The number six symptom in Hallowell and Ratey's Diagnostic Criteria for Attention Deficit Disorder in Adults is a need for high stimulation. 6. A frequent search for high stimulation. The Adult with ADD is always on the lookout for something novel, something engaging, something in the outside world that can catch up with the whirlwind that's rushing inside. My mother tells of a story where my late brother, Ryan, created a new sport one day. It involved BMX bikes and trampolines. Now, one thing you have to understand about Utah is that a family is not a real family unless there is a trampoline in their backyard. It is that important. When a neighbor moved away and left their trampoline behind, my children could finally hold their heads up high in school even though the trampoline wasn't large enough to bounce two hyperactive chinchillas on. You would think with access to a full olympic sized trampoline my brother and his friend would have been content. B...
WARNING: This column contains sarcasm, humor, and a bit of wit. Just a bit. Being launched into the temporary spotlight of Blogger's Blogs of Note has been a fun ride and a great way to end the first year of this column. I have had my words read by thousands of people and I have met others who, like me, laugh a bit at our ADD selves as we bumble about through life. I'm not alone after all, and that is a wonderful feeling. I've also been introduced to various viewpoints which have given me reason to look at old problems in a new light. Unfortunately, a very vociferous minority disagrees with me. I don't take issue with their opposite viewpoint. I just don't think much of their debating tactics. Mostly they've "cleverly" quoted my words back at me, or misquoted them back at me as is usually the case. Sometimes, though, they tell me what I "really" mean. In fact, this minority doesn't really read my words as much as try to read m...