On Writing, ADD and…What Was I Talking About Just Now?

I remember the moment vividly, although it happened five years ago. I was driving up to Henderson Harbor, New York, as I now do nearly every weekend between April and November to help my significant other with his seasonal business, when I heard a commercial on the radio. 

Male Announcer: “Do your thoughts sound like this?” His question was followed by the sound of a radio being quickly changed from one channel to another, from rock to country music to news, with static in between. 

Delighted to feel understood at long last, I exclaimed aloud, “Yes!” 

Male Announcer: “Then you may suffer from Attention Deficit Disorder, or ADD.” 

Oh great, I thought– something else for me to research and seek treatment for, as if seasonal allergies, depression and acid reflux weren’t enough.  After stewing over this for a time, I realized that I hadn’t listened to the rest of the commercial to see what the ad was for, which I guess pretty much proved the announcer’s point. 

I’d heard of ADD before that moment, of course, but mostly as something that occurred in children who ingest too much sugar and preservatives—not as something that I, as a mature, responsible adult on a reasonably healthy diet, might have.  And yet, after hearing that commercial and subsequently doing the research, I came to the startling realization that yes, I was indeed a textbook case of ADD.  In fact, the condition pretty much explained everything I’d struggled with over the last few decades, from career to relationships to housework to the unbelievable number of gloves, umbrellas, sunglasses and even jackets I’ve lost.  

It also explained why I’d abandoned several half-written novels since my teens, why I tend to prefer writing short articles and fillers, and why I find Twitter so immensely entertaining.  I could now understand why I’ve had so many unrealized dreams and undeveloped ideas over the years, and why I get so bogged down when it comes to details and baby steps and discipline.  And ADD especially explains why, in this world of so many choices, so much information and so many forms of entertainment and distraction, I so often feel like a kid in a carnival fun house—confused, lost and uncertain what to do next.  Serve me up some of that serotonin or dopamine or whatever it takes to stay focused. 

So far, however, my research hasn’t led me to any satisfactory forms of treatment.  The medications they have for ADD sound a tad scary, and I never seem to remember to  meditate on a daily basis.  But knowledge is power. And the more I learn about the condition, the more I can learn to work, write and live with it.  After many years of feeling frustrated with myself, this fact alone brings me a sense of peace and optimism.  

I share this story with you today in case you, too, have been hard on yourself for not writing consistently, or for procrastinating on something you know you want to accomplish.  Maybe you have valid reasons—perhaps even medical ones.  Do your homework, try to learn as much about yourself as you can and, most of all, try to be patient with yourself. 

Oh, and if you hear a commercial that sounds like it pertains to you, try to pay attention to it. 

Here’s to your writing success. 

Mary Anne