writing, knitting, playing the ukulele, etc. I'm not so good with being taught by others, but I can teach myself well. Anyone else find this to be true with themselves?

My instincts and intuition aren't bad. I read people pretty well, anyway, well enough to have people ask me for advice, which they tend to trust. That one is odd, because I have a problem with social cues, but I see, I guess, the bigger picture? If someone is bad news, I know somehow before anyone else sees it. I really think this has saved my butt a few times.

I'm not so good with being taught by others, but I can teach myself well. Anyone else find this to be true with themselves?
Definitely. I do best with an advisor or mentor to answer my questions.

Great idea for a thread SRHTinker! The AD/HD pluses in my life are as follows...
I'm very honest and open and people seem to feel very safe talking to me (people I've just met will open up and talk about very personal issues); like Speedo I have a spontaneous creative side, like McTavish I'm good about cutting to the chase and seeing what's really going on; like Meadd I'm good at letting go of grudges and anger. I'm very much in the present moment which is a really good thing when interacting with people on a deeper level (I'm not thinking about somewhere else -- heck I can't even remember somewhere else;) ). I'm uninhibited and energetic which seems to have helped me be successful in facilitating personal growth workshops. I'm good at thinking outside the box (frequently don't even notice there is a box there to begin with:rolleyes: ) and I make connections between ideas out of unrelated fields and am able to present them as a coherent whole. If I'm interested in something, I can hyperfocus like crazy and learn a lot about it in a short time or accomplish a lot in a short time (for instance almost all my term papers in college were written the night before they were due:p ). Finally, I'm very sensitive to what other people are feeling and will sometimes even feel their feelings in my body. Sorry to go on so long, but one of my homework assignments from my therapist (which I forgot to do) was write what I liked about myself, so this was a great reminder, plus reading what you wrote about yourselves reminded me of things I like about me too. Also I've been feeling pretty down about me and needed a good contradiction. So thank you for your indulgence.

Scattered[/QUOTE] Wow Scattered, I'm actually really bad at seeing outside the box. I only see whats in front of me and whats happening for a while before I get the "Big" picture. Thank You for the support

Great idea for a thread SRHTinker! The AD/HD pluses in my life are as follows...
I'm very honest and open and people seem to feel very safe talking to me (people I've just met will open up and talk about very personal issues); like Speedo I have a spontaneous creative side, like McTavish I'm good about cutting to the chase and seeing what's really going on; like Meadd I'm good at letting go of grudges and anger. I'm very much in the present moment which is a really good thing when interacting with people on a deeper level (I'm not thinking about somewhere else -- heck I can't even remember somewhere else;) ). I'm uninhibited and energetic which seems to have helped me be successful in facilitating personal growth workshops. I'm good at thinking outside the box (frequently don't even notice there is a box there to begin with:rolleyes: ) and I make connections between ideas out of unrelated fields and am able to present them as a coherent whole. If I'm interested in something, I can hyperfocus like crazy and learn a lot about it in a short time or accomplish a lot in a short time (for instance almost all my term papers in college were written the night before they were due:p ). Finally, I'm very sensitive to what other people are feeling and will sometimes even feel their feelings in my body. Sorry to go on so long, but one of my homework assignments from my therapist (which I forgot to do) was write what I liked about myself, so this was a great reminder, plus reading what you wrote about yourselves reminded me of things I like about me too. Also I've been feeling pretty down about me and needed a good contradiction. So thank you for your indulgence.

Scattered I don'nt know what just happened, I really have to improve on my computer skills. Sorry

Well, a lot of it seems to be a double-edged sword.

The impulsiveness has gotten me into a lot of trouble, but it's also gotten me into good and interesting life experiences, from life-changing to randomly deciding to cut all my own hair off (which turned out well).
If it weren't for these wacky impulses, I wouldn't have the positive results of many of the things I just decided to do, like moving to a strange city far away from any family. It was an impulse, but it worked out extremely well.

Yes, I blurt and my humor is often highly inappropriate, but some seem to really dig my humor, in fact, I tend to get along with the most far out people because of it. I love far out people most of the time.

The obsession du jour thing has gotten me deeply into a variety of subjects where I delve intensely until the next thing comes along. So, I wind up with a lot of information that resurfaces at suprising times.

I'm good with creativity. Art, writing, knitting, playing the ukulele, etc. I'm not so good with being taught by others, but I can teach myself well. Anyone else find this to be true with themselves?
My instincts and intuition aren't bad. I read people pretty well, anyway, well enough to have people ask me for advice, which they tend to trust. That one is odd, because I have a problem with social cues, but I see, I guess, the bigger picture? If someone is bad news, I know somehow before anyone else sees it. I really think this has saved my butt a few times. When it comes to jobs, some companys want you to do everything a certain way. I'm like " Dude, I'm different. Some ways work better for you, and I need to see what works for me." I don't take any shortcuts and the outcome will come out the same way they would expect it to. I also get frusterated when people start training me for a job. I learn by " Show and Tell", when I get the picture it takes me a long time to build up speed. Some people might complain about the slowness, but once I got it, I Rock.

One thing that I think is pretty strongly connected to ADD is that I am good in a crisis. I see other people freeze or panic, but I usually get very calm and focused.

I also think my impulsive side has been a plus overall. I have made many decisions that turned out well using my gut. Also, as they taught me in the military, when push comes to shove it's better to make a bad decision than no decision at all.

Also, in a twisted way I think my anxiety has helped me, because it motivates me to perform at my best.

I'm not so good with being taught by others, but I can teach myself well. - Natural Decline
Yeah...I taught myself how to repair typewriters by watching the typewriter repairman at my school when I was 15. Saved the school a bunch of money because I could fix them. Also taught myself how to play the alto sax.

I do best with an advisor or mentor to answer my questions - Imnapl
Ditto. I can usually (like someone else here said) get to the crux of the matter pretty quick. I just need a quide along to keep me from falling off the path!

Natural Decline mentioned sense of humor. I would have to assume that most of you guys (and gals!) have, what some would call, an "odd" sense of humor? Anybody here a fan of Bruce Campbell??? ("Good, bad, I'm the one with the gun!" "This! Is my boomstick!" "Shop smart. Shop S-Mart!") And with that, do you see the humor in most situations whether they be serious or not? It think that has to go to the fact that I can see just about all sides of an issue at once as well as the off-beat humor in them. I have had co-workers in the past who have had the same sense of humor I have. And I'v had co-workers who had no idea where I was coming from. They just rolled their eyes and went back to their job...

Eric

I think the biggest and greatest part of having AD/HD is that I can devote my life in TOTAL to only wanting one thing from every person I come across in my lifetime. That is just a SMILE! Seriously, all I ever want is to make people laugh and feel good. Apart from that, I can LOVE LOVE and LOVE endlessly... Regardless of how my mind works, or what I can accomplish, that is the greatest thing in the world!!

Great job guys !!! I think ya'll are awsome !:p Keep it up, I'm still learning about good things about myself everyday. I've noticed that I am very opened minded, but not to the point that it over takes my concious (sp? ). I always think things through before I try something new. Hey that rhymes :D . That should be a great way to remember.
Thank you for your responses !!

I like the fact that I can imagine (sp?) anything and daydream about magical places still and I'm 24!! :)

I like that I can be silly and carefree and not care what others think ~ this has actually taken A LOT of time and yes years ( i know i'm not that old) to fully understand....I hated it at first but now am coming to terms with it and allowing myself to open up to being free to well be ME :)

I like the fact that I am smarter than what most people realize and that it annoys some of them when I speak up cause I sound better than them. (giggles)

I like that I can zone out while talking to someone and think about something else while still being able to answer their questions or "listen" to them and be ready to say the normal "oh yeah" "okay" "keep talking"

I like that I think like a child sometimes cause in all honestly thinking like an adult is super hard on the brain !! :)

I like that I'm able to laugh at my mistakes and take my ADD lighly most days and am willing to search for knowlege in regards to ADD and the other underlying "issues" that come along with it...

(this was hard cause I thought of a million reasons first as to why I HATE it and it took forever to "find" the good in my ADD...strange)

some one has most probably posted this but i find it sooo cool
for people with add/adhd like me....

because having add/adhd we are more alert and aware back when we were primative a person with add/adhd would be the hero of the "pack" becuase if a preditor,lets say a lion came along trying to kreep up on a gang of primative humans the human with add/adhd would be most likley to spot it . because were distracted by the slightest noise , wat ever moves we look at .
well i think thats kool !! :D


what do ypu guys think?

Hey snprmstr, It's cool how you look at the good in the bad. I did to " The +'s of ADD " is on the third page of General ADD Talk. Your right about that primative thing, I never thought of it that way. Chat later
Tink

I think having ADD well at least the impulsive ADHD type has allowed me to do things that effective forethought and planning would have prevented me from even attemting...this isn't always a good thing but it isn't always a bad thing either.

I get a rush out of trying new things like merging threads!!!!!! If I didn't have ADHD I never would have landed here and met soooooo many cool folks.....so there are +'s to having ADD!!!!

As a newly diagnosed, but someone who has had adhd all my life, I'd say the way I study. I either walk on the treadmill while studying (great exercise) or I turn on the TV, mute it, then turn on the music (in a language I can't understand), and then study (while drinking green tea).
And I love the fact that I can work on my physics problems during genetics lecture, while taking in what the genetics prof is saying (without writing notes). I'd taken an extra bio course over the spring semester and I read the Harry Potter novels under my desk (v. boring prof) while still taking the key points of the lecture into my head.
Thanks for sharing the positive aspects of adhd! I really like looking at things this way.

I like the ability to create easier. I get the ideas from the several streams of thoughts, songs, words, etc that go through my busy head when im not medicated to do my poetry, cartoons, or silly things i make up like songs, sayings, and any other funky creative adventures i come up with. Ideas come lightening fast to my brain with my adhd. I like having that type of a brain.

And with my adhd i can be as happy as a little kid at times again and lift other people's spirits that way and it doesnt even take effort. I can have that same energy and enthusiasm all over again that others without adhd/add seem to lack for the most part today.

But the medication is also good so that I can organize those ideas later with the help of it so it wont be so incomplete and disocombobulated or miss something. And my brain is not going off a tangent in an innapropriate moment and the little hyper kid part of me doesnt come out at the wrong times either. So, I finally have my right hand man! :) I only take medication during the day....and then the nightime is for all the brainstorming sessions and to let the positive aspects of my adhd come out.

Like Scatterbrainz, I like the creative advantages that come with all the ideas and thoughts streaming through my head. And oddly enough, the procrastination problem has actually conditioned me to be able to crank things out at the very last minute -- like the website copy and magazine articles I'm working on tonight for two of my clients. (or was working on before, um, this little side trip ....)

Another thing I like about my ADD is that the hyperfocus thing, coupled with being easily being bored, makes me very into learning new things. New arts/crafts, new ways to branch out in my job, new possibilities for organizing myself and my life. It makes me feel good to know that I'm still interested in improving myself after, um, a LOT of years!

I like the fact I can still play...I know lots of adults have lost this ability. Some times when I run accross a mechanical problem or a structural wall I can often play with it and the answer not only comes but I have fun figuring it out!!!!

I think my symptoms have helped me out quite a bit at my job. Who makes a better bartender than someone with ADD? Don't know who mentioned it before about the "interest du jur" but I'm the same way, I obsessively read about something for hours on end until I feel like I've "quenched my thirst," if you will, so I'm known as a fountain of (sometimes) useless knowledge that knows a little bit about everything! I am an unstoppable force at trivia when I'm working and I've made a pretty penny off friendly wagers with intellectual types sitting at my bar.

In a profession where speed and efficiency affords you one less co-worker to split your money with, I've trained myself to hyperfocus at will in my job environment regardless of whether I've taken my meds or not, I make it into a game for myself... challenging myself to do things faster or more efficiently... the excitement keeps me going and I almost always rise to the task and get better and better every day... with the benefits of my ADD, I'm 23, I can walk into a part time job that I have tons of fun with and I can walk out with what many would consider a good week's pay after a single shift... it's a perfect match for my talents/symptoms.

I also agree with the point several people have made about being able to "step into someone else's shoes" because you overthink things. Although I've had to learn not to be a soft relativist, I've reached a good middle ground where I almost always give the benefit of the doubt and try to be patient where common sense dictates I shouldn't. That's paid off in spades.

Another benefit is the novel compensation techniques I had to learn in the 20 years I wasn't diagnosed... If I'm medicated right I can approach things the way most people do now, but I have the added advantage of a completely original, novel way of doing things that I had to teach myself to scrape by, I call them my "intellectual guerilla tactics." Speed reading, mental math, memory devices, and probably the weirdest one, visualizing abstract concepts spatially (I don't know, it sounds equally strange to me but manages to work in my head).

Probably the most important upside to having such nasty ADD has to be the perspective I get just knowing how hard I've had to work for the simplest of things. When writing a half page school assignment feels as tough as climbing mount everest sometimes, the sense of accomplishment and hope that comes along with succeeding is immesurable. Also, I have an entirely different perspective on "hard work" than most people do, when some "easy" things are so impossible, by the time you get to what other people think is impossible... it's a walk in the park.

that's my two cents...

Great idea for a thread SRHTinker! The AD/HD pluses in my life are as follows...
I'm very honest and open and people seem to feel very safe talking to me (people I've just met will open up and talk about very personal issues); like Speedo I have a spontaneous creative side, like McTavish I'm good about cutting to the chase and seeing what's really going on; like Meadd I'm good at letting go of grudges and anger. I'm very much in the present moment which is a really good thing when interacting with people on a deeper level (I'm not thinking about somewhere else -- heck I can't even remember somewhere else;) ). I'm uninhibited and energetic which seems to have helped me be successful in facilitating personal growth workshops. I'm good at thinking outside the box (frequently don't even notice there is a box there to begin with:rolleyes: ) and I make connections between ideas out of unrelated fields and am able to present them as a coherent whole. If I'm interested in something, I can hyperfocus like crazy and learn a lot about it in a short time or accomplish a lot in a short time (for instance almost all my term papers in college were written the night before they were due:p ). Finally, I'm very sensitive to what other people are feeling and will sometimes even feel their feelings in my body. Sorry to go on so long, but one of my homework assignments from my therapist (which I forgot to do) was write what I liked about myself, so this was a great reminder, plus reading what you wrote about yourselves reminded me of things I like about me too. Also I've been feeling pretty down about me and needed a good contradiction. So thank you for your indulgence.

Scattered
This is me to a T.

i think my adhd has made me a better piano player. i can hear in my head almost every song ive ever heard, and when peple hear my music they think its real good.

we all got our crosses to carry. LD's arent such bad ones.

I think my ADD has made me perfect for my job!

I have a job I have to multi-task, stop and hyperfocus, be quick-witted, and
creative, and hypersensitive to others moods.

Hope

i was recently diagnosed with add not so long ago .my other + is that being distracted could go to so much use for most things like .erm . clay pidgoen shooting and football
there are loads of good things about add and adhd but some people jsut moan on all the bad things and want to make there add/adhd go away . i wouldnt want my add to go away , its who i am , its what i am , yeh it had down sides but if yyou keep moaning about the bad sides and you should realise the good sides to.

sides but if yyou keep moaning about the bad sides and you should realise the good sides to.


Having ADHD means I don't have the attention to spend much time worrying about negatives...I thinks about the positives when I read this thread well at least for.......

man that's the eleventh time they have played that stupid commerical, I am out of coke, hmmm did I take a shower let me check......

What was the subject??????

I'm one of the members on here that believes ADD/HD is a gift. I'm ambidexterous..so I can analyze my feelings at the same time..LOL! I can shape an entire world out of abstract, but make it 'realistic' at times...I don't know if you understand that.
Empathy is an entirely different subject though..I'm an Empath..and I absorb what others 'feel' all the time...call it Intuitive..Perceptive..Cognitive..whatever...I just call it Empath..
but I try to remember that whatever someone is feeling is THEIR feelings..not mine..and it's not up to me to keep 'running with it'...in other words..they aren't MY feelings..I'm just picking up on them..
Once in a while, I have to say to someone whom I care about 'Quit it...I've had enough..I can't keep getting drained by you anymore...and you can either pick up the pace now..and just stop...or I'm taking my toys and going home'
It's one thing to be a sounding board for friends/family once in a while when they truly need it..and I realize that we all need it enough...but it's another to keep absorbing another's mindset continuously...
You only allow 'in' what you allow in...remember that..I'm not that proficient at completely doing that, either..but I'm working on it, too.
Nova

The times that I can hyper focus and brainstorm for ideas are great.
However the frustrating part is being misunderstood by others etc. and forgetting obvious day to day stuff.
I guess i just have to know when to work with my add or around it.

Mark

I've been renevating houses with my boyfriend, and I've learned that I'm pretty good at solving simple problems fast and effiencently. At home has well. I look at a problem and look around for a resource. saving twisty ties is a good idea to keep around the house. Ex. The plastic rings on the garland broke straight in middle and the tie worked great. Dont forget the toys that you bought the kids for Christmas, a lot of the have those long black or silver twistys to hold the toys in place in the packaging.

I'm funny. I mean ha ha funny. So people think I'm always in a good mood, which is good for them and me too.

Since I see people in a different light and since I'm compassionate because of having hurt feelings myself. I am very nice. People just love me. I mean it. I hear that all the time.

Because I know I screw up a lot and can admit that I do, I can make people feel at-ease with their own errors. We all try and we're not perfect whether we are ADD or not. So I'm forgiving, honest, reasonable, down to earth and easy to work with.

This is all directly attributable to my ADD. I think, in some ways, I am so nice because I'm trying to compensate for my lack of organization (or whatever it is that I lack).