AD/HD in the workplace

I got introduced to AD/HD in a very roundabout way. This seems to be quite common in family situations I’m told. AD/HD reared its ugly head in the workplace and drastically affected two very close members of my family. Neither of them stayed in the job situation, neither of them worked it out. Neither of them was aware of AD/HD. One was trying to battle it out in her own AD/HD way. The other just threw her hands up and quit.

By this time, I had become quite knowledgeable about AD/HD. I tried to use reason. At work it's not a democracy. The boss wants things a certain way to do the most good for the company as a whole. The law was on her side, with a legal letter one could get the boss to back off. But this option was not availed. It is unfortunate. Representative Steny Hoyer (D-MD) has introduced the Americans with Disabilities Restoration Act (HR 3195), which would redress ........ narrow interpretations of the law. He has been joined by 244 cosponsors. The bill is designed to:

• amend the definition of “disability” so that people who Congress originally intended to protect from discrimination are covered under the ADA;
• prevent courts from considering “mitigating measures”—such as eyeglasses or medication—when determining whether a person qualifies for protection under the law; and
• modify findings in the ADA that have been used by the courts to support a narrow reading of “disability.”

This bill is now moving through the process of consideration by the US Congress. CHADD and other disability organizations strongly support the passage of the ADA Restoration Act.

Currently people who are turned down for a job or terminated because the employer may mistakenly feel they cannot perform the job—or because the employer does not want to provide “reasonable accommodation” to enable the individual to do the job—are denied the ADA’s protection from discrimination. A college student may be unable to receive reasonable accommodations in his classes, if the school feels his disability is well managed by medication and does not constitute a substantial limitation, even though the student needs assistance with note taking or a non-distracting testing environment.

Individuals are falling between a hard rock and the sea. They are in a job where they would like to meet its challenges in their own way. They are entitled to accommodations in the workplace or academia by the law. However, in the process of qualifying for this entitlement they might "prove" themselves out of a job or make their environment not worth returning to. Larger strides are needed in this direction.

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Amendments Act of 2008 was signed into law on September 25, 2008 and becomes effective January 1, 2009. However, management institutions should also disseminate this information to would-be managers. Along with diversity training this information and the training required to handle such situations well should be mandatory as part of professional development.

Coping well or can I use some help?

With me the awareness of my ADD came as a relief. It opened up fresh pastures for me. I could browse through the wisdom and articulation of others who had successfully grappled with their own beasts. I could take a page from Sari Solden, Dr. Edward Hallowell, Dr. Ari Tuckman and others. In spite of my apparent success, I was always very aware that I had to work twice as hard to appear half as good. Not for me the easy fluency and charming confidence that comes so naturally to some public speakers. In my high school and university years I took part in public speaking and yes, even won in competitive debates but only I knew how prepared I needed to be to accomplish what others thought came naturally to me.

Yes, I’ve always been introspective. It’s easy for me to look inwards to judge and rate my performance and efforts. Other ADDers I know, some still in denial, feel secretly as if they are impersonators or even frauds. There is an underlying feeling, even when they have great accomplishments to their credit, that they might inadvertently miss a step, and be found out to be an impersonator. With all their success, there is an underlying feeling of uncertainty. There might even be negative self talk. David S Burns has outlined exercises in his book to help one change the negative self talk to positive feedback.

Denial is natural. One cannot believe that a naturally operating person is in danger of being labeled now. However, it does one no good to be stuck in denial. ADDers invariably develop coping behaviors. In high functioning ADDers these coping behaviors help one achieve incredible success at times. Dr. Hallowell, Sari Solden, Michael Phelps are all ADDers recovering or otherwise but definitely coping. Successful ADDers not only live with their ADD but live successful lives. Dr. Hallowell and Sari Solden have chosen to help others with all the wisdom and insights their life with ADD has brought them. Michael Phelps is a glowing role model for younger ADDers just beginning their lives.

Coping mechanisms have a role to play in the ADD life. However sometimes these mechanisms get so inflated and are used to mask the real, naked self, perceived as weak and deficient. Sometimes these inflated masks balloon out bloated and gross with a transparency that others can see through. The ADDers, mostly in denial, are probably the only ones who believe they are covering up successfully. These coping behaviors are no longer helping but are in fact, in the way. These coping behaviors need to be unlearned. One must on the other hand, accept, educate oneself and in so doing empower oneself in order to flourish with the ADD well in hand.

Is it just a developmental lag?

Reading articles in Time saying
“….kids with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD..........hit peak ……….. an average of three years later than other kids” gave me some hope that I might actually not have to grapple with my monster in my later adult years. NIH scientists comparing brain scans of children 6 to 16, the ADHD and non-ADHD, found that “particularly those (parts) involved in thinking, attention and planning matured an average of three years later than healthy (sic) brains, but otherwise followed normal patterns of development.” Following this logic, the ADHD brain should normalize as one grows old. Some ADHD children do outgrow it.

However, doing a reality check with myself……no such luck!!!! It’s almost as if the older I get, the more addled this part of my brain gets. Ah yes! There was no trace of this in my school years. Outwardly no one would ever say I had any of these problems. I used to be very absent minded. If I was reading, people could walk into the room say something to me, even pick up the chair I was sitting on and move it to a different location and I could quite happily still continue reading, sometimes even unaware. Happily in those days “absent mindedness” was quite an acceptable trait. People were willing to forgive minor forgetfulness. It even had shades of a professorial quality.

It’s when I first started running a household on my own that trying to bring the kitchen back to order or keep stuff from accumulating on my desk turned out to be such a problem. It’s only in the last year or so that I even heard of the term ADD and ADHD. So for me there was no period of denial. Awareness and the education that came along with it actually empowered me. It helped me understand why things were always so difficult for me. It helped me become a little more patient with myself. I thought Ok so I’m not good for nothing! I’m not lazy and disorganized and messy. It’s just my ADD. My ADD is a monster I live with and grapple with everyday. But it’s not me. It does not define me. I can be patient with myself and learn behaviors to help me cope. I can join focus groups and hear experts in the field like Dr. Ari Tuckman and Sari Solden who can teach us strategies for coping. They can give us hope and energy to combat our everyday battles.

Not for me!

For those unlike me its easy enough to say, "No, not for me!" "No more." They seem to so easily chalk out a realm for themselves, restrict themselves to it and don't care to venture out of it. This ability is awesome! How do they do that?

One of the many heads of my monster wants, wants, wants. No not things! Want to do, would like to, is interested in.....the list seems endless. For me, and those like me, our interests are many and varied. How does one restrict oneself?

But wait! I can do it! I have done it! I have said NO! No more books from the library until....and I set myself a goal. That done, I can reward myself. I also curbed my desire to sew clothes for myself until two weeks ago. Before that I would occasionally browse in the remnant section and bring home pieces and turn them into tops, nighties, pillow covers, vests. There's nothing wrong with that, you say. But I would get so driven, my housework would remain undone, my sink would be full of dishes and I would be sewing. Now I have these sewing splurges when my husband is away on a trip. That way he doesn't have to deal with my sewing paraphernalia. Even if I get too driven (and get carried away) I can always quickly catch up with the housework before he is back. Thus I, too, force myself to set limits. I force myself to be normal like other people. I allow myself to be myself every now and then. But mostly, these days I subject myself to cognitive behavior modification. Believe me, it's hard work. But it can be done!

Focus, focus......

As for the many-headed beast in me, one of its heads can hyperfocus. It is suggested that we consider this our strength and reap its rewards. It definitely makes multi-tasking a cinch for us. And where would one be without this ability in today's world of PDA's, iPhones, IMs etc.

Here one needs to draw a balance. The 2006 batch of freshmen at John's Hopkins University were found to be very proficient at multi-tasking but a large number of them were dreadfully unequipped to prioritize and manage their time efficiently.

When we multi-task our attention and comprehension is obviously divided and unequal to undivided attention. I invariably play games on my laptop while watching TV. Needless to say my attention toggles between the laptop and the TV. If the latest CSI or Mystery episode proves to be more gripping than usual, my game score starts plummetting. Well, elementary, my dear Watson, you say. Yes! and this has been proved in clinical studies as well.

However, it does have its own benefits. I can spend time obstensibly with others watching TV but I can also be IMing others half a continent away. Besides it helps me tolerate the boring shows that others opt for. It helps me compromise and win some brownie points AND (just between you and me) hang on, tooth and nail,to some vestige of my sanity.

Not now......

There's a beast in me that I grapple with everyday. Its a many-headed monster. So maybe I can tackle it one head at a time.

Procrastination! there I've said it and maybe this will make my battle easier.Oh, yes! you've come across the garden variety procrastination. Not paying bills to the very last minute; not replying to emails, snail mail; clearing out the garage. Everyone is guilty of one or more of these. But for some like me its a gargantuan task.

"Put away each thing once you're done with it," suggests my mother tactfully. Yes! makes a lot of sense. Logical, even. I can do logic. But the monster within me has a very low threshold of tolerance for the merely mundane, routine, ho-hum, repetitive, everyday acts of life. Things have to excite me, challenge me. I'm something of a risk taker.

My mother will cheerfully wake up every morning: have her shower, go for a walk, have her breakfast, cook an elaborate meal for the day, clean up thoroughly after herself and then, and only then will she reward herself every week day with her "soaps" from 12:30 to 3 PM. That done, she's ready for whatever may come along. That was the example she set me as I grew up. Obviously, it didn't take. I have two sisters who follow that model. Where did I go wrong?

For me it's a battle and I recognize that. I can do it. I have done it (many times) like a smoker quitting his habit! But ces la vie........at least for me!