Disability. Perception. Empathy.
Life lessons have brought me to an understanding that often: how we think, leads to how we feel, and in turn, how we act. Dare I say, it all starts with perception? Perception – a way of regarding, understanding, or interpreting something; a mental impression.
In a world of diversity (regional, religious, cultural, race, sex, etc) it would stand to reason that how ‘I’ perceive the world is likely different than how say ‘you’ perceive the world. If a persons perceptions were then further ‘filtered’ by the hard wiring of a Neurodiverse mind (for example), perception continues to be in the ‘eye of the beholder’… but are less understood by most others.
From my perspective, as an adult with ADHD, I see the world from a ‘big picture’ approach (Gestalt Thinking) and I’m not as focused on the daily details of life. As a child, this was not a problem. As an adult, this can be perceived by others as inconsiderate or lazy (I am none of which by the way).
Communications can be a challenge too; as my thought process will occur rapidly in my mind, working from ‘A’ to ‘Y’, only then do I vocalize ‘Z’ to the listener, which can cause confusion for the listener since they didn’t have the privilege of hearing how I reached the ‘Z’ conclusion (until I further explain). Unfortunately, I have not always had the opportunity to further explain myself and misunderstandings then likely occurred (in terms of the listener’s perception of what it was I was communicating, I knew what I was saying :).
Emotionally, ADHD can reek havoc in a person’s life, again; as a matter of perspective (how one thinks, feels, acts). Let me share with you what an ADHD emotional ‘overreaction’ can feel like, an analogy many can relate to, it feels like PMS. Meaning: you may know your not being rational, you may know your not being fair or even reasonable, but you can’t stop it (the train wreck) while it is happening. This can then lead to regret, apologies, and hurt feelings across the board.
ADHD can and often affects an individual’s self confidence and self esteem, which makes sense when: daily life includes a ton of details (which may not be a strength, wink wink), communications can go side ways (which does include texting, I have conducted an informal poll), and emotionally it is likely an effort to find (the elusive) emotional “balance” (the Holy Grail).
Now, having shared my perspective on how ADHD symptoms/quirks are often perceived, and my belief that perspective shapes thinking, feelings, and actions, my next thoughts are: What can “I” do to affect positive change towards inclusion and diversity in my community, the work place, in my life and the people in it? & How can we as a society, as a collective, follow suit?
I have concluded – there is a need for more empathy in this world. Empathy – the ability to understand and share the feelings of another.
I am not suggesting that you the reader need to share the feelings of an individual diagnosed with ADHD. I am suggesting that (now) knowing an ADHD emotional overreaction often feels like PMS, and ‘you’ happen to know what PMS feels like, draw on that understanding and demonstrate empathy for how difficult it must be to have to manage that particular symptom more than once (or twice) per month.
With information, and education, I’d like to think we could be a more understanding and empathetic people; employing and embracing diversity. What if I told you that in my free time I research a variety of disabilities/related symptoms, and more often than not, I see MAJOR over laps in symptoms resulting from Autism, Anxiety, ADHD, Biploar, Depression, ODD, Learning Disability, and so many others. If you have ever felt the dread of giving a speech or taking a flight (feelings of fear, panic, nervousness, etc), then you can can relate to the feeling of Anxiety, which many of the above listed diagnosis share as an overlapping symptom. Practice being more empathetic…
The number of individual’s diagnosed with a disability has recently been reported to now include 1 in 4 adults. This is a staggering statistic, and disability, it does not discriminate… it is diverse… and it is inclusive. We as a society, need to catch up…
“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.”
Margaret Mead
Where Preparation Meets Opportunity