Adult ADHD: Roses in Life's Garden

ADHD is usually portrayed as an unwanted problem or medical condition to be fixed. It is time to shift our thinking. People with ADHD are some of the most creative people in the world. If Leonardo di Vinci were alive today, he would likely be diagnosed with ADHD. Look at his notebooks and see how much his attention wondered.

There are many examples of prize winning people with ADHD: Albert Einstein, Will Smith, Eleanor Roosevelt and Michael Jordan all have ADHD. Most people with ADHD, I'll call them ADHDers, are happy living in home gardens. They are the roses in any garden.

Kahlil Gibran (Lebanese American artist, poet and writer) said:

"The optimist sees the rose and not its thorns;

the pessimist stares at the thorns, oblivious to the rose".

If we think of people with ADHD as roses and compare them to daisies, another garden favorite, then we can look see similarities as well as special needs that that roses and people with ADHD have. They are both beautiful flowers, with many varieties. They grow best in full sun and produce flowers suitable for indoor arrangements. Roses are susceptible to pests and disease and they need to be pruned, daisies do not. People with ADHD exhibit different characteristics. Many have short attention spans, they may be hyperactive or compulsive, struggle to conform to traditional work or school environments and need selective amounts of organization and detail. There are basics needs for all flowers: water, sunshine, and nutrients. Just as roses have specific needs, so do people with ADHD.

Roses need the right amount of water - ADHDers need daily mental stimulation and mental exercise.

• Keep learning new things by having a different book in each sitting area; in the family room, on the bedside table, in the briefcase, or in the bathroom are all places to have different books to read while you have a few minutes. Using different books can satisfy the hunger for diversity and stimulation.

• Learn yoga, tai chi or meditation and practice one of these for 10 minutes each day, to build up the ability to concentrate.
• Signup for online and computer based programs like Lumosity, or CogMed (from MDs) that will gradually increase the challenge as you change and buildup cognitive skills.

• Stand on a balance board while balancing your checkbook or working on your taxes at the kitchen counter. Performing logical activities while doing balancing exercises forces both sides of the brain to work simultaneously.

• Put a pencil in each hand and simultaneously draw a different geometric shape with each hand. After the attempt, switch shapes, i.e., draw a triangle with your left hand while drawing a circle with your right hand. Then switch and draw a circle with your left hand and a triangle with your right. Do this for 5-10 minutes each day.

Roses need full sun to bloom; ADHDers need daily physical activity (in addition to exercise).

• Walk for 10 minutes or up a couple flights of stairs.

• A calisthenics exercise, like jumping jacks, can be a reset button for the brain when you feel stuck.

• March in place for 15 seconds, touching the right hand to left knee and left hand to right knee as each knee comes up. This can be done standing or sitting and while waiting for an elevator, while on hold, or before leaving a rest room.

• Dance while preparing dinner or folding laundry.
• Park at the end of the lot and walk to the store.

Roses need additional phosphorus, ADHDers need to feed the brain and may benefit from medication. There is a substantial amount of information available on nutrition and medication. I will include only broad guidelines in this article.

• Eat protein with breakfast. The brain needs to nutrients to function, if you want it to work in the morning, then eat in the morning.

• Include omega-3 fats by eating fish, flax seeds, nuts or taking supplements.

• Consult with a physician to find a medication that works best with the least negative side effects. There are a variety of medications including ones that can be taken as needed and others taken every day. An adult with ADHD may only need medication occasionally for special meetings or events.

Roses need regular pruning and the ADHDer needs to cut back their barriers.

• Establish selective organization; Getting Things Done (GTD), by David Allen has become a mantra for some people. It is rare that ADHDers can stay focused on all the detail in GTD. Select the details that will make your life much easier. Are you always looking for car keys in the morning? Setup a specific place to put them when you walk in the door. Do you spend too much time with on-line games? Use a program to help you regulate the time you spend on specific sites.

• Control clutter in your living space. Eliminating clutter may not be realistic. Decide how much is okay; make it a deliberate choice. Then setup a bin, container or closet to hold that clutter. When that area is full, you need to clean it out, and then it can build up again. It may be helpful to hire someone to help you with this, but make sure that it is someone who will work with you to make choices that you are comfortable with. An objective outsider can often help you see and sort the clutter without making judgments or assumptions.
• Limit your active projects to 2-4 at a time. Give them each a specific place, or folder. When you're working on a project, you will have everything you need in on e place. When you're ready to focus on a different project, go to the next place (or folder) and work on that.

• Keep file folders on all the other ideas for projects that keep popping into your head. Keep a notebook to record thoughts and ideas, like Leonardo di Vinci. Do not try to organize these; just keep writing down the notes. You can periodically browse through the notes to get ideas for the next projects.

I believe that people with ADHD are like roses in the garden of life. Research on the brain is in progress and although the current medical view, per the Centers for Disease control, is that ADHD is a disease, I expect additional research in the next 30-50 years to find that ADHD is natural for a small population of people.

Why wait for research to prove that people with ADHD are normal? Live with the expectation that ADHD is natural and provide the different sun, water, nutrients and pruning that are needed for a strong healthy life!

"The splendor of the rose and the whitness of the lily do not rob the little violet of it's scent nor the daisy of its simple charm. If every tiny flower wanted to be a rose, spring would lose its lovliness." Saint Therese of Lisieux 1873-1897