Brain on Red Bull

Insight on ADHD: A superpower

By: Allison Kim

Imagine a kid with some unidentifiable food smeared across their bright red face. The child is screaming and galloping around a grocery store grabbing anything within reach. You probably also picture the child’s embarrassed parents chasing them down with threats. Everyone around you stands still, just watching the chaos unfold, and thanking God that they are not those parents. This child is the poster child of ADHD. 

 

But this is not what ADHD always looks like. For example, girls will often have inattentive ADHD in which they are not “bouncing off the walls” but struggle with focusing. 

 

Growing up, my parents were the ones chasing down the child and repeating “sit down”. They focused their attention to my ADHD-brother. I remember getting so embarrassed by him that I would pretend like we were not related—even though we were often mistaken as twins. 

 

My brother was the poster child. I was not because my symptoms were “invisible”. 

 

Fortunately, after many conversations with my friends, therapy, and my mom reading a book about ADHD, I got diagnosed. It was so freeing to know it was not my fault and to get help. I still have a memory like Dory and am impulsive, but the diagnosis has helped me understand my brain to make my ADHD my superpower. I want to bring attention to what ADHD truly is-- beyond the hyperactivity. 

 

Note: I am writing about my experience with ADHD—not everyone has had the same experience.  

 

What is ADHD?

Definition: ADHD, or Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder is titled “one of the most common neurobehavioral disorder” in which symptoms include inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity (7,10). 

 

To put it simply, having ADHD feels like you drank three Red Bulls. It affects daily activities from relationships to academic development. The symptoms are more identifiable in children and so diagnoses occur at a young age. Currently, 9.8% of children have been diagnosed (2). Still, many people do not get diagnosed which is a problem. 

 

As people with undiagnosed ADHD grow up, you learn how to mask your symptoms because you want to blend in. But, imagine missing important dates or making regrettable, impulsive decisions. Without knowing that you have ADHD, you get easily frustrated with yourself. 

 

Most people do not consider ADHD as a source of the problem and, because they are not diagnosed, they blame themselves. They develop poor self-esteem and become highly self-critical. Unsurprisingly, they are at a high risk of developing other disorders such as anxiety, depression, and substance abuse. Studies have even reported statistically significant results that indicate a correlation between having ADHD and an anxiety disorder (5). 

 

Getting a diagnosis is important. 

 

ADHD Symptoms:

People, including my previous self, are unaware of the symptoms-- or effects-- besides the obvious hyperactivity. This list is not complete but gives a glimpse of some common symptoms. I will explain how they are related to ADHD with some examples.

 

Hyperactive Mind: The Internal Symptoms

A hyperactive mind is like having millions of thoughts racing around in your brain. These are associated with inattentive ADHD and are considered the “invisible” symptoms. Dr. Stephen Hinshaw, the chair of the psychology department at UC Berkeley, notes that the “(s)tigma is stronger against subtle disorders than obvious ones” (4). Basically, the bad ADHD stigma-- like laziness-- is due to the "invisible" symptoms.

 

1.   A messy room: Some people are just messy. However, a messy room is related to being disorganized. Often, you cannot see my bedroom floor, but my room reflects my scattered brain. I know where everything is but once things are put away, I lose things. 

 

2.    Forgetting a task: When you give someone with ADHD a chore, they will forget to do at least one thing on the list. This is not because they “conveniently forgot” or are lazy. Their hyperactive mind was already full and had no room for the chore list you gave them. On a related note, people with ADHD have a hard time multi-tasking.

 

3.   Short attention span: People with ADHD get bored fast. It is hard to pay attention if they are not engaged. Some people move around—hyperactivity—or daydream—hyperactive mind. For example, I have a hard time waiting in lines. If the line is too long at Trader Joe’s, I will put my groceries back because I do not want to wait. Another example is when I am in a lecture, people do not think that I am paying attention because I am playing with my hair, counting the ceiling tiles, or on my phone. I promise that I am paying attention, I just need a break to refocus.

 

4.   Frequent mood swings: People with ADHD struggle to manage their emotions because they feel emotions more intensely. One way to think about it is if you were extremely mad at a friend. With ADHD, all the anger gets compressed into short time which heightens the reaction. However, after a short period of time passes, you forget why you were mad and your mood changes back (9).

 

Hyperactivity: The External Symptoms

These are considered “internal” hyperactive symptoms because they do not involve actions like getting up randomly to walk around. They are also overlooked because people with these are seen as “social”— not a problem (3).

 

1.   Excessive talking:  Some examples of this include interruptions, tangents, and loss of thought. When a thought enters your brain, you want to share it immediately—regardless of the timing: someone else may be talking or you might be in the middle of a story. This makes people with ADHD seem rude, but it is because you know you will lose your train of thought and the urge to speak overcomes you.

 

2.  Compensatory strategies: Compensatory strategies include any additional actions people take to make up for their ADHD. One example is studying 2-3 times longer to keep up in school. 

 

3.  Difficulty maintaining friendships: Making friends is easy. Keeping them is hard. There are many reasons for this, and to keep it simple, I will just elaborate on one: I cannot keep track of birthdays so I forget to send birthday texts. This frustrates non-ADHD people because they feel forgotten. This is a silly example but imagine if we planned a lunch date and I forgot. You will feel ditched even though it was not done on purpose. To compensate, I disclose that I have ADHD and that I need reminders. This makes ADHD-people sound horrible but on the bright side, we are very loyal because we are grateful for the friends who understand (6).

 

The “Good” Symptoms

The listed symptoms paint ADHD in a negative way, but there are so many benefits. Some examples include: 

 

1.  Creativity: ADHD causes the brain’s “default mode network” to never switch off—a hyperactive mind (8). As a result, the brain is filled with innovative ideas and a lot of imagination. It feels like my brain is a giant reserve of ideas. 

 

2.  Networking: Excessive talking allows conversations to flow easily; there are no awkward silences. My talent is that I can always create conversations—even if it is just me talking. Also, in a study about ADHD and compensatory skills, a test subject even stated that “I don’t need to drink, to be so funny” (1). This is because of the impulsivity caused by ADHD. ADHD is an excellent resource in social situations. 

 

3.  Problem-solving skills: When there is a challenge, we get hyper-focused on finding a solution. The more difficult it is, the more engaged we are. Also, because our brains are wired differently, we discover unconventional ideas. 

 

These are characteristics that we typically attribute to a successful person. In fact, many people strive to develop these traits. So, instead of being embarrassed or discouraged, with education, ADHD can be leveraged. The key is learning how to manage the symptoms and finding out what works for you. 

 

I used to hate my ADHD because I thought “I could accomplish so much more without it”. However, now I realized that having ADHD is my greatest strength. Even though it is labeled as a “disorder”, ADHD is a blessing in disguise—a superpower! 

 

Works Cited:

1.     Canela, Carlos, et al. “Skills and Compensation Strategies in Adult ADHD – A Qualitative Study.” PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, 27 Sept. 2017, journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0184964.

2.     Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “Data and Statistics about ADHD.” Data and Statistics for ADHD, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 9 Aug. 2022, www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/adhd/data.html.

3.     CHADD. “Symptoms of ADHD in Women and Girls.” CHADD, CHADD, 6 July 2022, chadd.org/for-adults/symptoms-of-adhd-in-women-and-girls/.

4.     Jacobsen, Rae. “How to Help Girls with ADHD.” Child Mind Institute, Child Mind Institute, Inc, 24 Jan. 2023, childmind.org/article/how-to-help-girls-with-adhd/.

5.     Jensen, Peter & Shervette, R & Xenakis, Stephen & Richters, John. (1993). Anxiety and depressive disorders in attention deficit disorder with hyperactivity: New findings. The American journal of psychiatry. 150. 1203-9. 10.1176/ajp.150.8.1203.

6.     Low, Keath. “Reasons Why It's Tough to Keep Friends When You Have ADHD.” Verywell Mind, Dotdash Media, Inc., 9 Feb. 2023, www.verywellmind.com/how-to-make-friends-when-you-have-adhd-20402#:~:text=Feeling%20Overwhelmed&text=You%20might%20have%20a%20lot,are%20simply%20unimportant%20to%20you.

7.     Mayo Clinic. “Adult Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).” Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, 25 Jan. 2023, www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/adult-adhd/symptoms-causes/syc-20350878.

8.     Millennium Medical Associates - Adult ADD & ADHD Treatment. “What Are the Positive and Negative Qualities Associated with ADHD?” Millennium Medical Associates - Adult ADHD Treatment in Los Angeles, Millennium Medical Associates, 12 Nov. 2021, www.millenniummedicalassociates.com/blog/2019/12/30/what-are-the-positive-and-negative-qualities-associated-with-adhd.

9.     The Understood Team. “ADHD Mood Swings.” Understood, Understood, 29 Apr. 2022, www.understood.org/en/articles/adhd-mood-swings. 

10.  “What Is ADHD?” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and   Prevention, 9 Aug. 2022, www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/adhd/facts.html.