Tuesday, May 21, 2013
Where have I been?
Hey there. I have been away for some time but have decided to start posting again. Check back soon.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Barrack Obama
Rarely are we given the opportunity to witness a moment as pure and powerful as the events of today. To comment further would diminish it's significance. May you take hope and inspiration from today.
Monday, January 19, 2009
My Story Part I
I hated school for the longest time. In fact, it was not until grade seven and the outstanding efforts of my history teacher that I started to change my view of school and in a broader sense, education.
As a youngster in school I struggled both academically and socially. School work was a mystery to me, I was always playing catch-up, constantly falling behind my classmates. Parent teacher interviews were a cause for concern for my parents and as a result they began asking questions. At the time ADD did not exist as a clinical term. The term ADD was not coined until 1980, but that does not mean the condition was not present before than. More accurately, prior to 1980 ADD was given many different names and subsequently, it was treated in a myriad of ways.
In my case the search for answers to my academic difficulties was a long and arduous journey. At first educators and researchers told me I was a slow learner. They took care to inform me that this did not mean I was any less intelligent. Instead, I just needed more time to grasp concepts and ideas. As research into the brain progressed and more was discovered about how people learn, a new term was coined. For the most part Learning Disabled was initially a very broad term, and primarily indicated anyone outside the normal developmental parameters. I was such an individual. It is important to understand that for me this was a tremendous revelation. Although I did not fully understand what it meant to be learning disabled, having a diagnosis was very uplifting.
In a very real sense it was liberating to be able to put a label on my condition. Most importantly, I was not stupid. I knew I was not suddenly going to change, but at the same time there was hope. Hope is a very powerful concept, most of the worlds major religions are in one way or another built on the concept of hope. Without hope, we feel desperate and helpless, leading to despair and depression. Hope on the other hand, can change the world. Take the example of Barrack Obama. At a time when many people are experiencing very difficult economic hardships, the idea and reality of a black president is giving people a tremendous amount of hope. There are up to 2 million people expected in Washington for his inauguration, there has never been an assembly on that scale in Washington. The largest crowd ever, more than any other inauguration, more that any speech by a world leader, more than any protest. Amazing! That is the definition of hope.
ADD is not a death sentence. In fact history is full of people with ADD who have done great and momentous things. People like Einstein, members of Green Day, Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps, Ty Pennington of ABC’s Extreme Makeover Home Edition, and inventor Alexander Graham Bell are a few.
For more famous people follow this link:
http://www.adhdrelief.com/famous.html
Until next time, I hope you can find inspiration from these people.
As a youngster in school I struggled both academically and socially. School work was a mystery to me, I was always playing catch-up, constantly falling behind my classmates. Parent teacher interviews were a cause for concern for my parents and as a result they began asking questions. At the time ADD did not exist as a clinical term. The term ADD was not coined until 1980, but that does not mean the condition was not present before than. More accurately, prior to 1980 ADD was given many different names and subsequently, it was treated in a myriad of ways.
In my case the search for answers to my academic difficulties was a long and arduous journey. At first educators and researchers told me I was a slow learner. They took care to inform me that this did not mean I was any less intelligent. Instead, I just needed more time to grasp concepts and ideas. As research into the brain progressed and more was discovered about how people learn, a new term was coined. For the most part Learning Disabled was initially a very broad term, and primarily indicated anyone outside the normal developmental parameters. I was such an individual. It is important to understand that for me this was a tremendous revelation. Although I did not fully understand what it meant to be learning disabled, having a diagnosis was very uplifting.
In a very real sense it was liberating to be able to put a label on my condition. Most importantly, I was not stupid. I knew I was not suddenly going to change, but at the same time there was hope. Hope is a very powerful concept, most of the worlds major religions are in one way or another built on the concept of hope. Without hope, we feel desperate and helpless, leading to despair and depression. Hope on the other hand, can change the world. Take the example of Barrack Obama. At a time when many people are experiencing very difficult economic hardships, the idea and reality of a black president is giving people a tremendous amount of hope. There are up to 2 million people expected in Washington for his inauguration, there has never been an assembly on that scale in Washington. The largest crowd ever, more than any other inauguration, more that any speech by a world leader, more than any protest. Amazing! That is the definition of hope.
ADD is not a death sentence. In fact history is full of people with ADD who have done great and momentous things. People like Einstein, members of Green Day, Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps, Ty Pennington of ABC’s Extreme Makeover Home Edition, and inventor Alexander Graham Bell are a few.
For more famous people follow this link:
http://www.adhdrelief.com/famous.html
Until next time, I hope you can find inspiration from these people.
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Why the Blizzard?
For years, when I talked to people about having ADD I struggled to describe it.
Suddenly one day it came to me. I began to equate it to having a storm in your head. While that description was good, I needed something more accurate. A blizzard, with all the snowflakes swirling and blowing around became my metaphor. Imagine a blizzard in your head, now imagine that every snowflake is a thought. Now try to imagine controlling that blizzard, you may as well try to stop the sun from setting. This is what it feels like to have ADD.
If you take things a step further you can begin to understand why ADD manifests itself in certain behavioral characteristics. Imagine having this blizzard in you head, all day, every day. (Admittedly, the blizzard is not a full strength all the time, there are moments of clarity, and with time and experience the effects can be managed.) Having said that, for children with little impulse control and a lack of experience, controlling this blizzard is near impossible.
The experience can be so frustrating that the child may exhibit undesirable behavior. If every thought is a snowflake, imagine how difficult and frustrating it is to have one clear and coherent thought. Now imagine your elation on the rare times that this does occur. The euphoria of having captured a thought often overshadows the consequences of acting on that thought. For this reason, many children with ADD are thought of as being impulsive, and unruly. It is important to note that these children are often unaware of the reasons for their actions. When you ask your son why he threw a rock at a window he may say he does not know. If he has ADD, this is an honest answer. He does not know, and does not yet possess the ability to analyze his behavior. He is not being secretive or factious, he honestly does not know.
It is for this reason I have chosen The Blizzard as the name for this blog. I hope this description is a helpful starting point. I look forward to sharing and expending on my experiences.
Suddenly one day it came to me. I began to equate it to having a storm in your head. While that description was good, I needed something more accurate. A blizzard, with all the snowflakes swirling and blowing around became my metaphor. Imagine a blizzard in your head, now imagine that every snowflake is a thought. Now try to imagine controlling that blizzard, you may as well try to stop the sun from setting. This is what it feels like to have ADD.
If you take things a step further you can begin to understand why ADD manifests itself in certain behavioral characteristics. Imagine having this blizzard in you head, all day, every day. (Admittedly, the blizzard is not a full strength all the time, there are moments of clarity, and with time and experience the effects can be managed.) Having said that, for children with little impulse control and a lack of experience, controlling this blizzard is near impossible.
The experience can be so frustrating that the child may exhibit undesirable behavior. If every thought is a snowflake, imagine how difficult and frustrating it is to have one clear and coherent thought. Now imagine your elation on the rare times that this does occur. The euphoria of having captured a thought often overshadows the consequences of acting on that thought. For this reason, many children with ADD are thought of as being impulsive, and unruly. It is important to note that these children are often unaware of the reasons for their actions. When you ask your son why he threw a rock at a window he may say he does not know. If he has ADD, this is an honest answer. He does not know, and does not yet possess the ability to analyze his behavior. He is not being secretive or factious, he honestly does not know.
It is for this reason I have chosen The Blizzard as the name for this blog. I hope this description is a helpful starting point. I look forward to sharing and expending on my experiences.
About ADD
There is a myriad of information out there regarding ADD. Deciphering what is valid and what is not can be difficult and many people do not know where to look for help. I hope I can help with that.
I am a 40ish male and have dealt with ADD my entire life. I have had many helpful people along the way and know from personal experience the advantages and disadvantages of living with ADD. Additionally, I have done extensive research on the topic.
I hope to create a forum where people are free to discuss the issues facing them and the day to day coping needed to thrive.
I am a 40ish male and have dealt with ADD my entire life. I have had many helpful people along the way and know from personal experience the advantages and disadvantages of living with ADD. Additionally, I have done extensive research on the topic.
I hope to create a forum where people are free to discuss the issues facing them and the day to day coping needed to thrive.
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