Let me start by saying two things. First, I have Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, or ADHD for short. Second, my ADHD is not that bad.
Every day I remind myself or am reminded that I have ADHD. It's something I live with, and I have grown to accept it is a part of who I am. However, even though I have ADHD, I still come from a point of privilege. For me, I am able to manage my disorder. I am not on medication for it, and have learned to embrace it.
A couple years ago, I watched a TEDx Talk, and it changed me. The speaker shared his experiences living with ADHD and encouraged the audience to view the condition as a difference, not a disorder.
For me this immediately made sense. It has been remarkably clear to me for years that I do not think like everyone else, and this talk put my thoughts into words better than I ever could have.
In the middle of organized and well-thought-out conversation, I often say seemingly random facts or ask unrelated questions. To me, this is an example of my difference in thought processing.
Where a "normal" person, or someone with ADHD, is thinking solely about the conversation at hand, I am mulling through my day, my work, my hobbies, the weather, the current presidential race, the Smithsonian museum, how to get better at ping-pong, and a multitude of other things.
And I love that.
I think having ADHD allows me to be remarkably productive. The typical image of someone with an attention deficit disorder is a kid spacing out not paying attention in class. But for me, my mind is always racing. I can't turn my brain off, and I think that's incredible.
Because I have ADHD, I am constantly thinking and constantly exploring. The two main outlets I've found I express myself through are sports and video games.
I enjoy almost every sport and video game I've ever played, and I'm always looking for new ones.
Since middle school, I've played football, basketball, wrestling, track, baseball, lacrosse, ultimate frisbee, swam on an NCAA collegiate team, and even done cheerleading and show choir.
Each time I find a new hobby--video game or sport, I laser focus on it. My inherent competitive nature kicks in, and I'm sold on it. I never stop thinking about ways to get better. I stay up late watching Youtube tutorials or spend extra time with coaches learning new tips and tricks for improvement.
And I don't think I would have this drive if I didn't have ADHD.
ADHD may seem like a disability or disorder, but for me it has proven to be one of my strongest assets. I could not be happier being who I am, and would never wish to be normal.
