by Ferg Fontaine

Created on: April 25, 2008   Last Updated: June 15, 2008

Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) is often thought of as an annoying, overbearing, personality trait which frequently drives away the calm, composed individuals of society and is often misinterpreted for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Both are misunderstood, misread and highly mistaken individuals. There are grave differences in these two conditions as well as similarities that bind them together. I will focus on ADD for a moment and make reference to childhood ADD and adult ADD.

A child with ADD is not one to be overly involved in class, he or she is very easily distracted and usually perceived as having selective hearing; when in fact he absolutely hears the words you say but they just don't seem to stick. To give an example; a child with ADD can be headed to his or her room to retrieve their dirty laundry and never return, as the flustered and frustrated awaiting parent, heads the direction of their child's room, tempers often flare accusing little Johnny of not listening or being defiant or rebellious. The truth is "little Johnny" did not realize his train derailed until his parent told him so. Often a child with ADD feels bad the moment he realizes he's lost track of his intent but his inability to focus makes it difficult for him to make reparations.

The parent of an ADD child will often hear from teachers that their boy or girl is "just not paying attention in class" or that he or she is "always daydreaming". This is because they are incapable of being centered on any one subject. Teachers often want to discipline the child by moving his seat to the front of the class; which is always a good idea for an ADD youngster. Another discipline is sentence writing "I WILL PAY ATTENTION IN CLASS". How preposterous! This persuasion is unreasonable at best, and is powerless to solve the problems an ADD child suffers on a daily basis. An ADD child does not choose to have wandering thoughts continually racing through his mind capturing his attention only to draw him elsewhere for the next moment until it happens again, over and over this is the reality for one with ADD.

An adult with ADD suffers the same fate as the child but a different itinerary makes their daily dilemma a bit distinctive. One issue for this adult is the inability to listen to their peers or even more complicated their superiors. They may be listening to the power point presentation while thinking about the rest of their schedule; a conversation or even their own take on the presentation. Undoubtedly they will miss the complete performance while having a front row seat. Another frustration is memory loss; they can dial a telephone number often forgetting who they've called or perhaps why they've called them. They lose track of tasks only to find later, unfinished projects that they really didn't mean to leave behind.

Aside from a medical diagnosis from a licensed medical professional and a prescription such as Adderall, Concerta and Ridalyn; there are some practical treatments that one could carry out that help everyone involved. Write it down! Literally everything needs to be written down, appointments, birthdays, tasks etc. Put it in a task reminder such as your cell phone, blackberry, or computer calendar. Women put your keys on a key lock attached to your purse; men place your keys or wallet in a designated place.

Above all, if you have a loved one with ADD, be patient. This is much more frustrating for them than it is for you. No one chooses this lot in life but everyone has a choice to take responsibility for and work towards awareness.

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