Success Stories
Michael Phelps: "When Michael Phelps was in the sixth grade, he was fidgety and had trouble paying attention in the classroom. His pediatrician diagnosed him with ADHD and prescribed Ritalin. Michael took the medication for several years, and it seemed to help. At age 13, however, he decided that he was using the drug as a crutch, even though it did help make him less "jumpy" at school. He thought that if he applied his mind to controlling his behavior and focusing, he could help himself without taking pills. As he recalls in his autobiography No Limits, Phelps felt humiliated in front of his friends when the school nurse came to find him in class to remind him to take his Ritalin." Read more on Psychology Today...
Stephen Tonti is a director, and a writer, an actor, drummer, scuba diver, soccer player, camera operator, airbrush artist....and MORE! Stephen believes that ADHD is not a disorder, but a a difference in cognition. Check out his TedTalk to learn about his successful and inspirational story! |
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The Benefits of adhd as told by Healthline
ADHD is often seen as disorder that holds people back from their full potential. However, there are many "upsides" to ADHD that people over look. With the proper nurturing and guidance, people with ADHD can take advantage of traits of the disorder that can help them lead a productive and fulfilling life.
Leadership. Many adults with ADHD find that doing things on their own way works best. Many people with ADHD find that problem solving and changing environments suit them, and they are drawn to professions that offer a challenge and a quick change of pace. While this may be a hurdle for children in the classroom, it can be the mark of a future leader.
Many leaders throughout history have displayed traits of ADHD or similar learning disorders, including:
Athletic Ability/Athletics- be it participating or coaching—can be a good fit for people with ADHD. After all, they’ve already drastically changed the world of sports. You know who has ADHD? Michael Phelps. A teacher told him at an early age that he wasn’t gifted and would never be able to focus on anything. Now, he’s the most decorated Olympian of all time. Phelps wasn’t the only person with ADHD to take home medals at the summer Olympics in London. Runner Justin Gatlin won a bronze in the 100m sprint. He’s won enough medals and trophies to be called “the world’s fastest man.” The fact that some of Babe Ruth’s descendants have ADHD makes some believe the legendary slugger had it himself. That might explain his extravagant lifestyle and the way he either hit it out of the park or hit nothing but air. Even Michael “His Airness” Jordan may have ADHD. If you don’t remember the ‘90s, the Bulls legacy, or the original Olympic Dream Team, his six NBA championship rings should help get the point across.
Other famous athletes with ADHD include:
Creativity. People with ADHD are often seen as scatter-brained because they have trouble focusing on a particular subject. They’re busy daydreaming while everyone else tries to memorize the state capitols. If you want to see how people with ADHD have affected the world, look at airplanes, cars, or any other form of transportation. People believed to have had ADHD, such as Henry Ford—father of the automotive assembly line—have made amazing advancements in business, technology, science, and art. Besides Michael Phelps, another youngster was told he wouldn't amount to much because he couldn't focus on his studies. This German-born boy began astounding the public with his skills in math and physics as early as age 16. That child was Albert Einstein. Einstein was a self-professed daydreamer. Rather than giving in and thinking the way people told him he should, he kept imagining. “When I examine myself and my methods of thought, I come to the conclusion that the gift of fantasy has meant more to me than my talent for absorbing positive knowledge,” he once said.
Hyperfocus. Einstein, Jordan, and many other greats with ADHD demonstrate a trait known as hyperfocus. This is when you concentrate intensely on a given subject, and your thought process moves away from objective reality and into the realm of subjective ideas. This can help you apply imagination to the task at hand. Basically, you ask yourself, “What if…” and your brainjust keeps going.
David Neeleman, CEO of JetBlue, used his ADHD to his advantage. “One of the weird things about the type of ADHD I have is, if you have something you are really, really passionate about, then you are really, really good about focusing on that thing,” he told MSNBC.
Einstein changed the way we see energy and time. Vince Lombardi changed the way we view victory and defeat. Bill Gates helped revolutionize technology and communication. Inventors, including Benjamin Franklin, the Wright Brothers, and Alexander Graham Bell, helped take mankind into the skies. Sir Isaac Newton was so hyperfocused on learning about gravity, physics, and other fundamental laws that he invented calculus to help him figure them out. Not bad for a guy who upset his mother by not wanting to become a farmer. When they apply themselves to something that interests them, people with ADHD can substantially improve the world around them. This doesn’t mean that ADHD gives you superpowers, but it does illustrate—especially in the case of artists Vincent Van Gogh, Salvador Dali, and Pablo Picasso—that there are seemingly endless ways to make ADHD work.
Leadership. Many adults with ADHD find that doing things on their own way works best. Many people with ADHD find that problem solving and changing environments suit them, and they are drawn to professions that offer a challenge and a quick change of pace. While this may be a hurdle for children in the classroom, it can be the mark of a future leader.
Many leaders throughout history have displayed traits of ADHD or similar learning disorders, including:
- U.S. Presidents Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, Dwight D. Eisenhower, George W. Bush, and George H. W. Bush
- General George Patton, World War II leader
- Christopher Columbus
- William Randolph Hearst, media tycoon
- Walt Disney
- Vince Lombardi, famed Green Bay Packers coach
- Henry Ford, industrialist and founder of Ford Motor Company
- F.W. Woolworth, founder of the Woolworth five-and-dime stores
- Bill Gates, co-founder of Microsoft
Athletic Ability/Athletics- be it participating or coaching—can be a good fit for people with ADHD. After all, they’ve already drastically changed the world of sports. You know who has ADHD? Michael Phelps. A teacher told him at an early age that he wasn’t gifted and would never be able to focus on anything. Now, he’s the most decorated Olympian of all time. Phelps wasn’t the only person with ADHD to take home medals at the summer Olympics in London. Runner Justin Gatlin won a bronze in the 100m sprint. He’s won enough medals and trophies to be called “the world’s fastest man.” The fact that some of Babe Ruth’s descendants have ADHD makes some believe the legendary slugger had it himself. That might explain his extravagant lifestyle and the way he either hit it out of the park or hit nothing but air. Even Michael “His Airness” Jordan may have ADHD. If you don’t remember the ‘90s, the Bulls legacy, or the original Olympic Dream Team, his six NBA championship rings should help get the point across.
Other famous athletes with ADHD include:
- Terry Bradshaw, NFL Hall of Fame quarterback and TV commentator
- Pete Rose, 1975 World Series Most Valuable Player
- Chris Kaman, center for the Dallas Mavericks
Creativity. People with ADHD are often seen as scatter-brained because they have trouble focusing on a particular subject. They’re busy daydreaming while everyone else tries to memorize the state capitols. If you want to see how people with ADHD have affected the world, look at airplanes, cars, or any other form of transportation. People believed to have had ADHD, such as Henry Ford—father of the automotive assembly line—have made amazing advancements in business, technology, science, and art. Besides Michael Phelps, another youngster was told he wouldn't amount to much because he couldn't focus on his studies. This German-born boy began astounding the public with his skills in math and physics as early as age 16. That child was Albert Einstein. Einstein was a self-professed daydreamer. Rather than giving in and thinking the way people told him he should, he kept imagining. “When I examine myself and my methods of thought, I come to the conclusion that the gift of fantasy has meant more to me than my talent for absorbing positive knowledge,” he once said.
Hyperfocus. Einstein, Jordan, and many other greats with ADHD demonstrate a trait known as hyperfocus. This is when you concentrate intensely on a given subject, and your thought process moves away from objective reality and into the realm of subjective ideas. This can help you apply imagination to the task at hand. Basically, you ask yourself, “What if…” and your brainjust keeps going.
David Neeleman, CEO of JetBlue, used his ADHD to his advantage. “One of the weird things about the type of ADHD I have is, if you have something you are really, really passionate about, then you are really, really good about focusing on that thing,” he told MSNBC.
Einstein changed the way we see energy and time. Vince Lombardi changed the way we view victory and defeat. Bill Gates helped revolutionize technology and communication. Inventors, including Benjamin Franklin, the Wright Brothers, and Alexander Graham Bell, helped take mankind into the skies. Sir Isaac Newton was so hyperfocused on learning about gravity, physics, and other fundamental laws that he invented calculus to help him figure them out. Not bad for a guy who upset his mother by not wanting to become a farmer. When they apply themselves to something that interests them, people with ADHD can substantially improve the world around them. This doesn’t mean that ADHD gives you superpowers, but it does illustrate—especially in the case of artists Vincent Van Gogh, Salvador Dali, and Pablo Picasso—that there are seemingly endless ways to make ADHD work.
Source: Krans, B. (2012, October). The benefits of ADHD. Retrieved from Healthline: http://www.healthline.com/health/adhd/benefits-of-adhd#3