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HollywoodExecDom -> RE: Failure and ADHD (8/25/2008 8:24:25 PM)
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First, if you are serious about getting information about ADHD, I recommend not seeking just the opinions on this board because while some are good, some are a bit misguided - to put it nicely.
ADHD can be thought of in lots of different ways - but the best way to consider it is an alternative brain type - and fact is, using PET scan and other brain imaging technology, you can physically see the difference in the ADHD brain - so don't listen to people who say it doesn't exist or its just an excuse. Yes, its sometimes mistakenly diagnosed, but it is 100% scientifically verifiable.
That said, ADHD suffers think differently. Not rightly, not wrongly, and neither superiorly or inferiorly. Recognizing this, you can make two choices: manager your ADHD to fit your life, or manager your life to fit your ADHD - and either way is fine but the former can be more of a challenge - which isn't necessarily bad.
Fact is, ADHD suffers do seek out BDSM more often than the general population because of their need for heightened intellectual stimulus - in all walks of their life, even the bedroom.
Read scholarly articles about ADHD. There are a lot of quirks to the ADHD brain that you'll pick up...
Everyone who gave their opinion on this site thus far has been wrong in a sense about their assessment because they discount that ADHD suffers have a unique skill called hyper concentration / hyperfocus that often kicks in during BDSM play. Hyper concentration can kick in whenever you give an ADD sub a CHALLENGING menial task. As long as it remains challenging, they will maintain better concentration than a "regular" person.
That said, in looking up a good definition of hyperfocus, I came across a good quote "People who think ADD means having a short attention span misunderstand what ADD is," says Kathleen Nadeau, Ph.D., a psychologist in Silver Spring, Maryland, and the author of ADD-Friendly Ways to Organize Your Life. "A better way to look at it is that people with ADD have a disregulated attention system."
Anyways, my personal feeling is that you probably won't need to do that much differently with someone who has ADD and is into BDSM unless is extremely pronounced - and in most of those case, the ADHD runs comorbid with other disorders that would heighten the perceived effect of the ADD - though each ADD sufferer is different, and some have particular areas they really struggle with - so I'd need more information before I can say this with a completely clear conscience.
I doubt there is much danger of you substantially impairing any adaptive behaviors with your BDSM activities (i.e. ADD suffers tend to develop coping mechanisms like keeping meds in a place they see, creating complex ways of not losing keys, etc.) Yes, occasionally you can throw these things off, but probably not drastically and they get thrown off anyways - and honestly, the structure BDSM provides tend to be net beneficial considering any disruption it creates to ADHD sufferers.
But one thing I heard alluded to but not just said is...
Your sub may NOT want to be treated differently at all! ADHD subs often crave the challenge that come with living under firm rules, and relaxing those rules in the interest of perceived disability may prove disappointing to your sub.
In the end, this is a massively complex subject that really a message board thread doesn't do justice for - especially when several posts took on exceptionally authoritative tones yet were woefully ill informed.
One last thing... Most ADHD suffers will tell you, their meds are not that magical. An ADHD sufferer can skip them, they'll just less productive when they do. Not a big deal. Unless someone has pretty extreme ADHD, you won't notice when they're medicated and when they aren't (unless they're substantially overmedicated)
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