ADHD Creativity & Enterprise by ADHDBOOKLET

Creativity & ENTERPRISE on

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“Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.” (Albert Einstein) 2

Why ADHD?

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What is ADHD

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Strength to having ADHD Creativity Page 8-9

“What they said”

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Page 12-13

Entrepreneurship Page 14-15

Debunk the Myths Page 16-17

Where to go to find out more? Back Page

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Why ADHD? When researching into attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, better known in its abbreviated form – ADHD, I found that I share several similar traits to someone with ADHD or ADD. This only reaffirmed my suspicions that I may possibly have undiagnosed ADHD. The more I filled out the questionnaires that claim to be able to partially diagnose ADHD, the more it conjured up a sense of relief, as for years I had thought about myself. This includes how I felt about my struggles with education, how I was merely passed off as poorly behaved and stigmatized as the ‘naughty child’ throughout my education. Only now, at the age of 28 and studying at university, am I discovering that I could have a form of ADHD. I definitely had more research to do to discover what it was and how I could learn to live with ADHD, I felt that understanding how ADHD effects people will hopefully help me to understand, in myself, what I can do to use it to enhance my strengths and, at the same time, alleviate my weaknesses. I have made this booklet to illustrate a number of things associated with ADHD. I will go through it’s connection to creativity and entrepreneurship, take a look at a number of success stories and also debunk a few of the most common misconceptions people link to the disorder.

ADHD

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity

WHAT IS ADHD? ADHD stands for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and is a neurodevelopmental disorder that is often diagnosed in childhood or adolescence. It impacts the parts of the brain that help us plan, focus, and execute tasks. ADHD is a complex brain disorder that impacts approximately 2-5% of children and almost 4% of adults in the UK although a lot of individuals remain undiagnosed, which suggests that this number could be a lot higher. Even when undiagnosed, ADHD may still be apparent if a child struggles making friends, staying focused in the classroom or overreacting to arbitrary scenarios.

Whilst scientists, psychologists and biologists alike have devoted decades worth of research to uncovering the cause of ADHD, this is still to be fully determined. It is widely believed that ADHD occurs as a result of a chemical imbalance and disproportionate dopamine releases. It is also believed to be hereditary, suggesting that if a parent has ADHD, there’s a strong chance their children will also have it. In additon, a more nuanced field of study has found that there are links between post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and ADHD which has implied that if an adult suffers PTSD, there’s a heightened chance of their children having ADHD.

Disorder

In Western society, in particular, we tend to over-diagnose and thus over-medicate and as a result, we tend to only emphasize the negative aspects of ADHD, which may include stalling, a lack of attentiveness, absentmindedness, disorganization and the wandering mind. These are often viewed as a child (or adult) coming across as lazy or disinterested, when in fact, it may be simply because the challenge at hand does not resonate with the cognitive function of those with ADHD.

THERE ARE STRENGTHS CREATIVITY ADVENTUROUS POWERFUL PASSIONATE SPONTANEOUS IMAGINATIVE RISKTAKING HUMOUROUS INTELLIGENT DRIVEN OUTSIDE-THE-BOXTHINKER VISIONARY ADPTIVE MOTIVATIONAL 8

TO HAVING ADHD

NEVER be afraid to delve into your traits, both positive and problematic because all can be played to be a STRENGH. Some of the trait’s most commonly associated with ADHD include inventiveness, highly energetic, audaciousness, resilience, and the ability to multitask. These may easily be utilized as strengths when used correctly and in the right career. People with ADHD often thrive in crisis mode, with their propensity to multi-task and think freely, allowing them to intuitively seek out and find a solution. Moreover, if they find a certain passion, they will be more than willing to devote hours upon hours of their time to it. This is often referred to as hyperfocus. Although the ability to multitask is frequently associated to those with ADHD, there’s little evidence to suggest that they’re better than the general public at it. The difference, however, comes from the fact that those with ADHD tend to thrive in situations where they have multiple tasks to be getting on with. In fact, people ADHD actually work better when they can keep on shifting their focus rather than having to devote themselves to one single task.

As mentioned people with ADHD can go into a state of hyperfocuse. this grants them the ability to devote their focus entirelly on a single task to the point where they dont even notice to world passing by. for this to hap[pen the task has to be somthing that they are passionate about or offers them due reward for their work Arguably one of the most benefical perks to havign ADHD has to be thier unperturbed resiliance. In a senario or set back that the average Joe may find difficult to over come it is known that those with ADHD excel at striving beyond these setbacks and pushing forward in the face of adversity. Perhaps as a result of their exsperiances in childhood and adultessence, be that at home or in the classroom, those with ADHD are known to demonstrate greater levels of compassion. This means that they are more incline to offer oppertunities to help out whomever and however they can in a situation even if its detrimental to themselves.

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Is there a clear link between ADHD and creativity.? Many of the words you’ll hear in association with ‘creative thinkers’ are also often linked to those with ADHD. Words such as passionate, energetic, innovative and impulsive can be described to describe creativity and ADHD in equal measure (Goudarzi and Gawrilow, 2019). Studies have found that individuals with ADHD in college tended to score higher on average than their classmates when given challenges that required expanded on known theories and ideas because their way of thinking allows them to overcome novel information and come up with their own unique solutions. The alternative inner-workings in the mind of a person with ADHD is why they may not focus in a school or work environment. The tasks they’re given do not allow them to demonstrate their creative tendencies and are therefore prevented from offering their unique approach in these traditional and established settings.

Suppressing your wild ideas may actually be sabotaging your best efforts to get stuff done. 11

Living a successful and properous life is definitely possible with ADHD: Across all walks of life a range of successful people, be that corprate or celebrity, have found ways of being wildly successfu whilst living with ADHD. Here are just five of many examples of people who have found sucess despite the supposed setback of living with this neurological disorder: Michael Fred Phelps II - ADHD made schoolwork tough for the Olympian, in his youth. He was restless, acted out in class, and struggled to finish many basic classroom objectives. Resultantly, he was diagnosed with ADHD at age 9. Medication alleviated his symptoms, but, unsurprisingly, it was the swimming pool where Phelps found the ability to deal with his disorder. The routine of preparation and the calming characteristics of the water helped to relax the hyperactivity and then flourish in the sport. Adam Levine - The Maroon 5 frontman and host of “The Voice” has come a long way to his success. As a child, he had struggled with what seemed to be easy for other children, such as sitting still, finishing work, or concentrating. ADHD hasn’t gone away as he’s grown up. He still deals with it daily, but now harnesses it to write his songs and bring his ideas to life. Richard Branson - founder of Virgin has openly talked about been diagnoised with both ADHD and Dyslexia. When taking a TED talk Branson recalled a quote by his former headmaster who claimed that Branson would either end up in prison or become a millionaire. It apppers he chose the latter path, and is now regarded to be one of the most successful businesspeople of all time. Emma Watson - the actor who played Hermione Granger in the Harry Potter film series, was diagnosed with ADHD at a young age. However this did not prevent the multitalented individual from achieveing accolades both on and off screen, with Emma getting straight A’s at both GCSE and A-levels, then being awarded a degree in English Literature from Oxford University, all the while reprising her role as Hermione in the world renowned film series.

“WHAT THEY

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ENTREPRENEURSHIP

BECAUSE WE“EAT CHAOS FOR BREAKFAST “ (Laurie Dupar)

People with ADHD are said to be 300% more likely to establish their own company, and many business leaders have ADHD. Research has implied that the self-employed and entrepreneurial industry is incredibly appealing to individuals with ADHD, and they tend to be quite powerful players in this sector of the economy. Sensation seeking, is a common trait of ADHD and a frequent charachtaristic among entrepreneurs than in the general population. Anecdotal findings appear to support this point, claiming that people with ADHD are 3 times more likely to run their own business. this sensation seeking stems from their propensity to act on impulse which doesn’t give them the opportunity to think themselves out of the situation. Being able to act on unforseen circumstances such as a market crash, bankrupcy or being made redundant allows them and thier business to recover whilst other may flounder and submit to the anxiety and pressure of failing. The ability to get themselves into a state of hyperfocus allows those with ADHD to place priority on their new business project day-in and day-out without suffering fatigue. This unparalleled devotion often means they’re ideas reap rewards, sometimes leading to their project becoming much bigger than they first intended, as was the case with Sir Richard Branson, who does tried a wide range of things under his Virgin brand.

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“Some of the most successful entrepreneurs credit their attention deficit hyperactivity disorder for their accomplishments. (Success magazine)

debunking ADHD Misconceptions There are a lot of myths that circulate about ADHD that build an unfair reputation for those with the ailment. These can range of unproven to downright offensive and I’m here to debunk them.

“They have no problem focusing on their games”

“ADHD isnt even real”

A child likes playing video games – how absurd! Yes, a child with ADHD can focus when they’re playing their newest video game, but this is because of their ability to hyperfocus. Video games are designed to keep you drawn in and keep you stimulated, they challenge you and require your attention. Moreover, they’re fun and if a person with ADHD can be entertained for a long period of time, they’ll happily devote attention to whatever it is they’re enjoying.

You’ve probably heard this one before, there’s always a cynic who is happy to make controversial comments as a form of attention seeking. This is insulting, not only to those who suffer, but also for those who dedicate their lives to helping people with ADHD. The truth – ADHD is a world-recognised neurological disorder that effects around 5% of people worldwide.

“It’s just an excuse for bad parenting” Another insulting one. Those uneducated on the topic love to throw this one around. It’s easy to pin the blame on parents when a child is found swearing or misbehaving in class or in public. Now, by this point in the booklet, you’ll understand that the AD in ADHD stands for attention deficit, which means those with the disorder act on impulse and struggle to concentrate for long periods if a subject is not of interest to them. Therefore, the behaviour of the child is out of the parents control the majority of time.

“She can’t have ADHD, she’s a girl!”

“They’re just not very bright”

Evidence suggests that ADHD is equally as prominent in girls as it is in boys. The idea that ADHD only occurs in boys is because they tend to exhibit the traits of ADHD more openly and are far more likely to be diagnosed than girls are. The symptoms are exactly the same in both sexes and just as many girls struggle with ADHD, it’s just that less are officially recognised.

Perhaps the most common myth of them all – we’re just not intelligent! As the examples of Emma Watson, Sir Richard Branson, and many others have shown, this is far from true. The simple truth is, those with ADHD just have an alternative way of thinking, one which the traditional field of education has yet to fully catch up with and accommodate. The first step to helping people with ADHD succeed in school should definitely be to remove this inaccurate and belligerent stigma.

Where to get help for ADHD? First and foremost, the help is always available all you have to do is ask the right people! The NHS outlines 5 types of medications that a GP can offer you if you’re struggling with ADHD, these are the following: - Methylphenidate - Lisdexamfetamine - Dexamfetamine - Atomoxetine - Guanfacine However, if you’re not yet at the stage in diagnosis where you are entitled to medication, there’s also a number of helplines you may be interested in looking at: 0800 1111 – Young Minds ADHD and Mental Health 020 8952 2800 – addiss (a national charity that provides support for people who suffer with ADHD and their guardians) 0808 808 3555 – Contact (for families that live with ADHD and other disabilities) If you’re not one who likes to talk, don’t worry, there’s also plenty of information online available. If you’re seeking facts and advise, it’s recommended that you take a look at the NHS. website (https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/attention-deficit-hyperactivity-disorder-adhd/). The NHS site offers a range of information about ADHD, from symptoms to diagnosis. There’s also plenty of information on the internet on other sites such as: https://www.livingwithadhd.co.uk/ https://www.addup.co.uk/ https://www.adhdfoundation.org.uk/ https://youngminds.org.uk/ Finally, if you’re instead looking for motivation, take a look at https://www.additudemag. com/ . This is a website dedicated to all things ADHD, with blogs and articles being uploaded constantly. It’s a great tool for getting inspiration on how to be successful with ADHD, living and managing the disorder and signs that you, or someone you know, may have an undiagnosed case.