Help! Need suggestions on explaining ADHD | ADHD Information

 Hi , i do belive that adhd is mainly genetic,there are still studies going on to find this out ,i also think it is a personality type.
.i explain to my son that his brain works a little diffrent to others , that's why we do  and say  silly things ,  poor memory   ,consentration etc .  due to low dopamine.
 you don't have to explain to anyone if you are uncomfortable with it .
i think it is harder for adults to explain to others ,adult adhd is not recognised in the uk by many dr's and psychrists.                                                                               hope this helps                                                                      
                   

How does the subject come up?

How can you better avoid the subject coming up?

Do you take meds in front of co-workers?  Can you get a purse/pocket size mouthwash bottle, and put the pill in red pop, and just drink the mouth wash?

If someone asks you directly, how can you change the subject, or otherwise avoid discussing the issue?

I don't usually discuss the issue with people.  None of their business.

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Otter39116.6288888889

Tough thing is, its not like a tumor or deformity that can be seen that produces the disease.  I can't pull an xray or catscan result out and say "look, see that little bump blocking my thought prossess... yeah, the one sqirting my thoughts into the black hole, thats my ADHD".

      Mainly because of the stigma surrounding ADHD and many of the drugs used to control it, I do not wear a t-shirt that advertises my afliction, I take my meds out of the eyes of well meaning crusaders for drug free suffering, and blend into the landscape.  And besides that, it would not be conducive to the message of recovery in an NA (narcotics anonymous) meeting to have a guy who takes a controlled substance on a daily basis telling people how to live without the use of drugs.  It would be like the surgion general condemning the use of cigarettes then bumming you for a light.

  I was recently dx'd with ADHD, starting Ritalin tomorrow morning (off topic, but any pointers on Ritalin?)

I am having real trouble explaining to people what ADHD is and why it's considered a desease. Some people don't believe it exists, some think I should get some organizational books, some think it's a type A personality's behavior.

While I understand that some people may never get it or accept it, I think I could probably explain it better. (and I don't mean sending ppl to read a book or look it up online.)

How do you do it, what do you say to explain ADHD?
Thanks.    

Some people are right brain, some people are left brain.  right Brain peopole are creatgive.  Left Brain people are better at following instructions, and established norms.

Right brain people are morre creative, and independednt thinking.  The most dcreative 5% of right brain, creativ thinkers are called ADHD, because they are so creative, that ordinary left brain functions are difficult for the most creative humans.

Short attention span has the advangtage of being able to switch subjecs easily.  Hyperfosus is another advantage of some ADHD people.  Hyper focus is the ability to super concentrate on a project, like when you think it is the last minute.

Organization is usually not a creative function, so many ADHD people find remebering routine things uncreative and uninteresting.  Also filing and pujtting things in their place is not creative. 

 

Oh... I see.  I can never properly explain why some are affected and some aren't, like with any disease.  I have difficulty getting people to understand alcoholism as a disease to those who consider it a habbit of weak-willed people who just don't care or don't know when to say when.  I have found a reasonable explaination to help non-ADHD people understand how it feels.  I compare it to a brain fart... you know, when someone is saying something and your not quite listening and either make them repeat it or smile and roll your head in a yes/no fashon and go yup, I know what you mean.  Everyone experiences a brain fart at some time, ADHD is like a perpetual brain fart.

Though I appreciate your advice and personal feelings about reasons NOT to tell people, it wasn't my question.  For various reasons, there are some people I need and want to give an explanation to. 

My question is - how can I explain ADHD being a desease to someone in a way that is as approachable and as clear as possible.