Welcome to the ADD Netherlands Foundation
Foundation
for the predominantly inattentive type - Attention Deficit
Disorder
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No
more hiding in the tall grass
Journalist
/ columnist: Robert Boerleider
December 15 2009 for www.sadd.nl
What
you cant see is not there! That is the public opinion
in general when the decision has to be made if the person
in question is exaggerating or actually has something
going on that makes him different. As long as there
is visually nothing wrong, it is all probably of no
impotance. When a person is blind, in a wheelchair or
missing a limb, nobody doubts his disability.
No
matter what color, religion or garments, we all look
alike. For most people it is hard to accept that some
of us are different on the inside. ADHD for example;
They managed to get so much attention that they have
become public amusement. Children that are overactive
quickly get the characteristic imprint. "Oh dear,
there you have another one!" Do you think it is
ADHD?
Many
people may never have heard of the stephbrother of ADHD.
Please let me introduce you to ADD. No you got it all
wrong, it is called ADHD. Take a deep breath and let
me tell you something about ADD. There is more to it
then you might think. .
The
centralprocessingunit of a human being is known as "the
brain". Continuous tuning knobs of our behaviour
that permanently have to organise the informational
currents that are entering your mind.
As
a normal human being (if they even exist have you ever
met one en did you like it? you're not aware of the
sequence of processes that are working in the brain.
The human body is in fact a chemical factory, where
processes are activated by different chemicals. You
can imagine that a small disorder in a much needed chemical
in the brain has a great impact on that person.
okay,
so with ADD people things are just a bit different.
Because of a dopamine shortage, a very important chemical
that helps sending information between neurons, in particular
in parts of the brain that are needed for paying attention,
organising and developing activity. For ADDers it is
difficult to create order in chaos. You're curious about
everything and a creative centipede. You cant stop him
if he made up his mind about taking on another creative
project. But after a while there is no longer head or
tale on the task and it never gets finished. It is hard
to focus on just one thing. This causes daily barriers.
Because
of the chemical disorder is the brain, the ADD person
becomes inbalanced en finds him self in situations that
take up a lot of energy. The gap between starting off
a task fully motivated and the unfinished task in the
end has to be bridged.
A
dayplanner or things to do list is normal to most people
and creates order in your day to get the things done
that are necessary. People with ADD call themselves
ADDers, for them it is normal to have trouble managing
a schedule. It is a daily battle.
In
the end, another person with ADD shows his head above
the tall grass.
ADD
means Attention Deficit Disorder.
ADD, the stephbrother
of ADHD, is asking for some of your your attention.
Robert
Boerleider - Weblog
Robert Boerleider
Manon Leunk - Stichting ADD Nederland.
References: www.SADD.nl
Translation: Karin Windt 2009
