I also have ADHD, and the experiences you've talked about are exactly like mine (from elementary school to college and then to work). Moreover, nobody realized it was ADHD throughout the process. It wasn't until I was 29 years old and had been fired too many times that I sought medical help and was finally diagnosed with ADHD.
Brilliant. Thanks, Rovena. At 51 years old, and by chance having to take my daughter to the psychologist because we thought she has ADHD, I found out that I have it too. It's a strange feeling, but now I understand many of the things that have happened to me in life. Thanks to all the people who, like you, disseminate information about ADHD, you help a lot.
This could have been me giving this same talk. Somehow was able to be a valedictorian in high school and really started to struggle in college when you got longer projects that had many steps that had to be planned in advance. The not being able to give directions, losing stuff, needing multiple calendar reminders, doodling to get through class, all of that. My daughter is also showing symptoms and they are telling her the typical stuff that she is being disruptive when I think her brain just works similar to mine. I have learned to work around my challenges but I am encouraged to share this so that maybe there’s less of an expectation that we have to do all the work to change. It’s exhausting!
Beautiful job Rovena. This world tries to conform us with insults in the guise of thoughtful corrections, not realizing the way they are crushing us. But we can live in their houses of shame no longer. We know who we are now, the inventors, the wild and vibrant creators, and we will live in houses of beauty and light.
Ouch, the point at 6 minutes hits home. Getting told all those things while being twice exceptional. However my university lecturers have been great at supporting me and seeing my potential, but my psychiatrist not so much (always telling me to do less, not do this and that). All the best for your future. Hopefully the shift from expertise to enterprise skills will benefit you too ❤️
I know how it feels, it's like you do 200%, get invested and then others tell you where you were lacking so much of... I stopped drinking alcohol and juice, and started working out more. I keep the flow but have coping mechanisms to keep my creativity flowing, in order to commit to the normal rule. My attention span is really not as expected, and I do tend to approach conversations and body language differently, but here we are. Schedules, notes, reminders, pushing to follow habits and strictly abide by a routine in order to teach my brain new behaviours, like if it was all easy mechanical work. I hope this makes sense and helps someone else.
It’s ironic that she can admit she planned a TEDTalk in the middle of an exam and acknowledge that she didn’t do well, yet still not see the “disorder” side of ADHD. If all student can have it their way, they probably would’ve liked to avoid sitting exams, but we all know that exams hold weight for our future as unpleasant as they may be. Exams need to be sat. Work needs to be done. Money needs to be earned. You can’t avoid it. Someone with ADHD shouldn’t be told to ignore society standards but rather should be educated on how to navigate their own brain to level the playing field. I underperformed at school which caused me to not get the grades I needed to go to university. I picked a course that I still enjoyed but dropped out because I didn’t have the adequate systems in place. I found a job but have since been struggling to progress in my career. ADHD has held me back in life at many points. Society will always leave someone behind before it has a chance to change.
Very accurate, even the simplest accommodations, WITH legal precedent are incredibly hard to receive. If even the bare legal minimum was accessible it would improve millions of lives.
I’m watching this while practicing for my piano recital and thinking about my architectural thesis design. Indeed ADHD CAN be a superpower if used and shaped correctly.
doubting my degree in university not even two years in… even after the first semester I thought I couldn’t do it for 3 years… sorry I don’t have much plot twist to give you lmao 😭 except I’m now on meds and it helps me SO MUCH at least in class (but I still struggle with deadlines ;-;)
if they would make classes for diagnosed neurodivergents, they would ALL BE GENIUS BILLIONAIRES.... these classes would be graded on the quality and accuracy of our work. BUT WE WOULD DECIDE THE CURRICULUM. WE DECIDE THE TOPIC, THE DEADLINES OR LACK THEREOF, THE HOMEWORK AND MAYBE HEAR Each other give lectures on things we have just read about. . instead of having a teacher. since i feel we learn much better from our peers than authority figures . i bet this will happen
I have ADHD but I feel like she really misrepresented the disorder. It is a disorder and I do not think it is the worlds problem that it is structured the way it is. If we look at ADHD through her lens, then we completely ignore the part where the disorder affects us independent of societal structures. And vacuum, I will still have more challenges in life regardless of expectations. Were I to live alone, I would still find that I battle symptoms of ADHD. It is not uncommon to have mild to severe sensory sensitivities, emotional dysregulation, executive dysfunction, the inability to read social cues and to struggle with interpersonal relationships, and so on. I think that there is an effort to make ADHD a more palatable concept but it is dishonest and I personally believe that perspective only serves the people who are uncomfortable with how their ADHD presents itself. I am in my mid 30s and I am able to view ADHD as my “super power“ because with the bad, there is also a lot of good. But I think it does it a bit of a disservice to speak about ADHD and not call it a disorder, but then proceed to talk for several minutes without once mentioning the positive aspects of it while also presenting a very unflattering picture. I commend her for taking this opportunity, but she is still quite young and missed the mark quite a bit.
fully agree with you Claire, let s stop victimising ourselves as people who were called out for having a disorder, and try to focus our energy on finding co oping mechanisms and getting more research funding!
I think that both is the case. I think that some cases of ADHD are really bad because of the added pain of trying to mask and fit in. So she kinda talks about that. But there are also cases in which executive disfunction is so bad that people aren't able to get out of bed, shower, etc for a few days. So yes, in that way, you can see it as a disorder. I feel like it is very personal for people if they experience it as a disorder, a super power, or both.
Its only called a disorder because most people are different. But who says everyone was designt by nature/Evolution/ god to be the same? We need a few people in the world who are different. Not all. Just a few. And its not just adhd or add. Its also Autism/ asberger. And even among neurotypical brains are strong Differenzs in peoples brain structures. Its Genetik. And not in some protein in the DNA missing kind of Genetik. Its a complete and in itself functunin Differenz. Its not more or less. Its different
I have an issue with the definition "neurotypical norms", I agree with the definition, but, I find it has no commonplace in the world we live in. Humans are atomized individuals that create a collective society, sure, we have developed norms from predispositions and biases, however, we are now aware. Disenabling the standardized model of living (neurotypical) would allow us to be who we are without becoming subjected to medical diagnoses like ADHD. Thinking too much of the world we live in limits our ability to enjoy the lives we have, why not just accept individuals and deconstruct the models of life we're told?
I would like to dismantle societys norms to take away some barriers. Still, that wouldn't change how I get overstimulated easily or how much I struggle getting basic care tasks done or how much time I spend immobile in one spot internally struggling about making a call, studying or even doing stuff I enjoy until it's to late to do anything. Maybe there would be less shame but all those struggles would still exist.
Probability is the area of measure. How can we make accurate choices that have huge impacts when there baseless. That's the whole point of topography. Sure it may not be 100% accurate. But it is more accurate than being baseless. See if we don't have standards how can we measure? It's true what you say tho. I think ADHD is something that we all experience the symptoms of. So why make it a diagnosis. Well it's a diagnosis when it affects the ability to function into that standard model. Sure the pursuit is not to embody the standard model but it helps having one when we are all so different like you say. Which is true !! . So if we can group these things we have a better idea of the probability of their effects. There is a threshold I agree where the negative outweigh the positive but. Most of the time it's good than bad. I think the issue here is people just get diagnosed with ADHD but it's a spectrum of cognition issues. That's why we all can relate to adhd symptoms but it's when they are high in frequency meaning symptoms occur more; is when we can make the assumption that medication and therapy are helpful for those who fall into the probable threshold. Therefore it's a probable solution, not always 100% accurate but at least it's 80-90% than 0. As with no topography there can be no identification of issues.
This lecture make ted drop a level. Talking in a glorifying way on an issue that i merely describes a spectrum of sum of dopamine receptors... Making something thats getting more diverse in every passing year (with the internet and all ) to a "super power" , and it's not from a factual point of view... That will be great. It seems to have a 'self prompting' agenda ... I wonder if the TED people validate it or just wanted to get the audience.
She misinterprets the disorder! This is just the typical „I am right, society is wrong“-Talking. I really suffer from my ADHD. I struggle making friends, implement my ideas, or even just eat right or keep my apartment tidy. It is not society who told me so. It is how I want it to be. I am just not able to live my life like I(!) want to live it!
I think her point is that society is so well-adjusted to neurotypical people that we (neurodivergent people) often don't get to do the things we want. Like, think about hyperfocusing or the fact that most ADHD brains are great at improvising if we're just being thrown into a new situation (unless we get overwhelmed of course). There's a reason certain fields (content creation, and even event management comes to mind, which ADHD brains tend to be great at despite our own lives being pure chaos in so many cases) are more often being chosen by ADHD brains than others. We're just good at different things! The fact that our world has been so tailored to the needs of neurotypical people also means that there's support structures in place to assist them with fulfilling certain tasks. Tasks that people with a specific type of neurodivergence don't need help with. On the other hand, the things neurodivergent people struggle with rarely have existing support structures. Like studying for years and years to get a degree, finding friends or keeping our apartments clean. Her point is if we change the world from a neurotypical world to an "everyone world", we wouldn't need to spend so much time and energy on making up for the things we're bad at, and instead could focus on using our true potential. Basically we're suffering not because we're doomed to be less functional than neurotypical people by default, but because our current world is adjusted for only one type of brain.
Everyone has their own experience, I don’t have trouble with any of those things - I’m an artist actor dancer & audio engineer it’s a gift. I’m an amazing actor and my self taught skills as an audio engineer garnered me a full scholarship from Rupert neve (google him) …. Lean in to where your strengths are and that will help
Yep. Super tired of these TED talks just proclaiming that ADHD is a super power. It can be useful, but in daily life it becomes a huge hindrance in living a fulfilling life.
That’s what I said when I am listening to her lol. She a damn me too movement woke women. Let me guess she believe on hire off skin color and not who qualifies. And to not punish criminal because they did nothing wrong. Sound like a Biden supporter 😂
why are almost every ADHD role model or speaker always a valedictorian or atleast smart in class? I'm having difficulty relating to these people because I failed hard in school due to my attention span and difficulty staying focused or engaging in studying. anyone else having this problem? or am I at the lowest level of this case?
Because these are the success stories a lot of us don’t build up the adaptation that we need or even with treatment still struggle so much that we are hindered. Are you working now? I’m graduating next year.
I am for creating a world that is also sensitive and works to accommodate the brain differences that we have. (Degree in Sp Ed/ECE/EE) Continually changing the name doesn’t change the condition(s) and turning it into a descriptive term like neuro-divergent adds a layer of confusion because it is so non-specific i.e. too broad an umbrella. She tells her story and it is helpful to listen to others and this also turned into a giant whine about how the whole world should change to accommodate the individual/her and, which doesn’t work either but she seems to think it it all about her and her experience. How about if she learns to accept herself instead of whining about it.
leave the woke pitch out of the equation and call the things as they are. WE have a disorder, full stop. Most people have a disorder, it could be acne, it could myopia , and more, just deal with it and stop trying to make yourself a victim because someone called adhd a disorder.
I also have ADHD, and the experiences you've talked about are exactly like mine (from elementary school to college and then to work). Moreover, nobody realized it was ADHD throughout the process. It wasn't until I was 29 years old and had been fired too many times that I sought medical help and was finally diagnosed with ADHD.
And now you're amazing and successful too?
Brilliant. Thanks, Rovena. At 51 years old, and by chance having to take my daughter to the psychologist because we thought she has ADHD, I found out that I have it too. It's a strange feeling, but now I understand many of the things that have happened to me in life. Thanks to all the people who, like you, disseminate information about ADHD, you help a lot.
This could have been me giving this same talk. Somehow was able to be a valedictorian in high school and really started to struggle in college when you got longer projects that had many steps that had to be planned in advance. The not being able to give directions, losing stuff, needing multiple calendar reminders, doodling to get through class, all of that. My daughter is also showing symptoms and they are telling her the typical stuff that she is being disruptive when I think her brain just works similar to mine. I have learned to work around my challenges but I am encouraged to share this so that maybe there’s less of an expectation that we have to do all the work to change. It’s exhausting!
Beautiful job Rovena. This world tries to conform us with insults in the guise of thoughtful corrections, not realizing the way they are crushing us. But we can live in their houses of shame no longer. We know who we are now, the inventors, the wild and vibrant creators, and we will live in houses of beauty and light.
👍 👍 👍
Homerun dudine! I'm high functioning autistic and you had my attention all along the trail
Ouch, the point at 6 minutes hits home. Getting told all those things while being twice exceptional.
However my university lecturers have been great at supporting me and seeing my potential, but my psychiatrist not so much (always telling me to do less, not do this and that).
All the best for your future. Hopefully the shift from expertise to enterprise skills will benefit you too ❤️
thank you so much :)) i’m glad your profs are supportive. all the best to you too!
I know how it feels, it's like you do 200%, get invested and then others tell you where you were lacking so much of...
I stopped drinking alcohol and juice, and started working out more. I keep the flow but have coping mechanisms to keep my creativity flowing, in order to commit to the normal rule. My attention span is really not as expected, and I do tend to approach conversations and body language differently, but here we are. Schedules, notes, reminders, pushing to follow habits and strictly abide by a routine in order to teach my brain new behaviours, like if it was all easy mechanical work. I hope this makes sense and helps someone else.
Well said Rovena and thanks for sticking up for us 👏🌻⚡
It’s ironic that she can admit she planned a TEDTalk in the middle of an exam and acknowledge that she didn’t do well, yet still not see the “disorder” side of ADHD. If all student can have it their way, they probably would’ve liked to avoid sitting exams, but we all know that exams hold weight for our future as unpleasant as they may be. Exams need to be sat. Work needs to be done. Money needs to be earned. You can’t avoid it.
Someone with ADHD shouldn’t be told to ignore society standards but rather should be educated on how to navigate their own brain to level the playing field. I underperformed at school which caused me to not get the grades I needed to go to university. I picked a course that I still enjoyed but dropped out because I didn’t have the adequate systems in place. I found a job but have since been struggling to progress in my career. ADHD has held me back in life at many points.
Society will always leave someone behind before it has a chance to change.
She one those me too victim movement people. It’s not her it’s us who the problem lol
Great comment, I find it annoying when people call it ‘just different’ or something.
Thank you. RMN here with self diagnosed ADHD. Well said 😊
A great view, it us quite difficult living in this neurotypical world.
Very informative. I have friends recently diagnosed with this.
Very accurate, even the simplest accommodations, WITH legal precedent are incredibly hard to receive. If even the bare legal minimum was accessible it would improve millions of lives.
I’m watching this while practicing for my piano recital and thinking about my architectural thesis design. Indeed ADHD CAN be a superpower if used and shaped correctly.
Yup. I was good at playing guitar. But my dad. Got so jelly did every he did couge me
Very well said , I feel the same.
ADHD ist ein Geschenk, lernt endlich damit zu spielen zu experimentieren und erfreut euch daran.
ADHD runs in my family. I wish things could be better for my grandchildren.
Well that’s life ig if they’re supported they can do great it’s not all a curse
doubting my degree in university not even two years in… even after the first semester I thought I couldn’t do it for 3 years… sorry I don’t have much plot twist to give you lmao 😭 except I’m now on meds and it helps me SO MUCH at least in class (but I still struggle with deadlines ;-;)
I suggest u Surah Rehman therapy by Qari Abdul Basit.
if they would make classes for diagnosed neurodivergents, they would ALL BE GENIUS BILLIONAIRES.... these classes would be graded on the quality and accuracy of our work. BUT WE WOULD DECIDE THE CURRICULUM. WE DECIDE THE TOPIC, THE DEADLINES OR LACK THEREOF, THE HOMEWORK AND MAYBE HEAR Each other give lectures on things we have just read about. . instead of having a teacher. since i feel we learn much better from our peers than authority figures . i bet this will happen
So so good!!
I agree with her
I know this condition all to well.
I too want to study neuroscience
I have ADHD but I feel like she really misrepresented the disorder. It is a disorder and I do not think it is the worlds problem that it is structured the way it is. If we look at ADHD through her lens, then we completely ignore the part where the disorder affects us independent of societal structures. And vacuum, I will still have more challenges in life regardless of expectations. Were I to live alone, I would still find that I battle symptoms of ADHD. It is not uncommon to have mild to severe sensory sensitivities, emotional dysregulation, executive dysfunction, the inability to read social cues and to struggle with interpersonal relationships, and so on. I think that there is an effort to make ADHD a more palatable concept but it is dishonest and I personally believe that perspective only serves the people who are uncomfortable with how their ADHD presents itself. I am in my mid 30s and I am able to view ADHD as my “super power“ because with the bad, there is also a lot of good. But I think it does it a bit of a disservice to speak about ADHD and not call it a disorder, but then proceed to talk for several minutes without once mentioning the positive aspects of it while also presenting a very unflattering picture. I commend her for taking this opportunity, but she is still quite young and missed the mark quite a bit.
its not a disorder. the society has evolved is a disorder not adhd
fully agree with you Claire, let s stop victimising ourselves as people who were called out for having a disorder, and try to focus our energy on finding co oping mechanisms and getting more research funding!
I think that both is the case. I think that some cases of ADHD are really bad because of the added pain of trying to mask and fit in. So she kinda talks about that. But there are also cases in which executive disfunction is so bad that people aren't able to get out of bed, shower, etc for a few days. So yes, in that way, you can see it as a disorder. I feel like it is very personal for people if they experience it as a disorder, a super power, or both.
Its only called a disorder because most people are different. But who says everyone was designt by nature/Evolution/ god to be the same? We need a few people in the world who are different. Not all. Just a few. And its not just adhd or add. Its also Autism/ asberger. And even among neurotypical brains are strong Differenzs in peoples brain structures.
Its Genetik. And not in some protein in the DNA missing kind of Genetik. Its a complete and in itself functunin Differenz. Its not more or less. Its different
You sound more like mild spectrum of Autism.
Great points!
Nice job, great talk
I have an issue with the definition "neurotypical norms", I agree with the definition, but, I find it has no commonplace in the world we live in. Humans are atomized individuals that create a collective society, sure, we have developed norms from predispositions and biases, however, we are now aware. Disenabling the standardized model of living (neurotypical) would allow us to be who we are without becoming subjected to medical diagnoses like ADHD. Thinking too much of the world we live in limits our ability to enjoy the lives we have, why not just accept individuals and deconstruct the models of life we're told?
Because you have to make money
Have ADHD. Saying that we should change society so that we have no need for the diagnosis is ridiculous.
I would like to dismantle societys norms to take away some barriers. Still, that wouldn't change how I get overstimulated easily or how much I struggle getting basic care tasks done or how much time I spend immobile in one spot internally struggling about making a call, studying or even doing stuff I enjoy until it's to late to do anything. Maybe there would be less shame but all those struggles would still exist.
Probability is the area of measure. How can we make accurate choices that have huge impacts when there baseless. That's the whole point of topography. Sure it may not be 100% accurate. But it is more accurate than being baseless. See if we don't have standards how can we measure?
It's true what you say tho. I think ADHD is something that we all experience the symptoms of. So why make it a diagnosis. Well it's a diagnosis when it affects the ability to function into that standard model.
Sure the pursuit is not to embody the standard model but it helps having one when we are all so different like you say. Which is true !! .
So if we can group these things we have a better idea of the probability of their effects. There is a threshold I agree where the negative outweigh the positive but. Most of the time it's good than bad.
I think the issue here is people just get diagnosed with ADHD but it's a spectrum of cognition issues. That's why we all can relate to adhd symptoms but it's when they are high in frequency meaning symptoms occur more; is when we can make the assumption that medication and therapy are helpful for those who fall into the probable threshold. Therefore it's a probable solution, not always 100% accurate but at least it's 80-90% than 0. As with no topography there can be no identification of issues.
The problem is that many things are standardized, usually by the state, and we know anything planned centrally at great scales is full of errors.
Honestly, I’m tired too
2:25
It gets exhausting 😴
Found out at age 60 , me too ADHD , explain a lot 🎉😂
What are these comments
This lecture make ted drop a level.
Talking in a glorifying way on an issue that i merely describes a spectrum of sum of dopamine receptors...
Making something thats getting more diverse in every passing year (with the internet and all ) to a "super power" , and it's not from a factual point of view... That will be great.
It seems to have a 'self prompting' agenda ... I wonder if the TED people validate it or just wanted to get the audience.
My daughter is ill and has been diagnosed from the lgs syndrome and adhd
Has the world actually been built for neurotypical ? Is it not just the sum of interest and visions of the bigger number.
She misinterprets the disorder! This is just the typical „I am right, society is wrong“-Talking. I really suffer from my ADHD. I struggle making friends, implement my ideas, or even just eat right or keep my apartment tidy. It is not society who told me so. It is how I want it to be. I am just not able to live my life like I(!) want to live it!
I think her point is that society is so well-adjusted to neurotypical people that we (neurodivergent people) often don't get to do the things we want. Like, think about hyperfocusing or the fact that most ADHD brains are great at improvising if we're just being thrown into a new situation (unless we get overwhelmed of course). There's a reason certain fields (content creation, and even event management comes to mind, which ADHD brains tend to be great at despite our own lives being pure chaos in so many cases) are more often being chosen by ADHD brains than others.
We're just good at different things!
The fact that our world has been so tailored to the needs of neurotypical people also means that there's support structures in place to assist them with fulfilling certain tasks. Tasks that people with a specific type of neurodivergence don't need help with. On the other hand, the things neurodivergent people struggle with rarely have existing support structures. Like studying for years and years to get a degree, finding friends or keeping our apartments clean. Her point is if we change the world from a neurotypical world to an "everyone world", we wouldn't need to spend so much time and energy on making up for the things we're bad at, and instead could focus on using our true potential.
Basically we're suffering not because we're doomed to be less functional than neurotypical people by default, but because our current world is adjusted for only one type of brain.
Everyone has their own experience, I don’t have trouble with any of those things - I’m an artist actor dancer & audio engineer it’s a gift. I’m an amazing actor and my self taught skills as an audio engineer garnered me a full scholarship from Rupert neve (google him) …. Lean in to where your strengths are and that will help
contradiction?
Yep. Super tired of these TED talks just proclaiming that ADHD is a super power. It can be useful, but in daily life it becomes a huge hindrance in living a fulfilling life.
That’s what I said when I am listening to her lol. She a damn me too movement woke women. Let me guess she believe on hire off skin color and not who qualifies. And to not punish criminal because they did nothing wrong. Sound like a Biden supporter 😂
👏
I opened this coz i think i got adhd and i got distracted while she was telling about what adhd is.
why are almost every ADHD role model or speaker always a valedictorian or atleast smart in class? I'm having difficulty relating to these people because I failed hard in school due to my attention span and difficulty staying focused or engaging in studying. anyone else having this problem? or am I at the lowest level of this case?
Because these are the success stories a lot of us don’t build up the adaptation that we need or even with treatment still struggle so much that we are hindered. Are you working now? I’m graduating next year.
Please let me know on how can I do it coming from India
!!
That's wasn't helpful , i wanted something that would help me it to do my word , I don't have time to wait for the society to change
I couldn't focus on a word she said 😑
I'm looking for friends to talk 🌙add 🌙 Hakan De Bruyne
check out ADDA for joining support groups online..maybe see you there!
those nails... hard to focus
Sometimes I feel we should purge neurotypicals.
I got distracted by here nails
I am for creating a world that is also sensitive and works to accommodate the brain differences that we have. (Degree in Sp Ed/ECE/EE) Continually changing the name doesn’t change the condition(s) and turning it into a descriptive term like neuro-divergent adds a layer of confusion because it is so non-specific i.e. too broad an umbrella. She tells her story and it is helpful to listen to others and this also turned into a giant whine about how the whole world should change to accommodate the individual/her and, which doesn’t work either but she seems to think it it all about her and her experience. How about if she learns to accept herself instead of whining about it.
That’s not a Ted talk. She’s just complaining. Tf society ain’t gonna change for you. I have ADHD too btw but that’s wishful thinking
leave the woke pitch out of the equation and call the things as they are. WE have a disorder, full stop. Most people have a disorder, it could be acne, it could myopia , and more, just deal with it and stop trying to make yourself a victim because someone called adhd a disorder.
without sugar and caffeine she would be normal
First time i watched a latina with this much clothes.
👏