The Upside of ADHD

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), a condition that I have, isn’t all bad. In fact, it was a recognition of the qualities of this “disorder” that led me to stop my medication for it. I figured that I prefer the with-ADHD me to the without-ADHD me. I found the latter too boring, not creative enough, and unable to connect seemingly unrelated things – something that I’ve always taken a lot of pride in.

Yet another positive of ADHD, I realized yesterday, is that it allows you to lead a “markovian” life. It allows you to easily get rid of historical baggage while taking decisions, and makes you look forward by taking a decision based on the present. Yes, it can sometimes be a bit troublesome, as it prevents you from following long-drawn-out plans, but mostly it’s a good thing.

It makes you disregard that you’d taken a decision for some reason in the past. It makes it easy for you to disconnect from your earlier decisions, and look forward. It doesn’t allow you to be swayed by emotions – on account of some decision you’d taken in the past, and instead makes you rely on rational reasons.

There’s this documentary called “ADD and loving it”. Maybe I should watch that. And maybe I’ll have something to add to that.

One thought on “The Upside of ADHD”

  1. Hi Skimpy…I’ve been a regular reader of your blog. Thanks for sharing so much about yourself. Your comment on with-ADHD and without-ADHD compelled me to write this comment. Please do see Stephen Fry’s documentary on Secret Diary of a Manic Depressive. It is very insightful with interviews with a number of people who suffer from the same. In the end, they all say what you’ve said – They’d rather be on this side of the curve than the other.

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