There is another side to ADHD that never gets mentioned in these threads and it's something I want to point out to those of you who think this is imanginary.
It is a desease that affects your ability to focus.
Affects is the key word. It does not mean someone with ADHD cannot focus or concentrate. In fact, the oppesite side of the coin is becoming focused on something to the exclusion of anything else and irrational responces to disruptions of that focus.
Most people with ADHD have something they do really really well or do habitually, even when they shouldn't, and have difficulty multitasking or doing anything that is not their thing.
I read. Seriously. You give me a book I want to read and I will sit for as long as it lasts, and go looking for another one when I'm done. If I'm in a good mood and you interupt me, I can and do get pretty sharp. If I'm cranky, tired or just am not intrested, watch out. I will snap. I've gotten a lot better over the years, because I check myself, but if I get pressured I still can get pretty nasty.
The threashold for dealing with frustration is much lower. When my focus gets snapped from one thing to a new thing I get frustrated.
The neighbor kid was all about video games and skateboarding. When he got frustrated, things got broken.
I just cry or have a hissy fit.
Scedules and routin helps. A lot. Being able to function increases with a schedule. Having order imposed on you sort of decreases the frustration levels and gives you a seperate focus, focus on the routin, not the task.
Disrupt the routin and watch out. That's another trigger for the frustration.
The hissy fits, crying, temper tantrums are all symptoms of that irrational responce to getting frustrated.
And it is irrational. There is no good reason for me to SCREAM at my Dad to shut up and leave me alone. Much less, that it's a good book. I get teary and stressed out if my bosses want me to change the order in which I clean the kennel. If you take me off my routine, I have to take time to regroup and figure out how to continue. I can't just go with the flow.
At the same time, when I am focused on something you want me to do, it will get done. People with ADHD tend to be good with puzzles or activities that can be a puzzle. It's not so much being good at it as it's the fact they will not walk away till they get it.
So, anyway, that's the other side.
It kind of gets annoying when you guys rant about made up deaseses and wild kids that can't do anything but run in circles. There is a lot more to it and people on this board have it.
Please, have some respect.