Rather than not being able to pay attention, adults with ADHD have trouble regulating their attention. That’s not at all what it is - and that misconception is perhaps the most problematic way in which the general public misunderstands ADHD, especially in adults.

To explain what I mean, we need to start by clarifying the common misconception that ADHD is about not being able to pay attention. That’s an incredible description of self-destructive ADHD behavior. The article’s author, Jon Westenberg, argues that the behavior described above is problematic because sleep is so important.īut I read it and thought to myself: Wow. I promise it won’t be hard if you’re doing what you love more… if you’ve got kids), so learn to love working during those predawn hours. If you already have a full-time job, you can get a lot done between 7:00 P.M. So quit whining, quit crying, quit with the excuses. Here’s the deal: if you want it badly enough, the money is there, the success is there, and the fulfillment is there. The article on Medium, “ Gary Vaynerchuk is Trying to Kill You,” is a reaction to a statement from Vaynerchuk, from his book, Crush It!: Why NOW Is the Time to Cash In on Your Passion: So my reactions here aren’t so much to him, since I don’t really know anything about him, his worldview, or the advice he gives people about business, work, and success. I don’t think I’d ever heard of “ Gary Vee” before reading the article, and everything I know about him is from the reading/Googling I did after reading it. Though it wasn’t written about ADHD at all, I read it through that lens. This all occurred to me when an article critical of Gary Vaynerchuk’s philosophies on work appeared in my Medium feed. Also, though I’m not interested in turning this space into a stand-in for therapy, it’s clear that there’s a potential for personal benefit in processing my own thoughts and struggles in writing.

There’s a part of me that always thought sharing more would be beneficial, since there’s so much misinformation out there, and the only way to help people understand is to actually help them understand. I’ve mentioned my ADHD here before, but I’ve been reluctant to share anything particularly specific or personal about it because, well, I’ve kind of felt like it was no one else’s business. Though it’s sometimes called a “superpower,” hyperfocus is a classic challenge for adults with ADHD, and it’s particularly problematic when it’s detrimental to sleep.

Hyperfocus adhd