Very interesting... The attempt to reframe ADHD as a strength always seemed like cope to me, and my understanding of the research was that it was clear that it involved severe deficits in multiple life domains.
(For my MA thesis, I did a review on the history of scientific controversy around ADD/WO vs ADHD, and the status of SCT (sluggish cognitive tempo) as a potential symptom cluster or possibly a distinct disorder--last I heard, Barkeley believes the research suggests the latter...SCT is a separate, although not yet officially recognized disorder, albeit one that is comorbid with ADHD about 50% of the time, much like depression and anxiety are distinct but overlapping and very frequently co-occuring.))
The fact that you can have a genuine disability and also incidentally have strengths that can help you to compensate for it always made sense to me.
But this theory has the advantage of being falsifiable, and it rings true with my experience. Openness is my most extreme Big 5 score, and I've always been extremely curious. And it has been my "superpower"; I never did assigned readings but read difficult academic material for fun instead. And I finally put my ability to educate myself to use by becoming a self-taught programmer, by basically locking myself in a room for a year, going from having no career to speak of to being a senior dev in a few years.
And I've always felt...kind of out of time or something. Even though I've always been a bit of a loner, I do well in groups. The atomization of modern society always just felt wrong to me; I just felt in my bones that that's not how humans were meant to live. I can be very self-directed, but actually do well in hierarchy. I actually loved military boot camp. And I crave stimulation and challenge. I've always been into video games, but apparently unlike most, I actually want to (and do) do those kinds of things in real life: run, jump, climb, swim, parkour, explore, martial arts, archery... I've taken up ice plunges. I just need that kind of intensity to feel alive. (See the book, "What Doesn't Kill Us".) Modernity is killing us with comfort, and it just astounds me that so many people seem to be okay with that.
I am a researcher in this field (also neurodivergent), and I would recommend checking out the following, it was an eye-opener for me (discusses the Strength's Based Approach etc...): Fung, L. K. (Ed.). (2021). Neurodiversity: From phenomenology to neurobiology and enhancing technologies. American Psychiatric Pub.
Amen, captures my feeling. I had given up on finding a positive framing since I feel like ADHD limits my agency. But of course it was never that simple. Everything has pros and cons, and this is such a spiky thing, of course there could be significant benefits.
Thom Hartmann laid out that thesis very well in his book "ADHD: A hunter in a farmer's world". It was the first look at ADHD as an evolved adaptive trait that only becomes a "disability" when the environment changes.
Interesting - my Genetic Lifehacks analysis of my dna shows not only higher risk genes related to adhd (I’m auADD) - but I am also homozygous for the hunter gatherer gene and don’t have the farmer variant (CLTC1 gene rs1061325 - hunter gatherer less adapted to high carbohydrates)
Absolutely love this article. It’s such a refreshing take. I particularly appreciate the discussion of practical interventions to harness patients' strengths. This is exactly the kind of paradigm shift we need to embrace neurodiversity more fully! Have shared this article in my latest email.
This is a very believable thesis and one that perhaps corresponds to my particular life experience. I look forward to more detailed research on this relationship.
Hi Gurjot! I just posted kind of a strange piece, a real-time record of how my attention issues manifest while trying to read with ADHD. Not sure it’s the perfect format for Substack, but I’d love to hear your thoughts.
fascinating! I used to do this as a child - walk around the perimeter of the school playing field running my hands along the chain link fence, looking at all the little nooks and crannies in the mud, or at the leaves on the trees, while all the other kids played in groups.
The is is so interesting! As a hyper curious person with ADHD, it’s definitely true for me. I spend so much time trying to obtain information that it’s actually a distraction in itself.
I am SO thrilled to see this work being done. It's something that's been on my mind for a while (ADHD as gift instead of deficit. More on that if it's of interest ... https://thingsbegunandneverdone.substack.com/p/part-4-why-exercise-adhd-and-the ). Anne-Laure's work on the whole inspires me to no end. Thank you for sharing this interview!
I have ASD and get along with ADHD types swimingly well (especially females). I have always considered ASD and ADHD "evolutions" not disorders. I view it as how humans should evolve forward (eg: eternally curious, growing human consciousness, aware, awake, focused). I soon realized the world was sick, not us. I did pose a curios mind expeiment to Grok AI though. I wondered if ASD may have been a carry-over from tribal times (I was asking about DNA). My own sensory issues (sentivity to patterned sounds, flickering lights, sudden movements) would all be an asset to hunters in trible times. In modern society, with its sensory overload, sensory overload is pure hell for me. In a forest, it can be pure bliss. I've often wondered if I'm a time traveler.
Hi Joseph and Charles! Researcher here. I’m aware of his work and cite him in my paper. I’m a neuroscientist so I’m looking at it from a slightly different angle. Also, a scientific theory is not designed to be practical, it’s designed to inform hypotheses and potential research directions. I hope that helps clarify.
Hi Anne-Laure! I wasn’t trying to criticize; I was only making an observation, and I agreed with the other person's post. I've only recently become aware of Hartmann’s theory, which seems to make some sense!
So glad you replied, I just now watched you and Jim in that interview from March. I plan to purchase your book! -cheers
No worries at all, I was just clarifying that I’m aware of Hartmann and his work and cite him in the paper since this wasn’t clear from the interview. Thank you - I hope you enjoy the book, and have a great week!
Very interesting... The attempt to reframe ADHD as a strength always seemed like cope to me, and my understanding of the research was that it was clear that it involved severe deficits in multiple life domains.
(For my MA thesis, I did a review on the history of scientific controversy around ADD/WO vs ADHD, and the status of SCT (sluggish cognitive tempo) as a potential symptom cluster or possibly a distinct disorder--last I heard, Barkeley believes the research suggests the latter...SCT is a separate, although not yet officially recognized disorder, albeit one that is comorbid with ADHD about 50% of the time, much like depression and anxiety are distinct but overlapping and very frequently co-occuring.))
The fact that you can have a genuine disability and also incidentally have strengths that can help you to compensate for it always made sense to me.
But this theory has the advantage of being falsifiable, and it rings true with my experience. Openness is my most extreme Big 5 score, and I've always been extremely curious. And it has been my "superpower"; I never did assigned readings but read difficult academic material for fun instead. And I finally put my ability to educate myself to use by becoming a self-taught programmer, by basically locking myself in a room for a year, going from having no career to speak of to being a senior dev in a few years.
And I've always felt...kind of out of time or something. Even though I've always been a bit of a loner, I do well in groups. The atomization of modern society always just felt wrong to me; I just felt in my bones that that's not how humans were meant to live. I can be very self-directed, but actually do well in hierarchy. I actually loved military boot camp. And I crave stimulation and challenge. I've always been into video games, but apparently unlike most, I actually want to (and do) do those kinds of things in real life: run, jump, climb, swim, parkour, explore, martial arts, archery... I've taken up ice plunges. I just need that kind of intensity to feel alive. (See the book, "What Doesn't Kill Us".) Modernity is killing us with comfort, and it just astounds me that so many people seem to be okay with that.
I am a researcher in this field (also neurodivergent), and I would recommend checking out the following, it was an eye-opener for me (discusses the Strength's Based Approach etc...): Fung, L. K. (Ed.). (2021). Neurodiversity: From phenomenology to neurobiology and enhancing technologies. American Psychiatric Pub.
Amen, captures my feeling. I had given up on finding a positive framing since I feel like ADHD limits my agency. But of course it was never that simple. Everything has pros and cons, and this is such a spiky thing, of course there could be significant benefits.
I completely relate to this. Thanks.
Thom Hartmann laid out that thesis very well in his book "ADHD: A hunter in a farmer's world". It was the first look at ADHD as an evolved adaptive trait that only becomes a "disability" when the environment changes.
Interesting - my Genetic Lifehacks analysis of my dna shows not only higher risk genes related to adhd (I’m auADD) - but I am also homozygous for the hunter gatherer gene and don’t have the farmer variant (CLTC1 gene rs1061325 - hunter gatherer less adapted to high carbohydrates)
Good comment, GS. I'm unfamiliar with those genetics patterns, but sure sounds interesting!
So interesting thank you! As someone with ADHD who is obsessed with concepts of evolutionary mismatch this really resonated!
i like that she acknowledges the hardships and focuses on the ‘why?’ rather than pathologizing.
Absolutely love this article. It’s such a refreshing take. I particularly appreciate the discussion of practical interventions to harness patients' strengths. This is exactly the kind of paradigm shift we need to embrace neurodiversity more fully! Have shared this article in my latest email.
Thank you Megan appreciate it!
This is a very believable thesis and one that perhaps corresponds to my particular life experience. I look forward to more detailed research on this relationship.
Wow, this just articulated my personal default cognitive operating procedure.
Hi Gurjot! I just posted kind of a strange piece, a real-time record of how my attention issues manifest while trying to read with ADHD. Not sure it’s the perfect format for Substack, but I’d love to hear your thoughts.
Thank you for this interview. It's a really interesting topic and a great find
Interesting. ADHD people I know have a tendency to "explore the perimeter" when they are in a new place.
fascinating! I used to do this as a child - walk around the perimeter of the school playing field running my hands along the chain link fence, looking at all the little nooks and crannies in the mud, or at the leaves on the trees, while all the other kids played in groups.
i always knew we were the witches they feared. 😏
So interesting and like all good research, inherently obvious. All ADHDer’s need to focus and read this.
The is is so interesting! As a hyper curious person with ADHD, it’s definitely true for me. I spend so much time trying to obtain information that it’s actually a distraction in itself.
I am SO thrilled to see this work being done. It's something that's been on my mind for a while (ADHD as gift instead of deficit. More on that if it's of interest ... https://thingsbegunandneverdone.substack.com/p/part-4-why-exercise-adhd-and-the ). Anne-Laure's work on the whole inspires me to no end. Thank you for sharing this interview!
Thanks so much! I’m excited to share more as we start collecting data.
I have ASD and get along with ADHD types swimingly well (especially females). I have always considered ASD and ADHD "evolutions" not disorders. I view it as how humans should evolve forward (eg: eternally curious, growing human consciousness, aware, awake, focused). I soon realized the world was sick, not us. I did pose a curios mind expeiment to Grok AI though. I wondered if ASD may have been a carry-over from tribal times (I was asking about DNA). My own sensory issues (sentivity to patterned sounds, flickering lights, sudden movements) would all be an asset to hunters in trible times. In modern society, with its sensory overload, sensory overload is pure hell for me. In a forest, it can be pure bliss. I've often wondered if I'm a time traveler.
Isn’t this just what Thom Hartmann has been saying for 30 years? Accept his version is more practical and less academic and stuffy.
My thoughts too while reading this. Perhaps the reasearcher wasn't aware of him and his work.
Hi Joseph and Charles! Researcher here. I’m aware of his work and cite him in my paper. I’m a neuroscientist so I’m looking at it from a slightly different angle. Also, a scientific theory is not designed to be practical, it’s designed to inform hypotheses and potential research directions. I hope that helps clarify.
Hi Anne-Laure! I wasn’t trying to criticize; I was only making an observation, and I agreed with the other person's post. I've only recently become aware of Hartmann’s theory, which seems to make some sense!
So glad you replied, I just now watched you and Jim in that interview from March. I plan to purchase your book! -cheers
Charles Q, Ukiah, CA
No worries at all, I was just clarifying that I’m aware of Hartmann and his work and cite him in the paper since this wasn’t clear from the interview. Thank you - I hope you enjoy the book, and have a great week!