Three Strengths of ADHD

Nathan Riley
Mar 16, 2016
2 min read

Running around in the rain does not particularly tickle my fancy, but I really do love the petrichor scent that follows a good storm. That fresh post-rain fragrance can even make up for some miserably soggy jeans. Just like the rain, and everything else in the world, there are ups and downs to all things in life. Having ADHD is no different. Being a person who has lived my entire life with ADHD, and having observed my like minded friends, I have discovered some distinct characteristics packaged with the diagnosis; like those exciting little toys that come inside a fast-food happy meal!

Speaking of "Pros and Cons," is it safe to say that it's possible to be a pro con-artist?

I will expand on further details for individual strengths that accompany ADHD, in future blogs. So, without further ado, here are three strong benefits of having Attention Deficit Hyper Disorder.

Hyperfocus: From the sound of it, having ADHD must mean that you cannot focus, right? Wrong. When an individual, with the diagnosis, locks on to something, we can focus for hours without end. The average mind will generally disengage focus within two hours. If you have ADHD, you may take up to two hours to become focused in the first place, but once focused, hyperfocus allows our brains to maintain focus for up to seven or more hours, straight. This very well may lend the greatest benefit, of all ADHD characteristics.

Long-Term Memory: Sure our short term memory suffers, but due to restricted short term memory, less information gets committed to pollute our long-term memory retention. If you have ADHD, someone has probably asked you something like, "how the heck do you remember xyz, from last year, but you can't even remember a person's name, when you first meet them?!" As you might imagine, having a stronger long-term memory is a characteristic that most certainly has its benefits.

Multitasking: Think about those moments, when you are talking on the phone, reading an article on your phone, watching a television show and baking a pizza, all while re-arranging your living quarters. Somehow, you are actually paying meticulous attention to each task. This may seem like chaos, but the way the ADHD brain manages activities is incremented in a way that consolidates what we are doing, without mixing everything together in our heads. This characteristic is absolutely outstanding in chaotic workplaces.

Since nothing is perfect, I will dig into a few weaknesses trailing behind ADHD, in my next post. The first few months, here on Living in the Noise, will be dedicated toward depicting what living life with ADHD looks like, and building a stronger understanding of what ADHD is. I always strongly recommend getting an official diagnosis, before assuming you have the disorder, as well.

My next post will be up on the first of April, 2016. Until then, jam out to some slick beats...