ADD/ADHD

ADHD is a neurodevelopmental disorder defined in the DSM-5 and diagnosed through comprehensive clinical assessment that includes interviews, behavioral measures, and documentation of symptoms beginning in childhood that create significant impairment across multiple settings. It is clinically categorized into three presentations: inattentive, hyperactive-impulsive, and combined.

In everyday life, ADHD is better understood as a cognitive style marked by rapid mental activity, heightened sensitivity to multiple stimuli, and recurring challenges with executive functions such as initiation, organization, working memory, and time awareness. These difficulties do not reflect a lack of intelligence or motivation. They reflect differences in how attention and self-regulation systems develop and function.

ADHD also involves notable strengths. Many individuals show exceptional creativity, intuitive problem solving, emotional insight, and the capacity for deep hyperfocus when engaged in meaningful tasks. With appropriate support that may include structured routines, therapeutic or coaching interventions, medication when clinically indicated, and consistent self-understanding, the condition becomes more navigable.

Receiving a diagnosis often provides clarity. It offers language for long-standing patterns and validates experiences that may have been misunderstood. Recognizing ADHD as a complex profile that includes both challenges and strengths allows individuals to move through the world with greater confidence, flexibility, and self-awareness.