Hi Eva,
I don't identify as having ADHD, but I do consider myself to have the 'trait' version of ADD, so I read a lot about it. One can definitly be ADHD plus gifted, or ADD plus gifted. Some even go so far as to say that growing up gifted plus unchallenged for hours and hours in school causes ADD habits to become a permanent part of one's personality. That does have ring of truth to me, but again, it always think that genes and environment interact. For example, a 7 year old who is bored can drift off into her own mental world, like me, or spend their time 'helping/bossing' the other children, or 'act up' to try and get the attention that they believe they deserve (My now 12 year old son.)
I've just been reading 'Delivered from Distraction' which is very informative and has a great chapter on 'which medication' but the 'gifted denial' is astonding. There is even one chapter about a family who didn't do well in school. It's reported that one of the children was tested to have a 150 IQ. The tone of the story is: 'Can you imagine a child with a 150 IQ flunking out of school? It must be 100 % due to ADHD!'
as I'm reading I want to scream! Anyway, there are lots of little stories in the book and almost all of the people discribed sound bright or gifted to me. It was fasinating to read an account of how the world would look to a person who is smart, experienced, and totally in Gifted Denial. But of course, in the US for doctors, 'Gifted Denial is standard of care.' (OK, that's a bit of an inside joke, folks, sorry, but I know the people with are in the medical system are ROTFLOL right now)
(ROTFLOL is the first internet acronym to learn - 'rolling on the floor, laughing out loud')
Anyway, back to the point, Eva, Here's the bottom line advice:
1) Read everything you can here about what it's like to raise gifted children to help you remember your childhood. Journal as you go about what it was like for you. Start a thread about it in 'Twice Exceptional' if you want or do it privatly. But read from all the different areas, expecially 'Parenting and Advocacy' just to realize how much of 'who you are' is about the giftedness.
2) search Hoagiesgifted.org and Davidson Datatbase to learn about ADHD in children who are gifted. Try SENG's database as well. I don't think that there is a book about gifted/ADHD specifically, but the Book 'Uniquely Gifted' is the 2E Bible, and worth ordering, as lots of people with ADHD have learning disabilties or depression or anxiety or Sensory Integration issues as well.
3) Write your own book about Adult gifted plus 2e. Post it here as you go, or use it privatly. It's for you. Your book of how the two interact for you.
4)In the meantime, interact with your doctor as though the idea of 'gifted' doesn't exist. Inside the mind of most doctors in gifted denial this is what it looks like: There are just smart people who are successful like your doctor, smart people who are losers, and 'not so smart' people. Even though your doctor will be activly stupid about giftedness, if they are a kind and decent person, you can have a wonderful relationship with them, and if not, get the drugs and do your venting here, or find a new doctor, if possible.
Remember that gifted people who do end up in Medical school have a whole universe of bright and gifted and amazingly gifted people around them every single day, and it's really easy for them to feel 'un-gifted' no matter how gifted they are.
Just get on the Internet and look look look, but remember not to waste time looking for Adult gifted/ADD, because you are a pioneer here, so immerse yourself in the building blocks and get imagining!
Love and more Love,
Grinity ( who is sorry if this sounds like an 'anti-doctor' rant, but really 'some of my best friends are doctors' and almost everyone is in gifted denial, so it's not such a big sin, is it?) ((Humor Alert))
