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.