Funny that the metaphor is so simple, yet so profound.
It feels exactly (experience!) as you say. And a lot of the times we struggle because we find a lot of frequencies interesting! And to choose one is at times excruciating.
And I love how you pose the point of experiencing it rather than just go right ahead and finding a diagnostic.
In my case, I first got the diagnosis for HSP from a colleague that just met me and "saw it". Afterwards, another colleague started to talk with me and told me I probably had ADHD. (and mentioned there's a correlation between both)
And yes, the labels. Labels as a way of naming your multitudes (or the faces of a diamond), or just putting it to fit in or feel you're in a safe box. I'd say that would be the hard part. Not letting the label limit you, but to understand yourself and the borders around you, and also knowing, as a human, you can also cross those boundaries.
Thanks for this Scott. I think it has been one of the latest posts that really brings another layer of peace and also hope for what comes next. It's also really hard to be like this, because people not always understand (and want to, for that matter)
Great post Scott ! I believe whether it’s adhd , autism spectrum or just having a lot of interests it can be an absolute gift . In a specialist world we are often the generalists . We want to know WHY . For me , I see the importance of many areas of life and I enjoy many many things . When I was young it was extremely difficult to pick what I loved the most . In time it became clearer that using all of my experiences was helpful . Nothing really was shortchanged other than perhaps time . So it just took me longer than most . Training my mind in daily priorities has been helpful in order to function in a vast fascinating world . I don’t think it’s a disorder . I believe it to be a necessity for society . The more we recognize how different we all are the earlier we can teach kids what works best for their brains and the greater our society will be . It’s been well researched that highly sensitive animals and people for example enjoy a survival advantage in that they are much more likely to survive in times of difficulty . Cheers ! Thanks for a great post .
I find your decreasing need for experience over formal dx echoes my work. I'm a counselor and play therapist; from my perspective, labels can be useful in helping my clients get the support they need or gain more understanding from those around them. However, my role is more focused on how it shows up in their lived experiences, where the challenges are, what resources (within the individual and in their environment) there are, and what the gifts are. Experience over diagnosis
This is a very interesting way to look at ADHD. Additionally, this analysis might be saying something about free will, too. A person who "often can’t choose which station to tune to in the first place" might be said to have less free will than someone who can.
“knowing when to stop generating and start choosing. Knowing which station, of all the ones now lit up, is the one worth staying on.”
This is me constantly (almost daily). As a professional creative, I’ve been blessed with the ability to “receive” ideas from the ether, which can feel like tuning into possibility but then deciding which ideas, articles, move the needle projects to focus on is extremely tough, it’s exactly like you’ve said, everything is lit at once.
As someone who experiences flow frequently and is also pretty productive, it never occurred to me that this could be a symptom of adhd; I’ve always been told that low productivity is a symptom of adhd - but at the same time this really hits the nail on the head
I’m a sped teacher who also has kids, and grandkids with AdHD and I have never thought of it as a deficit- rather a surplus. Scott’s interpretation fits so well with what I see, and also the notion of a spectrum that we all are on. I’ve never been diagnosed with ADHD but I’ve also been suspicious that I might have it. I once went into a darkroom at 4pm to print a couple of pictures and came out at dinner time, only to learn it was 4am. Hyper-focus or flow? In any case, if the EF skills can be strengthened ADHD is an asset not a deficit
Yes, that is exactly my experience. It is wonderful and painful, and very hard for some people to understand. And not always a perfect fit for academia.
I also struggle with some everyday tasks, like putting numbers in little boxes on a sheet of paper. Not sure if it’s related.
And I have never seen myself as someone on the spectrum, but definitely as high sensitive. The radio signals are very loud!
Thanks for bringing your thoughts to my squattered attention.
I love this article- I've been studying a Masters of Applied Positive Psychology- and it's always struck me that character strengths and flow are universally described. When I see my ADHDer, she has moments of such deep flow, that we had her tested for hearing as a young child! I always though her talent for being in deep flow was a strength- never a deficit. Thanks for the powerful article.
As someone who diagnoses learning difficulties and spends a lot of time thinking about neurodiversity I also wonder about the crossover between giftedness and this experience of hyperfocus. People with high intelligence often experience many similarities to life with ADHD or ASD. Hyperfocus, difficulty picking one thing to focus on, various sensitivities and emotional regulation difficulties. Thoughts?
The radio is a fantastic analogy and I'm still thinking about it hours later. My brother, my husband and my daughter have all been diagnosed with ADHD (husband and daughter are both convinced I have it and I can definitely relate to this article, though I did well in academic settings). My son has been tested and while his neuropsychologist says he doesn't meet all the criteria, he does have "flavours" of it--something he says he often sees in siblings of kids with ADHD. I wonder if many of us who are undiagnosed might strongly carry certain components of ADHD but not all of them?
What a simple but profound analogy. I'm interested in your thoughts... have minds always been different but now there are just too many frequencies in the world to tune into so we need the labels to support the experience? I can't help but turn over in my head this idea that we are diagnosing people but trying to put square/triangle/hexagon etc pegs in a round hole of a system??
Absolutely, love the radio dial analogy. And Folks, if you like what SBKs droping here, you may be interested in our Transcend ADHD online course, learn more at TranscendADHD.com !
YES!
Funny that the metaphor is so simple, yet so profound.
It feels exactly (experience!) as you say. And a lot of the times we struggle because we find a lot of frequencies interesting! And to choose one is at times excruciating.
And I love how you pose the point of experiencing it rather than just go right ahead and finding a diagnostic.
In my case, I first got the diagnosis for HSP from a colleague that just met me and "saw it". Afterwards, another colleague started to talk with me and told me I probably had ADHD. (and mentioned there's a correlation between both)
And yes, the labels. Labels as a way of naming your multitudes (or the faces of a diamond), or just putting it to fit in or feel you're in a safe box. I'd say that would be the hard part. Not letting the label limit you, but to understand yourself and the borders around you, and also knowing, as a human, you can also cross those boundaries.
Thanks for this Scott. I think it has been one of the latest posts that really brings another layer of peace and also hope for what comes next. It's also really hard to be like this, because people not always understand (and want to, for that matter)
Great post Scott ! I believe whether it’s adhd , autism spectrum or just having a lot of interests it can be an absolute gift . In a specialist world we are often the generalists . We want to know WHY . For me , I see the importance of many areas of life and I enjoy many many things . When I was young it was extremely difficult to pick what I loved the most . In time it became clearer that using all of my experiences was helpful . Nothing really was shortchanged other than perhaps time . So it just took me longer than most . Training my mind in daily priorities has been helpful in order to function in a vast fascinating world . I don’t think it’s a disorder . I believe it to be a necessity for society . The more we recognize how different we all are the earlier we can teach kids what works best for their brains and the greater our society will be . It’s been well researched that highly sensitive animals and people for example enjoy a survival advantage in that they are much more likely to survive in times of difficulty . Cheers ! Thanks for a great post .
I find your decreasing need for experience over formal dx echoes my work. I'm a counselor and play therapist; from my perspective, labels can be useful in helping my clients get the support they need or gain more understanding from those around them. However, my role is more focused on how it shows up in their lived experiences, where the challenges are, what resources (within the individual and in their environment) there are, and what the gifts are. Experience over diagnosis
Absolutely!!
This is a very interesting way to look at ADHD. Additionally, this analysis might be saying something about free will, too. A person who "often can’t choose which station to tune to in the first place" might be said to have less free will than someone who can.
Great point!!
This might help:
https://substack.com/@yinyangbrain/note/c-272794164
This resonates! Especially:
“knowing when to stop generating and start choosing. Knowing which station, of all the ones now lit up, is the one worth staying on.”
This is me constantly (almost daily). As a professional creative, I’ve been blessed with the ability to “receive” ideas from the ether, which can feel like tuning into possibility but then deciding which ideas, articles, move the needle projects to focus on is extremely tough, it’s exactly like you’ve said, everything is lit at once.
As someone who experiences flow frequently and is also pretty productive, it never occurred to me that this could be a symptom of adhd; I’ve always been told that low productivity is a symptom of adhd - but at the same time this really hits the nail on the head
I’m a sped teacher who also has kids, and grandkids with AdHD and I have never thought of it as a deficit- rather a surplus. Scott’s interpretation fits so well with what I see, and also the notion of a spectrum that we all are on. I’ve never been diagnosed with ADHD but I’ve also been suspicious that I might have it. I once went into a darkroom at 4pm to print a couple of pictures and came out at dinner time, only to learn it was 4am. Hyper-focus or flow? In any case, if the EF skills can be strengthened ADHD is an asset not a deficit
Exactly!!
Yes, that is exactly my experience. It is wonderful and painful, and very hard for some people to understand. And not always a perfect fit for academia.
I also struggle with some everyday tasks, like putting numbers in little boxes on a sheet of paper. Not sure if it’s related.
And I have never seen myself as someone on the spectrum, but definitely as high sensitive. The radio signals are very loud!
Thanks for bringing your thoughts to my squattered attention.
I love this article- I've been studying a Masters of Applied Positive Psychology- and it's always struck me that character strengths and flow are universally described. When I see my ADHDer, she has moments of such deep flow, that we had her tested for hearing as a young child! I always though her talent for being in deep flow was a strength- never a deficit. Thanks for the powerful article.
This truly the bane of existence, I resonate deeply and constantly struggle with trying to prioritise my focus points.
This is 💯 accurate. Hit the nail of the head. Thank you 🙏
As someone who diagnoses learning difficulties and spends a lot of time thinking about neurodiversity I also wonder about the crossover between giftedness and this experience of hyperfocus. People with high intelligence often experience many similarities to life with ADHD or ASD. Hyperfocus, difficulty picking one thing to focus on, various sensitivities and emotional regulation difficulties. Thoughts?
def overlap there!!
The radio is a fantastic analogy and I'm still thinking about it hours later. My brother, my husband and my daughter have all been diagnosed with ADHD (husband and daughter are both convinced I have it and I can definitely relate to this article, though I did well in academic settings). My son has been tested and while his neuropsychologist says he doesn't meet all the criteria, he does have "flavours" of it--something he says he often sees in siblings of kids with ADHD. I wonder if many of us who are undiagnosed might strongly carry certain components of ADHD but not all of them?
Diagnosed and unmedicated ADHD here. This is the most correct thing I've ever read about ADHD.
I'm so glad to hear that, Chris!
What a simple but profound analogy. I'm interested in your thoughts... have minds always been different but now there are just too many frequencies in the world to tune into so we need the labels to support the experience? I can't help but turn over in my head this idea that we are diagnosing people but trying to put square/triangle/hexagon etc pegs in a round hole of a system??
Absolutely, love the radio dial analogy. And Folks, if you like what SBKs droping here, you may be interested in our Transcend ADHD online course, learn more at TranscendADHD.com !
YES!! Let's go!!!