Statement: My intent in this newsletter is to express as quickly as possible my own beliefs and opinions on matters. I have no problems with people who disagree with my opinion and have even been swayed to rethink my position from time to time.
We are still taking book orders for my new book "ADHD and The Criminal Justice System" and you can get my author's discount from the AMAZON.COM price...
Patrick Hurley was recently appointed to the Professional Advisory Board of the Attention Deficit Disorder Association. For more information you can go to www.add.org
Patrick also spoke on October 15, 2007 at the National Conference on Correctional Health Care
in Nashville, TN on his book. The Conference is sponsored by the National Commission on Correctional Health Care (NCCHC), which has an impressive membership.
If you need a good planner, you might want to check out the Delta Planner
Read past issues of my newsletters >>>
If you think of the brain as a computer people with ADHD often seem to have a
lot of viruses. Sometimes we shut down unexpectedly, we are very distracted
by spam (unwanted outside stimuli) and sometimes when we try and retrieve
information, things just don't seem to operate correctly when we need them to.
Our ability to stay on task and pay attention it seems is directly proportionate
to the stimulation we receive by doing the task. If it is repetitive, uninteresting,
boring or mind numbing it is difficult to focus. Now everyone has these problem
not just persons with ADHD. The difference is that in persons with ADHD
instead of remaining alert our brains can actually shut down involuntarily on us.
I make the analogy of a computer screen saver. Suppose we are sitting at the
computer working on something that is not very stimulating. We may soon find
ourselves distracted and depending on the time setting on our screen saver all
of the sudden the screen saver is on the computer. I believe and there have
been some studies that this is the result of this involuntary shutdown of the
brain. We look distracted to others; we are not following the conversation or surrounding events. Until we do something the screen saver (our brains) will
continue to cycle without anything getting input or received by our brain.
Suddenly we realize that we are not paying attention and start effortfully trying
to stay on task and the screen saver goes away. Based on our abilities to
override the distractions we may be able to continue without the screen saver
clicking back on. Or we may in a manner of minutes find ourselves right back
in front of the screen with the screen saver back on.
To many this may look like laziness or lack of willpower. People might think
it is obvious that this person can stay on task if they really want to. If they
only realized that it would so much easier for us to be able to override this.
They don't realize that it is almost impossible in some situations to sustain
that attention. It is not a matter of won't but a matter of can't. It does not
make us anymore lazy, irresponsible or unmotivated than the next person.
It is just that our brains do not operate the same.
Would we be happy to give up this problem if we could? YES, YES, YES.
How much easier life would be for us if we could do what everyone expected
us to do? It is even harder because most of us have very high intelligence levels
and know that we should be able to do these things. Our struggles cause us to sometimes validate others opinions of us as being uncaring, unmotivated and
not working up to our potential.
They see us when we are doing an activity that stimulates us and how we seem
to hyperfocusing on that for hours and cannot understand this paradox. It is
natural that they might see this as being lazy. Trying to convince them otherwise
usually is seen as excuse making which is counterproductive. Medication may
or may not help us. Sometimes we can improve by practicing attentiveness
techniques, setting alarms or timers, or just noticing when the screen saver
pops on. Sometimes these things don't work for us either.
I know that if given the option of being able to pay attention and stay on task
versus distractibility, that all of us know it is ten times the work to have the
distractions. If someone honestly feels that we want to work ten times harder
to stay out of trouble and do what we are suppose to be doing as opposed to
just having the natural ability to do it with little or no effort they would quickly
recognize our dilemma.
From childhood to adulthood it would be easier and less work if we just fit in
with the majority of others. Since we struggle when we would prefer not to it
means that our brains are not working the same as most others. We want to
do things right, it would be so much easier on not only us but those we love,
our bosses our teachers and our classmates.
The answers to this are to keep reading on ADHD and educating ourselves. Asking others for help in those areas where we struggle. Ask classmates and co-workers to tap us if we seem to be drifting off. Continue working to be better.
Don't give up.
Thanks and talk to you next month.
Patrick Hurley
addcorridorcoach@aol.com
If you know on anyone who might like this newsletter, please forward it to them, and tell them to go to my web site at www.addcorridorcoaching.com and sign up.
