I don’t think I’ve ever really said much about it before but
I figured that since I blogged about 2 guys who were diagnosed as having
learning disabilities and being “notable failures” in history I would go ahead
and make tonight about my own personal learning disability. My learning disability has been officially
labeled as Adult Attention Deficit Disorder.
I know, I know, everyone thinks they have this to some extent or another
but imagine what life would be like if for example you simply could not focus
upon any one thing more than 2 minutes without concerted and absolute
deliberate willpower and even then it can be a struggle. This has affected every aspect of my life
from personal relationships to professional work.
A little history on it first. I was first made aware of my problem when I
used to play guitar in a band. My
drummer or someone would be talking to me and I would be looking right at them,
like I was there with them but mentally I was a million miles away. They’d get done talking and I say something
to the effect of “I’m sorry but what did you say?” As you can imagine people became very frustrated
with me very quickly. It got so bad that
I would have to ask the same person to repeat themselves over and over
again. In the classroom I made D’s at
best and usually pulled a C off if the class didn’t entail a lot of
lectures. A 3 hour lecture class was a
complete waste of time for me. Instead I’d
simply read the textbook from cover to cover and tried to rely on my ability to
retain the information that I’ve read. I
am still very strong in this area but not because I’m any smarter than anyone
else, I’ve just had a lot more practice than most people.
Towards the end of my first year of college I began to learn
how to study in what works for me personally.
My method of study is very regimented but seemingly chaotic at the same
time. For example I set aside an hour to
study a chapter and will do so in 2 minute intervals on complicated material
and 5 minute intervals on stuff that I am actually into. I would normally never recommend someone check
their email or shop online for a minute or so between reading an assignment but
I have found that through multitasking I am able to focus so much better. If I have 7 irons in the fire I do much
better than if I am simply focused upon one task at a time. I have found this to be true at work as
well. The good thing is I’ve developed
an ability to do a surprising amount of work at an alarmingly fast rate. The
bad thing is not every situation, training or classroom is geared towards my
unique learning needs and there are times that I just simply cannot
concentrate.
Distance learning has been a boon for me as traditional
classrooms simply do not work for someone like me. It’s not an excuse and I don’t consider my “disability”
to necessarily be a weakness, instead it is just part of what makes me unique
as an individual. My ability to
concentrate on boring people saying boring things is diminished but most people
have no way to keep up with me in multitasking.
Because of my disability I have learned to be able to retain a
surprising amount of information through reading however in conversations
people need to make it quick. I have
learned to use my “disability” as a tool when it comes to tracking overtime,
scheduling personnel, writing this blog post, checking my email, answering
forum questions and talking to my wife on the phone all at once. I have learned what it takes for me to be successful
as a student and a professional and I understand that I have limitations that
others do not have as they have limitations that I do not have. It’s a tradeoff.
Some of you may be asking then how come I know so much about
effective study habits and such. Well,
let me tell you. Before I fully
understood my condition I subjected myself to a small library of self help
books on being an effective student, I sought counseling, I saw a medical
doctor but was reluctant to get on pills and lastly I sought professional
learning advisors. I tried every known
method I could find to learn only to learn that I need to simply do what works
for me so I learned to work with and around my disorder. Maybe one day I’ll write a study guide on
learning strategies with Adult ADD but for now, to anyone who has ADD I’d like
to say this to you.
1.) It’s not your fault, you didn’t ask for this and it’s not something you
choose to do. Sure it can piss people
off but honestly they have no more business being pissed off at you for having
ADD then they should be at a guy in a wheelchair moving too slow in the grocery
store.
2.) Recognize that having ADD is not a one size fits all
condition. Some people have it far worse
than you, some experience lighter symptoms.
Some people need medication; some people (like me) don’t really have it
bad enough to warrant drugs. At least I
don’t in my opinion.
3.) This condition can become a strength if you learn your
learning style and learn to use it to your advantage. AADD people often are able to multitask
better than other IF you can learn to control it or at least work with it well
enough to stay on task. Try to keep a
big picture and schedule accordingly, for instance if that report is due at the
end of the day, break it up and work on it in short bursts.
4.) Don’t let it affect your self image. I was a marginally passing student in high
school. I mean I barely made it. My first year in college was positively
dismal and I dismissed the idea of going to school altogether. But once I learned my learning style and
developed a method that works for me, well, let’s just say graduating with a
4.0 GPA in a very challenging MBA program is very possible for me at this
point. And I was the guy that the high
school counselor told “college isn’t for everyone” and “have you considered
just getting a trade instead?” I was the
kid nobody thought would be college material and now I am strongly considering
earning my doctorate degree. I’m not a
genius, I’m not even terribly smart (just ask my wife) but I am tenacious and I
do know what I am capable of despite years of people telling me the
contrary. If you haven’t found what
works for you yet, seek professional advice from those who understand your
condition and don’t be ashamed.
The ADA
recognizes AADD as a disability and as such have made certain benefits
available to people who have been medically diagnosed with AADD. Personally I’m not nearly bad enough that I want
a handout and personally I do not feel that it is anyone’s business at work but
my own. However if you have it worse
than me and are still looking for ways to control it, be aware that you have
certain rights.
That’s about it for now.