What’s it like to be an ADHD person?
Although some people don’t get a diagnosis until later in life, ADHD is a type of neurodivergence that is frequently identified in children. Depending on how it presents and how severe it is, various people may experience it in different ways. While these symptoms can make life, work, and school more challenging in some ways, they can also make a person more imaginative, gregarious, creative, and sympathetic. Furthermore, it is thought that ADHD is a curable disorder. Different forms of therapy may be used to treat symptoms, sometimes in addition to medication. A physician or mental health specialist may also suggest modifying one’s lifestyle to include regular exercise, adequate sleep, and the use of coping mechanisms such as mindfulness, productivity tactics, and distraction-reducing measures from the environment.
Well-known individuals who have or have had ADHD
It is totally feasible for individuals with ADHD to succeed in a variety of contexts. See the list of well-known individuals from the past and present who excelled in their fields—perhaps even in spite of or because of their ADHD—below for inspiration.
Simone Bales
Gymnastics competitor Simone Biles took home seven medals from the 2016 Rio Olympics: four gold, one silver, and two bronze. She now shares the record for the most medals ever earned by a US gymnast with Shannon Miller. Biles became the most decorated gymnast in the history of the Artistic Gymnastics World Championship after going on to earn 23 gold medals at the world championship. She received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2022, and in 2023, she won her eighth US gymnastics title, shattering the record that had stood for 90 years.
Gates, Bill
In addition to being a prominent player in the computer sector, Bill Gates is a well-known philanthropist. He was a founding member of the Microsoft Corporation, a tech startup that produced the Xbox game console, the Windows operating system, and the Microsoft 365 app suite in 1975. In addition, Gates and his ex-wife Melinda established the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which provides funding for charitable endeavors in the fields of global health, development, and education. In addition, Gates has made substantial financial success; from 1995 to 2017, he was the “richest person in the world” for seventeen years in a row. Gates’ projected net worth as of March 2024 is more than $128 billion. It is also well known that Bill Gates suffers from ADHD. He has discussed in interviews the difficulties he had in school as a result of this illness, which caused him to drop out of college and pursue side projects that ultimately resulted in the creation of Microsoft. Gates has also made public his propensity to pack his days full of activities, which may be a sign that he needs regular stimulation or a reaction to his possible ADHD-related restlessness.
The late Albert Einstein
Theoretical physicist Albert Einstein, who was born in 1879, is recognized for developing the theory of relativity and the mass-energy equivalency formula E=mc2, two innovations that had a profound effect on theoretical physics, quantum mechanics, and astronomy. across his life, Einstein was bestowed with several honors and distinctions, including honorary doctorates from the Universities of Geneva, Rostock, Princeton, Madrid, Paris, Oxford, Yeshiva, ETH, Manchester, and Harvard. He was also well-known across the world.
The Physics Nobel Prize in 1921
A Copley medal awarded by the London Royal Society
The Royal Astronomical Society gold medal
The German Physical Society’s Max-Panck Medal
The Philadelphia Franklin Institute’s Benjamin Franklin Medal
The Leonardo da Vinci
Known for his extensive contributions to a variety of subjects, Leonardo da Vinci was an Italian Renaissance artist, architect, engineer, scientist, theorist, and inventor. He is recognized for a wide range of achievements, such as:
Developing the initial designs for the airplane, tank, and helicopter
Promoting the fields of hydrodynamics, anatomy, and civil engineering
Considering plate tectonics, focused solar power, the double hull, and the calculator
Paintings of the Mona Lisa and the Last Supper
Similar to Einstein, it is impossible to say for sure if da Vinci suffered from ADHD because he lived in the fifteenth century, before the diagnosis was ever known to exist. But in 2019, scientists studying neurology conducted a thorough analysis of historical records and biographical material to investigate the possibility that da Vinci suffered from signs of ADHD. According to their research, da Vinci might have suffered from ADHD-related procrastination and poor time management when he was a young child. His higher IQ scores could potentially be an indication of ADHD.
Gerwig, Greta
Director, writer, and actor Greta Gerwig is most renowned for helming the 2023 film Barbie. With almost $1.3 billion in box office receipts worldwide, the movie is among the top 20 highest-grossing movies of all time (adjusted for inflation), and Gerwig becomes the first independent female director to make a billion-dollar film. In addition to these popular movies, Gerwig has written and directed Little Women and Lady Bird.
The Michael Phelps
Former Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps is the holder of multiple all-time Olympic records, such as:
most gold medals won at the Olympics
most medals won at the Olympics in single events
most gold medals won at the Olympics in single events
Phelps competed in five different Olympic games: the 2000 Sydney Olympics, the 2004 Athens Olympics (six gold medals), the 2008 Beijing Olympics (eight gold medals), the 2012 London Olympics (four gold medals), and the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics (five gold medals). He is acknowledged as the greatest decorated Olympian in history.
Can ADHD be helped by internet therapy?
Does online therapy actually work for treating disorders like ADHD, even though some celebrities have praised it? Studies on the subject indicate that this kind of therapy intervention might work. Online therapies may be useful in improving social function and attention deficit in adults and children with ADHD, according to the results of a meta-analysis of six randomized controlled studies including individuals with ADHD.
