ATTENTION DEFICIT HYPERACTIVITY DISORDER Dealing with ADHD

Afew years back, one of my many daughters was having difficulty at school with paying attention, retaining the thread of the lecture and remaining focussed on her homework. We thought it was the typical reasons such as too much phone use, a head full of boys and parties or surging teenage hormones. As it went on, one of her teachers mentioned something and we decided to get her tested.

Lo and behold, she was diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder – or ADHD. She was given some medication and it is all under control. As we all know, being aware of any such condition always makes the condition easier to deal with.

Jokingly, she dared me to take the online test. With much hilarity, I took the test and bingo – so do I. Well, that was a shock as I am over 60, and it never really occurred to me. But then it wouldn’t. As with so many neurodiverse conditions, advances in science and medicine are only now pulling the conditions to the surface.

A few days later and thinking about this, it was a light bulb moment. Many things from my past came flooding back and now made total sense. One of my biggest fl aws was starting projects and, once achieved, getting bored and moving on rather than sticking with it.

An example would be after my 20 years at the BBC, I left the UK and spent the next 20 years in the tropics developing

Further Resources

For further information visit:

• www.nhs.uk/conditions/attentiondeficit-hyperactivity-disorder-adhd

• www.adhdadulthood.com

Thinking about this it was a light bulb moment.

Total Sense

Scuba diving resorts. I would buy a few acres of beach in the Caribbean, spend a year working 20 hours a day creating a superb five-star cabana resort with manic attention to detail, tour the US contracting the travel agents, see the booking sheet at 100% capacity from day one, then I would sell it and move on.

The challenge was in the creation, not the running. I missed out on the fortune to be made in running a highly successful resort. I did this for 20 years across four continents and look back now and see them being hugely successful.

Th is is just one example of many, but it does afford clarity as to why certain things occur in one’s life. The effects of ADHD dwindle with age as experience challenges the neurodiverse effects. As I created the Platinum brand over 15 years ago and it is still going strong, I guess that’s the case.

If in doubt, do the online test. If positive, get an official test. If it’s for children, this does give them the advantage of special conditions during exams and certain leeway within their results.

Damn, that’s got me thinking of going back to the Caribbean… oh bugger!

BY TESS DE KLERK ADHD