“A lightbulb moment,” is how Natalie, an ADDitude reader in Pennsylvania, describes her experience of learning that hyperfocus often accompanies ADHD.“I used to think I couldn't possibly have ADHD because I could study for eight hours at a shot.
A deficit of attention was clearly not my problem,” she explains. Discovering that hyperfocus is no less common than inattention in people with ADHD was absolutely revelatory for her.“From there, everything just clicked into place,” she says. “It was like someone took a string, threaded it through all the things that, over my life, made me think, ‘What is wrong with me?’ and tied it up in a nice bow that is ADHD.”Because misconceptions and inaccurate stereotypes of ADHD abound, it often takes time to understand fundamental facts about the condition: that it waxes and wanes, but usually persists across a lifespan; that hormonal changes powerfully impact its severity; and that emotional dysregulation is a defining characteristic, for example.
Uncovering these facts can have a transformative impact on readers, often offering a sense of validation, liberation from shame, and profound self-understanding.So, we asked readers, “What’s one thing you learned about ADHD that has had a powerful impact on you?” Here’s what you told us.[Read: Setting the Record Straight About ADHD and Its Treatments]“I was surprised to find how profoundly it can affect a person in all areas of their lives.
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