The Trick or Treat of ADHD in Adults and Children

It’s ADHD awareness month, a perfect time to dispel the “tricks” and recognize the “treats'' of this common and very treatable mental health diagnosis.

By definition Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder is a trick. ADHD traits have to be negatively impacting your life to qualify for a diagnosis, but many people with ADHD live successful, stimulating, and fulfilling lives.  

Looking at ADHD from a strengths perspective might help you and others recognize that brains that work differently (than neurotypical ones) can have a big impact on our community and the world. We’ll share with you a few of the tricks about living with ADHD. But for every trick there is a treat. Hopefully this will affirm what you already knew, or convince you that…

ADHD is a superpower. Highly successful people prove it every day.

Take for example, Penn Holderness, who cited his ADHD hyperfocus as the reason he and his wife won the last season of the Amazing Race. With 9-10% of the United Statues pediatric population being diagnosed with ADHD and up to 5% of the world’s population, you likely have a few potential superheroes in your life too. We’ve listed some of the most recognizable ones below.

TRICK: People with ADHD can not pay attention.

TREAT: People with ADHD can pay attention! They can even have hyperfocus in areas of interest. 

MICHAEL PHELPS: The famed Olympic swimmer, was often asked to pay attention in school, but look what happened when he was able to hyperfocus. At his Olympic retirement, Phelps was the most decorated Olympian of all time. He had won 30 medals, 28 of them gold.

TRICK: Stubborn. People with ADHD would rather fail doing it their way than take advice from anyone.

TREAT: Tenacious; they never give up and will literally collapse before quitting

JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE: Singer and actor, his tenacity allowed him to lead his famous boy band group NSYNC away from a terrible record contract and start with a new label. This leap of faith was the beginning of a multifaceted career spanning decades as a solo artist and actor and he’s still going strong. Are you surprised that he reports having both ADHD and OCD?

TRICK: Usually disorganized, even chaotically so

TREAT: Meticulous at times, especially on projects that matter a great deal

ALBERT EINSTEIN: Physicist and Mathematician is thought to have had dyslexia, ADHD, Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and Dyspraxia. He was known to be forgetful, inattentive and disorganized in school. Yet without his theory of relativity to advance the world of physics, who knows where we’d be.

TRICK: An inability or refusal to conform to or get in line when doing so is obviously in his or her best interest.

TREAT: An appreciation of the off beat, unusual unconventional

WALT DISNEY: Entrepreneur and “King” of animation industry, endured decades of rejection, disappointment, and defeat. Many of his “outside the box” ideas were shot down. The industry that he worshiped wouldn’t let him in. So he created his own industry and well he went on to build the “happiest place on earth” Disneyland and Walt Disney World.

TRICK: So many ideas they choke the growth of any single one.

TREAT: Full of ideas, many of them innovative or new.

BILL GATES: Entrepreneur and Philanthropist, the founder of Microsoft, dropped out of Harvard because he could only focus on starting his company. Now a billionaire he retired early and chairs the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation; an organization that is trying to solve some of the worlds biggest challenges.

But these famous examples are all men! Does ADHD exist in women?

It’s a myth that ADHD only exists in young boys. More and more adults are diagnosed with ADHD every day, often after recognizing signs of ADHD in their children. And that includes women. If you think you might be parenting with ADHD, read about the signs here.

Learning about your own ADHD as an adult can be a tremendous relief. Understanding yourself better often means you can let go of shame you’ve had all your life. Read more about that on our Therapy for Adult ADHD page.

TRICK: Exquisite Sensitivity to Criticism or “rejection sensitive dysphoria”

TREAT: Recognition sensitive euphoria means people with ADHD feel better with just a little bit of praise. 

SIMONE BILES: Olympic and World gymnast has won seven Olympic medals and the most decorated World Medal winner with 25; 19 gold. She had difficulty with her anxiety at the 2020 Olympics and was praised for choosing her mental and physical health over competition. She realized that she could make difficult choices and earn the respect of others by taking care of herself.

So if you have ADHD or know someone who has it, recognize that the ADHD brain works differently than the neurotypical brain, but it definitely works, and often works very well.

Embrace and celebrate the power of your ADHD! If you are interested in finding your ADHD superpower come visit us.

And if you’re still feeling negative about your ADHD, these videos from The Holderness Family (referenced above) might just change your mind. We couldn’t resist posting a couple of our favorites for you here.

ADHD is my creative superpower!

Penn Holderness advocates for renaming ADHD.