Actually when I was in college, and continuing into my 20's and 30's, I was able to cope with a combination of cigarettes, caffeine, and high sugar treats. Unfortunately, at my age, those things become greater health hazards than the ADD. Personally, I think my high blood pressure medication is what tipped me over the edge to where I needed something to make up for it. I can see your point as well, tho. Colleges will bend over backwards to help a disabled student to the point where everyone wants to be disabled. That will change when you get into the real world. A very high percentage of people have your attitude about things like depression and ADD and think you just have to work a little harder! After all, that's what they do and look how wonderful they are! Of course, most of them can't figure out new software unless some consultant (someone more than 50 miles from home with a briefcase) comes to town and holds their hands for a few weeks. But of course that's just the way things are done, don't you know?
You make a good point. If I could work in an unstructured environment doing what I was really interested in, my hyperfocus would kick in and I would do really well. Unfortunately some us have to work for people that equate being at a desk at exactly 8 am with productivity, give no credit for work done after 4:30 pm, and are trying to eliminate any task that is not administrative of nature.
"Try doing a complex mathematical proof with somebody standing behind you banging cymbals and blowing a trumpet for hours on end while an obnoxious talk radio station is blaring in your ear and see how well you concentrate. That's what it's like."
Wow. What an excellant analogy!
You are correct, it is not a disease, BUT it is not like everyone else. A disease would be something that could be passed on to others and in most cases will either kill you or you could be cured. A more appropriate term would be permanent disability, altho how disabling it is tends to be a function of your work environment.
I would love it if I only had to worry about losing focus from "time to time". With ADD, it's more like 24/7/365. I hate taking medication, but I would have lost my job long ago without it. As it is, I still have a lot of problems with "distractibility" and the inability to stop thnking about the last thing I was working on if it wasn't completed, but at least it's better.
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Good point, I stand corrected. I still wouldn't classify ADD as a disease, tho.
Actually when I was in college, and continuing into my 20's and 30's, I was able to cope with a combination of cigarettes, caffeine, and high sugar treats. Unfortunately, at my age, those things become greater health hazards than the ADD. Personally, I think my high blood pressure medication is what tipped me over the edge to where I needed something to make up for it. I can see your point as well, tho. Colleges will bend over backwards to help a disabled student to the point where everyone wants to be disabled. That will change when you get into the real world. A very high percentage of people have your attitude about things like depression and ADD and think you just have to work a little harder! After all, that's what they do and look how wonderful they are! Of course, most of them can't figure out new software unless some consultant (someone more than 50 miles from home with a briefcase) comes to town and holds their hands for a few weeks. But of course that's just the way things are done, don't you know?
You make a good point. If I could work in an unstructured environment doing what I was really interested in, my hyperfocus would kick in and I would do really well. Unfortunately some us have to work for people that equate being at a desk at exactly 8 am with productivity, give no credit for work done after 4:30 pm, and are trying to eliminate any task that is not administrative of nature.
"Try doing a complex mathematical proof with somebody standing behind you banging cymbals and blowing a trumpet for hours on end while an obnoxious talk radio station is blaring in your ear and see how well you concentrate. That's what it's like." Wow. What an excellant analogy!
You are correct, it is not a disease, BUT it is not like everyone else. A disease would be something that could be passed on to others and in most cases will either kill you or you could be cured. A more appropriate term would be permanent disability, altho how disabling it is tends to be a function of your work environment.
I would love it if I only had to worry about losing focus from "time to time". With ADD, it's more like 24/7/365. I hate taking medication, but I would have lost my job long ago without it. As it is, I still have a lot of problems with "distractibility" and the inability to stop thnking about the last thing I was working on if it wasn't completed, but at least it's better.