Because they only have to live long enough to reproduce. There are studies showing people with adhd have a much higher risk of accidental (and non accidental) death.
Adhd is not a superpower. It's an incurable brain disorder. It fucking sucks.
I don't like to view it as an disorder, because that says there is a correct way that your brain should function. I think it's just different. Viewing it disorder is self-defeating for people with ADHD, it's like saying they think there is something wrong with them at all times, but there really isn't. They just find different ways to do things.
I've definitely known a few people who have used their diagnosis for a mild cognitive disorder as an excuse to exhibit it's negative symptoms. Knowing how to and proactively managing emotional and motivational responses is one thing, saying "I have ADD" and using that to be perfectly happy watching Netflix all day instead of doing your homework is entirely something else.
And I totally agree. Some people are given wrenches, other people hammers. The solution isn't to make people really good at tightening bolts with hammers.
Really? I think it gives me an advantage with respect to my peers.
Can we really say that it is a brain disorder? All that we know is that people with ADHD don't fit into the cultural definition of normal, but that doesn't mean that the definition of normal is correct or that not being normal is a "disorder". How do you know it isn't just a slightly different model of cognition that suffers at some tasks but excels in others. Humans are very good at detecting errors, such as ADHD caused impairment, but not very good at quantifying or detecting potentially positive effects of something like ADHD.
After 35 years undiagnosed, I feel quite confident when I say there is no upside. Only lots of "if only I had known, I could have finished college", or "if only I had known, I would be the person running this company"...
I didn't know, and so I struggled mightily against myself to get to where I am today. In the few months during which time I have been medicated, I have made more career progress than any 5 other years prior.
I don't. I often feel very bound to the 'operating hours' of the medication while friends can just start working at seemingly any time they want. If i take another pill there's no way i'm getting any sleep, but i still want to finish something up before calling it a night. It's just a constant struggle.
At this point i'm writing up my thesis, where tracking down, interpreting, and coherently organizing old notepads/napkins, papers, and result files is a full time job. If i want to keep my health (to actually sleep) i really only get 9-10 hours while the remaining 8 are anxiety that it's not getting done or frustration that i can't push out pages at any reasonable pace.
Yeah - living long enough to reproduce in modern times is easy enough now - but it wasn't back in the day.
I do wonder if survival back in the day actually required the level of risk taking that adhd people are capable of. If you stayed in one place - maybe you ran out of food - things like that.
An important factor is the age of the mother at the time of her first child. If this age is earlier than the general population, there will be more generations in a given calendar time period. E.g. risk-seeking behavior among females could lead to early motherhood, which could be repeated in the child.
dmak|10 years ago
jotm|10 years ago
baristaGeek|10 years ago
colechristensen|10 years ago
And I totally agree. Some people are given wrenches, other people hammers. The solution isn't to make people really good at tightening bolts with hammers.
hgibbs|10 years ago
Can we really say that it is a brain disorder? All that we know is that people with ADHD don't fit into the cultural definition of normal, but that doesn't mean that the definition of normal is correct or that not being normal is a "disorder". How do you know it isn't just a slightly different model of cognition that suffers at some tasks but excels in others. Humans are very good at detecting errors, such as ADHD caused impairment, but not very good at quantifying or detecting potentially positive effects of something like ADHD.
falcolas|10 years ago
I didn't know, and so I struggled mightily against myself to get to where I am today. In the few months during which time I have been medicated, I have made more career progress than any 5 other years prior.
therobot24|10 years ago
At this point i'm writing up my thesis, where tracking down, interpreting, and coherently organizing old notepads/napkins, papers, and result files is a full time job. If i want to keep my health (to actually sleep) i really only get 9-10 hours while the remaining 8 are anxiety that it's not getting done or frustration that i can't push out pages at any reasonable pace.
grovulent|10 years ago
I do wonder if survival back in the day actually required the level of risk taking that adhd people are capable of. If you stayed in one place - maybe you ran out of food - things like that.
walterbell|10 years ago