Do you know renowned people like Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps and singer Adam Levine achieved success in their lives with a diagnosis of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)? As far as I’ve seen from my practice, getting diagnosed with ADHD can be both liberating and intimidating. It is liberating because now the person knows the reason behind his behavior. Yet it can be intimidating because now it has become a disorder that must be treated. The reason for this could be that ADHD is mostly approached from a deficit-oriented view. But what if we focus on the opposite—the benefits of an ADHD diagnosis—when trying to manage it? 

A short note on what ADHD is:

According to a study published in 2021 ^[1], symptomatic adult ADHD is prevalent among 6.76% of the global population. The prevalence of adult ADHD persistent from childhood is 2.5%.  However, most adult cases of ADHD remain undiagnosed because of the stigma and lack of awareness. 

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM-5) has standardized criteria to diagnose adult ADHD. Based on the DSM-5, ADHD is classified into three types ^[2]:

Predominantly inattentive type, which includes features like lacking attention to detail, inability to focus for long hours, being distracted easily, poor listening, forgetfulness, and poor organizational skills.

Predominantly hyperactive type includes features like constant fidgeting, interrupting people while they talk, not being able to remain seated for long, blurting out answers, not being able to wait for their turn, and feeling restless.

The combined type includes symptoms from both the inattentive and hyperactive types.

The current line of treatment involves non-medical approaches like cognitive behavioral therapy and psychoeducation and medical approaches using stimulants like methylphenidate and amphetamine. 

Are there any benefits of an ADHD diagnosis?

People with ADHD can be gifted in ways that a non-ADHD person doesn’t have. It is important to highlight these gifts to make their lives manageable and worthwhile. Research ^{[3, 4]} shows an ability-oriented approach that focuses on harnessing the benefits of ADHD can improve the quality of life of a person with ADHD. So, what are the benefits of having an ADHD diagnosis?

Hyperfocus:

The most common misconception about people with ADHD is that they have a short attention span. While they can be easily distracted, once they become engrossed in something that interests them, they can experience hyperfocus—an intense concentration on the task at hand. Unlike typical attention, which can be diverted, hyperfocus is difficult to interrupt.

One 23-year-old woman participant from the 2023 Norway study ^[4] stated that hyperfocusing served as a compensatory strategy. The hyper-focusing trait of her ADHD helped her throughout her exam periods.

Hyperfocus can be a significant asset in fields requiring creativity, research, and development, where prolonged engagement and deep concentration are essential. But there is also a downside to it. ADHDers can get caught up in one thing, thereby neglecting the other essential parts of their lives like family and self-care. With the right guidance, they can be taught how to harness this strength in a balanced way and achieve success while not falling into its drawbacks.

Creativity

Many people know Will.i.am as a great music performer and producer who has won Grammy awards eight times. But many don’t know that he is also an innovator who has designed smartwatches and other camera accessories for the iPhone and has also started a foundation for educating children with low resources.

Will.i.am attributes this quality of developing multiple creative ideas to his ADHD. ^[5]

ADHDers have an unconventional creative mind that lets them think outside the box, have multiple new ideas, and come up with creative solutions for problems. Though this trait can make them look like they are not fitting in with the norms, it can be put to good use by setting up the right learning or working space. Their non-linear way of thinking can be a superpower if used wisely.

High energy

ADHDers can be hyperactive. The better perspective to look at this “deficit” is that they have high amounts of energy to do the work they need or love to do. With this view, they can learn to channel their high energy levels towards meaningful goals, like Michael Phelps.

Michael Phelps, the well-known Olympic swimmer who won five golds and one silver, opened up about his ADHD traits. He took part in multiple sports activities to channel his high energy in a better way. Through his trial-and-error practice, he found that swimming was the one he needed to hyperfocus on. He spent all his high energy in practicing the swimming techniques. ^[6]

All participants in an NHS study from London ^[7] described their high energy as a potential benefit if they knew to harness it in the right way. Besides physical work like sports, etc., this quality can also be useful in entrepreneurship.

Spontaneity

The impulsivity in ADHD can be seen as spontaneity. Most ADHDers act out impulsively without thinking. It is not as simple as that. People with ADHD have cognitive dynamism, where they get spontaneous and non-sequential thoughts, flashes of images, and ideas. Their impulsive nature is to act upon or blurt out these thoughts. 

But, like other benefits of ADHD, this can be channeled effectively, as actor Ryan Gosling did. Ryan Gosling says that his constant urge to jump out of his skin makes him a better actor by giving him more energy and letting him be spontaneous with his roles.  ^[8]

Another woman participant from the 2023 Norway study ^[4] mentioned that her spontaneity has given her memorable experiences and new friendships. 

ADHDers can embrace their spontaneous natures while setting personal rules and boundaries to prevent themselves from getting out of control.

Resilience

People with ADHD have an innate nature of resilience that makes them stronger than before. The best example is David Neeleman, the founder of JetBlue Airlines. ^[9] 

David, who is diagnosed with ADHD, massively failed two times before finding JetBlue Airlines. Through JetBlue Airlines, he revolutionized the industry, providing better amenities and budget-friendly prices for travelers.  This venture ended when he was replaced from his position as CEO after 8 years of starting the company. A year later, he founded Azul Airlines, which became the country's third-largest airline—even bigger than JetBlue.

David attributes his ability to pick himself up, dust himself off, learn, and try again after each setback to his ADHD.

This resilience of ADHDers is due to their constant exposure to failures when growing up, which in turn causes them to repeatedly course-correct and find a way to show up and survive the “normal” world. This resilience led them to better understand themselves and gave them acceptance of their differences. 

Able to multitask: 

Though there is no research on this, Dale Archer, a clinical psychiatrist, in his book, The ADHD Advantage, quotes from his experience that ADHDers love multitasking. ^[9]

Facing new situations and doing many things at once can be stressful for non-ADHDers. But Dr. Dale says that it can be meditative for ADHDers.

He has given examples of many people with ADHD who thrive on multitasking. One of them is Kelly Dooley, who is the founder and CEO of a $10 million fashion sportswear business with a following of celebrities like Kim Kardashian and does most of the major work by herself from her apartment. She says how her ADHD has helped her manage the various tasks. 

However, while multitasking, they have to be self-aware and try to maintain balance. 

Curious, courageous, and cool in crisis:

People with ADHD are explorative. This quality gives them the curiosity and courage to seek new experiences. They are not afraid to undertake new ventures. This nature makes them good learners. 

Also, Dr. Dale quotes in his book ^[9] that these people can be cool and calm in the face of a crisis. Any sense of urgency or a deadline approaching can give ADHDers the stimulation they crave. The explanation for this behavior and the multitasking trait is that the surge in adrenaline and dopamine feeds their brain's reward system well enough. This is why they procrastinate. What other people may find stressful and frustrating makes ADHDers calm and productive. But of course, they need to balance this act by leveraging their procrastinating behavior wisely and having a controlled situation at work. 

Humanity

ADHDers have more self-acceptance and social intelligence [9]. They can understand themselves, show empathy towards others, and also connect well with others. They are non-judgmental of others.

This can be due to their own experience of being seen differently or stigmatized. They can genuinely relate to the feelings of others who are disabled in some way. 

Mebound Times approached Dr. Shafana Hyroon, a psychiatrist, to learn about the clinical possibility of this strength-focused approach for managing people with ADHD.