Discover Your ADHD Superpowers: There Are Many Benefits Of ADHD
People with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and those around them may tend to only notice the negatives of the disorder. ADHD symptoms can cause a person to have difficulty focusing, make careless mistakes, not listen when others are speaking, fail to follow through on tasks, lose things, forget things, remain disorganized, interrupt, talk a lot, fidget, and have trouble patiently waiting.
The symptoms of ADHD often come with stigma and stereotypes, which reinforce the idea that the disorder is all negative. People may view those with ADHD as immature, inappropriate, and unwilling to try and fit in with others. Those who don't understand the disorder may also blame those who have it for not trying hard enough. In the case of children, others may blame the parents for the child's disorder. When people with ADHD internalize negative stigma about their disorder, it can majorly undermine their own ability to feel confident and as if they have agency to improve their lives. Focusing on the benefits of ADHD may help.
ADHD benefits a person's life in many ways, though the positive aspects of ADHD aren't usually discussed as often as the drawbacks are. Read on to learn about five ADHD superpowers and the numerous positive impacts of this disorder.
Creativity
The creativity of a person with ADHD can both prove beneficial and keep life interesting. Creativity is the positive aspect of ADHD that has been most widely researched, with multiple studies finding that people with the disorder are often creative.
- Divergent thinking: People with ADHD may engage in divergent thinking more often. Divergent thinking involves coming up with original ideas and different ways of viewing a situation. This is the reason people with ADHD often approach tasks differently. This type of thinking involves "thinking outside of the box" and can be useful for problem solving.
- Idea generation: Not only do people with ADHD tend to come up with different ideas than those without the disorder, they are also more likely to come up with more ideas. While people without ADHD may excel at carrying out ideas, those with ADHD may shine during the brainstorming process.
- Widened focus: This skill goes hand-in-hand with divergent thinking and idea generation. People with ADHD tend to look at the big picture, rather than only focus on specific details others tend to focus on. For this reason, they may make creative associations across different contexts that others wouldn't notice or make.
- Creative achievement: Some research suggests people with ADHD are more likely to succeed in creative careers and pursue self-employment. Those with the disorder may feel more comfortable working with greater independence and be more likely to pursue jobs and careers that fit their creative natures.
The tendency to be more creative has even been found in people with "subclinical" ADHD, meaning those who have some ADHD symptoms, but don't qualify as having the disorder.
Hyperfocus
Although people with ADHD are known for struggling to focus, that struggle usually only arises in situations that they find uninteresting. When someone with ADHD is interested in something, they may be able to focus on it even more than the average person. This ability is called hyperfocus.
When a person with ADHD hyperfocuses, they become completely absorbed in the task at hand to the point where they no longer notice anything else. While this state of intense concentration may irritate those trying to get their attention, it can be very useful when a person is trying to get a task done or do it well.
Hyperfocusing may help with anything from composing a song to writing computer code. Often, work done with hyperfocus turns out well, because a person's performance improves when they can focus at such a high level. Hyperfocusing can also lead to a major increase in productivity.
Perhaps surprisingly, the tendency to hyperfocus has been found to occur more commonly among people with more severe ADHD.
Courage
Adults with ADHD report that courage is a benefit of having the disorder. People with ADHD may feel like an outsider in both childhood and adulthood, since they think differently and may not always "fit in" with people who are neurotypical. They may also have to face stigma and prejudice from others who don't understand ADHD or judge them for it.
As a result, a person with ADHD often develops the courage to be a unique individual. They may grow to be more willing to speak up even when others disagree with them. They may also learn to value being authentic over adhering to social norms, since adhering to norms doesn't come as easily to them.
ADHD is also associated with thrill-seeking and risk-taking. While these tendencies can result in impulsive or regrettable behavior at times, they can also lead to courageous behavior. A person with ADHD may be more willing to stand up and do the right thing in a situation, even if it comes with risk or negative social consequences.
Energy
The upside of hyperactivity is having bouts of high energy. Adults with ADHD describe this energy as potentially immensely powerful. When a person can learn to channel their energy in healthy ways, they may find it helps fuel work or creative success at high levels.
An abundance of physical energy can also result in an adult with ADHD feeling or seeming perpetually youthful. They may have the energy and desire to engage in more sports or adventurous activities as they age compared to neurotypical peers.
Resilience
Both adults and children with ADHD may experience greater resilience. Resilience refers to the ability to adapt in the face of difficult circumstances. It also involves certain behaviors and skills, like being socially engaged and good at problem solving. Children with ADHD are likely to be just as resilient as their non-ADHD peers, while some are even more resilient than average.
Why people with ADHD may be more resilient is unknown, but it may stem from learning to cope with the disorder itself. Having ADHD can cause additional stress in a person's life and it can also result in being treated differently by others.
To develop resilience, a person with ADHD may have to adopt a more positive mental approach to life and practice constant self-awareness. With greater self-awareness as they learn to self-manage their ADHD tendencies, a person with disorder may grow even more self-aware than the average person, which can help them recognize how they need to react in order to cope with new stressors in everyday life.
When to seek help
Although ADHD comes with many benefits, it is still a disorder that requires management. Online therapy is one way in which a person with ADHD can receive help managing their disorder. The convenience of attending therapy online may be particularly useful to someone with ADHD, since they won't have to go through the struggle of trying to reach a different physical location on time. Online therapy can be attended from anywhere, as long as there's a digital connection. BetterHelp offers online therapy for people with ADHD.
A meta-analysis of six research studies found that online therapy can help people with an ADHD diagnosis with improvement in attention and social function. The study authors point out that online therapy may be especially useful for people with ADHD who cannot tolerate medications due to side effects. People with ADHD are also more likely to have other disorders, like anxiety and depression, which online therapy can also help with.
Takeaway
Although ADHD is a real disorder that requires management, it also comes with benefits. People with ADHD may experience more creativity, hyperfocus, courage, energy, and resilience as a result of their disorder. These skills can help them succeed in work, creative endeavors, and managing the downsides of ADHD. When those with ADHD need outside help, online therapy is an evidence-based approach available to them.
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