Train(s) of thought:

“I don’t have a train of thought, I have seven trains on 4 tracks that narrowly avoid each other when the paths cross and all the conductors are screaming.” – Author Unknown

Is this you? It’s a good description of the ADD / ADHD brain. And it’s my brain.

The facts

ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) and ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder) is a neurodevelopmental disorder. As a learning disability, it affects brain development, structure, and function. Symptoms include sensitivities to light and sound, maladaptive daydreaming, not reading social cues, fidgeting and restlessness, not being able to do anything for no apparent reason, depression and impulsivity.

“Not being able to do anything for no apparent reason.” That says a lot. And yes, those with ADD/ADHD are considered neurospicy. For the sake of clarification, there are definable symptoms. A person with ADD must have at least six of these nine symptoms:

• Not paying attention to detail
• Making careless mistakes
• Failing to pay attention and keep on task
• Not listening
• Being unable to follow or understand instructions
• Avoiding tasks that involve effort
• Being distracted
• Being forgetful
• Losing things that are needed to complete tasks

For ADHD, a person has to have at least six of these nine symptoms, and very few of the symptoms of inattentive type (the list is geared for kids, but they apply to adults):

• Fidgeting
• Squirming
• Getting up often when seated
• Running or climbing at inappropriate times
• Having trouble playing or working quietly
• Talking too much
• Talking out of turn or blurting out
• Interrupting
• Often “on the go” as if “driven by a motor”

My challenges

I struggled as a kid, but elementary schools in the 60s labeled girls like me a chatterbox or daydreamer. I was more interested in what everyone else doing to than what I needed to do. I was alternately too quiet or disruptive and loud. The teacher’s verbal instructions often left me lost in the weeds. I learned to shut up and sit down.

In high school, being weird or awkward was difficult. I often pushed myself into situations where I didn’t belong. I misread social cues. I felt like an outsider, not understanding jokes or the subtleties of conversation. Fortunately my artistic abilities gave me a constructive outlet. Somehow I managed to make the merit roll and earned a scholarship for art school.

Diagnosis

But it wasn’t until my kids were in school that a psychologist diagnosed me with adult ADD/ADHD. So many things now made sense. I also got a clearer understanding of my father’s behavior–I used to joke that my dad never sat still for more than five minutes. I get it now. Yet his motivation and creative drive helped him become a successful businessman.

As adults, we learn to compensate. I make notes and lists. I set alarms. I learned stop myself from interrupting people or finishing their sentences. My mind still drifts when others are talking to me. Now, instead of trying to fill in the gaps, I simply apologize and ask them to please repeat. If I start a story and forget my point, I admit that I lost it and laugh. My husband knows to get my attention before telling me anything important, and tries his best to get to the point, although he often says “To make a long story short,” and then continues with his long story anyway! Yeah, he’s a little ADD, too.

ADHD / ADD and writing

Lately I began taking medication again. I had stopped about 10 or 15 years ago for a number of reasons, one of them being the rigmarole involved in getting a “controlled substance” prescription filled on a monthly basis. Several months ago, I complained to my husband that I felt like tearing my hair out while editing my manuscript, not to mention how long it had taken me to get serious about it. Everything seemed overwhelming.

He reminded me that I took medication when I wrote and edited my first novel. “Why don’t you try it again?” he said. So I talked to my general practitioner and got a prescription.

The biggest drawback with ADD / ADHD: your ability to concentrate doesn’t always depend on how motivated you are. You can really, really want to accomplish something, but the ability to focus simply may not be available to you. For this reason, medication has made a big difference for me. When evaluating my current manuscript, I was able to see the whole big picture. I could pull all the different threads together. I could actually concentrate when I need to. And I finished it! Yay me.

The oddest thing is the feeling as if I’ve been given an extra hour to the day. I’m back to writing blog posts regularly.

I’m not advocating for medication. Different strategies and compensations work for different people.

It helps to know your strengths

In a 2018 qualitative investigation, researchers found certain attributes of ADHD are beneficial:

• hyper-focus
• divergent thinking
• adventurousness
• self-acceptance
• nonconformity
• sublimation (a psychological defense mechanism that may help reduce anxiety)

Ways of coping with ADD/ADHD include:

• Prioritizing organization to make the spaces you spend time in as efficient as possible.
• Eliminating clutter to reduce distraction.
• Create a routine with checklists and routines.
• Using planning tools. 
• Lists can help with everything from daily chores to business prep.
• Small goals may be easier to accomplish in short amounts of time.

Writers might benefit from a writing technique called sprints, where you set a timer for anywhere to 3 minutes to a half-hour, and free write. Sprints bring the focus back to writing while eliminating fears of whether or not your writing is good. This encourages you to write more. The more you write, the better of a writer you’ll become. It’s a constructive way to optimize your writing time.

For my fellow writers with ADD/ADHD, what works for you?

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Thank you for visiting.

Linda K. Sienkiewicz is a writer, poet, and artist:
Multi-finalist award winning novel In the Context of Love
Picture book Gordy and the Ghost Crab
Latest poetry chapbook: Sleepwalker
BUY BOOKS: In the Context of Love | Gordy and the Ghost Crab | Sleepwalker

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