Life With the Ups and Downs of ADHD
Some people look at the world straight on. I keep turning things every which way until I see a solution.
My Life with ADHD
I was in fourth grade (about 9 years old) when I first got sent to the principal's office. It wasn't the last time. Throughout my last four years of elementary school and my four years of High School, I spent a lot of time in the principal's office. It wasn't because I wasn't intelligent. It wasn't because I didn't like learning. It was mostly because I couldn't sit still, I couldn't stop moving, and asked too many (and sometimes the wrong) questions.I never knew why I was so different, why I ended up driving teachers nuts and everyone else could sit when they needed to.
As an adult, I've been in and out of schools (something like 7 different colleges, somewhere between 10 and 15 different majors, ranging from math to languages, from art to computers, ending up with a BA in TV/Radio and a certificate in Graphic Art, another is running your own business and another in Technical Writing), had zillions of different jobs (in several different fields) and got to know the cockroaches in the Unemployment Office on a first name basis. Still, I never could figure out why other people "made it work" (sorry, Tim Gunn) when I couldn't.
A number of years ago, a friend of mine had me read a letter in one of those advice columns. It was written by a parent who had a child diagnosed with ADD and wanted to know if adults could have it, too. The advice columnist (I think it was one of the famous twin sisters) said that adult could, indeed, have ADD and gave a little mini-quiz of symptoms. I "passed" the mini-quiz with flying colors.
It took me a few more years to get diagnosed. I had ended up in the hospital one day, getting stitches taken out of my head (I had fallen down the stairs and needed to get stitches in my head) and I took the book "Attention Deficit Disorder: A Different Perspective" by Thom Hartmann. I read it and found it very informative and enjoyable.
This led to me joining an on-line e-mail group (ADDult for Adults with ADD) and they encouraged me to get diagnosed. I found out from a friend in town that the local university had a
I don't take drugs (I don't take them for anything, not even headaches). I like being able to just write when I have an idea, just take an idea and draw it, or stand up in front of a group and talk to them (I've spoken to groups about vegetarianism, for example). I like being ADHD. I wouldn't want to be normie for anything.
Are you or a loved one an ADDer?
Tell us about it in the comments section
Compugraph Designs Printfection Store, More Creativity
In addition to our Cafe Press and Zazzle sites (see other modules), we also have a store on "Printfection" which includes cutting boards (good wedding or housewarming gifts), mugs and cups, tees, etc.This frosted mug is only one of the many items at our store:
(Click on the picture to go directly to our shop site)
Compugraph Designs Arts Now Site
"Arts Now" is another "Print on Demand" site. They have a nice collection of clocks and watches, including the one pictured here (with the Jerusalem skyline on it). Click on the picture to see the entire site.Compugraph Designs' Spoonflower Shop
Spoonflower is a site for buying custom designed fabrics. The design pictured here is a Pomegranate design.Thom Hartmann Books about ADD on Amazon
Thom Hartmann, whose "Attention Deficit Disorder: A New Perspective" was the first book I read about ADHD , wrote many books about ADD and ADHD. While many other sources had more negative perspectives of ADD (as in "how to manage it"), Thom Harmann's books are more positive (as in "the world needs ADDers").
Here are some of them -- I've read 4 or 5 of his books and I've found them all helpful.
Here are some of them -- I've read 4 or 5 of his books and I've found them all helpful.
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