Comments on: Is A.D.H.D./A.D.D. A Gift or A Curse? http://jeffsaddmind.com/is-adhdadd-a-gift-or-a-curse-139.htm A collection point of mental detritus from an a.d.d. mind Mon, 06 Oct 2008 16:25:56 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.2 By: Jeff http://jeffsaddmind.com/is-adhdadd-a-gift-or-a-curse-139.htm#comment-144 Jeff Mon, 24 Dec 2007 03:52:21 +0000 http://jeffsaddmind.com/is-adhdadd-a-gift-or-a-curse-139.htm#comment-144 I have begun to ponder the question of why would some people think it is a gift and others a curse. I think it is a function of how it affected your life and when you learned you had this gift/curse. If your experience is more like mine where you discover when you are almost fifty years old that all of the problems you have had in your life can be traced to this "gift," then you may conclude that this is a gift you would rather not have. (This is, to a degree, the point brought up by <a href="http://www.myaddblog.com/2007/12/is-adhd-great.html" rel="nofollow"> Tara McGillicuddy. </a>) However, if your life is more like that of Jennifer Koretsky who, it seems, discovered fairly early in life (in her 20's, I believe) that she has A.D.D., well...that's a completely different story. She did not, and will not, go through the next 25 years (or more) of her life with her eyes closed. (Jennifer's post on the subject is <a href="http://www.experiencingaddvantages.com/2007/12/add-the-good-th.html" rel="nofollow">here</a>. It was this post that got me started on revisiting the gift/curse issue.) So what affect it has had on your life, what "life skills" you were given by your upbringing and, finally, when you discovered you had this "gift" will greatly influence whether you do, indeed, see it as some sort of gift that makes you different and <em>not</em> disabled, or whether you see it as a handicap of sorts that you wish you could eliminate from your life. So, there really is no right or wrong answer to the question posed by the post's title. And thank you for posting a comment. I have begun to ponder the question of why would some people think it is a gift and others a curse. I think it is a function of how it affected your life and when you learned you had this gift/curse. If your experience is more like mine where you discover when you are almost fifty years old that all of the problems you have had in your life can be traced to this “gift,” then you may conclude that this is a gift you would rather not have. (This is, to a degree, the point brought up by Tara McGillicuddy. ) However, if your life is more like that of Jennifer Koretsky who, it seems, discovered fairly early in life (in her 20’s, I believe) that she has A.D.D., well…that’s a completely different story. She did not, and will not, go through the next 25 years (or more) of her life with her eyes closed. (Jennifer’s post on the subject is here. It was this post that got me started on revisiting the gift/curse issue.)
So what affect it has had on your life, what “life skills” you were given by your upbringing and, finally, when you discovered you had this “gift” will greatly influence whether you do, indeed, see it as some sort of gift that makes you different and not disabled, or whether you see it as a handicap of sorts that you wish you could eliminate from your life. So, there really is no right or wrong answer to the question posed by the post’s title.

And thank you for posting a comment.

]]> By: onebigrhino http://jeffsaddmind.com/is-adhdadd-a-gift-or-a-curse-139.htm#comment-143 onebigrhino Mon, 24 Dec 2007 02:30:58 +0000 http://jeffsaddmind.com/is-adhdadd-a-gift-or-a-curse-139.htm#comment-143 I don't know if I consider it a gift but it certainly is not a disability. I hate the way people whine about them being disabled because of ADD. I am no more disable because of ADD than I would be if I had lost four fingers on one hand or I lost a foot in the war. No D stands for disability and a person with ADD is NOT BROKEN. I do have advantages as an adult because of my ADD but I would also have an if I were smart enough to be in mensa. I am just differant thats all. I don’t know if I consider it a gift but it certainly is not a disability. I hate the way people whine about them being disabled because of ADD. I am no more disable because of ADD than I would be if I had lost four fingers on one hand or I lost a foot in the war. No D stands for disability and a person with ADD is NOT BROKEN. I do have advantages as an adult because of my ADD but I would also have an if I were smart enough to be in mensa. I am just differant thats all.

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