What is Digg?107 Comments
- digitalunltd, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3Before you comment on how ADD is over diagnosed or Not a real disorder PLEASE FIND THE FACTS http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/adhd/what.htm
ADD IS A REAL DISORDER OF THE BRAIN
Myth # 1: AD/HD is Not a Real Disorder
The most prestigious scientific-based organizations in the world conclude that AD/HD is a real disorder with potentially devastating consequences when not properly identified, diagnosed and treated.
“Debate over AD/HD within the research and medical communities has been mild and mostly concerned with nuances in the diagnosis and treatment paradigms. By contrast, highly inflammatory public relations campaigns and pitched legal battles have been waged (particularly by groups such as the Church of Scientology) that seek to label the whole idea of AD/HD as an illness a "myth" .”
http://www.help4adhd.org/en/about/science
According to the National Institutes of Health, the Surgeon General of the United States, and an international community of clinical researchers, psychiatrists and physicians, there is general consensus that AD/HD is a valid disorder with severe, lifelong consequences (NIH, 2000; U.S. Surgeon General's Report, 2001).
Adults with AD/HD have employment difficulties, suffer from depression and personality disorders, have multiple auto accidents, and have high rates of sexually transmitted diseases and teen pregnancies compared to individuals without AD/HD (Fischer, Barkley, Smallish, & Fletcher, 2002). Overwhelming evidence suggests that AD/HD is a real disorder with serious consequences. http://www.help4adhd.org/en/about/myths
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Thus treating ADD can be analogues to treating far sidedness. No amount of pressure, yelling or encouragement can help some one with ADD change their physical brain disorder to be normal. Just as no amount of pressure, yelling or encouragement can help some one with near sidedness see the blackboard from the back of a class room However, both near sidedness and ADD can be treated. Giving Aderal to a person with ADD is analogous to giving a nearside person glasses.
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Denying that ADD is a real disorder is cruel. As would to call some one with near sidedness lazy, a druggy or dumb because they claim that they can't see things that are far away.
It is estimated that about 50% of the US prison population have – untreated - ADD.
It is a fact that people with ADD who are not treated are about 70% more likely to abuse drugs. And though ADD medication can have negative effects on those who are risk to heart problems ADD medication is one of the most non addictive and safe medications.
Experts believe that as many as 8 million adults in the United States are affected by ADD/ADHD. It is estimated that only 5% of those are receiving treatment. Further One of every two Americans who need mental health treatment do not receive it, and the rate is even lower —and the quality of care poorer—for ethnic and racial minorities.
Many successful and famous people grew up with learning disabilities (LD) and/or Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (AD/HD)? Actress Whoopi Goldberg, business leader Charles Schwab, and Olympic diver Greg Louganis, to name a few, are all inspirations. See more at Charles Schwab’s web site: http://www.schwablearning.org/articles.asp?r=258
ADD/ADHD is genetic. The ADD/ADHD gene affects the brain's relationship with dopamine. This difference causes one to crave stimulation just to feel alive. When you crave stimulation you are more likely to seek thrills, take risks, discover new ways to do things, be bolder, and have more charisma. The temperament that accompanies this genetic difference happens to be the same temperament that makes rock stars, inventors, artists and athletes, entrepreneurs, leaders and billionaires successful. http://www.davincimethod.com/adult-add-adhd.html
According to Fortune Magazine people with ADD/ADHD are 300% more likely to start their own company.
Why would more Americans have ADD and Californians even more so? One explanation is that people with ADD are more adventurous and are thrill seekers it would make sense that they would be more likely to cross the ocean or cross a country.
http://amenclinics.com/ac/tests/add_test1.php - SloppyJoe, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2"This is dumb. How can something qualify as a mental disorder if close to half of the population supposedly has it?"
You know that is right.. and it pisses me off... I actually have ADD, I was diagnosed when I was 7... I hate to hear people making these BS claims that (and its not just ADD!) "Oh I have (insert affliction here)." OCD is a popular one.. and ADD is too.. I usually don't mention mine.. only if it is already a topic such as here...
I think that if someone just outwardly says "OH! I'm ADD", or "I'm so OCD" or whatever, they're full of it.. To those of us who really have it, its not a big deal, we've lived with it all our lives and don't have the need to tell everyone about it.. - panzergeist, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1mevam: Try reading the article again. It's not half the population. It's 5%. And only 85% of that 5% know they have it.
In addition, most people with ADD/ADHD are extremely intelligent with above average IQs. In case you're wondering what the difference is between ADD and ADHD, people with ADHD are also hyperactive. No, not in the annoying kid with kool aid kind of way (well, maybe.) Let's just say that they don't need caffeine in the morning. ;) - blackpanther989, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1The way i see it is its like in xmen. Regular People are afraid of us because the do not understand our mutant powers, im just waiting for my ADD to turn in to full blow nightcrawler transport *****. then you bitches will recognize! "Beeeerwomp" (the noise it makes when he transports like in XMEN for sega)
- hypercube33, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Well, since I can't get to the link...
I do have ADHD, and everyone says it gives me some odd leg up since I manage to do more than one thing at once better (multitasking.) Though, the above comment is true, you do tend to forget things, lose your mind daily, all that bull.
Ability to focus? Yeah, if it is interesting, like a game I love, that's it, I'm gone for hours, days...
14 Apps at once though? I usually have a triple task bar and a few Fire Fox windows full of tabs open! (And on two monitors!)
Anyhow, I do agree with this article, but I knew this all already! :P - linuxmatt, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Advantage number 11: amphetamines (a.k.a., SPEED) are prescribed to you.
Sorry... had to say it. - henkk78, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1nobody grows out of it, you just learn to manage it...
- rasbill, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2i was diagnocied with add for years when i was younger, but i think its all *****, u telling me everyone doesnt concentrate like that and get distracted by things that interest them
- nicepants, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I don't know if I have ADD or not, but each of the 10 points in the story describes me EXACTLY.
I do an excellent and thorough job of things I'm interested in (as long as I finish them before I get bored with them), and usually end up delaying or somehow avoiding those tasks which don't seem as interesting. I do computer consulting and even though it's how I get paid, invoicing is the one time of the month I dread more than anything because it's just so tedious! - henkk78, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I tihnk you have lysdexia..
- alchemista, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Guys (and gals), everyone here is falling into the trap of unscientific thinking. There is nothing in here that implies a cause and effect situation. Just because these attributes may be common to people with ADD, it doesn't mean that people without ADD also have these traits and are in the IT field.
You have to have controlled experiments to be able to say whether success in the IT field is anyway correlated with whether you have ADD or not. - manfrin, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1This is pretty coWANNA GO RIDE BIKES?
- kday, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I do web design and I have ADD. I do hyperfocus on projects and I literally get obsessed with detail. Sometimes so obsessed that I spend hours on trying to fix something that nobody else would ever notice. However, if I have a project that I don't want to do, I hyperfocus on something that I shouldn't be doing, and have trouble getting back to what I need to do. If it's a project I really want to do, I hyperfocus like crazy and can't stop working on it.
ADD can be helpful sometimes, and be hurtful others. - kday, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1"How can I know if I have ADD?"
ADD is usually diagnosed with psychology testing. However, if you want visual proof that you have ADD, you can get a neurometrics study, PET scan, or a SPECT scan. - BrenBeers, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1You know I really find in funny how so many people think they have ADD, just because they can relate to this article. I mean I show all the symptoms of ADD, so much that I was actually have problems concentrating on stupid classes in college. I would ace the computer and art classes, but struggle and not care about the other ones. I was positive that I had ADD.
Then I went to a neurologist and got tested. And ready for this. I DON"T HAVE ADD. Apparently I just get distracted a little easier than most. but it doesn't mean I have ADD. So before you start self diagnosing ADD, talk to a professional and really get tested - master_of_fm, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1most people dont realize that ADD/ADHD can be greatly influenced by diet. growing up i had a real behavioural problem and after many years my mom stumbled upon something called the Feingold diet. Turns out that my ADD/ADHD was augmented by the food that i ate. things like artificial flavors/colors would cause me to have great mood swings, and sometimes to be violent towards others. even natural foods could set me off. my abosulte favorite thing in the world fresh strawberries caused me to attack my brother when he was harassing me. it is really weird i can have green apple, but not red apples. blackberry jam is okay, strawberry jam bad. it is my personal feeling is that the crap food kids eat now a days has a lot to do with kids general bad attitudes today (sometime i just want to smack these brats). i recommend checking out the feingold website
http://www.feingold.org/ - Mysk, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1As someone who's actually talked to a psychologist and has ADD, I enjoyed the article. It's very true, and I don't think that it's _meant_ to be a balanced article. There's a ton of negative stuff out there about it. Sometimes humans simply need a way to focus on the positive sides of the things in their lives.
It's not all roses of course. You don't get stuff done, you forget where you put placed things, you forget schedules, you tone out the majority of a conversation that someone is trying to have with you, and on and on and on.
It's good to see an article that's focused on the positive sides, though. That article is right on. - ElectricGrandpa, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1"This is dumb. How can something qualify as a mental disorder if close to half of the population supposedly has it?"
It's 5 percent, not 50 percent. Lots of people think they have ADD just because they get distracted or bored... It's not the same... I've got ADD(was diagnosed as a kid), and I work in a high-tech job (Flash Developer), and this is a PERFECT description of how I am(same as kday a couple posts up). - raven_gm, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Ugh, It might help there, but I tell you, its a pain in the ASS for school
- airborne99, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0I'm digging this story for Adam! :)
- TheRealStyro, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Excellent comment 'master_of_fm (1)'. My father forced me into an extreme form of the Feingold diet until he found one of the key foods that set off my behavioral problems (ever been kicked out of Elementary school?). I have a severe behavioral allergy to Orange products, which is pretty bad considering I live in Florida (Orange capital of the US). I ingest a few ounces of Orange product and within 48 hours I will need a padded cell and a straight jacket. The effect wears off after another 48 hours. I have to watch my diet carefully to limit my exposure to Orange products.
Anyone with ADD/ADHD, or knows kid with ADD/ADHD should try the Feingold diet before starting a medication regimen. - recon16, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0im add.
- Outdoor83, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1From the sound of this, makes it sound like ADH?D is a great boon to the technology industry. And look at the description of the symptoms and how they help, it's ridiculous...
"Do you hate boring work? ADD people HATE boring work."
"ADD people really focus on interesting tasks"
"ADD people can multitask well"
"ADD people like adventure and thrill-seeking"
Who DOESN'T this describe?? It's like those "Are you tired during the day? do you drink coffee?" commercials. Everyone's reading them, thinking "Oh yeah, this is TOTALLY me, I hate boring tasks, like interesting ones, don't like slow computers..." It's a positive attribute to be able to do boring tasks: not all tasks are interesting and fun, yet still need to be done well.
I always thought those ads were ludicrous and that no one would ever buy into it. Reading the comments, looks like I'm wrong.
Oh, and no digg for self-serving propaganda. - JackQuack, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0I LOVE MY ADHD
- binarypower, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Well since I have ADD....
Look it's snowing outside! - dwhitbeck, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0I wonder how many kids that are just plain bored with school are diagnosed as having ADD?
- zootm, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0I've suspected I've had ADD (probably mild) for a while now, is there any reason to go get it checked out if it doesn't really bother you in everyday life? Who would you go to to find out?
Haha, look at me, I'm asking digg for advice. Dear me. - tyboulder, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0
I can understand the backlash given the rather pretentious and arrogant theme running through those "ADD benefits" But the downside that he gleefully ignores is real and can truly mess some people up. If I didn't have ADD I'd think the guy who wrote that article could go f himself. - maniacmatt2788, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0People don't seem to understand!!!!!! The drugs they give my ADHD may make you hyper, but it makes me calm. Caffeine also the same the more I have the less hyper I get. So while it may speed you up it slows us down.
- digitalblue1313, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0redog,
ADD = alpha male. The "ADHD psycho" will probably be your manager before long. That's the way it goes. - jeffreym, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1I have ADD and SUBTRACT.
http://celestial-reasoning.blogspot.com/ - Kalibr, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0i'm pretty much all of those... great post... dugg
- tyboulder, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0
Be careful not to combine your hatred of drug company profiteering with the validity of a real disease. They can both coexist. SO STOP IT!!! - carguy84, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0lol @ Polaris75, I was going to make the same comment.
- WDot, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Dugg. This is pretty much true (Linux issues tend to make me hyper-focused to a fault, everything else in life takes a backseat), but he neglects to mention that if I'm not interested in something, there isn't a chance in heck that I'll really focus on it. If you really love your job, then it's obviously not a problem, but I pity the fool who hires a bunch of ADD employees and assigns them a job they all consider dumb. Of course, that could be just me.
- HardBap, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0I am and adult with ADD. I am also a software developer. I have spent my life trying to get my "racing brain" under control (books, exercise, diets, etc) but what I've really should have be doing is embracing my ADD, not fighting it.
Thank you. This article made my day. - celeb, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0amen to this
- Lord_oftheTrons, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1This whole ADD thing is getting a little out of hand. I love how South Park handled it in that one episode. Almost every kid can't sit still and concentrate, so to make money the drug companies claim it is a disorder. Puhlease. They are trying to use pills to replace a nice swift smack upside the head. I understand there are some extreme cases and I sympathize with those, but it sounds like a lot of people use it as a crutch.
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0I have unipolar depression , Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (I check the locks on my doors and windows over 20 times before I go to bed , And I count doors when I go for a walk) , and I have a learning disability.
:-D - WDot, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Brenbeers: I can't speak for everyone, but just because one doesn't have ADD doesn't mean he can't have the same symptoms. For example, I have bipolar; it has all the same symptoms as ADD PLUS mood swings.
You may not have ADD, but if you show the same symptoms you at least don't have to feel like you're just lazy. Plus you have some competitive traits. Which is what this article is trying to point out. - SloppyJoe, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0When I was younger, my ADD was pretty bad.. and still It can be bad if I let it go.. But I think that those of us who have ADD have it for some reason.. and I think that reason is to be the Techno-geeks.
I really sometimes wonder if it is so much of a bad thing as it is a blessing.. - starbirix, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Coral cache.
http://adultaddstrengths.com.nyud.net:8090/2006/02/09/top-10-advantages-of-add-in-a-high-tech-career/ - jwade1, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Not to mention the fact that you can take Adderall and program for hours at a time....and its fun.
3 x 30mgs a day keeps my Theory of Computation teacher away - Fryth, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0ADD is no more advantageous to technology careers than depression is to painting gothic art. Many people without ADD have those personality traits in the list. (The ambiguity of it reminds me of the list of criteria for diagnosing kids with ADD.....) It's an illness and it needs to be treated. The author of this column is being somewhat irresponsible in my opinion.
- raccoon007, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0If this helps people with ADD feel better about being screwed up then I guess it's fine. What the 'author' fails to mention is that people without ADD are more than capable of having any of these 10 characteristics as part of their personality.
- TheRealStyro, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Great article. I find it is mostly true. I cannot multitask too deep, but the other traits are most definitely there.
Have to go check out the rest of sites cited by the article... - digitalblue1313, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0All I can say is, Think Clearly worked like a charm for me. It kicked in around 7 days after I started taking it. This helps if you are taking classes that aren't interesting or you have to read dry reports. I could actually pay attention and not daydream a million miles an hour.
http://www.supernutritionusa.com/think.clearly.booster.html
- jwade1, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Also, the term ADD is no longer used. They have thrown it all into the singular term ADHD. Inside that, however, there are 5 very differing categories.
- manfrin, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Wait, guys...
What were we talking about? - freetheweb, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0I was there thinking the Internet has contributed to my ADD but really... Outdoor83 is spot on.. this could be anyone it's like reading horoscopes
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