By Cynthia Hammer, MSW, Director of ADD Resources

I belong to an online discussion group for ADHD professionals. A topic of interest lately has been, "Can ADHD ever be a positive in a person's life?" sparked by Dr. Hallowell's continued belief that ADHD can be a positive in a person's life if properly managed. Is there anything positive about having ADHD even when properly managed? Or does getting your ADHD "properly managed" just make your difficult life less difficult?

The positive attributes of ADHD that are often cited are energy, humor, creativity, empathy, and intelligence. Are these characteristics truly a part of ADHD the same way disorganization, procrastination, impulsivity and distractibility are. According to Sam Goldstein, Ph.D. there is no research demonstrating consistent positive traits in people with ADHD.

I am reminded of Louis Braille, blind from birth, who, when asked if he would like to be sighted, answered, "I would prefer to have more sensitive fingers." He had no idea what the other choice–sightedness–would be like. He only knew his life would be easier to navigate if he had more sensitive fingers. For those of us with ADHD, we will never know what life is like without ADHD. Perhaps, like Mr. Braille's sensitive fingers, our disability gives us some special abilities, but we will never know if these special abilities make up for what we are missing. So for me the question is not whether or not ADHD is a blessing or a curse. We can't change what we have been given. The question for me is "Are we making the most of what/who we are?"

~~Cynthia Hammer, MSW, Director
ADD Resources
www.addresources.org
Creators of the National ADHD Directory

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