i've been thinking about this, and i think it'd be interesting to find out how we all see this - *are* we or do we *have* add?

i'll try to create a poll - wish me luck!
:D

Definitely "have".....for me anyway. If it were "am" -- it would mean it's part of my identity...and I don't choose to see it that way....:)

I don't go around saying "I am ADD, or I am ADHD." But among friends HERE, I YAM what I yam! I now feel very comfortable about it, too.

I do not have a Disease

I do not have ADD

I am ADD

Its what makes up the part of me that allows me to be creative in the way I do things.

I enjoy the fact that I can create many things or repair many things that other people whould consider broken or useless

I love yams.. < g >
I am adhd and I'm more comfortable with that every day.
Doing what I can. Ian

I use I "have" ADD alot...... But my feelings are " I am"

Originally posted by Garry Lawton
I do not have a Disease


i don't think of "my" adhd and add as "a disease" either!

i see it as some sort of "neurochemical" disorder, because i realise that i'm somehow differently "wired" than other people.
since being on concerta (eight weeks now), i've realised that the way i was (i e *before* concerta) wasn't "normal" - *now* i understand what it feels like to be able to have *a choice*...
a choice about how to act and react in different situations - i *never* had this choice before, but i *do* now, and it's wonderful!
:D

i'm *not* "diseased" or "abnormal" - i'm just "different"...

:yin-yang:

Really interesting stuff, and from only 8 votes.

Kay and I noticed this little linguistic trend a few years ago, and we thought it might be regional. But it's all ADD, and it took this little poll for me to see it. And how much simpler could it be?

The “I’m ADD,” thing makes it like any other personal attribute.

You might say, “I’m tall,” “I’m blond,” and so, “I’m ADD.”

Doh!

I love it. It’s quintessential ADD, forging a new linguistic model in a way that only ADDers could understand, and using it without a care whether anyone else gets it.

And using it is the ultimate rejection of the idea that it’s any kind of a disorder, disability, handicap, or whatever. It makes me embarrassed to admit I ever said it the old way.

I feel like we should start a world-wide campaign to make it the standard, with tee shirts and everything.

Gabriela:

In your post, you say you don’t think of it as a disease, but then later you still refer to it as a disorder. It's not.

It is a chemical difference, in our opinion, but the chemicals you use don't make you like them. They enable you to function differently among them, and that's your choice.

There isn't anything that would make us normal, short of electroshock. Who would want it, anyway?

i'm not sick (i e i don't have a disease), but i *do* have some sort of "chemical disorder" (attention deficit disorder - or do you think of it as "attention deficit difference"?;-).

i'm not saying i want to be *"normal"* (i e like "neurotypicals";-), and i *know* that even though (thanks to concerta) i'm now able to "choose" how to (re)act, i *still* will *never* be like "them" (i e "nts")!

i feel i have to clarify this one thing (from my previous post):

when i say "i now have a choice", i 'm *not* talking about the
"choice" to have/to not have add/adhd - i will *always* have add/adhd, and that's okay with me!

Originally posted by Stabile
Really interesting stuff, and from only 8 votes.
The “I’m ADD,” thing makes it like any other personal attribute.
You might say, “I’m tall,” “I’m blond,” and so, “I’m ADD.”

i don't see it as a "personal attribute"...

Originally posted by Stabile
I love it. It’s quintessential ADD, forging a new linguistic model in a way that only ADDers could understand, and using it without a care whether anyone else gets it..
maybe i will see it this way someday, but right now i'm thinking...
:confused: :dizzy: ;)

Originally posted by Stabile

And using it is the ultimate rejection of the idea that it’s any kind of a disorder, disability, handicap, or whatever. It makes me embarrassed to admit I ever said it the old way.
well...
to *me* (i e *"my add/adhd"*) *is* a disability because of the chaos it creates in my life when i'm not on concerta (and, even *with* concerta it's pretty chaotic - i'm still trying to figure out ways to learn how to get "organized" in almost *every* aspect of my life! to *me*, *not* using the word "disability" means that all the people - meaning "teachers" - who said that i could do *"anything"* if i'd only *"apply"* myself - all those people were *right*: i'm just "lazy"/"uninterested"/"indifferent"/
"obstinate"/defiant"!)...
(did you make it through all the parantheses okay??? i *"love"* "paranthesizing" everything!;-)
:D

Originally posted by gabriela
well...
to *me* (i e *"my add/adhd"*) *is* a disability because of the chaos it creates in my life when i'm not on concerta (and, even *with* concerta it's pretty chaotic - i'm still trying to figure out ways to learn how to get "organized" in almost *every* aspect of my life! to *me*, *not* using the word "disability" means that all the people - meaning "teachers" - who said that i could do *"anything"* if i'd only *"apply"* myself - all those people were *right*: i'm just "lazy"/"uninterested"/"indifferent"/
"obstinate"/defiant"!)...
(did you make it through all the parantheses okay??? i *"love"* "paranthesizing" everything!;-)
:D [/B]


Or are you just trying to fit into a Linear world and haven't found your inner strenght yet

It does make life complicated no doubt , but have faith .

There is a light at the end of the tunnel !!!!!

Originally posted by Garry Lawton
Or are you just trying to fit into a Linear world and haven't found your inner strenght yet

no, i gave up on fitting into the world of "the others" a *long* time ago!
:D
i'm just trying to learn these things to make life easier for *me*!

i *am* strong - stronger than *ever* right now, actually (tonsilitis and all!;-)
:D

I 'am' not, instead I 'have' adhd. By this I mean I have it in the same way that I have brown hair & blue eyes. It is merely a physical fact about me. I don't go around saying 'I am blue eyes' do I? (well I don't, for those who do not see me every day!)

I voted I have ADD although I think I could have checked both. Add is what made me me. It has great advantages and disadvantages. I am trying to accept my disadvatages and work on my advantages. I am making progress, but it can be slow. I am much more accepting of myself these days.

I don't see the difference. What you HAVE often dictates what you ARE. Am I making sense? lol

I choose neither. I am me, and a big part of who I am is the adhd. It makes up a lot of my personality, if not all of it, and it effects my decision making, no doubt, but I am no longer controlled by it and I don't feel like I 'have' anything. I just see things differently and I am more open.

I used to consider it a disability, but my disability. I let it be a disability, and I know now that it is whatever I make it into. It is neither a gift, nor a curse. It is neither a disease, nor a disability.

ADHD is classified both as a neurological disorder and a mental illness. I think what makes it an illness or a disorder is the inability to adapt to one's self, and cope with the feelings. So, really it's up to the ADDer. It's not a question of 'are you ADD, or do you have ADD' it's: Can you cope with it, or can you not cope with it?

Cyndi

I voted "AM". ADD affects every aspect of cognitive function whether directly or not through it's impact on the executive centers of the brain. I simply would not be the same person if I was wired differently. I wouldn't see things the same for starters, or feel them the same, or EXPERIENCE them the same. The multitude of connections maintained between nuerons in the brain would form completely differently and lord only knows who'd be living in this body. It wouldn't be me though.

I don't view it as a disorder. Sure it has caused me a great variety of problems, however, all of those problems are a direct result of living in modern society. I would have faced none of them in a hunter gatherer society. In fact, while such an existence would have presented it's own challenges (like a 60-80% mortality rate among males from murder and warfare) they'd be challenges I was every bit as up to handling as the next fellow, maybe more so.

No, culture changes too rapidly for biology to keep up, and people have this idea that we should all "Think and work indentically", which is absolute crap. So, we end up with a society that thinks anyone "different" is Lazy, crazy, stupid, broken, or otherwise bad and just plain wrong.

If I threw a goldfish on my desk, watched it flop about helplessly for a bit and suffocate and then said, "What a worthless animal. It really can't do much can it?" I'd kind of be missing the whole point of goldfish wouldn't I? If I got into a pond and tried to catch one by swimming after it, in it's element, I might develop a new respect for what goldfish are capable of. The main difference between us and the fish, is the fish flopping around on my desk knows it's out of it's element. The most we generally figure out is that something just isn't right. At least up until a diagnosis. A rather telling detail though, is that some ADDers, never do realize they "HAVE" it until a family member is diagnosed. Sometimes they are just blessed with understanding and encouraging family who see their unique gifts, or gravitate towards niches in which their unique way of doing business is an advantage. This is telling because it's a rather odd disorder indeed if someone can go through life completely happy and healthy, and fulfilled and have it. DSM-IV criteria state it has to have a negative impact on at least two major aspects of your life to be considered a valid diagnosis. It should be noted here and now though, that in the DSM-V preliminary criteria they are considering eliminating this requirement because of the fact that many people simply don't encounter these problems, but still seem to have ADD.

I my life I think I feel both ways. I agree that ADD is responsible for both the good and the bad things about me. However being diagnosed with ADD, going on medications, and working really hard to change certain things/ habits about me- basically OVERCOMING parts of ADD has really made my life better.

At least for me there are parts of ADD that are a real pain in the $%#. On the other hand it is not a disease like cancer which would be hard to find anything positive about. (I have never had cancer so I admit that I may be wrong about that.....)

Like many who have posted more and more I am recognizing that I have a lot of unique qualities that also come from having ADD. Now that I understand my ablility to "hyperfocus" I can use it to my advantage. For example in 2 days I organized a movie outing for 25 friends and friends of friends for this Friday night. I talked to everyone I needed to, bought the tickets, divided and distributed them, organized babysitting for 4 families and made a lot of people happy- it was actually really fun.

the part about being smart creative and all
thats me

the part about not concentrating finishing loosing stuff
and all that thats add
and that is not me
that is a disability i am working to correct.

that is why the dsm does not list the good parts just the bad
they good parts are us
the bad parts are the disease.

that way i can have my cake and not get a stomach ache

Rob,

You are a unique property. But what a property! Good to have you around! :-)

I my life I think I feel both ways. I agree that ADD is responsible for both the good and the bad things about me. However being diagnosed with ADD, going on medications, and working really hard to change certain things/ habits about me - basically OVERCOMING parts of ADD has really made my life better.

At least for me there are parts of ADD that are a real pain in the $%#.
i'd say something like that if someone were to ask me how i feel about the fact that i have adhd/add!
:cool:

Got it, have it, am it, damn proud of it! :D

well, i'm not exactly *ashamed* of my adhd/add either!
;)
i *was* before i was diagnosed, though, and *this* is one of the r(many) reasons why:
i am (and have always been) a *terrific* "brainstormer" - full of ideas and visions - but i've never been able to actually *make* anything out of all those ideas and visions, and so people have thought that i was just one of those "monday morning quarterbacks", who knows/thinks they know how things *should* be*, but never does anything about it...
(come to think of it, i actually *was* one of those quarterbacks, sort of...)

*now*, though, (*thankyou*, concerta!!!;-), i'm able to make at least *some* of my ideas and visions come true...
:cool: :D

I am add, although when I say it out loud, I say "have" --that's the way I've learned to speak of various differences people have. It's called "people-first language" ...I was trained to use it during grad school ...it's politically correct to say "a person has ___" ...and it was strongly frowned upon to say "a person is ___"

I came across a strong argument against people-first language on a website written by Jim Sinclair, an autistic man (see below). Even though he's talking about autism, the rationale is the same for ADD --or any other thing that is a core element of who you are. I HAVE diabetes and I'm hoping for a cure. I AM ADD and I don't want to change that.

This is from http://web.syr.edu/~jisincla/dontmourn.htm. I copied the core argument below...

Autism is not an appendage

Autism isn't something a person has, or a "shell" that a person is trapped inside. There's no normal child hidden behind the autism. Autism is a way of being. It is pervasive; it colors every experience, every sensation, perception, thought, emotion, and encounter, every aspect of existence. It is not possible to separate the autism from the person--and if it were possible, the person you'd have left would not be the same person you started with.

This is important, so take a moment to consider it: Autism is a way of being. It is not possible to separate the person from the autism.

Therefore, when parents say,
"I wish my child did not have autism,"
what they're really saying is,
"I wish the autistic child I have did not exist, and I had a different (non-autistic) child instead."

**If you're interested, Jim Sinclair gives a more thorough & thought-provoking discussion about people-first language at:
http://web.syr.edu/%7Ejisincla/person_first.htm

I love the way certain posts appear after many months of hiding somewhere in the bowls of the computer

It was interesting to read and see how many people look at it as being

I am ADD

We will each develop our own sence of dealing with what society has classed as a disorder

I can't change the way I am as I was born this way and all I can do is learn to cope with the way society looks at the difference of others when we dont fit into the box that society has created that supposedly signifys normality.........

I still think that many people have " Linear Thinker Disorder " and it is easier for them

to ostersize other people than it is to " Unconditionally Accept and Love " people for their differences

Maybe that is the " Linear Thinkers " way of coping with their disability

It just happens that there are "more of them" than there "are of us"

At the moment anyway


<!--StartFragment -->Remeber When (http://www.addforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=12526)


<!--StartFragment -->Do you Remeber When you first joined the ADDforums.........

I didn't so I had to go look .........03-16-03

I was member number 180

We are now at 3800 and some members

That is an increase of ____ % ( a whole bunch anyway )

I remeber how I felt when I found the Forums and started reading the posts for the first time.

Like wow ---- who turned on the light ............

I am an individual with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. I, myself, personally, am not the actual diagnosis, or the disorder itself. I'm just a person who has said disorder. That said, I _AM_ inattentive, hyperactive, etc. etc.

It's a matter of grammar for me. It's weird to say "I am Attention Defecit Disorder" - it just doesn't make any sense.

With that said, (this kind of reflects what KMiller wrote) I think ADHD is a type of disorder that cannot be a part of you. It's a label we put on our problems with inattention in the context of our modern society - it really wouldn't be a "disorder" if society decided to stop dictating the importance of deadlines, strict organization, etc.

So yes, I have this disorder because my problems with organization, distraction, and daydreaming do not allow me to function "properly" in the context of our modern world, but really there is nothing wrong with me nor would I consider my real self be in a state of constant disorder.

It's a matter of grammar for me. It's weird to say "I am Attention Defecit Disorder" - it just doesn't make any sense.
This is hitting the nail right on the head.

It also doesn't make any sence to say, " So and So Has ADD"

,To Label someone, because they have a difference's` that shows up in circumstances and envionments that are artifically produced by society, shows that society is not producing an envionment that is condusive to all the people that will be participating in the event........

Therefore society has "Linear Thinker Disorder"


With that said, (this kind of reflects what KMiller wrote) I think ADHD is a type of disorder that cannot be a part of you. It's a label we put on our problems with inattention in the context of our modern society - it really wouldn't be a "disorder" if society decided to stop dictating the importance of deadlines, strict organization, etc.

This well written and self explanitory

it really wouldn't be a "disorder" if society decided to stop dictating the importance of deadlines, strict organization, etc. Society has the freedom to dictate anything they want as a whole....

Where we as ADDers have the right to "Not Participate" in activitys such as this , and we also have the right to "Carve Out Our Own Reality", in areas and activitys that don't adhere to societys demands......

But due to the way "the world" operates and "our" lack of understanding,of the fact that we don't fit into many of these situations, "our" need to make a living and survive the same as everyone else in society, we find ourselves in the situations that we find ourselves in, by our own doing.

Had we had the proper training and education when we were young and impresionable, the proper places to go and live our life,

ie:
(to play on a sports team where the emphsis was on having fun and not on winning,)

(to be in a school system where the emphsis was on learning about things that interest us , and learing in our own way, how to do things instead of being forced to learn things that not only had no interest to us, but had no practical value to what we would be doing for the rest of our lives.) in example (spelling, french language, history, geography and many other things)

Knowing that the school systems were set, at the time they were created, to accomodate the masses, as they wern't aware of the existance of "Different Learning Styles", then, society did the best job they could........


But as we are now coming to realize now that there is a segment of the population that ,learns and does things differently, and as more and more of us are coming forward as ADDults, who are having problems functioning in that paticular style of society, at some point there will possibly be a shift in the way society dictates, "That There Is Only The PUBLIC SCHOOL way of learing" and that there is need for a change.......



So yes, I have this disorder because my problems with organization, distraction, and daydreaming do not allow me to function "properly" in the context of our modern world,

This part of the statement says to me that, yes "You Have ADD" , as society wants to label all who are different from the masses.......



but really there is nothing wrong with me nor would I consider my real self be in a state of constant disorder.

This part of the statement says to me that, yes "You ARE ADD", as you do not accept that societys way of doing things or labeling people that are different, is nessarily the correct way of living life that is condusive to the well being of ALL ...............

To me ADD does not stand for "ATTENTION DEFICIT DISORDER"

To Me ADD Stands for

Addaptable
Directed
Determined

But That is my REALITY and my 2 Can-ADD-ian cents worth........

What anybody else chooses for there own reality is upto that individual .......

I don't think I have it as much as it has me. Since the majority of how I think and act is governed by being adhd... I dunno, I would say that I am adhd, but when I speak outloud, I have it. Otherwise it sounds silly.

Actually, now that I think about it, I change my mind "Hey! I'm ADHD, leave me alone!" So yeah, I am.

I'd say my personality is pretty much dominated by ADD, there's no aspect of my life that hasn't been touched by it.

So yeah, I guess I *am* ADD

I have ADD. Just like I have hazel eyes and brown hair. Just like I have certain other genetically inherited traits.
I can learn ways to deal with the more debilitating effects of my having ADD, but it apparently won't ever leave. Just like I can dye my hair and get colored contacts to deal with my not liking my hair or eye color.... (except I do like my eye and hair color...)

I say 'I'm an ADHDer', even though it's not grammatically correct. They get it.

It's easier for me to say I'm ADD as opposed to I "have" add. I don't see it as an illness, although sometimes I wish it were , as most illnesses can be cured.

I have ADD.

I was told it was a neurological disorder. Which sounds better than a disease or mental illness. I will investigate further what "the proffessionals" think it is.

I am not ADD. Just like I am not depression. I am not anxiety. I am not cancer. I am not a stroke.

I am Deb who happens to have ADD, depression, COPD, anxiety, OCD, etc.

I have ADD. I see it as a disorder to be managed. I do not see "me" as a disorder. I agree with Emwell's post.

I also have PTSD, but I'm certainly not "PTSD".

i am me.

and i have adhd.

but it wouldn't mean a lick to me if someone said "you ARE adhd." i look at this as a semantics issue, and in the end, i don't worry about it one way or the other. but these posts have been really interesting to read.

I am ADD. I totally understand the reasoning behind looking at it either way though, and I don't think it is something I would want to try to sway someone's feelings on. Even though "have" and "am" create distinct pictures in my mind, I don't know for sure that they are exactly the same picture for you. Much like the fact that although I haven't had a drink or illegal drug use since 1991, I still consider myself to be an alcoholic. I think the perspective is the same for me with ADD. Knowing the way I think, if I were to look at it as "I have" ADD, then that would imply to my brain that it is potentially temporary, and is something outside of my "self". I know for a fact that I would then be able to use it as an excuse. By looking at this as "I am" ADD, It helps me remember that this is part of who I am. That means that since I am aware of it, I have to at least be learning and improving my life and not use it as an excuse. It can be a reason, but not an excuse. It is also important to me right now since I've really started learning as much as I can about it only recently. It means for me that who I am, at a core level, like my soul, is not some uniquely screwed up individual. Just knowing finally at 37 years old that I am a "type of person" is such a profound realization and relief to me.
My pdoc is from the "type of person" school of thought as well, which works well for me. It also means that I can try to explain myself to someone who is not ADD by remembering that they can probably relate a little bit, but not realize the extreme or the consistency of my life.
So that is a really long way of saying that I think it is definitely an interesting question, and I really do like to hear why others see it the way that they do.

I also love that I don't have to go back and re-read this to get all the key words itilicized and bolded in the hopes that you might understand a fraction of what I mean!

I use I "have" ADD alot...... But my feelings are " I am"
me too.

gramatically, it makes no sense to say to someone "i am attention deficit hyperactivity disorder".:confused:

me too.

gramatically, it makes no sense to say to someone "i am attention deficit hyperactivity disorder".:confused:
I agree with gramaticlly part of what you are saying , but then we ADDers have been known to say many things that aren't grammaticlly correct, but then for that matter we say things that aren't real logical at times also.......

rather than go off on a rant I will just link to the post I made much earlier on this subject for any who wish to read it.........

My Previous Post (http://www.addforums.com/forums/showpost.php?p=116917&postcount=29)

i guess its like the difference between saying "i have depression" and "i am depressed".
the "am" makes it so much more personal (although, i might have said already, 'i am add' is gramatically incorrect, and this completely irks me!)

but i AM add, its not somethign i HAVE.. bcause it encompasses the whole of me.

This is a question of what you want ADD to stand for, Attention Deficit Disorder or Attention Deficit Disorder-ed?

How about a "monkey wrench"???? Happen to have one on me as I seem to carry them about every where I go!! :D

I am not ADHD, that would mean (in my book) that I would be the end all and be all of ADHD.

I have ADHD----> closer but not quite, most of the time I think ADHD has me more than I have it!!!!!

How about my life is effected by ADHD. It effects my life but it isn't all there is to me or my life. Just like my race, bad vision, and dyslexia, effects my life but those things aren't the end all and be all of who I am. Yes they enfluence me; they also have an impact on those who share my life but I am a girl type person I am not ADHD!!!!! :p