"I'm going to grow out of my ADHD now."

KTMom91

Well-Known Member
Miss KT is taking child development this semester, and during tonight's lecture, the professor said that people can outgrow ADHD, so Miss KT has decided to outgrow it. She's going to ask the professor for a plan of action on what she needs to do.

This ought to be an interesting ride.
 

Babbs

New Member
Oh Wow - someone is actually spreading that old fiction? It sounds as though you're in for an interesting ride. Wondering what this professor will recommend to outgrow executive functioning deficits...
 

GoingNorth

Crazy Cat Lady
Wow, I haven't heard that in YEARS. ADHD adults often give the "illusion" of functioning "normally", but it is because they have learned various coping mechanisms to function in the world.
 

susiestar

Roll With It
I hhope my brother never hears of this. Most of his life he has railed against taking any kind of pill for any kind of reason. But the strattera is just not optional. He is so much more human on it than off of it!!

I wonder what he will tell her to do to "grow out of it". I really hope he does not laugh at her!
 
KTMom,

Please pass the tips along to us... my entire family could use them :)

Don't you love the way college students become so instantly expert in all areas?


Valerie
 

TerryJ2

Well-Known Member
Heh heh. My daughter started giving us info/advice this past yr as a sr in HS, since she took psychology. I have to admit, there are some fascinating new breakthroughs and definitions, but I could do with-o the smug, lording-it-over-you attitude. ;)

by the way, in my own unscientific way, I think there are different levels of ADHD and it may be on a spectrum, as are so many other things. I have a friend who is 70 yrs old and a successful college professor, about to retire. We've talked about ADHD many times, and as he sits and taps his foot and rolls this fingers and otherwise fidgets, he says, "I have no doubt I have ADHD." I asked him if it interfered with-his studies and he said no, because way back when, there was no TV or video games and they spent more time outside. He had no doubt he drove people crazy, but he was never angry or destructive.
I have a relative by marriage who is an astronaut, whom I believe is also ADHD, and I do not believe that it is a disorder in that case, but a huge benefit. He is constantly observing, thinking, moving, and unbelievably intelligent. I can't think of anyone better to be an astronaut. Again, he has no mood or anger issues, just the physiology/metabolism of a hummingbird.
Both guys are very thin and healthy and alert.

When it's a symptom of something else, such as bipolar or Asperger's, that's an entirely different ballgame.

I'm thinking that in 10 yrs or so, the terms will be redefined to delineate whether you're talking about a bona fide physiological disorder or a mild physical manifestation or both.
If that makes sense. ;)

I'm wondering if I would like to meet Miss Kt's prof or not ...
 

DammitJanet

Well-Known Member
Jamie is ADHD, always has been and always will be. He will tell you that. However, he didnt have behavioral problems outside the normal boy and incredibly hyperactivity that went along with being...well hyper. He tried to be good. He didnt have defiant problems. Obviously he obeys the law...lol.

He will always have trouble with attention and concentration. If I call him and he is in the middle of a movie, he cant do two things at once. Its a quick...hi mom, bye mom, Im watching a movie. But he is so good at his job because of his hyperness. He was good at being in the Marines because it was active.

He is a good advocate for ADHD because he tells everyone that he has it. And that he took medications for years.

Funny...Tony also tells everyone about the disorders in our family. People he meets will say they dont believe in Bipolar or ADHD and Tony tells them that is because they have never lived with it. If they had to spend a day or a week with our family, they would know it is real!
 

gcvmom

Here we go again!
:rofl: Let us all know how that goes, would ya Mary? Bless her heart, though, for wanting to take control of her life! Maybe after her chat with the professor she'll be more open minded about some of her own issues. It's frustrating as a parent to have your kid totally disregard anything you have to say, and then watch them go out in the world only to have our advice confirmed by some outside source. But at least they are learning the lesson, regardless of who they get it from.
 

mstang67chic

Going Green
*snort* Really? Outgrow?

*struggling to keep a straight face*

Interesting....I wond...

*spew*

Bwahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha


Yes...let us know how THAT goes!

*wipes tears out of my eyes from laughing so hard*
 

TerryJ2

Well-Known Member
How can you not believe in bipolar? Do they mean as a diagnosis for toddlers? Or just that it exists at all?

:dont_know:
 

everywoman

Well-Known Member
My oldest is a easy child---always has been--type A personality---perfectionist. But is ADD. He was unmedicated until he got to college---after his first semester he went to our family dr. and started medications. He is 27---and still takes his medications to focus. And he does focus. He is very successful in his career...but he won't try to live without his medications.
 

KTMom91

Well-Known Member
I know. I agree that some new coping mechanisms might be helpful for her, but if she thinks she can restore her brain to "normal" by sheer force of will...ARGHHH!

I'll be sure to keep you all updated on her quest. Since this is a one semester class, she should have it all figured out before December, right?
 

TerryJ2

Well-Known Member
Since this is a one semester class, she should have it all figured out before December, right?

LOL! If only life were that simple! Of course, since she's young, and a student, of COURSE she'll have it all figured out by then.
:cool_dog:
 

totoro

Mom? What's a difficult child?
Is this like the "Secret"? The power of positive thinking... if only husband and I had been more positive the girls would not have "issues".

Can I grow out of my Bipolar now? Well actually not all of it just the negative parts. :)
Well I guess as long as she is realistic it can't hurt.
Please share!
 

DammitJanet

Well-Known Member
I had a very nice, thoughtful and sweet Accounting instructor who kept telling me I needed to just keep thinking positive and asked me if I had ever read any of the books on the power of positive thinking. Ugh. This was when I was trying very hard not to completely lose myself into a glob of insanity because I had lost insurance and therefore had no medications or psychiatrist. Plus I had stupidly thought going to school fulltime was a wise thing! LOL.

She was very nice and really liked me and I liked her too. She was trying! It was funny though. Halfway thru the semester she fell apart herself because of health issues and her schizophrenic uncle took a turn for the worse and she suddenly found out the power of positive thinking only got you so far! LOL.
 

svengandhi

Well-Known Member
I think that "growing out of" ADHD is more a function of maturity and developing coping mechanisms/rituals that permit you to get along in society.

For instance, most hyperactive little kids eventually calm down a bit. Some are channeled into athletics (one of my friends got both of the ADHD boys into track where they excelled) and others just move less as they get older. If a child is not so much of a whirling dervish as they age, have they grown out of it or are they just learning to compensate?

A lot of adults seem to outgrow it because once you are grown, you can choose what you want to do more so than when you're in school. My son constantly fussed and fidgeted in math class because he hated it. Now in college, he is studying for a CLEP exam so he won't have to sit through a math class again. If you are doing something that interests you, even the most ADHD child can focus.

As for Miss KT, if this course gets her some insight into how her brain is working and she learns to cope better - has she outgrown it or is she just compensating or both? In any event, I hope that this course helps her.
 
Top