Saturday, September 27, 2008
ADHD is not an excuse for bad behavior
ADHD is not an excuse for being a jerk. If you have been a jerk before being diagnosed with ADHD you likely will be just as big of jerk after. ADHD medication will not give you a re-birth or make you into a more likable character. It may help you become a healthier more balanced person and allow you the proper focus to develop self awareness which in turn may help you learn to no be such a jerk but you are still who you are at your core. Your desire to progress and grow as a person and your willingness to use the ability to focus to pay attention to critical things in your life is the key to success. ADHD medication may make you a better x box player, or better at chatting on the web. What you choose to focus on will be up to you. Choosing to focus on the right things and to build character still come from self discipline. Ritalin will not give you self discipline or integrity so use the ability to focus to learn to focus on the right things.
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Chris, I agree that medication cannot change interpersonal behaviors. However, I offer caution when talking about behaviors such as those of being a jerk. Being a jerk is a judgment statement often attributed by people who do not understand the context of the social interaction or felt the social interaction violated norms. A lot of people who suffer from ADHD/ADD are unable to read social cues effectively. A troubling aspect of late diagnoses of ADHD is that the majority of social development has long since passed thus putting the ADHD person at a significant disadvantage in social situations. Ergo labels. However, once diagnoses is obtained, it enables the person with ADHD/ADD to put social interactions into context upon which it would be incumbent upon the individual to seek out support to unlearn and to learn new behaviors and social cues. Therapy such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is one such protocol.
ReplyDeleteI myself was diagnosed with ADHD late (early 30s) which has led to a number of jobs and interpersonal communication issues. I still struggle with them and prefer to be by myself as I draw energy from the tranquility as opposed to a room full of people. My interpersonal skills are dismal to say the least. However, I continue to work on them as soon as I understand that some particular behavior has offended someone. The encouraging word is that there is hope for those who truly seek it.