Tag Archives: ADHD

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March 7, 2016

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Just Saying...

5 Things You May Not Know About Me

Let’s get to know each other a little better, shall we?!

5 Things You May Not Know About Me

1. I have ADHD.
It may not be super surprising, and yes, I’ve made this public before. Technically, it used to be called “ADD” and I have a LOT of thoughts about what it is, what it should be considered, how to leverage the raw energy of it, etc. I’m planning a post on this later. Suffice to say, it isn’t and shouldn’t be considered a big deal. If you take a look at any kiddo under the age of 3, they all seem to be have “ADD.” Why? Because they are LEARNING! In fact, all that fidgeting “ADHD kids” get in trouble for… it’s actually part of their learning experience. Movement. After all, movement is the first learning experience for babies. #JustSaying

2. I am fairly musical & have perfect pitch.
So, I started learning how to play the piano around age 4’ish? I don’t remember exactly. All I know was that I started playing Mozart stuff at an early age. I was under formal music tutelage until my junior year in high school. By then, I had my hand at the cello, trumpet, drums, percussion, guitar, bass guitar, and some other random things. All the stuff I needed to have go at being a 1-man-band. Well, I found out later in my musical experience that I have something called Perfect Pitch. I guess there are several versions of it and I never knew until I yelled at my sister during a practice duet for constantly missing a super obvious note that should go with the notes I was playing. It was obvious, wasn’t it? Apparently, it wasn’t. After a 30 minute argument, my parents finally figured out I had perfect pitch. They tested me, LOL. They actually had me identify notes they were playing while I closed my eyes to the piano. I got every single one. From then, playing music became a different deal all together. Good times.

3. I love surf fishing!
Despite how active I may seem from the past of surfing and current studies in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, I love the peace of fishing. It’s been a very long time since I’ve gone surf fishing — I definitely miss it. I miss the entire process; gathering bait early in the morning, finding a really good spot at night. Or, using left over bait and hunting down a shore with croaker holes and choice areas where fish are gathering for runs. It’s just a really nice way of letting everything unwind; to enjoy the simplicity of being in the water for a single purpose — the experience. If I catch stuff, great! If not, I’ve really enjoyed myself. I usually use light line. Eventually, I’ll spend the money to try my hand at fly fishing the surf. It’s a Southern California thing, apparently… haha. One day 😉

4. I used to stutter.
I was a terrible speaker growing up. In fact, at age 8 or 9, I would send my little sitter up to order from McDonalds and what not — all because I couldn’t finish an order without stuttering myself into complete humiliation. I think it was a combination of my ADD brain going too fast for my body to keep up with — along with the fact that I just lacked the practice. I had absolutely terrifying fears of public speaking throughout elementary and secondary school years. Somewhere in college, I started getting comfortable. It was only toward the end of grad-school round#1 (the DPT) that I began to gather myself as a speaker. Funny enough, I am now considered a fairly decent speaker, having been invited several times to speak at the level of national platforms on health and exercise. #Irony

5. In high school, I was a failure at English.
My least favorite subject in school was always English. I hated reading and writing growing up.

Ironically, I now write for a living!

The thing of it was, I always got bad grades, always disagreed with the teachers on why my grades weren’t good, and basically hated the entire subjectiveness of reading & writing. I hated that I could write up a perfect essay with excellent points, all based on logic. However, the teacher could simply disagree with my points and my would be A grade would turn into a C. Somewhere in the mix, I finally figured out that writing for a teacher is very different than writing for an audience. A teacher has their own agenda. However, an audience wants content they can relate to, connect with, and invest their emotions in. Writing is about turning letters on a page into a timeless experience.

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January 25, 2016

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Child Development, Just Saying...

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

Yes. I have ADHD.

I was diagnosed. I was put on meds. I took myself off of them. And, I started developing strategies to not just compensate — but, to channel the energy and thrive.

ADD/ADHD is not a disability. In fact, I feel like it is a super-ability! Here’s the thing, for years now, I’ve been a highly read columnist in Asian circles under a secret pen-name… ooooooooooo — the secrecy of it all!

Haha 🙂 At first, it was for privacy. Also, there were some cultural concerns. Nevertheless, this week, I just have some thoughts to share. It’s pretty personal. It’s definitely me being vulnerable. You may or may not agree. And, you know what? It’s okay. It’s just me sharing. But, I think that I have a fairly unique perspective on the matter. So, I hope you find value in it, and, will share it with people who may be struggling.

Ultimately, the lesson should be this: Parenting is not about what our children should be. Parenting is about who are children are; that we bring out the best versions of them. In some of these early stages where it is tough to know why kiddos are behaving certain ways, I think it’s important for us adults to remember that kids are ridiculously intelligent. They are far smarter than they let on to be. However, just because they produce the right behavior response does not mean they understand the depth behind it.

Some of this can easily cause parents to think children are intentionally misbehaving, being disobedient, disrespectful, etc. However, some of it may just be kiddos trying to figure out a consistent and acceptable pattern of social interaction.

Think about high school language classes. Hordes of students can say various things in foreign languages. But, do they really appreciate the deeper social and interpersonal meanings? Probably not. They just know how to spout out the right answer.’

I guess all this to say, I’m sharing my ADD/ADHD experience for two reasons:

  1. To share that it is but a continuum of the norm. It shouldn’t be seen as anything but that. It certainly isn’t a disability. And, it certainly should NOT be seen as an excuse. It’s just a different way your body and brain processes life. So, get used to it. Leverage it. And, move on.
  2. To share that if even a weirdo like me can “conquer” ADD, so can you.