ADHD is a brain difference, which can cause ’superpowers’, as well as some things that can make things more difficult both for the person experiencing the brain differences, and for the person who is interacting with the person.
ADHD, which was initially split into two categories (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) and ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder), has recently been put under the one umbrella of ADHD, which can have hyperactive features, inattentive features, or a combination of both.
The diagnosis initially had many characteristics that are commonly seen in boys, and was thought to be grown out of. More recently, research is indicating that ADHD affects both boys and girls, and is not the childhood disorder as it was initially thought to be. It can be diagnosed at any age, and many women who were initially undiagnosed are now being diagnosed as adults.
ADHD brain differences cause different connections to be made in the brain, and can cause those experiencing it to feel more deeply about world events, changes in structure, and difficulties tuning out things that are not important. The magazine ADDitude has some great articles that help describe and provide coping mechanisms for those experiencing symptoms of ADHD.
To read an article I wrote in November of 2020, click on the link below. It has some concrete examples of things that may help someone with a child who has a diagnoses of ADHD, and it starts with a Sesame Street quote, which was one of my favorite songs as a child.
Happy Reading!
Mental Health: Everyone Makes Mistakes, Anxiety and ADHD
