There’s an incredible amount of ADHD artists, musicians, actors, athletes, comedians. All kinds of other things. I’m a professional musician now myself.
One of my biggest struggles with adhd and its executive dysfunction, is initialization of tasks. When you start beating on yourself, mentally and physically, because you just can't start the task and each idea or impulse wants to pull you away and you are just paralyzed it feels like you're powerless. Like something is wrong with you. The self harm part is real. If you know someone who struggles with ADHD, make sure you check on them before you remind them what they struggle with.
I've been literally feeling like that my whole life. And I'm just so glad I'm not the only one who feels this way. I'm so tired of being called lazy or slow.
one thing that helps me is listening to motivation speech or watching fighting videos that makes me wanna do everything, but without that ill just let it for other time Sad lief
Played this video to my clients at our IRTS (Intensive Residential Treatment Facility) today for group and they absolutely love the video. Really appreciate this one.
The way he opened this talk, the rage and shame directed towards people with ADHD is why I have had suicidal ideations since the age of 8. We start to direct those same words at ourselves after a while. I didn’t get diagnosed until I was 26 and no anti-depressants worked for me, because I didn’t have depression, I was depressed because of my ADHD and how I was treated because of it.
It really resonated with me, I have memories dating back to elementary. I had this teacher totally break down and scream at me for accidentally rereading the same line 4 times. And I used to get in trouble for daydreaming as well. Managed A’s and B’s but at the end of the day its always “she needs to pick up the pace”
It seems you have dealt with neglect or abuse whether it be first hand or witnessing it. You aren’t alone in that. People pleasing attitudes contribute highly to suicide ideations because you don’t know how to live for yourself and don’t realize that it’s perfectly ok to just exist in the here and now that you’re worthy of doing just that, finding pleasure of the senses that is just for yourself. Always thinking something needs to be fixed or done is the common intrusive thought for both people with ADHD (or any anxiety disorder) and people who come from unstable backgrounds! Take care and thanks for sharing 😊
Dude this will sound dark but I've fantasized so many times about living in the apocalypse. I feel like I would be a lot more useful than in regular life lmao
So sorry. As a mom of a young man with ADHD, I wish I had known all of this when he was younger. I have always stuck up for him but did not know the extent of what he was going through.
Same and I really needed to see this video. I currently live in my car because i found that i could no longer work jobs that were not what i wanted to do and i felt like a higher power was keeping it from happening to. I decided to take a huge financial sacrifice and move to Houston to live in my car and start doing things i enjoy to make money. I went from being really poor, only getting $20/week on average from random people I'd run into asking about my situation, to making roughly $300/mo doing what i enjoy, making UA-cam videos and doing call sessions. Still not a lot but i was starving at one point but now i can buy food. I'm very grateful. The journey is hard but worth it. I'd pick this any day over stressing about living in a house and working a job i hate.
I laughed at the similarities, laughed with him all the way. I learned to be happy even love my super powers. What I also see is that the SIGMA male maybe really just ADHD or ADD driven because the traits line up & present in a positive way! Love who you are, its not others fault you have SUPER POWERS. Just learn to be humble as possible.........lol yup! Make sense? AlwaysForward~Godspeed
@@cameltube-vk7elyes I laughed the whole time too, definitely almost teared up but this video was perfect start to finish. He touched so many topics so well.
I do this every single day. I just walk around for about 20 minutes listening to music and my parents think I’m exercising. LMAO. It actually physically pains to sit still for too long
Salif, UA-cam states that this video was posted 7 years ago. I hope you can see this one day but TODAY (in 2023) you changed my life and my kids' lives in which we all suffer of ADHD. I cried, I smiled and I reflected in the moments when we all felt frustrated, depressed and alone. THANK YOU wherever you are. Thank you.
Same, turning 43 this year 2024 (excluding the kids). Somehow COVID escalated my usual function into a real struggle. Listened to this today, which was an amazing day, productive and success on the brink of starting a little nursery - well more like a plant supplier :D
Oh wow! It’s like you took the thoughts right from my brain! My perspective has changed so much after this.. I have always thought I had adhd and now I know I do, as well as my youngest and I swear my mom does too but she won’t hear anything about it lol I didn’t realize how long ago this was .. but he reminds me SO much of my youngest! And I hate that our adhd clashes with each others so we end up struggling a lot .. but we’re learning ! And I am trying my very best esp being a single parent … life is hard!
Before I was diagnosed with ADHD, I tried getting my parents to understand my difficulty but they often disregarded it as me being lazy and not working hard enough (which to be fair, I hardly got any work done). They claimed that I couldn't have ADHD because when I was young I could memorize complete scenes from movies or books and I've always been able to remember song lyrics almost immediately. They couldn't understand that when something was interesting or enjoyable my mind became completely wired to it. He is absolutely right when he says that ADHD can result in hyper focus.
When I was young, I was borrowing books from library all the times. I could take only five at a time. And I got really fixated on Harry Potter. I wasn't super fan of HP's universe, I just liked setting and how it was written. So, I took 5 books, read them really fast, then returned them and took last 2. Read them. Returned. Took first 5 again... Overall, I finished the entire HP book cycle 14 times in a row during two months. I could remember any scene from these books and citate some. Then I lost interest. Now I can't remember anything from HP and I don't want to xd Also, even earlier, I got fixated on Erin Hunter's Warrior Cats. At that moment, there were 24 books published. Now, to be fair, their books aren't particularly hard to read neither they are long. Also, I was sick at the moment and didn't go to school, so i could dedicate all my time to reading (literally, from waking up to going to sleep). I finished all 24 in six days. Even when i wasn't focused on any particular franchise, I just consumed books. I even got to the hospital because of that - I was reading so much and so fast that I had constant headache which couldn't be rid off by meds. There my doctor noticed that every morning I had a different book in my hand (because I kept current one under my pillow to start reading as soon as I wake up). Then, she said to my mom that my headaches were caused by excessive information (uhhh, I don't remember what exactly she said, I never remember what my doctors say to me :p) and that she should limit my reading time xd After that I was reading less (and playing video games more hehe). Since then I got a lot worse, I can't concentrate on text, even if I like the book. I almost completely stopped reading. Sometimes I try, but abandon in the middle. The same with video games, even though I love video games and have some interest in game development (not that I want or think that I can be a game dev, I just like learning about working cycle). I buy games and never play them.
Timeless Spell I know how you feel. It’s like I always plan to do things and never get around to it. I start a lot of things I want to do but rarely finish
i havent been diagnosed but recently my friend who just got diagnosed pointed out that she felt I could be showing symptoms so I did lots of research and lots of online quizzes and feel very strongly that I do have adhd as I have all the symptoms but my mum doesnt take it seriously and wont take me to the doctor to even have it checked out as a possibility
Ruby Hooley next time you go to the doctor for anything (to get the physical or any other appointment) tell them whats on your mind and to give you a referral. I wanna get checked out for adhd too, I don’t know when though. But something like that happened with my asthma. I always coughed and experienced asthma symptoms every time I ran (mostly the schools pacer tests) but nobody told me or say anything about it until sophomore-junior year. My NJROTC instructor told me he recognized the symptoms because he has them and that I should get checked out. And I told my mom and she was like “nahh, you dont have that” and I kept telling her that I needed to get tested and she still didnt pay attention. Until one day, she made an appointment and turns out I have had asthma all this time🤦🏻♀️ she sometimes even implies that I dont have it and I just look at her like wtfffff!!!! I mean, we’re dominicans and mostly in our culture illnesses and such are not seeing as serious so I get where her views come from, but it just makes everything harder for everyone🤦🏻♀️🤦🏻♀️
Me when I'm hyperfocusing: I can do literally anything. I'm going to get a Ph.D and become a therapist! I'm going to go to Harvard! Me 0.02 seconds after my hyperfocus fades: I mean, sheep farming in Mongolia doesn't sound half bad tbh
i literally just went through a week where i was spending hours a day studying german, and now this week i've been planning my future as an alpaca farmer, how'd you know??
Well that explains why I never thought I couldn't do anything else expect for studying medicine everthing else seemed so boring, so I kept pushing myself when I failed my medschool entrance twice and then the third time I got in and I think it was hyperfocus and luck but things became so hard after I got in cause adhd traits doens't work in medschool.
@@rayray2528 So weird to come across this comment now, but can you tell me a little more about your experience in Med School with ADHD? Ive been hyperfocusing on medicine for all of my damn life and nothing else seems worthwhile, like what you described. But its been a tough road for me and I'm still not accepted into Med School atm either. I don't know what else to do lol
Hearing him say that validated so many of my experiences! Pursuing my passion isn't a choice, it's all I can do. At the end of the day that may be what saves me from mediocrity and drudgery.
the problem with adhd, its you've got it... you find your dream job, you're fine. If like most people, you find a normal work-a-day job, you're screwed.. because you're expected to focus on something that you can't.
omg YES I found this out the hard way when I kept getting into seemingly "great" career positions and then couldn't perform the ways I wanted to or were expected to. It was hard and really heart-breaking, honestly. But then I started working at little odd jobs that paid less but made me soo happy, and I couldn't believe how much I excelled. Now I'm transitioning out of the cubicle life into education!
Very true, the only way I do it is to see how a job in itself provides for my family and helps me survive. That’s something that I care about and can focus on, There for I am able to focus better than I would be if I was to see my job as a negative. The problem with adhd is your brain is very negative if your not doing what you really want to and if you feed it it will make you spiral into a depression state.
@@alevtinabor3984 It made me finally see my ADHD diagnosis as legitimate and worthy of deeper consideration. It also helped me realize I wanted to work with ADHD kids. Also, I decided to go to therapy to work on my self. I'm now halfway through grad school, on my way to becoming a therapist. ADHD is still a major difficulty but it is also the source of my passion for helping.
Adhd may have downsides, but that doesnt mean its all bad. If we look at the brightside of life then we can always over come the bad things. I practice trying to look at the good things, but never ignoring the bad. I dont know where i was going with that. I think i had a point.
Heard all of that from teachers, and sometimes my parents...I got diagnosed late. (Junior year of high school because I was "gifted" whatever that means.)
@@ErutaniaRose sorry to hear that. I have not been diagnosed yet but I'm get that checked real soon. I only used to hear that stuff from my parents, since they were the one's to allways get mad. I hope for you to have it better in the future
this is literally my mom with add and ive already told her i want to see if i actually have adhd bc i have so much of these symptoms that whenever i see a video whos talking about adhd i immediately relate to it. I have about 12 story ideas for novels, but I haven't even started ONE. I have five discord servers and I barely even talk on there. When my mom is explaining something, I feel like I didn't hear her or didnt understand her so I ask her to repeat it. Once she does, I say "What?" I still don't understand her. Until she yells it and i understand. When I start making noises in class on accident "babababa" "lalalala" and the blowing raspberry, my teacher sometimes yells at me to "Be quiet!" or to "Shut up! Get back to work!" Sometimes in class I just open a bunch of tabs and close them all out, not even paying attention to what my teacher is teaching. whenever i lay down in my bed i just can't sleep. I have so many thoughts on my dog, my fridge noises turning on and off, focused on the fan thats spinning round and round, getting the correct position, thinknig of what my new day tomorrow might be, and before I know it- It's 4 am in the morning and I have 2 hours left for me to sleep. I asked my mom for 4 monitors on my computer, and I just HAVE to have an application open on each one. UA-cam and Spotify (Both has audio on), A game open, Discord, and I'm either drawing or another game is open. I own a twitch channel and I am focusing on that more than my own well being of eating, doing my class work, drinking water, and even going to bed at a normal time. My sleep schedule is through the ROOF. Sometimes at lunch I don't even eat food because I'm either on my phone and drawing, because sometimes I get bored off my phone too quickly and just shut it off, and I start drawing. Then i get bored of drawing so i just fall asleep. Then i get bored of trying to fall asleep then i just sit there staring at the other chair. Lunch time sucks when you're alone. if i get into a game i focus so much on it that i dont even hear my mom saying "Let the dogs outside so they can go use the restroom." and she half of the time yells at me and thinks its just because of my headphones when i dont even have audio on at the time. literally a whole class period i ripped up paper and was more focused on the paper. after class my teacher yelled at me to clean it up when i was already cleaning it up. Heck, I'm even writing this during class because I don't even know what we're talking about and I already lost focus on it. Im more focused on writing this comment LMAO my mom hasnt taken me somewhere to get diagnosed or not and i really do believe i have adhd but i dont want to self diagnosed bc ew self diagnosing bad
ADHD combined with anxiety and perfectionism sucks badly. Also it sucks much more when you get no support from family and when your lack of focus is so bad that you can't even finish high school. And it sucks 10x more when you live in a country where ADHD is barely recognized, and the only medication available is Concerta but only for kids. So how much it sucks greatly depends from your situation.
This hunter gather thing makes so much sense. I find myself daydreaming or fantasying about living life off the land in the wilderness somewhere. Since I was a child. I’ve always felt that it would be a lot easier and less stressful then living in the “real world”
I wasn't made for the British inner city where I've lived my whole life. I think I'd be a lot happier if I just lived by the sea with goats and fished and foraged for my meals...
This made me feel so seen. So heard. Explains soooo many things. A small example: one day in 3rd grade my mom got a call from my teacher, she was concerned I was spending too much time in the bathroom. She wondered if I was sick or skipping 😅 what I was actually doing was reading the essays, appreciating the paintings and work on the hallway walls done by my classmates of the school. I was “distracted” or “time blind”, but my superpower is I notice things other people don’t, and take time to be curious. Fast forward I am really good at traveling, because I read signs other people don’t notice, I can navigate my way through a new place very well. 🎉
That feeling when you are behind on everything, you can't even find the keys, you're already late, you haven't packed the kids school lunch, someone's calling you now about the email you were supposed to respond to yesterday and oops you forgot to put fuel in the car and you just hate yourself, no matter how hard you try it feels like all you do is fail continually letting people down. I've been so so low lately. This video really helped, thank you so much.
or just brushing your teeth going to sleep then waking up in the morning and be productive all this in your brain like if you were watching a moving while in reality it's not happening it's just in your brain you're just standing staring at the wall zoning out or walking with your tooth brush in your hands but taking 30 minutes to finally brush your teeth because executive dysfunction (yes yes that happens to me every night and because of that i go later to bed and take at least 1 hour to prepare myself to go to sleep because i zone out soooo much i dont know how it is even possible. going to bed is extremely anxiety inducing to me so i get it i take so much time) :') adhd really sucks
I am a believer that ADHD doesn’t just make us sensitive to sounds and colors and fast moving objects, but it also grants us the ability to pick up on subtle energetic shifts in people
Tears to my eyes when he mentioned the kids self loathing. I one day want to be in a position to help kids and adults with ADHD. I’m turning 27 soon and have set myself so far back in life constantly changing careers and trying to get in the next best thing and I am finally starting to realize who I am and what this ADHD thing is and by doing so it’s helping me narrow down the next steps in my life. I have been down on myself for not having everything figured out without realizing how smart I truly and and all of us are, if we can just hone in on what we’re good at, we’ll all be successful. 💪🏼
27 he he he, bro here is something you might dig. Flash into some YT vid's about SIGMA men! Then if you want or would like too hit me back with what you think. I think they are ADD ADHD warriors lol. Once I figured out that I was ok with me & I always thought I was, IDK if I was better than everyone but well I kind-a did ha ha ha. Anyway love who you are & try to follow what turns you on i.e. your passions or dreams. Oh I am 60yr old by the way & I would not change the way I am because I love me & my super power!!!!!! WeSaveUs AlwaysFOrward~Godspeed
That’s EXACTLY what I feel .. I haven’t decided yet what to pursue bc I have sooo many passions . But I’m order to work for those positions I need two things: money & discipline. Which I struggle with bc of my adhd. But right now, I do have something I can and will control: my discipline. I need to sit down & face the demons & study one thing at a time so that I can accomplish ✨ we got this !!
Yooooooo. This video is 6yrs old. WHERE MY ADHD people at? 🙋♂️ I’m so glad there’s many more of us out there. I went through a depression thinking I was different. I love all y’all. It is a good thing and now I know how to live with it and I’m a lot happier.
That feeling when so many of your problems especially growing up and going through the school system make sense is the best feeling. I just wish I found out before 23 😅.
Oh ha, that's me 100%, bouncing back, a damage control expert, in the family of 11 where I was the 3rd. I was always on guard to restore the harmony and make things better or good.. It grew into a survival mode as well, for this was my way to earn points for Griffindor, haha!
My 11 year old has ADHD. He does not know it because we live in the woods and he is home schooling. He takes care of dogs, goes outside for a ski, does some school work, plays guitar for 20 minutes and then back outside. He loves fixing motors and making forts and building creatively. He does not enjoy kits or guided projects that come in a box. I can not imagine him not having a wilderness in his backyard to explore, It is is exactly what he needs. I am confident he will be successful. My idea of success is my kids finding joy in their daily life, not having the highest paying job and the biggest toys.
Psychedelics are just an exceptional mental health breakthrough. It's quite fascinating how effective they are against depression and anxiety. Saved my life.
Can you help with the reliable source I would really appreciate it. Many people talk about mushrooms and psychedelics but nobody talks about where to get them. Very hard to get a reliable source here in Australia. Really need!
Yes, dr.sporesss. I have the same experience with anxiety, depression, PTSD and addiction and Mushrooms definitely made a huge huge difference to why am clean today.
I wish they were readily available in my place. Microdosing was my next plan of care for my husband. He is 59 & has so many mental health issues plus probable CTE & a TBI that left him in a coma 8 days. It's too late now I had to get a TPO as he's 6'6 300+ pound homicidal maniac. He's constantly talking about killing someone. He's violent. Anyone reading this Familiar w/ BPD know if it is common for an obsession with violence.
Going to write raw here. I'm 47, having a loving family, manage a job in a high functioning environment, but have suffered my whole life and am only just realizing this is also me. I've tried so hard for so long to hold it together and felt so alone. Salif, your totally natural, honest, delivery with it's moments of self-doubt, was just so genuine, so utterly brave and true. I felt like someone else in the world just spoke every word I have never said. I have tears running down my face because hearing you made me feel heard. Not alone, maybe for the first time.
Adhd comes from hunting and gathering times. Learning this is a total game changer. I mean our reflexes are quick, we are great survivalist, and I wouldn’t want to change that about myself. I never liked rules and I think that comes from knowing there’s more to life. Not just school and work!
Exactly I love that flow state starting in one place ending up in more resonating space but then the chase never end and you need time and effort to be expert in something and creating family and responsibility need some commitment which for my case feels more like a trap.
I really like the "EXACTLY like us " part. Because unironically and surprisingly we really really resemble each other a LOT. More than any people with disorders. I love you guys, try to be strong as for i have been trying desperately too.
Omg! This makes so much sense. My fiance has ADHD and he is SO GOOD at finding wild animals on our hikes. I walk right past them. Cool snakes and frogs, birds, deer. High and low. He misses nothing.
I never considered the hardships of someone with adhd until I started dating someone with adhd. I’m trying educate myself so that I can love my person fairly without misunderstanding how they work. This talk was great I learned a lot! (:
Adhd is one of my biggest struggles. I feel like I’m drowning, like there is something wrong with me, and I feel like such a failure. I’m frustrated at myself because, other kids can do this, they can focus. My brain makes me hate myself. Nothing works and I never feel okay, my brain feels so foggy, and I can’t even go a minute without being off task or losing focus. But hey, yelling at me to focus will help all of that, right? edit- thanks for all your comments :)
Why would you want to be like other kids? You're vastly superior but different you simply need to learn how to harness what makes you different. May I advise walks in the woods.
I am 31 years old and have always struggled with adhd symptoms without realizing what was causing it. I am now realizing I am not alone in this battle. I have never watched a whole video without getting distracted. Until now. Love yourself enough to get the help you need. You are not alone either!
I know this is an old video, but you saved my life today. I was ready for this long battle to be done. I've been fighting this internal battle so long, I couldn't even tell you when we started losing this war. Lord knows even the strongest warriors get tired eventually. Today I was exhausted, Somehow I stumbled across this video and it made me feel like for the first time in my life someone wasn't just saying "Oh I think I have ADHD too" or just trying to make me feel better. Today was the first time I felt like I wasn't alone. I thankyou for that
Never ever give up...you are perfect, I don't know you and I know this comment was months ago but I just wanted to let you know you matter and I know how challenging things might be but I promise you your challenges are also your magic ...theres a flip side to every thing. People say I'm emotional and I translate that to, I'm very caring . You know that feeling when you get unwell with a cold or stomach bug . At the time it's so awful but after a few rounds over the years we know that it won't last, so even though it's terrible in the moment, we know in a few days we will forget we were even unwell. Life is a bit like that too . Sending love , strength and courage always to you !
Relief comes to us unexpectedly in times we need it most. Reading your comment brought me to a time not long ago when I was running in a fight for my life there I found myself out of juice little to no energy left thinking if this is my end ill be facing it head on defiantly. But in what I thought to be my last few moments relief came and relief continues. Keep fighting the good fight! Your not alone your never alone, my brother in arms. I wish you well.
This hit me so hard it felt like I was run over by one or ten trucks. I have ADHD and I didn't even know until this week, and I'm soon 21 years old! My whole life I've struggled so much, wondering why my head was so different from all the others, why I've been alone and excluded most of my life, and lately why I've developed depression and anxiety. Now I know, I finally know after all these years, and this talk feels like it changed my life. Thank you so much for this, you have no idea how much it meant for me to hear these words from a fellow hunting and gathering badass :)
+Alice Nihon Well said! I know I am 46 yrs. old and have been misdiagnosed with Bipolar disorder, MDD, PTSD, Psychosis, etc.....and still have a family dr. that does not "believe" adults have ADD/ADHD even though 3 very prominent psychiatrists say I do! Also where do all the kids with this disorder go, do they all die, if adults do not have this disorder? Really? This is what we still have to deal with! You still have time to get on your desired path I know you can and will as I have 24 yrs. on you before I am finally properly diagnosed and medicated and it is not too late for me so def. not for you!
Angela Stovall Thank you for your kind and inspiring words, I appreciate them a lot! I believe you also can and will overcome your challenges, stay strong and good luck to you my friend! :)
I am really glad that I am not the only one that dicovered it late. I always knew that is something is wrong, I didn't get a diagnosis yet, but that the only thing that I can hold on and the only explanation for my meesed up head (plz don't judge me)
Alice Nihon yeah I'm 20 and I got diagnosed last week! same story.. life has been a big ass struggle, also lot of stress, anxiety, depression, "Why can I not just do this or that, everyone is doing it?!!" I felt a calmness coming over me after the diagnoses.. now I know people around me, school, work will understand, I do not feel alone anymore!
I have attention deficit type, I have great functionality when it comes to creative brainstorming so I can come up with great plans and ideas... but to follow through I'll need a whole pot of coffee.
Skedaren What they don't get is that we find almost everything important unbearably boring. It's not our fault taxes suck, we'll get to it at some point... or some point after. We have other stuff going on ;)
As someone with ADHD: thank you for representing so acuratelly what it means to be a child/adault with ADHD. The resemblance with my experience is mesmerizing... even the "mirror-talk" tactic that I do when feeling overwhelmed/pressured. Thanks for that talk, it really meant a lot to me and to lots of folks here on this incredible Comment Section. Love to you all.
Hey @NathanSmith I am diagnosed ADHD and applying to medical school this summer. How is life in Med school with ADHD? Do you have to take your prescriptions to study?
It's rough at times for sure. Procrastinating just does not work anymore. I mean I've procrastinated and still passed exams, but it's been by narrow margins and full of stress. The best piece of advice I could give is to get with someone early on and try to develop study schedules for blocks so that you can stay on top of material. As we know, ADHD is a disorder of executive functioning so really once we have a plan we can usually implement it to some degree. It's just that the ability to design a reasonable plan is not something we are particularly good at. In terms of medications, yeah I take it to study. I don't like taking it while I'm on clinic though because I think, as Salif said in this talk, that Adderall tends to dull some of my own favorite personal traits. I feel less spontaneous when I'm on my meds, and I think it negatively impacts my interpersonal communication skills. We have strengths though, and don't forget to remind yourself of that! You'll do great. You will face challenges that other people won't, but that's just the nature of the beast unfortunately. Learn about yourself. Learn to navigate your weaknesses and better utilize your strengths. Make the most out of campus resources like counseling centers, even if you don't feel distressed. Use your struggles to help uplift others whenever possible. But most of all, take care of yourself. Medical school is stressful and something like ADHD can exacerbate that at times. But it's also extremely rewarding. Hope this helps!
Nathan Smith- Have you ever been discriminated because other medical professional don't believe in ADHD as a real medical diagnosis. Just wondering. I am in nursing school and have been harassed, discriminated and denied accomidationis.
Yeah I was recently denied accommodations by the USMLE and I'm currently deciding whether or not I should appeal. I wouldn't say I've been discriminated against, but I've certainly had professors and supervisors downplay the effects of my diagnosis. An academic skills counselor I've been working with recently said to me "Nobody gets blamed for their symptoms more often than people with ADHD." Which I've found to be true at times.
I avoided watching this video for months when it came up in the suggestion feed. I thought it was another "ADHD is a superpower" speeches where the speaker says they are glad they have it and only talk about how fantastic it is to be so creative and different, leaving out the struggles, pain and difficulty that comes along with the condition. Boy, was I wrong. I really love the even handedness and intimate honesty Salif had in his talk. He pulled no punches about his struggle, but he still didn't come off as a victim. ADHD is ONE important aspect of a person's overall being. it isn't all bad or all good, but it is real. This talk is definitely valuable addition to the dialogue about ADHD. I had never considered or heard about the hunter/gatherer insight and societal mismatch aspects the way he talked about them. Also, nature stimulating us to use involuntary attention had not occured to me either. As I listened to him explain, it suddenly made sense why some people work better with a tv or some other element that I find distracting. Sometimes music works for me, but sometimes it's a distraction. It depends on my mood, how much rest I got, the task at hand, whether I ate enough that morning, etc., etc. I guess my point is an ADHD diagnosis helps you understand yourself or your loved one, but it doesn't give you a perfectly defined box to place them in and have them completely figured out. I think that's another source of frustration for people who are around an ADHDer and for the ADHDer themselves. *edited for line breaks and a typo*
@@arcims_razor9057 I know people like you exist, but it still fascinates me. Lol TV is quicksand for me! But I can do UA-cam as background if on a small screen (tablet or phone) depending on task at hand and what is playing. Both my teens prefer videos or music while doing schoolwork. One is ADHD, the other is not.
"A literally unstoppable brainstormer" OMG this is perfect I've always struggled to explain what it's like to have ADD/ADHD. This is the best explanation for me. Man this gotta bring me some advantage someday
+Charlotte Roberts I got off track too! Several times! And I watched some of your video's yesterday, you are so much fun to watch! And now I see your comment on this video, what a coincidence! So I just had to say something. Greetings from a total stranger :D
"part of adhd really sucks but i quickly get distracted from them" that killed me. but more seriously the part about suicide really hit me. .. on a side note the statistics on homeless men with adhd substance use disorders are staggering
So sad that kids are entrusted to teachers that cannot understand them and guide them but instead, damage their relation to themselves, and hinder their perspectives.
My last year at school was great. Some of the teachers kicked me out of lectures and didn't let in for like a week because I was constantly late but they didn't mark that I wasn't there. And they would also allow me to take tests. That way I had more than enough time to prepare for the exams. I learned things I needed to learn in my own way and speed. In classes I just wasted my time. They were too boring or too slow to focus. People with ADHD shouldn't be forced to attend lectures they don't like. Just give us the material and the info on what's gonna be in a test. We'll manage on our own.
same for me it started with a parent-teacher conference too. my teacher told my dad that i may have add/adhd & he completely dismissed the idea of it. & being like 12 i didn’t understand what my teacher was saying but as she was describing the symptoms i knew it was me.
We need more ADHD positivity. I romanticize my ADHD. ADHD is edgy and rebellious. ADHDers are leaders and warriors. I will never languish in guilt again. I didn't consent to "ordinary life".
@@truthhurts2180 of the four types of leaders (everyone uses different terms for them) we are the analyzers for the most part although doesn't it affect women differently?
Being able to "hyper focus" on certain tasks, I've never even considered I had anything to do with ADHD. I'm 26, and today, my life finally makes sense. (PS : I've been reading some stuff before I ended up here)
Same! I'm 25 and got diagnosed yesterday. It all makes so much sense now and reading those comments really makes me feel that there are many other people dealing with the same stuff. We all have this brain that functions differently from 'normal' people. I do feel more at ease now I know what it is though.
Have you ever, in explaining yourself to a person who is frustrated with you, explained your thought process so deeply and thoroughly that the frustrated person becomes more frustrated because they aren’t able to comprehend the complexity of your thoughts?
OMG yes!! I get asked how i started the conversation on one topic and ended up on a complete different topic, on a different day time and context but it's all connected in my brain and the second i try to explain that people are like " uh...yk that's not normal thinking right?" like yea i know it's not but there's 15 tabs open in my brain and all of it is interlinked
My son has adhd, teachers always with same complaints. Lack of focus and also they blame him for everything, for instance another kid bothers him and defend himself but he the one gets in trouble because they don't believe him what he says. They think because he has adhd he is the trouble one.
Psychedelic are just an exceptional mental health breakthrough. It's fascinating how effective they are against depression and anxiety...it saved my life
Please does anyone know where I can get them? I put so much on my plate and it really affects my stress and anxiety level. I would love to try shrooms.
I live in Michigan….suffering for awhile now but didnt realize how serious I may have it until recently - probably bc of @self medicating” with alcohol
When he said “any noise or any color” it makes so much sense! I’ve asked my non-adhd loved ones many times if they just focus on what’s specifically happening or what they’re specifically doing or if they constantly are paying attention to everything all at once (and obviously not enough of the attention on the main task) and they always say they just focus on the main task. Meanwhile, I am listening to the air conditioner, the video, reading/typing comments, noticing whats around me, and a million other things all at once.
Well You really wanted to have more attention and your willpower was indeed low -for that- to get the attention the teachers meant, _since you did not want that type of attention_ The words were not wrong, but the meaning was
@@trollconfiavel okay again, it's nothing to do with willpower at all. I personally have ADHD and I can have infinite willpower and determination to focus on something, but my brain just might not let me. Just like someone might have a huge amount of willpower to get pHd but their brain just might not let them because they're smart enough. They had the willpower to try, but their brain didn't let them. That's what it's like.
This is not a fun disorder. But having this disorder in today's society makes me a bonafide rebel. It has led me to places where only badasses go. It's lonely at times but whenever I turn around I see a bigger and bigger following of what looks like people that are climbing right behind me. I will never stop searching for other paths and ways to experience life. The sheep life just ain't for me. Never was and never will be. Here's to this short life which I revel in and to all those who don't know...I came to live, learn, and spread the love. Just you wait until my reign begins....just you wait....until then spread love and you'll receive it.
Jasmin W nootropics are cognitive brain enhancers. I particularly consume dopamine supplements as adhd is mostly caused by a lack of the dopamine chemical. My line of work requires little to no mistakes that can be caused by a lapse of concentration. So sadly I need them.
That feeling you get when suddenly many things about your life that always confused you, all make sense. I have ADHD and I have always had a strong desire to be close to nature and have interests in hunting, exploring and being in the woods. Now I know why, it's kinda eye opening and gives me hope.
I havent had a strong desire to live in nature per say. As id be extremely steessed living on my own due to anxieties. But ive loved fantasy shows abt living in nature. Fae and wild and free. If i xould fly and i adpre wanting to shapeshift so i can roam around the woods and explore hidden places. Roleplaying and creating entire fantasy worlds to explore. Alien worlds. Exploring into space is surprisingly less terrifying? Id lovw to find myself on another planet deep in an alien jungle and see what i can find. Roleplaying qnd art and fanfictions qnd stories tht take me to other realms and dimensions and magick! Nature and clouds qnd trees and breeze and water and ice and snow. And etc. Winter especially always catches my fancy wvery time. So i suppose i do wish and fantasize abt life in nature. Exploring qnd finding the things humans believe qrent real anymore but they rlly just werent looking. Or only wanted to take advantage of it so it stayed hidden. Its...very thrilling
I'm 48, my wife has been telling me for years that my brain works like this. I started reading about and watching videos on ADHD, and am starting to understand the way my brain works. When my wife started to read to me how ADHD brain works, I asked her, "everyone's brain doesn't work like this, she said no...I started to cry because she said she now understood how my brain works. I have felt insecure about myself all my life, I'm starting not to. This video is very enlightening. And I know that if I like something, I hyper-focus, if I don't, I do O.K., but I usually hate the task, job, etc.. Don't ever give up on yourself. Find what you love to do, and do it. Thanks have a great night. We are awesome!!!
Took me 3 times to watch this video and actually hear the whole thing without going off into an activity and not listening. I finally listened to the whole thing through and it’s such a beautifully spoken speech. Thank you :)
I'm a mom of a son with ADHD and felt so guilty and sad within just the first minute because I've said ALL of those things to my son. But, like Salif later mentioned, we say those things in moments of extreme frustration. Therapy is needed not only for the individual with ADHD but for immediate family as well so we can learn better tools and responses for those moments
Z Woods don't beat yourself up over it too much. Having children with ADHD is exhausting. It takes 10 times the energy to get them to finish a task (even just getting teeth brushed!).I said all of these things to my now 25 year old. The worst part is, I myself have severe ADHD. I've known it since I was in my early 20s but it took another 20 years to get an official diagnosis. Because of my own struggles, I am now better able to sympathize with my younger kids' struggles (yes, I am a mom with ADHD raising 3 boys with ADHD. Imagine the perpetual chaos in our household, lol). I know what's going on in their brain...and still, I have a lot of those days where I just lose it. I do see it as a good learning experience for all of us. I find that if I'm honest with them and tell them that I wished I hadn't lost my cool, why I was frustrated and what I will try to do differently next time, it's a good way to teach them how to name emotions and think about what causes meltdowns. Mothering children with ADHD takes a lot of patience and creativity. Hang in there!
Me and mom fought thousands of time in life and I am 33 now, not settled of course. Interesting this is, I learned a month ago that both me and my mom has AHDH.
Literally all of these ADHD Ted Talks have me in tears at some point or another. The stats on harmful behaviour part really got to me - but now that I'm older & actually built up the courage to get a diagnosis, my teenage self and struggles all make sense now, as many other things do too. This guy was really great. Well done, man. Thank you for this.
I was almost in tears when he was shouting at the beginning. I've heard those words all my life. Sadly, not from other people but negative self-talk from my own brain. 😞
The people who do TED Talks spend a very long time preparing. A few weeks to months. A lot attend classes on how to present your info and learn how to talk for 15+ minutes straight without stumbling on words.
It's not that ADHD people aren't able to focus. If something catches their attention very deep inside (often unvoluntary) they can quite easily hyperfocus. The best feeling in the world!
Ability to do a presentation is dependent on personality and experience just like population at large I reckon. From my experience where us ADHD people have a major disadvantage is leaving prep until the last minute even when we know it’s an important talk. When it stills goes well I love my “super power” when it fails due to inadequate prep it’s the worst.
@@SC-xi9to My only issue would be the anxiety I'd get just thinking about being on that stage in front of people. People ask me if I could talk about a passion for 10 minutes. Of course I can. It's all I talk about. Now, doing that in front of more than 1 person? Ha!
09:38 Gets me every time. No matter how much we can identify the strengths, feeling out of kilter with everyone else around us really hurts. Yet there must be a reason that we are here and growing in numbers...we are here for the greater good, I think? Thank you Salif, your courage to show up and not hide your vulnerability is one of the most raw, honest things I have seen on UA-cam.
As someone living with ADHD, I really appreciate your talk. It is so hard becuase you think differently and often your ideas seem like choas to others.
I have never related more to someone until he said that he was up all night thinking about how he had a lot of stuff he knew he should be doing but literally couldn't focus on it
This is great. I'm so thankful for this talk. I've been on the verge of suicidal ideation again, because my ADHD makes me feel so useless at work and school, like I should be more capable by my age. This talk really gave me some reassurance.
Wow! The intro sounds just like what my mom has gone through all her life, and she’s 76. She IS smart, and DOES think. I’m so glad someone has explained it so well. ADHD is just being from a previous period in evolution. Autism is being from the future, or an “alien,” as my partner affectionately calls me. Of course, that’s simplistic. The overall issue is not being like most people.
This and a Forbes article saved my life a few years back! In 2015 I was around 17 years old and was struggling with high school and all the school’s, parents’, environment expectations of the « final and decisive exam » that I had no interest in whatsoever. I had been struggling with focus, and whenever I had looked up ADHD online ( because I was obsessed & hyper focused with googling that ) I found answers that would go like : you will always struggle and it’s not your fault etc. And I believed it and started acting like it... it’s not my fault, it’s ADHD, and I will just become a failure because I can’t focus. But then I saw this video and this Forbes article saying : ADHD is the Entrepreneur’s superpower. Since that day everything changed... literally. I started 13 different projects, struggled every time, learned after every failure until at 21 things started to work out with my agency... and now at 22 I started a brand called « ADHDoers » to share the same message as this video because there are MILLIONS & MILLIONS struggling and who were in the same position as I was in thinking they’re gonna be a failure, while all they needed is a message like the one in the video to show them their brain is WIRED DIFFERENTLY, find the system in which it’s gonna thrive, don’t follow the crowd. So again, thank you thank you thank you, without you, my brand ( and my youtube channel ) wouldn’t have existed, as well as my agency.... That’s some real butterfly effect!
I struggled in school constantly and didn't get Diagnosed till my Junior Year of high school. I spent most of my time writing, drawing, or messing around with music during class (aka, ignoring the actual class, but managing to just pass) and now I am publishing my writing for $$$. I hope I can make a difference and not be broke.
Watching this ted talk again, about 6~7 years later... I think this may've been what saved my life... My current perspective is still very similar to what's been told here and I actually mentioned this ted talk as a reference in the philosophical approach to ADHD I wrote back in the day - I think this has been a key part in what made me accept myself
Not sure if you’ve ever seen Umbrella Academy, but the series came to mind while reading your comment. SPOILER: Vanya is told for years that she’s not special like the rest of her siblings, yet once she discovers she has powers, albeit deadly, powerful, and erratic at first, she also learns how to maneuver them and use them for good. This reminds of undiagnosed and untreated ADHD. How can we use our powers if we don’t know they exist and we don’t know how to play to our strengths? After years of self-doubt and self-blame caused by our ADHD, it can be hard to know to how to play to our strengths (or to even acknowledge they exist) and to form healthier habits of managing our shortcomings. With time, practice, and patience with ourselves, I believe we can do it! Thank you for your comment!
Nah, as a person with ADHD, I honestly hate calling it a superpower. Yes it’s pretty cool sometimes, and I like that I view the world differently than neurotypicals, but calling it a superpower kind of erases the struggles it brings too. It’s not a disease or a curse buts it’s not a blessing either. We need to start viewing it through a more neutral lense, as just another part of us, rather than either glorifying, delegitimising or demonising it. Otherwise we just end up making life worse for ADHD people by refusing to acknowledge their needs.
ADHD: OOOO!~ Art project where I can literally do anything I want without restriction and I have an entire month to finish it! Also ADHD: This essay that's due tomorrow about the summerization of an entire 4,000 page dictionary and the cultivation of the english language? Nah, I'mmma go eat some gummy worms, my dude. OOO~ the second book in that series I'm reading came out today- wait what do you mean my favorite TV show is having their series finale right now!? Oh my god, I've always wanted to try baking my own gourmet snacks, but wait! What if I made oragami art for my fri- oooo~ Colorful UA-cam Thumbnail with something I like on it.
Science class: This is the most intricate piece of machinery anyone has ever made in this class. And it travels through time? This is astounding! You're going to win a Nobel Prize for this! English class: What you’ve just said is one of the most insanely idiotic things I have ever heard. At no point in your rambling, incoherent response were you even close to anything that could be considered a rational thought. Everyone in this room is now dumber for having listened to it. I award you no points, and may God have mercy on your soul.
8 years old Ted talk, and still heavily impactful for late diagnosed inattentives like me. Thank you for helping me see the super powers of my brain in a world that seems committed to telling me they are deficits. Distracted? No - willfully curious. Emotional? No - authentic passion. Forgetful? No - I am resilient and adaptive.
"PAY ATTENTION!" I had already switched tabs and got so scared lmao
I always feel called out by that even when I’m not supposed to be doing anything else. It just shows how used to being distracted we are
ME TOO AHAHHAHAH
Sparked too many memories of my parents and teachers, put me in flight mode
dude.... i was already three scrolls into instagram XD
Hahaha, I was already simultaneously watching another video on my cellphone....
I always used to hear “you have soooooo much potential”
Adam Benabdeljalil I’m still sick of hearing this phrase ... every phase and aspect of my life...
I get, if you can focus on something you like, you could go so far.
Easier said then done for me
I heard this a lot in school too when I was in Jamaica
Every single teacher I've ever had:
YoU hAvE SoOoO mUcH pOtEnTiAl
Every report card growing up: "Has Potential." After a while I was like "for what? To be a turkey?"
The fact that someone with ADHD is doing a tedtalk gives me a lot of hope.
Yup, same goes for the jessica did. She has a youtube channel called HOW TO ADHD. It's superb!
Same!
There’s an incredible amount of ADHD artists, musicians, actors, athletes, comedians. All kinds of other things. I’m a professional musician now myself.
There are several good ones!
Some people use ADHD like it's a gift.
One of my biggest struggles with adhd and its executive dysfunction, is initialization of tasks. When you start beating on yourself, mentally and physically, because you just can't start the task and each idea or impulse wants to pull you away and you are just paralyzed it feels like you're powerless. Like something is wrong with you. The self harm part is real. If you know someone who struggles with ADHD, make sure you check on them before you remind them what they struggle with.
I've been literally feeling like that my whole life. And I'm just so glad I'm not the only one who feels this way. I'm so tired of being called lazy or slow.
one thing that helps me is listening to motivation speech or watching fighting videos that makes me wanna do everything, but without that ill just let it for other time Sad lief
Played this video to my clients at our IRTS (Intensive Residential Treatment Facility) today for group and they absolutely love the video. Really appreciate this one.
You literally said that perfectly
I need help
"why dont u remember that we just talked abt it" hurts me on a spiritual level
I know the feeling
lmao yes.
when your on auto pilot mode and have to read this comment 6 times to actually understand it😂
@@amelxa.liz4 this is true, very , VERY true
Hmmm
“It’s NOT laziness. And it’s NOT going away.” Really hit hard.
That’s so true, I feel so lazy at times but at times I’m so productive very quickly to others and I think I’m productive
maybe not for all
1K 👍🏾
So I just need to get on trt or meth got it 😂
That was so Right on !!!
When you try to watch a video about ADHD but then get distracted reading the comments during the whole video
I sat there and found myself mindlessly staring at a cushion on the other couch.
*Every single time*
and also looking at the recommended videos lol
Hehehe so relatable xd
We are on the same boat I guess
The way he opened this talk, the rage and shame directed towards people with ADHD is why I have had suicidal ideations since the age of 8. We start to direct those same words at ourselves after a while. I didn’t get diagnosed until I was 26 and no anti-depressants worked for me, because I didn’t have depression, I was depressed because of my ADHD and how I was treated because of it.
❤
🌻
Take this love ❤️
26 with ADHD 👊
It really resonated with me, I have memories dating back to elementary. I had this teacher totally break down and scream at me for accidentally rereading the same line 4 times. And I used to get in trouble for daydreaming as well. Managed A’s and B’s but at the end of the day its always “she needs to pick up the pace”
It seems you have dealt with neglect or abuse whether it be first hand or witnessing it. You aren’t alone in that. People pleasing attitudes contribute highly to suicide ideations because you don’t know how to live for yourself and don’t realize that it’s perfectly ok to just exist in the here and now that you’re worthy of doing just that, finding pleasure of the senses that is just for yourself. Always thinking something needs to be fixed or done is the common intrusive thought for both people with ADHD (or any anxiety disorder) and people who come from unstable backgrounds! Take care and thanks for sharing 😊
We're gonna be super valuable whenever the apocalypse finally starts.
Dude this will sound dark but I've fantasized so many times about living in the apocalypse. I feel like I would be a lot more useful than in regular life lmao
Guess who already had bags of non-perishable food, first aid kits torch lights and batteries stacked up before the pandemic began 😂😂😂🙋🏿♀️
I'll buy the guns.Let's protect humanity from inhumanity my brother and sisters.
@@sickmorbidfuc3060 saaaaame
i love this comment so much
“why can't you focus” “ what do you mean you forgot” “you have so much potential” “you are just lazy” the story of my whole god damn life.
Heard that alot and it makes me cry to think of all the hardships i went through in my life because of adhd
this intro is what kept me watching. i laughed because that is one of my awkward releases. but it hit the bullseye spot on.
It's insane the amount of times i've head this words in my childhood. I'll never forget, they haunt me.
So sorry. As a mom of a young man with ADHD, I wish I had known all of this when he was younger. I have always stuck up for him but did not know the extent of what he was going through.
same
"I don't have to TRY to pursue my passions - that's all I CAN pursue." This hit me in the GUT. In tears... good tears. So validating.
Share your knowledge from the aether in which you have come back from, we enjoy feeding on information.
Same. Literally same.
Me too sister me too🙏
Same and I really needed to see this video.
I currently live in my car because i found that i could no longer work jobs that were not what i wanted to do and i felt like a higher power was keeping it from happening to. I decided to take a huge financial sacrifice and move to Houston to live in my car and start doing things i enjoy to make money.
I went from being really poor, only getting $20/week on average from random people I'd run into asking about my situation, to making roughly $300/mo doing what i enjoy, making UA-cam videos and doing call sessions. Still not a lot but i was starving at one point but now i can buy food. I'm very grateful.
The journey is hard but worth it. I'd pick this any day over stressing about living in a house and working a job i hate.
LITERALLY
Coming from a person with severe adhd I teared up from this cause I just wish people would understand and treat me like he explained.
I was literally crying half way through cause it hurts so much sometimes that if you don’t know you will never be able to know
I laughed at the similarities, laughed with him all the way. I learned to be happy even love my super powers. What I also see is that the SIGMA male maybe really just ADHD or ADD driven because the traits line up & present in a positive way! Love who you are, its not others fault you have SUPER POWERS. Just learn to be humble as possible.........lol yup!
Make sense?
AlwaysForward~Godspeed
Are there grading mild to severe ?
@@cameltube-vk7elyes I laughed the whole time too, definitely almost teared up but this video was perfect start to finish. He touched so many topics so well.
I have adhd... man I can walk in a circle for 30 min and just looking around and not get bored
😂😂😂😂💯
Factsssss
I do this every single day. I just walk around for about 20 minutes listening to music and my parents think I’m exercising. LMAO. It actually physically pains to sit still for too long
An habit of mine is walk in circles eating an apple.
YES there is literally one hallway in my house where I can pace back and forth for hours and it's the best
Hello person with adhd scrolling through the comments
Whats going on?
i regret changing my name!!
Hi
I feel attacked
Oddtorium Leviathan Omg yes
Whassup?
I cry every time I see someone speak that actually understands what it's like to have ADHD.
Same
The first ten seconds of this video hit mah soul
weeping while reading this
Same
Facts in tears
Salif, UA-cam states that this video was posted 7 years ago. I hope you can see this one day but TODAY (in 2023) you changed my life and my kids' lives in which we all suffer of ADHD. I cried, I smiled and I reflected in the moments when we all felt frustrated, depressed and alone. THANK YOU wherever you are. Thank you.
Same, turning 43 this year 2024 (excluding the kids). Somehow COVID escalated my usual function into a real struggle. Listened to this today, which was an amazing day, productive and success on the brink of starting a little nursery - well more like a plant supplier :D
Oh wow! It’s like you took the thoughts right from my brain! My perspective has changed so much after this.. I have always thought I had adhd and now I know I do, as well as my youngest and I swear my mom does too but she won’t hear anything about it lol I didn’t realize how long ago this was .. but he reminds me SO much of my youngest! And I hate that our adhd clashes with each others so we end up struggling a lot .. but we’re learning ! And I am trying my very best esp being a single parent … life is hard!
Someone summarize this for me cuz I obviously can't focus and sit through this video.
Before I was diagnosed with ADHD, I tried getting my parents to understand my difficulty but they often disregarded it as me being lazy and not working hard enough (which to be fair, I hardly got any work done). They claimed that I couldn't have ADHD because when I was young I could memorize complete scenes from movies or books and I've always been able to remember song lyrics almost immediately. They couldn't understand that when something was interesting or enjoyable my mind became completely wired to it. He is absolutely right when he says that ADHD can result in hyper focus.
When I was young, I was borrowing books from library all the times. I could take only five at a time. And I got really fixated on Harry Potter. I wasn't super fan of HP's universe, I just liked setting and how it was written. So, I took 5 books, read them really fast, then returned them and took last 2. Read them. Returned. Took first 5 again... Overall, I finished the entire HP book cycle 14 times in a row during two months. I could remember any scene from these books and citate some. Then I lost interest. Now I can't remember anything from HP and I don't want to xd
Also, even earlier, I got fixated on Erin Hunter's Warrior Cats. At that moment, there were 24 books published. Now, to be fair, their books aren't particularly hard to read neither they are long. Also, I was sick at the moment and didn't go to school, so i could dedicate all my time to reading (literally, from waking up to going to sleep). I finished all 24 in six days.
Even when i wasn't focused on any particular franchise, I just consumed books. I even got to the hospital because of that - I was reading so much and so fast that I had constant headache which couldn't be rid off by meds. There my doctor noticed that every morning I had a different book in my hand (because I kept current one under my pillow to start reading as soon as I wake up). Then, she said to my mom that my headaches were caused by excessive information (uhhh, I don't remember what exactly she said, I never remember what my doctors say to me :p) and that she should limit my reading time xd After that I was reading less (and playing video games more hehe).
Since then I got a lot worse, I can't concentrate on text, even if I like the book. I almost completely stopped reading. Sometimes I try, but abandon in the middle. The same with video games, even though I love video games and have some interest in game development (not that I want or think that I can be a game dev, I just like learning about working cycle). I buy games and never play them.
Timeless Spell I know how you feel. It’s like I always plan to do things and never get around to it. I start a lot of things I want to do but rarely finish
i havent been diagnosed but recently my friend who just got diagnosed pointed out that she felt I could be showing symptoms so I did lots of research and lots of online quizzes and feel very strongly that I do have adhd as I have all the symptoms but my mum doesnt take it seriously and wont take me to the doctor to even have it checked out as a possibility
Ruby Hooley
next time you go to the doctor for anything (to get the physical or any other appointment) tell them whats on your mind and to give you a referral.
I wanna get checked out for adhd too, I don’t know when though.
But something like that happened with my asthma. I always coughed and experienced asthma symptoms every time I ran (mostly the schools pacer tests) but nobody told me or say anything about it until sophomore-junior year.
My NJROTC instructor told me he recognized the symptoms because he has them and that I should get checked out. And I told my mom and she was like “nahh, you dont have that” and I kept telling her that I needed to get tested and she still didnt pay attention. Until one day, she made an appointment and turns out I have had asthma all this time🤦🏻♀️ she sometimes even implies that I dont have it and I just look at her like wtfffff!!!!
I mean, we’re dominicans and mostly in our culture illnesses and such are not seeing as serious so I get where her views come from, but it just makes everything harder for everyone🤦🏻♀️🤦🏻♀️
I'm a parent of a child you just described... Any tips for me raising my 8 yr old?
Yo, stop reading the comments, you're missing a great talk !
...the perfect comment for those of us with inattentive type - hahahaha!
Alright
No!!
HAHAHA coming for my life
Thank you for reminding that😅
Me when I'm hyperfocusing: I can do literally anything. I'm going to get a Ph.D and become a therapist! I'm going to go to Harvard!
Me 0.02 seconds after my hyperfocus fades: I mean, sheep farming in Mongolia doesn't sound half bad tbh
I’ve literally thought of becoming a sheep farmer as well lmfaooo
Me in med school thinking of dropping out and becoming a tibetan monk lol 😂
i literally just went through a week where i was spending hours a day studying german, and now this week i've been planning my future as an alpaca farmer, how'd you know??
I wanted to be an alpaca farmer lol
LOL YES!!!
‘the stress of not being able to function in an enviroment, for which youre not adapted, while expected to, is heavy. ‘
absolutely brilliant 💕
This is the line that got he bigtime. Heavy is an understatement.
As someone with ADHD, that was beautiful. " I don’t have to try to pursue my passion, that’s all I can pursue" Thank you Salif!
POWER PHYSIQUE righttt
Well that explains why I never thought I couldn't do anything else expect for studying medicine everthing else seemed so boring, so I kept pushing myself when I failed my medschool entrance twice and then the third time I got in and I think it was hyperfocus and luck but things became so hard after I got in cause adhd traits doens't work in medschool.
@@rayray2528 So weird to come across this comment now, but can you tell me a little more about your experience in Med School with ADHD? Ive been hyperfocusing on medicine for all of my damn life and nothing else seems worthwhile, like what you described. But its been a tough road for me and I'm still not accepted into Med School atm either. I don't know what else to do lol
Hearing him say that validated so many of my experiences! Pursuing my passion isn't a choice, it's all I can do. At the end of the day that may be what saves me from mediocrity and drudgery.
@@Joey-JazzB What about becoming a paramedic? It's two years of school, pays decent, and lots of ADHDers do well in emergency services.
I have ADHD, yet I was able to watch this without being distracted, because the message was so fascinating and strong.
Your gift of that disorder is hyper focus 😀
Same
I had to watch it in 3 parts
5 parts now..
Well I am in the comments section because the video was boing me. So, f me am I right?
the problem with adhd, its you've got it... you find your dream job, you're fine. If like most people, you find a normal work-a-day job, you're screwed.. because you're expected to focus on something that you can't.
GeoffAAA true!
Exactly! Being a fitness trainer/coach allows me to stay focused and be active at the same time
omg YES I found this out the hard way when I kept getting into seemingly "great" career positions and then couldn't perform the ways I wanted to or were expected to. It was hard and really heart-breaking, honestly. But then I started working at little odd jobs that paid less but made me soo happy, and I couldn't believe how much I excelled. Now I'm transitioning out of the cubicle life into education!
Nailed it.
Very true, the only way I do it is to see how a job in itself provides for my family and helps me survive. That’s something that I care about and can focus on, There for I am able to focus better than I would be if I was to see my job as a negative. The problem with adhd is your brain is very negative if your not doing what you really want to and if you feed it it will make you spiral into a depression state.
Six years ago, this video set me on a course that changed my life. Thank you, Salif.
How did you change it, though?
@@alevtinabor3984 It made me finally see my ADHD diagnosis as legitimate and worthy of deeper consideration. It also helped me realize I wanted to work with ADHD kids. Also, I decided to go to therapy to work on my self. I'm now halfway through grad school, on my way to becoming a therapist. ADHD is still a major difficulty but it is also the source of my passion for helping.
I think this video just changed my life too
@@alevtinabor3984 self acceptance. You’re not the problem, the world is over regulating us.
I hate being called lazy or a day dreamer. But sometimes, when I find something I like, I can just jump in for hours. THAT, is awesome.
Adhd may have downsides, but that doesnt mean its all bad. If we look at the brightside of life then we can always over come the bad things. I practice trying to look at the good things, but never ignoring the bad. I dont know where i was going with that. I think i had a point.
I call this soul activities
"oh thats a cool chess puzzle"
3 hrs later:
what
"FOCUS!" "Do you even think?!" "How could you forget that?!"
Hmm i think i already heard those words.
I've heard these three at least 50 times in my young life. They were hurtful lol.
Heard all of that from teachers, and sometimes my parents...I got diagnosed late. (Junior year of high school because I was "gifted" whatever that means.)
@@ErutaniaRose sorry to hear that. I have not been diagnosed yet but I'm get that checked real soon. I only used to hear that stuff from my parents, since they were the one's to allways get mad. I hope for you to have it better in the future
Hmmmmmmmmm. Me as well my dude 0-o
this is literally my mom with add and ive already told her i want to see if i actually have adhd bc i have so much of these symptoms that whenever i see a video whos talking about adhd i immediately relate to it. I have about 12 story ideas for novels, but I haven't even started ONE. I have five discord servers and I barely even talk on there. When my mom is explaining something, I feel like I didn't hear her or didnt understand her so I ask her to repeat it. Once she does, I say "What?" I still don't understand her. Until she yells it and i understand. When I start making noises in class on accident "babababa" "lalalala" and the blowing raspberry, my teacher sometimes yells at me to "Be quiet!" or to "Shut up! Get back to work!" Sometimes in class I just open a bunch of tabs and close them all out, not even paying attention to what my teacher is teaching. whenever i lay down in my bed i just can't sleep. I have so many thoughts on my dog, my fridge noises turning on and off, focused on the fan thats spinning round and round, getting the correct position, thinknig of what my new day tomorrow might be, and before I know it- It's 4 am in the morning and I have 2 hours left for me to sleep. I asked my mom for 4 monitors on my computer, and I just HAVE to have an application open on each one. UA-cam and Spotify (Both has audio on), A game open, Discord, and I'm either drawing or another game is open. I own a twitch channel and I am focusing on that more than my own well being of eating, doing my class work, drinking water, and even going to bed at a normal time. My sleep schedule is through the ROOF. Sometimes at lunch I don't even eat food because I'm either on my phone and drawing, because sometimes I get bored off my phone too quickly and just shut it off, and I start drawing. Then i get bored of drawing so i just fall asleep. Then i get bored of trying to fall asleep then i just sit there staring at the other chair. Lunch time sucks when you're alone. if i get into a game i focus so much on it that i dont even hear my mom saying "Let the dogs outside so they can go use the restroom." and she half of the time yells at me and thinks its just because of my headphones when i dont even have audio on at the time. literally a whole class period i ripped up paper and was more focused on the paper. after class my teacher yelled at me to clean it up when i was already cleaning it up. Heck, I'm even writing this during class because I don't even know what we're talking about and I already lost focus on it. Im more focused on writing this comment LMAO my mom hasnt taken me somewhere to get diagnosed or not and i really do believe i have adhd but i dont want to self diagnosed bc ew self diagnosing bad
ADHD combined with anxiety and perfectionism sucks badly. Also it sucks much more when you get no support from family and when your lack of focus is so bad that you can't even finish high school. And it sucks 10x more when you live in a country where ADHD is barely recognized, and the only medication available is Concerta but only for kids.
So how much it sucks greatly depends from your situation.
Look up Dr russel barkleys lectures on treating adhd its probably the cause of your anxiety.
Agreed 100%.
Adhd and bi pollor
What country do you luve in
@@romanbellicc7221 i think he is from Serbia since his name is Milos. Where are you from? Im from Slovenia.
"My passion is authentic " this line right here. ❤ It is so true
anxiety once kept us from being eaten by beasts, now it makes it hard for me to order food on the phone
I dont feel evolved
I experienced this today
BRO EVERY TIME! I put in the order with everything and then 3 hours later realize I'm starving and didn't place my order yet.
Can relate.
@Hindsight I got you, I can cook a little bit.
Make your own food 😁
I can almost guarantee he came up with this last minute. That’s an ADHD superpower 😂😂😂
Truth! I cant even count how many research papers and projects..Aced!
I wrote my big BSc literature review the last week before deadline while working part-time... Yeah, a hunter-gatherer BADASS! ... *sobs*
NAILED IT.
Better yet he improvised while going along 🤣🤣
Winging it is a superpower
This hunter gather thing makes so much sense. I find myself daydreaming or fantasying about living life off the land in the wilderness somewhere. Since I was a child. I’ve always felt that it would be a lot easier and less stressful then living in the “real world”
@Letia James. Go for it, girl 😍👍🌸🌼 The natural world IS the real world. I feel the same.
Duuuuude saaaame I'll lay there going how would survive what would I do first
Same
I wasn't made for the British inner city where I've lived my whole life. I think I'd be a lot happier if I just lived by the sea with goats and fished and foraged for my meals...
Yes 🙌🏼 totally
This made me feel so seen. So heard. Explains soooo many things.
A small example: one day in 3rd grade my mom got a call from my teacher, she was concerned I was spending too much time in the bathroom. She wondered if I was sick or skipping 😅 what I was actually doing was reading the essays, appreciating the paintings and work on the hallway walls done by my classmates of the school. I was “distracted” or “time blind”, but my superpower is I notice things other people don’t, and take time to be curious. Fast forward I am really good at traveling, because I read signs other people don’t notice, I can navigate my way through a new place very well. 🎉
Love this for you❤🫶🏽
That feeling when you are behind on everything, you can't even find the keys, you're already late, you haven't packed the kids school lunch, someone's calling you now about the email you were supposed to respond to yesterday and oops you forgot to put fuel in the car and you just hate yourself, no matter how hard you try it feels like all you do is fail continually letting people down. I've been so so low lately. This video really helped, thank you so much.
I felt this
Yep sounds familiar
Too real. And I don't even have kids. Doing activism and working collaboratively is hard enough.
me to man me to
You all are amazing! remember that!
Also ADHD makes it extremely difficult to remember simple human habits like brushing your teeth.
This is true, or I'll lay in my bed knowing I need to brush my teeth and then just going to sleep because I was too tired.
This. I literally forget. I sometimes forget to even eat or shower just because my mind drifts to smth else mid-way
or just brushing your teeth going to sleep then waking up in the morning and be productive all this in your brain like if you were watching a moving while in reality it's not happening it's just in your brain you're just standing staring at the wall zoning out or walking with your tooth brush in your hands but taking 30 minutes to finally brush your teeth because executive dysfunction (yes yes that happens to me every night and because of that i go later to bed and take at least 1 hour to prepare myself to go to sleep because i zone out soooo much i dont know how it is even possible. going to bed is extremely anxiety inducing to me so i get it i take so much time) :') adhd really sucks
Damn, you made me remember that I need to brush my teeth, and wash my face.... hmm...
@@hotwireyouth4544 you're just lazy then
I am a believer that ADHD doesn’t just make us sensitive to sounds and colors and fast moving objects, but it also grants us the ability to pick up on subtle energetic shifts in people
Makes sense.
100%
Research "polyvagal theory" and "attunement and adhd" especially by Dr Gabor Mate
Absolutely agree.
Oh big facts!
Tears to my eyes when he mentioned the kids self loathing. I one day want to be in a position to help kids and adults with ADHD. I’m turning 27 soon and have set myself so far back in life constantly changing careers and trying to get in the next best thing and I am finally starting to realize who I am and what this ADHD thing is and by doing so it’s helping me narrow down the next steps in my life. I have been down on myself for not having everything figured out without realizing how smart I truly and and all of us are, if we can just hone in on what we’re good at, we’ll all be successful. 💪🏼
27 he he he, bro here is something you might dig. Flash into some YT vid's about SIGMA men! Then if you want or would like too hit me back with what you think. I think they are ADD ADHD warriors lol. Once I figured out that I was ok with me & I always thought I was, IDK if I was better than everyone but well I kind-a did ha ha ha. Anyway love who you are & try to follow what turns you on i.e. your passions or dreams. Oh I am 60yr old by the way & I would not change the way I am because I love me & my super power!!!!!!
WeSaveUs
AlwaysFOrward~Godspeed
That’s EXACTLY what I feel .. I haven’t decided yet what to pursue bc I have sooo many passions . But I’m order to work for those positions I need two things: money & discipline. Which I struggle with bc of my adhd. But right now, I do have something I can and will control: my discipline. I need to sit down & face the demons & study one thing at a time so that I can accomplish ✨ we got this !!
Yooooooo. This video is 6yrs old. WHERE MY ADHD people at? 🙋♂️
I’m so glad there’s many more of us out there. I went through a depression thinking I was different. I love all y’all. It is a good thing and now I know how to live with it and I’m a lot happier.
I get the negative thought loop feels
We love you 2
diagnosed a few months ago at 27 aswell as ASD. we’re not alone!
That feeling when so many of your problems especially growing up and going through the school system make sense is the best feeling. I just wish I found out before 23 😅.
I wish I found out at before 23. Still trying to learn more about it but my whole life is making more and more sense the more I learn
"You learn to bounce back from the consequences quickly and creatively, I'm kind of a damage control expert."
This couldn't be more accurate!
Oh ha, that's me 100%, bouncing back, a damage control expert, in the family of 11 where I was the 3rd. I was always on guard to restore the harmony and make things better or good..
It grew into a survival mode as well, for this was my way to earn points for Griffindor, haha!
Nailed it.
My 11 year old has ADHD. He does not know it because we live in the woods and he is home schooling. He takes care of dogs, goes outside for a ski, does some school work, plays guitar for 20 minutes and then back outside. He loves fixing motors and making forts and building creatively. He does not enjoy kits or guided projects that come in a box. I can not imagine him not having a wilderness in his backyard to explore, It is is exactly what he needs. I am confident he will be successful. My idea of success is my kids finding joy in their daily life, not having the highest paying job and the biggest toys.
you are a great parent
Wish my parents knew about this & I could do something about my condition. Your son is lucky to have you as a parent.
❤❤
Well im already 30 but do u wanna adopt me? :D
Sounds like a normal kiddo, years ago 😊
Psychedelics are just an exceptional mental health breakthrough. It's quite fascinating how effective they are against depression and anxiety. Saved my life.
Can you help with the reliable source I would really appreciate it. Many people talk about mushrooms and psychedelics but nobody talks about where to get them. Very hard to get a reliable source here in Australia. Really need!
Yes, dr.sporesss. I have the same experience with anxiety, depression, PTSD and addiction and Mushrooms definitely made a huge huge difference to why am clean today.
I wish they were readily available in my place.
Microdosing was my next plan of care for my husband. He is 59 & has so many mental health issues plus probable CTE & a TBI that left him in a coma 8 days. It's too late now I had to get a TPO as he's 6'6 300+ pound homicidal maniac.
He's constantly talking about killing someone.
He's violent. Anyone reading this Familiar w/ BPD know if it is common for an obsession with violence.
Is he on instagram?
Yes he is. dr.sporesss
Going to write raw here. I'm 47, having a loving family, manage a job in a high functioning environment, but have suffered my whole life and am only just realizing this is also me. I've tried so hard for so long to hold it together and felt so alone. Salif, your totally natural, honest, delivery with it's moments of self-doubt, was just so genuine, so utterly brave and true. I felt like someone else in the world just spoke every word I have never said. I have tears running down my face because hearing you made me feel heard. Not alone, maybe for the first time.
!!!!
It's an amazing revelation, I'm so glad you got to experience it ♡
I'm 48 and was diagnosed in my mid 30's. --- the hardest thing for me is finding friends and maintaining relationships on all levels
Not alone❤️❤️❤️❤️
I just realized it's been a year and that folks have replied here - not alone, thank-you :)
It is comforting to know there are others out there who are EXACTLY like us, living in a world that says we are NOT OK... But we are.
Adhd comes from hunting and gathering times. Learning this is a total game changer. I mean our reflexes are quick, we are great survivalist, and I wouldn’t want to change that about myself. I never liked rules and I think that comes from knowing there’s more to life. Not just school and work!
@@Truther1903 Word. 😁
They hyperfocus on our ADHD faults. They are dealing with their own struggles. And they are inadvertently sharing it with us.
Exactly I love that flow state starting in one place ending up in more resonating space but then the chase never end and you need time and effort to be expert in something and creating family and responsibility need some commitment which for my case feels more like a trap.
I really like the "EXACTLY like us " part. Because unironically and surprisingly we really really resemble each other a LOT. More than any people with disorders. I love you guys, try to be strong as for i have been trying desperately too.
“Ask them what they are thinking about” was really powerful
Omg! This makes so much sense.
My fiance has ADHD and he is SO GOOD at finding wild animals on our hikes. I walk right past them. Cool snakes and frogs, birds, deer. High and low. He misses nothing.
“I don’t have to TRY to pursue my passions. It’s all I CAN pursue.” -Realest quote I’ve ever heard.
Facts
I never considered the hardships of someone with adhd until I started dating someone with adhd. I’m trying educate myself so that I can love my person fairly without misunderstanding how they work. This talk was great I learned a lot! (:
As someone with ADHD, I have a huge respect for you.
Wish I had a girl like you who was understanding
That's very thoughtful of you!
My husband is diagnosed with ADHD and my son may have it so I’m trying to learn how to work with it.
thank you for being the wonderful caring being you are* your efforts in learning will not go unnoticed~ its the little things.
Adhd is one of my biggest struggles. I feel like I’m drowning, like there is something wrong with me, and I feel like such a failure. I’m frustrated at myself because, other kids can do this, they can focus. My brain makes me hate myself. Nothing works and I never feel okay, my brain feels so foggy, and I can’t even go a minute without being off task or losing focus.
But hey, yelling at me to focus will help all of that, right?
edit- thanks for all your comments :)
I'm supposed to be drawing. I'm procrastinating instead of procrastinating.
There’s no easy answer :( Having supportive, informed people around you helps so, so much.
I felt this one in my heart. I can't say anything else than you're not alone
kids? damn I'm 30 plus
Why would you want to be like other kids? You're vastly superior but different you simply need to learn how to harness what makes you different. May I advise walks in the woods.
I am 31 years old and have always struggled with adhd symptoms without realizing what was causing it. I am now realizing I am not alone in this battle. I have never watched a whole video without getting distracted. Until now. Love yourself enough to get the help you need. You are not alone either!
I know this is an old video, but you saved my life today. I was ready for this long battle to be done. I've been fighting this internal battle so long, I couldn't even tell you when we started losing this war. Lord knows even the strongest warriors get tired eventually. Today I was exhausted, Somehow I stumbled across this video and it made me feel like for the first time in my life someone wasn't just saying "Oh I think I have ADHD too" or just trying to make me feel better. Today was the first time I felt like I wasn't alone. I thankyou for that
Never ever give up...you are perfect, I don't know you and I know this comment was months ago but I just wanted to let you know you matter and I know how challenging things might be but I promise you your challenges are also your magic ...theres a flip side to every thing.
People say I'm emotional and I translate that to, I'm very caring .
You know that feeling when you get unwell with a cold or stomach bug .
At the time it's so awful but after a few rounds over the years we know that it won't last, so even though it's terrible in the moment, we know in a few days we will forget we were even unwell.
Life is a bit like that too .
Sending love , strength and courage always to you !
You okay?
Relief comes to us unexpectedly in times we need it most. Reading your comment brought me to a time not long ago when I was running in a fight for my life there I found myself out of juice little to no energy left thinking if this is my end ill be facing it head on defiantly. But in what I thought to be my last few moments relief came and relief continues. Keep fighting the good fight! Your not alone your never alone, my brother in arms. I wish you well.
I hope you're doing well today 😊 I mean it!
Trust Jesus
This hit me so hard it felt like I was run over by one or ten trucks. I have ADHD and I didn't even know until this week, and I'm soon 21 years old! My whole life I've struggled so much, wondering why my head was so different from all the others, why I've been alone and excluded most of my life, and lately why I've developed depression and anxiety. Now I know, I finally know after all these years, and this talk feels like it changed my life. Thank you so much for this, you have no idea how much it meant for me to hear these words from a fellow hunting and gathering badass :)
+Alice Nihon Well said! I know I am 46 yrs. old and have been misdiagnosed with Bipolar disorder, MDD, PTSD, Psychosis, etc.....and still have a family dr. that does not "believe" adults have ADD/ADHD even though 3 very prominent psychiatrists say I do! Also where do all the kids with this disorder go, do they all die, if adults do not have this disorder? Really? This is what we still have to deal with! You still have time to get on your desired path I know you can and will as I have 24 yrs. on you before I am finally properly diagnosed and medicated and it is not too late for me so def. not for you!
Angela Stovall Thank you for your kind and inspiring words, I appreciate them a lot! I believe you also can and will overcome your challenges, stay strong and good luck to you my friend! :)
I am really glad that I am not the only one that dicovered it late. I always knew that is something is wrong, I didn't get a diagnosis yet, but that the only thing that I can hold on and the only explanation for my meesed up head (plz don't judge me)
Alice Nihon yeah I'm 20 and I got diagnosed last week! same story.. life has been a big ass struggle, also lot of stress, anxiety, depression, "Why can I not just do this or that, everyone is doing it?!!" I felt a calmness coming over me after the diagnoses.. now I know people around me, school, work will understand, I do not feel alone anymore!
That's great! I feel happy for you :)
“He’s so smart, he just doesn’t apply himself”
Okay but why did i hear this so vividly in my dads voice
Definitely heard that one growing up😶
Every report card comment I ever got in middle school read something like this. That and complaints about my handwriting...
@@lhunn4448 sameeee
@@connorgoosen2468 same
brand new teacher here. this was beautiful. learning to nurture my students' strengths instead of nurturing my frustrations
I have attention deficit type, I have great functionality when it comes to creative brainstorming so I can come up with great plans and ideas... but to follow through I'll need a whole pot of coffee.
Arthur Dent 5 cups is my magic number
i drink tea instead ADHD isn't so bad after all
the ideas i get are rely fun hard to try but just thinking about them is rely fun
That's because its a performance disorder but ppl think we are lazy and lack knowledge which isnt true at all.
Arthur Dent that is me in.a nutshell
Skedaren What they don't get is that we find almost everything important unbearably boring. It's not our fault taxes suck, we'll get to it at some point... or some point after. We have other stuff going on ;)
relieved that 90% of these comments are fellow adhders. hassahs are in order for us hunter gatherer badasses!
I love being a hunter gatherer badass although it took me a few times to watch this. Love that most comments are adhders
This is the most accurate representation of ADHD that I’ve heard so far.
As someone with ADHD: thank you for representing so acuratelly what it means to be a child/adault with ADHD. The resemblance with my experience is mesmerizing... even the "mirror-talk" tactic that I do when feeling overwhelmed/pressured. Thanks for that talk, it really meant a lot to me and to lots of folks here on this incredible Comment Section. Love to you all.
I'm a second year medical student with ADHD, and this is one of the best things I've seen in my life. Thank you.
Nathan Smith first year biotechnology student with ADHD, i need to hug this guy everyday for the rest of my life, this was incredible
Hey @NathanSmith
I am diagnosed ADHD and applying to medical school this summer. How is life in Med school with ADHD? Do you have to take your prescriptions to study?
It's rough at times for sure. Procrastinating just does not work anymore. I mean I've procrastinated and still passed exams, but it's been by narrow margins and full of stress. The best piece of advice I could give is to get with someone early on and try to develop study schedules for blocks so that you can stay on top of material. As we know, ADHD is a disorder of executive functioning so really once we have a plan we can usually implement it to some degree. It's just that the ability to design a reasonable plan is not something we are particularly good at.
In terms of medications, yeah I take it to study. I don't like taking it while I'm on clinic though because I think, as Salif said in this talk, that Adderall tends to dull some of my own favorite personal traits. I feel less spontaneous when I'm on my meds, and I think it negatively impacts my interpersonal communication skills.
We have strengths though, and don't forget to remind yourself of that! You'll do great. You will face challenges that other people won't, but that's just the nature of the beast unfortunately. Learn about yourself. Learn to navigate your weaknesses and better utilize your strengths. Make the most out of campus resources like counseling centers, even if you don't feel distressed. Use your struggles to help uplift others whenever possible. But most of all, take care of yourself. Medical school is stressful and something like ADHD can exacerbate that at times. But it's also extremely rewarding.
Hope this helps!
Nathan Smith- Have you ever been discriminated because other medical professional don't believe in ADHD as a real medical diagnosis. Just wondering. I am in nursing school and have been harassed, discriminated and denied accomidationis.
Yeah I was recently denied accommodations by the USMLE and I'm currently deciding whether or not I should appeal. I wouldn't say I've been discriminated against, but I've certainly had professors and supervisors downplay the effects of my diagnosis. An academic skills counselor I've been working with recently said to me "Nobody gets blamed for their symptoms more often than people with ADHD." Which I've found to be true at times.
I avoided watching this video for months when it came up in the suggestion feed. I thought it was another "ADHD is a superpower" speeches where the speaker says they are glad they have it and only talk about how fantastic it is to be so creative and different, leaving out the struggles, pain and difficulty that comes along with the condition. Boy, was I wrong. I really love the even handedness and intimate honesty Salif had in his talk. He pulled no punches about his struggle, but he still didn't come off as a victim.
ADHD is ONE important aspect of a person's overall being. it isn't all bad or all good, but it is real. This talk is definitely valuable addition to the dialogue about ADHD. I had never considered or heard about the hunter/gatherer insight and societal mismatch aspects the way he talked about them. Also, nature stimulating us to use involuntary attention had not occured to me either.
As I listened to him explain, it suddenly made sense why some people work better with a tv or some other element that I find distracting. Sometimes music works for me, but sometimes it's a distraction.
It depends on my mood, how much rest I got, the task at hand, whether I ate enough that morning, etc., etc. I guess my point is an ADHD diagnosis helps you understand yourself or your loved one, but it doesn't give you a perfectly defined box to place them in and have them completely figured out.
I think that's another source of frustration for people who are around an ADHDer and for the ADHDer themselves.
*edited for line breaks and a typo*
Nice.
I cannot work or do anything that requires focus without the TV on
I’m sure this was cool but when I have so much stimulus from other adhd people I can’t concentrate
@@arcims_razor9057 I know people like you exist, but it still fascinates me. Lol TV is quicksand for me! But I can do UA-cam as background if on a small screen (tablet or phone) depending on task at hand and what is playing. Both my teens prefer videos or music while doing schoolwork. One is ADHD, the other is not.
i struggled to read this and still havent finished it
This guy articulated how ADHD affects me more than anyone else (including myself) ever has.
I was just thinking that
it’s the only adhd video that I’m still interested in halfway through
Yeah
me too
"A literally unstoppable brainstormer"
OMG this is perfect
I've always struggled to explain what it's like to have ADD/ADHD. This is the best explanation for me.
Man this gotta bring me some advantage someday
The fact that I clicked on this expecting an explanation lmao
Oh my god man thank you for this. This is absoloutly incredible.
WTF... Garret, do u have ADHD? Also, give my regards to Shane and the family. We miss u...
OMG GARRETTT!!!!!
Agreed.
@@IrKeNoVa wtf
Love your youtube videos, Garrett!
as someone with ADHD, it took me a couple tries to finish this video because I got off track and couldn't listen. amazing video overall!
+Charlotte Roberts I got off track too! Several times! And I watched some of your video's yesterday, you are so much fun to watch! And now I see your comment on this video, what a coincidence! So I just had to say something. Greetings from a total stranger :D
Same here just reading the comments and couldn't focus well
Same here , i was reading comments and becouse of that i did need to rewind this video and start from the beginning
right? I'm looking at fb videos and other youtube videos while i'm watching this lol.
Same here
"part of adhd really sucks but i quickly get distracted from them" that killed me. but more seriously the part about suicide really hit me. .. on a side note the statistics on homeless men with adhd substance use disorders are staggering
I can't even count the number of parent-teacher conferences that I had in school because, "he's smart, but he just won't do the work"
So sad that kids are entrusted to teachers that cannot understand them and guide them but instead, damage their relation to themselves, and hinder their perspectives.
They said the same thing to me multiple times and it's so annoying because they don't understand what it feels like
My last year at school was great. Some of the teachers kicked me out of lectures and didn't let in for like a week because I was constantly late but they didn't mark that I wasn't there. And they would also allow me to take tests. That way I had more than enough time to prepare for the exams. I learned things I needed to learn in my own way and speed. In classes I just wasted my time. They were too boring or too slow to focus. People with ADHD shouldn't be forced to attend lectures they don't like. Just give us the material and the info on what's gonna be in a test. We'll manage on our own.
“Wow you’re so smart, why don’t you try more?”
same for me it started with a parent-teacher conference too. my teacher told my dad that i may have add/adhd & he completely dismissed the idea of it. & being like 12 i didn’t understand what my teacher was saying but as she was describing the symptoms i knew it was me.
We need more ADHD positivity. I romanticize my ADHD. ADHD is edgy and rebellious. ADHDers are leaders and warriors. I will never languish in guilt again. I didn't consent to "ordinary life".
🙏 I feel this in my soul.. I always knew there was more to life even as a child in school I knew this wasn’t all.
This is 100% true. We’re leaders, most definitely.
@@truthhurts2180 of the four types of leaders (everyone uses different terms for them) we are the analyzers for the most part although doesn't it affect women differently?
@@jolk42 analyser yes to my case 😆
people with ADHD are usually quite friendly and social, far from edgy
Being able to "hyper focus" on certain tasks, I've never even considered I had anything to do with ADHD. I'm 26, and today, my life finally makes sense.
(PS : I've been reading some stuff before I ended up here)
Same! I'm 25 and got diagnosed yesterday. It all makes so much sense now and reading those comments really makes me feel that there are many other people dealing with the same stuff.
We all have this brain that functions differently from 'normal' people.
I do feel more at ease now I know what it is though.
What's "hyper focus"?
SAME
Literally balling my eyes out , just get so tired of feeling crazy or alone and I’m not ❣️😢
❤❤❤❤
You are not alone! We are all here together! ❤
I'm balling too... The comments are getting to me even more than the video
Hey friend. You're not alone. We are here for you. We understand your frustrations. Stay strong broker/sister.
Have you ever, in explaining yourself to a person who is frustrated with you, explained your thought process so deeply and thoroughly that the frustrated person becomes more frustrated because they aren’t able to comprehend the complexity of your thoughts?
Absolutely. They also get this glazed look on their faces, like, “ WHYis he going on and on and on and WHAT is he even saying??!!”
OMG yes!! I get asked how i started the conversation on one topic and ended up on a complete different topic, on a different day time and context but it's all connected in my brain and the second i try to explain that people are like " uh...yk that's not normal thinking right?" like yea i know it's not but there's 15 tabs open in my brain and all of it is interlinked
Oh yes, they tire quickly and tune out.
Others have deep thought processes too, but they know how to put themselves in other people's shoes and not get distracted by unnecessary details.
i feel like that most of the time :(
Let me replay this video, I was busy reading the comments.
😭😭😭
you are my people ❤️
Literally just replayed it for the third time. Smh I can't focus to save my life.
Same but its soo long
When you have to rewind because something caught your attention😂😂
“Because as long as you do, somebody does.” Ok why am I crying
WarmLavender I know this pain all too well too
I care about chu too, whoever you are💜
SOBBING
My son has adhd, teachers always with same complaints. Lack of focus and also they blame him for everything, for instance another kid bothers him and defend himself but he the one gets in trouble because they don't believe him what he says. They think because he has adhd he is the trouble one.
Psychedelic are just an exceptional mental health breakthrough. It's fascinating how effective they are against depression and anxiety...it saved my life
Please does anyone know where I can get them? I put so much on my plate and it really affects my stress and anxiety level. I would love to try shrooms.
I live in Michigan….suffering for awhile now but didnt realize how serious I may have it until recently - probably bc of @self medicating” with alcohol
@@bianca8071 is he on insta?
This is a bot commenting
When he said “any noise or any color” it makes so much sense! I’ve asked my non-adhd loved ones many times if they just focus on what’s specifically happening or what they’re specifically doing or if they constantly are paying attention to everything all at once (and obviously not enough of the attention on the main task) and they always say they just focus on the main task. Meanwhile, I am listening to the air conditioner, the video, reading/typing comments, noticing whats around me, and a million other things all at once.
Before being diagnosed with ADHD-C I was told by teachers that I was just looking for attention and that my willpower was just low. LOL.
Well
You really wanted to have more attention and your willpower was indeed low -for that- to get the attention the teachers meant, _since you did not want that type of attention_
The words were not wrong, but the meaning was
@@trollconfiavel The words WERE wrong. ADHD has nothing to do with "willpower" whatsoever.
@@skylarkesselring6075 fixing it now
@@trollconfiavel okay again, it's nothing to do with willpower at all. I personally have ADHD and I can have infinite willpower and determination to focus on something, but my brain just might not let me.
Just like someone might have a huge amount of willpower to get pHd but their brain just might not let them because they're smart enough. They had the willpower to try, but their brain didn't let them. That's what it's like.
@@skylarkesselring6075 fixing and explaining
This is not a fun disorder. But having this disorder in today's society makes me a bonafide rebel. It has led me to places where only badasses go. It's lonely at times but whenever I turn around I see a bigger and bigger following of what looks like people that are climbing right behind me. I will never stop searching for other paths and ways to experience life. The sheep life just ain't for me. Never was and never will be. Here's to this short life which I revel in and to all those who don't know...I came to live, learn, and spread the love. Just you wait until my reign begins....just you wait....until then spread love and you'll receive it.
Spot on ;-)
wow
well said! I consume massive amounts of nootropics to keep up with modern society. add sucks!
Te Moana Johns Thats sad.
What are nootropics?
Why can't you just be yourself?
Jasmin W nootropics are cognitive brain enhancers. I particularly consume dopamine supplements as adhd is mostly caused by a lack of the dopamine chemical. My line of work requires little to no mistakes that can be caused by a lapse of concentration. So sadly I need them.
This Ted talk was lovely makes me feel like a superhero having adhd rather than it being a disorder
That feeling you get when suddenly many things about your life that always confused you, all make sense. I have ADHD and I have always had a strong desire to be close to nature and have interests in hunting, exploring and being in the woods. Now I know why, it's kinda eye opening and gives me hope.
I have adhd and I'm the opposite, I loathe emotions, the cruelty of nature, and the weakness of the flesh lol
Yes, there is!✊✊✊ Let's keep pushing.📌📌📌
@@spicymeatballs2thespiceningsomeone else that feels like me with ADHD?
@@spicymeatballs2thespicening how can you not like nature...
I havent had a strong desire to live in nature per say. As id be extremely steessed living on my own due to anxieties. But ive loved fantasy shows abt living in nature.
Fae and wild and free. If i xould fly and i adpre wanting to shapeshift so i can roam around the woods and explore hidden places. Roleplaying and creating entire fantasy worlds to explore. Alien worlds. Exploring into space is surprisingly less terrifying? Id lovw to find myself on another planet deep in an alien jungle and see what i can find. Roleplaying qnd art and fanfictions qnd stories tht take me to other realms and dimensions and magick!
Nature and clouds qnd trees and breeze and water and ice and snow. And etc. Winter especially always catches my fancy wvery time.
So i suppose i do wish and fantasize abt life in nature. Exploring qnd finding the things humans believe qrent real anymore but they rlly just werent looking. Or only wanted to take advantage of it so it stayed hidden. Its...very thrilling
The beginning got me cus I hear those things every day of my life.
Justin Abramson 💯😢
Justin Abramson I love you and your smart and beautiful
We have infinite power! You are great and will succeed :)
I'm 48, my wife has been telling me for years that my brain works like this. I started reading about and watching videos on ADHD, and am starting to understand the way my brain works. When my wife started to read to me how ADHD brain works, I asked her, "everyone's brain doesn't work like this, she said no...I started to cry because she said she now understood how my brain works. I have felt insecure about myself all my life, I'm starting not to. This video is very enlightening. And I know that if I like something, I hyper-focus, if I don't, I do O.K., but I usually hate the task, job, etc.. Don't ever give up on yourself. Find what you love to do, and do it. Thanks have a great night. We are awesome!!!
Took me 3 times to watch this video and actually hear the whole thing without going off into an activity and not listening. I finally listened to the whole thing through and it’s such a beautifully spoken speech. Thank you :)
I'm a mom of a son with ADHD and felt so guilty and sad within just the first minute because I've said ALL of those things to my son. But, like Salif later mentioned, we say those things in moments of extreme frustration. Therapy is needed not only for the individual with ADHD but for immediate family as well so we can learn better tools and responses for those moments
Z Woods don't beat yourself up over it too much. Having children with ADHD is exhausting. It takes 10 times the energy to get them to finish a task (even just getting teeth brushed!).I said all of these things to my now 25 year old. The worst part is, I myself have severe ADHD. I've known it since I was in my early 20s but it took another 20 years to get an official diagnosis. Because of my own struggles, I am now better able to sympathize with my younger kids' struggles (yes, I am a mom with ADHD raising 3 boys with ADHD. Imagine the perpetual chaos in our household, lol). I know what's going on in their brain...and still, I have a lot of those days where I just lose it. I do see it as a good learning experience for all of us. I find that if I'm honest with them and tell them that I wished I hadn't lost my cool, why I was frustrated and what I will try to do differently next time, it's a good way to teach them how to name emotions and think about what causes meltdowns. Mothering children with ADHD takes a lot of patience and creativity. Hang in there!
Me and mom fought thousands of time in life and I am 33 now, not settled of course. Interesting this is, I learned a month ago that both me and my mom has AHDH.
You can't be mad for not knowing any better. I congratulate you for trying to better understand your son and help him thrive.
Well at least you care enough about your kid to be informed.
i just felt guilty my son 7 and i habe said those things
"How can you forget it when we _just_ talked about it?!"
ohhh yeah, if I had a dollar for every time I've heard that...
I stopped telling people I didnt listen and ended up acting like I understood evrything though i didnt.
That affected my exams, didnt it?
I forgot bc it wasnt that interesting! 😄
Literally all of these ADHD Ted Talks have me in tears at some point or another. The stats on harmful behaviour part really got to me - but now that I'm older & actually built up the courage to get a diagnosis, my teenage self and struggles all make sense now, as many other things do too.
This guy was really great. Well done, man. Thank you for this.
It got better when I understood.
My tears broke the second before I got to this comment. They needed us for survival! 🥹🥹🥹🥹😭😭😭
"my teenage self and struggles all make sense now" This one hit me hard.. Thank you Sierra, I'm not alone
I was almost in tears when he was shouting at the beginning. I've heard those words all my life. Sadly, not from other people but negative self-talk from my own brain. 😞
Suprised how well he presented this as someone who suffers from ADHD. I would forget so much or freeze
The people who do TED Talks spend a very long time preparing. A few weeks to months. A lot attend classes on how to present your info and learn how to talk for 15+ minutes straight without stumbling on words.
It's not that ADHD people aren't able to focus. If something catches their attention very deep inside (often unvoluntary) they can quite easily hyperfocus. The best feeling in the world!
Ability to do a presentation is dependent on personality and experience just like population at large I reckon. From my experience where us ADHD people have a major disadvantage is leaving prep until the last minute even when we know it’s an important talk. When it stills goes well I love my “super power” when it fails due to inadequate prep it’s the worst.
@@SC-xi9to My only issue would be the anxiety I'd get just thinking about being on that stage in front of people. People ask me if I could talk about a passion for 10 minutes. Of course I can. It's all I talk about. Now, doing that in front of more than 1 person? Ha!
I want to reach through the internet, shake this man's hand, and give him the biggest hug I've ever given.
I have adhd. This message was so strong that I was barely distracted throughout the whole video. Thank you for sharing these kind relatable words 🙌🏿
09:38 Gets me every time. No matter how much we can identify the strengths, feeling out of kilter with everyone else around us really hurts. Yet there must be a reason that we are here and growing in numbers...we are here for the greater good, I think? Thank you Salif, your courage to show up and not hide your vulnerability is one of the most raw, honest things I have seen on UA-cam.
As someone living with ADHD, I really appreciate your talk. It is so hard becuase you think differently and often your ideas seem like choas to others.
Tries not to cry... Cries a lot
nick Osrs why it has a positive message
I have never related more to someone until he said that he was up all night thinking about how he had a lot of stuff he knew he should be doing but literally couldn't focus on it
Same! Instantaneous
Yeah I felt the same. Mixed emotions coming from watching this video...
This is great. I'm so thankful for this talk. I've been on the verge of suicidal ideation again, because my ADHD makes me feel so useless at work and school, like I should be more capable by my age. This talk really gave me some reassurance.
You're here for a reason don't give any one the satisfaction, everyone has a purpose and you do as well,stay strong and live long 💪🏽🙏🏽
Wow! The intro sounds just like what my mom has gone through all her life, and she’s 76. She IS smart, and DOES think. I’m so glad someone has explained it so well. ADHD is just being from a previous period in evolution. Autism is being from the future, or an “alien,” as my partner affectionately calls me. Of course, that’s simplistic. The overall issue is not being like most people.
This and a Forbes article saved my life a few years back! In 2015 I was around 17 years old and was struggling with high school and all the school’s, parents’, environment expectations of the « final and decisive exam » that I had no interest in whatsoever.
I had been struggling with focus, and whenever I had looked up ADHD online ( because I was obsessed & hyper focused with googling that ) I found answers that would go like : you will always struggle and it’s not your fault etc. And I believed it and started acting like it... it’s not my fault, it’s ADHD, and I will just become a failure because I can’t focus.
But then I saw this video and this Forbes article saying : ADHD is the Entrepreneur’s superpower. Since that day everything changed... literally.
I started 13 different projects, struggled every time, learned after every failure until at 21 things started to work out with my agency... and now at 22 I started a brand called « ADHDoers » to share the same message as this video because there are MILLIONS & MILLIONS struggling and who were in the same position as I was in thinking they’re gonna be a failure, while all they needed is a message like the one in the video to show them their brain is WIRED DIFFERENTLY, find the system in which it’s gonna thrive, don’t follow the crowd.
So again, thank you thank you thank you, without you, my brand ( and my youtube channel ) wouldn’t have existed, as well as my agency.... That’s some real butterfly effect!
I struggled in school constantly and didn't get Diagnosed till my Junior Year of high school. I spent most of my time writing, drawing, or messing around with music during class (aka, ignoring the actual class, but managing to just pass) and now I am publishing my writing for $$$. I hope I can make a difference and not be broke.
I have ADHD, this is making me cry, and I don't know weather I'm sad, happy or something els.
knowledge a blunt and think about your existence
what a big mood
I feel the same way.
i would be happy if i only had adhd
Does ADHD causes pple suicide ?
Being adaptive! yess when you constantly forget and misplace you have to be adaptive and resourceful
Watching this ted talk again, about 6~7 years later... I think this may've been what saved my life...
My current perspective is still very similar to what's been told here and I actually mentioned this ted talk as a reference in the philosophical approach to ADHD I wrote back in the day - I think this has been a key part in what made me accept myself
love that for you, i’m recently diagnosed and this video was the best so far, especially for me since i’m the same demographic as the speaker
ADHD is a superpower in my mind. Definitely have to have knowledge of self to know what works for you and what doesn’t.
Not sure if you’ve ever seen Umbrella Academy, but the series came to mind while reading your comment. SPOILER: Vanya is told for years that she’s not special like the rest of her siblings, yet once she discovers she has powers, albeit deadly, powerful, and erratic at first, she also learns how to maneuver them and use them for good. This reminds of undiagnosed and untreated ADHD. How can we use our powers if we don’t know they exist and we don’t know how to play to our strengths? After years of self-doubt and self-blame caused by our ADHD, it can be hard to know to how to play to our strengths (or to even acknowledge they exist) and to form healthier habits of managing our shortcomings. With time, practice, and patience with ourselves, I believe we can do it! Thank you for your comment!
Do you really have ADHD if you think that? I cannot fathom anyone that has adhd thinking that about adhd.
love yourself & then you learn to love others!!!
Superpower for sure my friend!
Nah, as a person with ADHD, I honestly hate calling it a superpower. Yes it’s pretty cool sometimes, and I like that I view the world differently than neurotypicals, but calling it a superpower kind of erases the struggles it brings too. It’s not a disease or a curse buts it’s not a blessing either. We need to start viewing it through a more neutral lense, as just another part of us, rather than either glorifying, delegitimising or demonising it. Otherwise we just end up making life worse for ADHD people by refusing to acknowledge their needs.
@@tortture3519 yeah I do I just choose to not see it a so much of a negative
I hyperfocus on music and I love it. My ear can pick up every little detail.
ADHD: OOOO!~ Art project where I can literally do anything I want without restriction and I have an entire month to finish it!
Also ADHD: This essay that's due tomorrow about the summerization of an entire 4,000 page dictionary and the cultivation of the english language? Nah, I'mmma go eat some gummy worms, my dude. OOO~ the second book in that series I'm reading came out today- wait what do you mean my favorite TV show is having their series finale right now!? Oh my god, I've always wanted to try baking my own gourmet snacks, but wait! What if I made oragami art for my fri- oooo~ Colorful UA-cam Thumbnail with something I like on it.
holy the accuracy of this comment hurts my soul
I can literally compose a good song and publish it in half a day, but I can't even finish two pages of studies in two days.
dis is exactly me lul.
Science class: This is the most intricate piece of machinery anyone has ever made in this class. And it travels through time? This is astounding! You're going to win a Nobel Prize for this!
English class: What you’ve just said is one of the most insanely idiotic things I have ever heard. At no point in your rambling, incoherent response were you even close to anything that could be considered a rational thought. Everyone in this room is now dumber for having listened to it. I award you no points, and may God have mercy on your soul.
you hurt my sister
8 years old Ted talk, and still heavily impactful for late diagnosed inattentives like me.
Thank you for helping me see the super powers of my brain in a world that seems committed to telling me they are deficits.
Distracted? No - willfully curious.
Emotional? No - authentic passion.
Forgetful? No - I am resilient and adaptive.
I am 70, and this would have been invaluable to me from my childhood until now. I was not diagnosed until around 40.