AD(H)D?

[Olivia]

So I know that INTPs are commonly (mis?)diagnosed with ADD. If you are an INTP, it's easy to understand why.

I'm an INTP, and I have been told (told informally; not diagnosed) with ADHD. Multiple times actually. Only once did someone directly ask if I had ADHD. All the other times were me asking my AD(H)D friends if they thought I possibly had it. They all, with one exception, agreed that I did. Also, "normal" people have laughed in agreement when I've brought it up in conversation.

Now, this all makes sense, except for the fact that it's usually ENTPs that are (mis?)diagnosed with ADHD, not INTPs, who are usually (mis?)diagnosed with ADD.

So basically, I'm asking if (a), there are any other hyperactive INTPs out there, and (b), what has your experience been with people telling you you have (or diagnosing you with) AD(H)D?

 

[Anktark]

I thought I have some kind of attention disorder, but it seems pretty ordinary for some types. Also, it seems to be a state of mind/mood- sometimes my mind wanders all throughout the universe, other times it goes into laser focus mode for eight consecutive hours.

If you have a higher than average preference for Ne, it's somewhat expected for your attention to wander.

As for third party comments, it might be that people have a hard time discerning between short attention span and inward attention (absentmindedness/airheadedness).

 

[Olivia]

As for third party comments, it might be that people have a hard time discerning between short attention span and inward attention (absentmindedness/airheadedness).

Yeah, I can see where that line would get fuzzy. I have inward attention, but I do have (inwardly and outwardly) a short attention span, except when I'm hyper-focusing. However, many of the people who said I had ADHD had listened to me describe my "symptoms" (I prefer not to call them symptoms, because in my mind, ADHD is not a disorder. I do consider it to be a very real thing, but I don't consider it a "disease", only a difference.) in depth, and most of the people I talked to had ADHD or ADD themselves. So yes, I do understand and agree with the fact that it is sometimes hard for third parties to determine the difference between short attention span and inward attention, but most of these people had more information to run on than simply the fact that I was "spaced out".

 

[Teffnology]

I have always had the constant shaky leg thing going on and always am fidgeting with something in my hands (ie my beard or a remote's battery cover, or picking petals off a flower, playing with a zipper pull tab, etc). So hyperactive yes.

I also get really racy thoughts and have 4-5 parallel ideas flowing through my brain at times. I tend to go off on rabbit trails both in speech and in writing. Never had a problem in school though, I would actually get bored with school because it came so easy to me.

As an adult I can see that i have tendencies of this condition but have given up hope of trying to use any form of standard diagnosis model (such as the DSM IV) to gauge my "diagnosis". I have been "diagnosed" as a lot of different yet parallel disorders. Formally diagnosed at one point or another, only to be replaced with another one at a different time: Clinical depression, Bipolar II depression, Social Anxiety, Agoraphobia, THC addict, early stage Alcoholic, General Addictive Personality Disorder, Pathological Dishonesty or a very mild form of Sociopathy as a coping mechanism for various behaviors. I could continue but I think you get the picture. I didn't even mention things I have self-diagnosed that I wouldn't dare have recorded in my medical history for fear of judgement and different treatment by whomever has access to such information.

The DSM is a tool I use to help identify common denominators for symptoms but to use it to "diagnose" someone is a ridiculous task that I would equate to a dog chasing a car, once it actually got to the car it wouldn't know what to do with it but damn does it sure love chasing that car (yes I stole that from a speech by the Joker in The Dark Knight). No offense to the psychological community as a whole but to treat it as an equal branch of medicine is foolish. Mental health is a very real issue but the standard western medical model should definitely not be blindly applied to psychology. Sorry for the rant.

 

[DrSketchpad]

When I was younger some people thought I had ADD. Really I was just bored with what I was supposed to pay attention to because whatever was going on in my head was far more interesting. As i'm sure will also be the general answer 'round these parts.

 

[Olivia]

I'm fidgety also. Or I have the urge to run around or ride a bike or tumble or whatever. One thing I have that it seems is not common among INTPs though: I'm easily distracted. Like if something is not right, or merely different (i.e., something in the wrong spot, something colourful in my peripheral vision, etc.), I can't concentrate on the task at hand. I probably have enough symptoms to get an actual ADHD diagnosis, but I agree that the DSM is pretty pointless. Someone with no disorders could have all of the symptoms of ADHD and not have any disorder. I heard that in some countries, they do have an actual medical test for ADHD, but in the US and Canada they pretend that there's no such thing because it would be too expensive to test everyone who thinks they have ADHD. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I learned that ADHD is a dopamine (or possibly some other chemical?) imbalance in the brain.

Also, I know several children and adults with ADHD, and none of them conform to the whiny, disobedient, stupid, insolent stereotype. And don't even get me started on the "oh look a squirrel" joke. That's terrible and completely inaccurate. In my experience, people with ADHD are actually quite intelligent, when something strikes their interest. When something interests them, they could tell you anything and everything about that topic.

Sorry for the rant.