Adult ADD - An Inside Look

People all too often beat themselves up over not living up to "standards" that their peers seem to have achieved. They get down on themselves, go through vicious cycles of depression and even start looking in the wrong places for a solution. In the distant past, Attention Deficit Disorder was believed to only affect the younger population, meaning young children and adolescents. It was assumed that these people eventually just "grow out" of it when they become adults. This is not the truth! Today, it is acknowledged that ADD is quite prevalent in a good number of adults.

Here is the interesting bit. And it will surely strike a chord in a lot of you. As a child progresses from adolescence into adulthood, the symptoms of ADD that they harbor shift from outward, visible ones (for example, physically not being able to stay put in one place) into internal symptoms. With age, the outwardly visible symptoms of ADD tend to decrease. This is the adult's subconscious way of masking his affliction (which he may not even realize he has) because it is not socially acceptable in society. Regardless, he is still experiencing impairment in certain areas of life. Depending on the circumstances, this could actually be worse in caliber than having had to deal with it in childhood. Now in the adult world, the life situations presented have a way of mingling with the ADD problem in a fashion that makes it more abstract and complex! This can result in a very uncomfortable and stressful life.

Many adults, when they were children, were never properly diagnosed for ADD. This was because the individual used his great intellect and unwavering determination to "overcome" his ADD symptoms. Therefore nobody, including parents, ever became aware of the problem. Rather, they would applaud the child's accomplishments. While this may appear to be multiple victories, it is actually very draining for the individual and can feel like an uphill battle! Does this sound familiar? These victories come at a great cost, emotionally and energetically. All too often the person will "run out of steam" when he reaches adult life because going through the rounds is so taxing. Also, take into account how not everything was a victory. At times, due to his ADD, the person will fall short of what is expected, be it academic or social goals. All too often, the accumulation of this over the years will result in feelings of low self-worth. If they "run out of steam”, as mentioned earlier, they will likely view themselves as failures that keep letting others down. Now here is the scary part. The person adapts to his situation. These adaptations then become an active part of his personality. It is no wonder that many adults with ADD are chronically depressed!

Here are yet some more things that will ring a bell. Adults afflicted with ADD are often very BORED with dull and repetitive tasks; especially wage jobs that exhibit these traits. Other effects include and are not limited to: procrastination, inability to plan and organize effectively, task-hopping and inability to follow through on any one item, trouble staying focused on speeches, etc. Something of significance however, is that these individuals tend to have very little trouble focusing and following through on things that they are very interested in, or their passions. Now that is a fresh breath of hope! Individuals with ADD should be encouraged to harness and channel their energy into their passions. This is where they would excel, not in things that are mundane and repetitive. People with ADD are for the most part creative, risk-taking individuals whether they realize it or not. The most effective treatment for ADD is self-educating oneself on the matter, in accordance with his own unique strain of ADD. When he acquires self-knowledge about the disorder in a way that is customized towards him, he will be able to better channel his energy and creativity to benefit him.

Although ADD can feel like quite a burden, it can also be considered a gift. People who inherit it are often endowed with packets of creative energy, that when channeled into their passions, will benefit themselves and ultimately everyone around them. They are best suited to steer clear of jobs that focus on repetitive tasks and to seek ones that emphasize creativity, task shifting and energy!

Michael Russell Your Independent guide to ADD Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Michael_Russell

By Michael Russell