29/06/2023
A Letter from Tom a Superhero with ADHD to all other Superhero’s with ADHD ❤️
“Dear other superheroes like me,
You may not know it, but you actually are a superhero with super powers. My letter to you will hopefully help you to understand yourself better and appreciate these powers that we have.
You may think fidgeting and forgetfulness are a disability but that's just a side effect of your powers. Your brain works differently, you solve problems people without our powers may not be able to solve. We are often secretive about our powers, many people can’t see the thoughts that we see or feel the way we feel. We have huge potential to problem solve in a way that “normal neurotypical people” can’t. I’m sure you’ll agree.
Something you might not know about is that back in the caveman days the superheroes used the same powers we have. They had a million thoughts going through their minds. They were watching and sensing everything and I mean everything. They used their super power to help keep everyone alive from danger like wild animal attacks.
I still show signs of this hypervigilance like the cavemen did when I experience the flight, fight or freeze my body. You may feel this way if you feel threatened, scared or worried. You could have an outburst (this is fight) or try to hide in the shell that is your body (this is freeze) or even just leave or run away (this is flight). We use these behaviours to keep ourselves safe; these are our version of spidey senses to keep us feeling safe.
The world can be cruel to us heroes because sometimes it feels like no one knows how we are feeling. It can make you feel anxious, disorganised and really tired worrying about stuff. It's ok to feel like this so you can take a break. Mental health days help me. They are really important for me to rest and recharge myself, they may help you too.
Your superpower senses telling you to think ahead, plan forward and think outside every shape in the universe as you normally would.
These senses have a little side effect of course, being fidgety, looking unfocused (but really you are super focused) and the worst side effect of them all feeling different to everyone around you.
No one will understand what and how you feel other than you, you are the only you of course. These so-called “normal people '' don't have a sparkle like us, we have the power of thinking differently and effectively. Be proud of who you are.
When we look distracted or off topic we are actually being very productive, it's one of our powers, one that teachers hate is our ability to fidget and pay attention . If your teacher gets onto you for your so called “lack of concentration '' tell them about your superpower they will hopefully understand.
If your teachers don’t understand your powers you can try to inform them more about it. Often they don’t know what it’s like so help them understand so they can be more patient with other superheroes like us.
I can imagine you don't want your powers to be used all the time as they can get a bit annoying while trying to focus; find your ways of managing. These are some ways I try to help to contain my powers, you could give them a go. Try chewing gum, taking a break or using a fidget toy. Try lots of different ones because some are better than others for you. Listening to music when you are doing your schoolwork really can help keep you calm and focused, it works for me.
Try different ways to help control your superpower so it stays a power and doesn’t become a pain to you. Like I said, you are the only you, what works best for you may not work as well for the other heroes.
Sometimes your powers may come out to play and become a nuisance but that's why we should try and find ways to hide them until it's time to shine and show the world. I want you all to know you're not alone with your side effects but we can all overcome them with a little testing of strategies. Find out what's the most effective thing for you and let's hope it's not too annoying for the people around you.
There is actually a way to prevent some of these side effects and it comes in the form of a little pill. This should help but make sure you remember to take it and take the amount that is prescribed to you otherwise things will be shaky for you. It can be like a life jacket supporting your superpower.
My favourite power is hyperfocus. It helps me be really focused on what I’m doing without being distracted. The downside is that it can come on at any time and you don’t know if it's going to be helpful or not. You can get hyper fixated onto anything if it's during an assessment that's very dangerous. You could write an amazing answer but it could be totally about the wrong thing.
For example You could be in a history exam and you get hyper focused on geography and write an excellent answer for geography but it's not achieved for history. If you get this hyperfocus about the wrong thing, take a minute to go outside and have some fresh air (you can just say you need the toilet or you need a drink). I wonder what your favourite superpower is?
Use the powers you were given, don't let them drag you down, but do not use them as an excuse for everything. People may make fun of you for being different, that's because they don’t know you’ve got a power that they wish they had. The powers you hold are yours so own it and don’t be afraid. Don’t try to be someone else because you haven’t mastered your powers yet because you are the only you. You’ll get there with some practice.
ADHD is my superpower. Attention Deficit Hyper Disorder is amazing. I wear my superpower with pride and passion, I hope you do too.
Take care, be proud my ADHD friends, the World needs your powers . ADHD is my superpower for life.”
