Physicality and personality | ADHD Information
If you only could see the bruises and B&B marks on my legs, hips, shoulders, bumps on head...need I go on?And at 'family' gatherings (sitdown dinners), it's a miracle if I don't spill something and ruin the tablecloth...or 'no, you better not help wash dishes' because I'm notorious for dropping and breaking...especially glasses, and this has been going on for over 50 years!!!
This is something I can relate too. While I seldom have serious accidents fine motor movement is an old enemy. Co-ordination between brain and fine movement, particularly hand movement is poor. Computer keyboard practice is a nightmare. Fastest I ever got to was 20 words per minute. Keyboard on my Mobile phone is another stuggle. In work sometimes in the past i would set or unset the alarm. In one year i mis-queued sequence in the code six times thus setting it off. OPPS! To this day i do not remember how i mis-sequenced to cause the system to go off.
I have bumped into so many tables, chairs, doors,
tripped on curbs, walked into posts (at least 3 times,
altthough now I'm pretty good at BARELY avoiding
them!!), dropping stuff, misjudging where something
is that I want to pick up, etc., etc., etc.!!!!
I never really noticed (except the pole-walking thing)
until in university and a couple of my friends (also
with ADHD - at this point I, however, was
undiagnosed), started ALWAYS commenting on it.
That was weird, and I used to get angry at them for
saying it, but now I don't care - stuff should MOVE to
where I want it!!!!
...clearly.
The thing about bruises, too... I nearly NEVER know
where they come from but I usually have lots, on my
legs and upper arms (tables and doors, I guess).
[QUOTE=GypsyWomyn]You brought up something that makes me wonder about myself. Although I'm all butterfingers and clumsy, I type (or used to) 120wpm! I still can type fairly fast. Could it be because I enjoy typing? I dunno. [/QUOTE]
Hey Gyps. You know the answer to that question is *almost always* yes. It's been my understanding over and over again that we ADDers hyper-focus on tasks and other things which we really enjoy!
You brought up something that makes me wonder about myself. Although I'm all butterfingers and clumsy, I type (or used to) 120wpm! I still can type fairly fast. Could it be because I enjoy typing? I dunno. I'm super klutzy. Ask me how many dishes I've broken, not to mention bones.
My biggest problems with sports are 1. spacing out in a group sport and missing the ball and 2. being unable to copy "moves" in something like aerobics, tai chi etc. I cant seem to reverse them and figure out what my body is supposed to do to make the move happen.
I enjoy things like hiking, though.
Chocoholic,
Walking and Hiking are 2 things i really enjoy as well. Walking to explore a new city or countyside feature are my idea of Heaven. Klutzy is my middle name!
gees i have just spotted, this is my 150th post. Yeeehawww!!!!!!!!!!
ryan195038519.3666666667[QUOTE=Reizende]I have always misjudged corners and slammed part of myself into furniture. I just can't seem to noitce that edge of a table or door frame.[/QUOTE]
Heheh, I do that all the time too. Surprisingly, I've always been quite athletic. Sports adds a kind of urgency that can kick me into focus.
[QUOTE=Reizende]I have always misjudged corners and slammed part of myself into furniture. I just can't seem to noitce that edge of a table or door frame.[/QUOTE]That happens to me all the time. I also seem to misjudge where the edge of a table or desk is. I can set something down on a table and I'm sure it's safely on the table, then it falls off. Usually after I 've turned away. I've joke for years I must have a polterguist who follows me around knocking things over.
During my recent reading I was surprised by the discussions about physicality and ADD.
In the 'You Mean I'm not [Crazy]?' book the ladies talk about being eternal beginner tennis players until they took some ritalin and were able to graduate.
While I dont find myself overly clutzy most of the time, I sometimes have some problems interacting in physical space - I can't do most manual jobs because they make no sense to me, they refuse to sink in.
I've also found that it's very hard to pick up on physical sports. For instance, I think I am a horrible wrestler. Even tho I'm about 10 years older than most of the rubber bouncy kids at the dojo I still have huge problems learning new moves - which isnt something you really want to have if you're likely to drop yourself or your partner on their head if you mess up (yes, I have done this and had this done to me by another ADD pupil). I've also had a hell of a time putting together coherent matches (he says blowing one of the secrets of pro-wrestling out of the water ;) ) because my head rushes faster than normal under the stress of having to think and act.
Additionally I've found that when I've taken my ritalin and i'm driving I dont jump on the brakes as hard. I notice when other cars brake and I react in a normal manner rather than braking at the last minute (which makes my wife crazy).
[ So then I jump off on another tangent and I dont want to start another topic]
I'm still only beginning to understand the personality issues that are dealt with by the medication. While I can't speak for the stuff my wife regularly yells at me for the major changes are 1) I feel emotions as they happen. This one shocked me, things dont go numb at a certain point. It's a little weird and wonderful but I think it'll take some time to get used to. 2) I am calm. Not a weird flat calm - I can still get angry or frustrated, but I dont react to external stimuli the same way. Unfortunately I'm realizing how stressed out everyone is around me because of this, whereas before I just felt we were all on the same level.
I'll be starting sessions with a coach/specialist next week, thankfully it's covered on my insurance. I feel like I'm on the edge of having another round of identity issues that I haven't had since I was a teen. Which then brings up the question of : how do you know that the decisions that you'll make will be 'rational' decisions and not ones born out of ADD frustration (you know, the ones we make unmedicated)? Maybe I'll just buy everyone close to me some tickets to a far away land where I wont have to take it out on them.
Anyone else have similar experiences when starting meds?
I have always misjudged corners and slammed part of myself into furniture. I just can't seem to noitce that edge of a table or door frame.