[mrtoni]

Do you feel that you perceive the world differently than the general population who does not suffer from ADD/ADHD?

I feel like people without this disorder have better sensations and perceptions of the world. People often notice things that I do not. Say if I'm in the car, my boyfriend may point out something on the road or something about the trees or whatever- and I'm just like.. wow I would have never noticed that.

[yellowfrog268]

All the freakin time!!!!

It's like I'm in my world until someone yanks me out of it.

I've even had occasions where we pass by a (physically large) store while driving and then later on my husband will say something like "oh, the place your looking for is right by so and so store we passed yesterday" And I'm like "What, where was that?" And he looks at me like I have two heads.
Another similar thing that happens to me is that other people will think of ways to solve a problem that I never would have thought of. I know I'm not stupid but it irks me sometimes.

[Arwen_78]

I think that I do but it's different with me. As my perception has acted in my favour many of times. I think also that many ADDer's if honed this skill, yes skill, of perception we would do very well. If we could just listen to it more and listen to the outside world. I've very good at this.

At work, I look as if I'm focused on my job. I am focused on the work at hand but I'm also run through different ideas as they come to me in the back of my mind.

[steelfang]

I think no two people perceive the world in the same fashion

[Miswimmy1]

Yep. I am HIGHLY observant. I see the world through a kaleidoscope sort of. I have the ability to see all the little details and the roles they play while at the same time, see the bigger picture and how everything fits together. This view on the world really helps define the way I live my life- for instance, because I can see many different pieces, I am great at problem solving because I look at things from all angles.

[ADDithers]

Originally Posted by mrtoni

Do you feel that you perceive the world differently than the general population who does not suffer from ADD/ADHD?

I feel like people without this disorder have better sensations and perceptions of the world. People often notice things that I do not. Say if I'm in the car, my boyfriend may point out something on the road or something about the trees or whatever- and I'm just like.. wow I would have never noticed that.

I answer yes - I definitely perceive the world differently than the general population - but not always in a negative way. Although it's true I don't notice things that others do, I tend to think outside of the box - and although some of my thoughts & ideas are far fetched dreams, I take a certain pride in the fact I am not like everyone else !!

[ilikedesifem]

define "different".

Take these people common in European society (I say Europe as I was born and lived there for much of my life):

- Somebody who hates immigration
- Somebody who detests all prejudice and supports governmental curbing of it
- Somebody who likes socially conservative values

Which is a normal perception amongst these? can anybody say which is with total certainty?

Normalcy is subjective. nay, normalcy doesn't exist.

[Arwen_78]

Originally Posted by ilikedesifem

define "different".

Take these people common in European society (I say Europe as I was born and lived there for much of my life):

- Somebody who hates immigration
- Somebody who detests all prejudice and supports governmental curbing of it
- Somebody who likes socially conservative values

Which is a normal perception amongst these? can anybody say which is with total certainty?

Normalcy is subjective. nay, normalcy doesn't exist.

Not much different from American society.

Still America and Europe are two totally different places. The problem is Americans should try to be more open to immigration. I spent a few years in England and am dating a half Frenchmen.

I totally think the hate for immigration come from the ones who do it illegality.

[-jimi-]

My friend and I have the same set of "disorders", ASD and ADD. Still we're so different. We can both be fascinated by the night sky or a rainbow. We're often in awe when others just don't see it! I feel bad for them, they must feel dead.

But then there are differences. I'm an INTJ and she is an ISFJ. She KEEPS the focus on the world. I don't. She sees every animal at the side of the road when she is driving. She is aware of every sound when walking in the woods. I need to bring myself out for that. My surroundings can become just a background for my thoughts. Still we're both extremely sensitive to change in the environment. They cut down a big tree where we live and no one saw it but us! How can you see a huge tree one day and just a stump the next and think it always looked like that?

My friend has a much better idea of people. She always notice people. For me I can pass them and they are sort of just a shadow to me. She notices everything about them. She know who is who here. I didn't even notice when she cut her hair short.... whoops.

I think attention is always somewhere. It's just about where. And if you or someone else wishes it was pointed in another direction.

I could never drive a car. That would put me in the sensing mode too much and be tiresome. If I would turn inside I would stop seeing the other cars. My friend drives very well. Training and perceptiveness. Because she "shouldn't" be as good of a driver.

Even though my friend is interested in people in a way I'm not and perceptive, she can't listen. After a while she just drifts off. I can keep attention if I listen.

[Arwen_78]

Originally Posted by jimi...

My friend and I have the same set of "disorders", ASD and ADD. Still we're so different. We can both be fascinated by the night sky or a rainbow. We're often in awe when others just don't see it! I feel bad for them, they must feel dead.

But then there are differences. I'm an INTJ and she is an ISFJ. She KEEPS the focus on the world. I don't. She sees every animal at the side of the road when she is driving. She is aware of every sound when walking in the woods. I need to bring myself out for that. My surroundings can become just a background for my thoughts. Still we're both extremely sensitive to change in the environment. They cut down a big tree where we live and no one saw it but us! How can you see a huge tree one day and just a stump the next and think it always looked like that?

My friend has a much better idea of people. She always notice people. For me I can pass them and they are sort of just a shadow to me. She notices everything about them. She know who is who here. I didn't even notice when she cut her hair short.... whoops.

I think attention is always somewhere. It's just about where. And if you or someone else wishes it was pointed in another direction.

I could never drive a car. That would put me in the sensing mode too much and be tiresome. If I would turn inside I would stop seeing the other cars. My friend drives very well. Training and perceptiveness. Because she "shouldn't" be as good of a driver.

Even though my friend is interested in people in a way I'm not and perceptive, she can't listen. After a while she just drifts off. I can keep attention if I listen.

I'm totally the same! It's like the small wonders that children see but adults miss I still see. I'm turning 35, tomorrow, I still see the world are someplace to search for adventure. Yet, I'm able to focus on my work when I have to but daydream in a different part of my mind.

[TheImpossibleGirl]

I see the little magical things too. I'll stand there grinning and people will ask what I'm looking at. Yet sometimes I overlook little details that should not have been missed if I'm working on school work.

Does anyone else seem to perceive time differently? Time is never steady for me. It's either rushing or dragging, or jumping around.

[avlady]

Thinking the phrase 1 in a million comes true here

[Arwen_78]

Originally Posted by TheImpossibleGirl

I see the little magical things too. I'll stand there grinning and people will ask what I'm looking at. Yet sometimes I overlook little details that should not have been missed if I'm working on school work.

Does anyone else seem to perceive time differently? Time is never steady for me. It's either rushing or dragging, or jumping around.

There is only once in my life when time seemed like it had stopped yet in all reality it was zooming by.

That was when I first might my current boyfriend. Plus, during the first few week were the first times when I was late to work. It was very funny as our meeting and to this day our relationship has been very movie like.

[-jimi-]

I think time is a mystery to everyone. Time is never equally long, even if the clock says so. The weird thing is that there can be a consensus about perception of time. That is so weird. Like someone saying this year passed so fast and I say yea. Or someone says yesterday was sooo long and I agree. Or I say last week went slowly and they agree.

Like, what?

[BackwardPawn]

Originally Posted by jimi...

My friend and I have the same set of "disorders", ASD and ADD. Still we're so different. We can both be fascinated by the night sky or a rainbow. We're often in awe when others just don't see it! I feel bad for them, they must feel dead.

But then there are differences. I'm an INTJ and she is an ISFJ. She KEEPS the focus on the world. I don't. She sees every animal at the side of the road when she is driving. She is aware of every sound when walking in the woods. I need to bring myself out for that. My surroundings can become just a background for my thoughts. Still we're both extremely sensitive to change in the environment. They cut down a big tree where we live and no one saw it but us! How can you see a huge tree one day and just a stump the next and think it always looked like that?

My friend has a much better idea of people. She always notice people. For me I can pass them and they are sort of just a shadow to me. She notices everything about them. She know who is who here. I didn't even notice when she cut her hair short.... whoops.

I think attention is always somewhere. It's just about where. And if you or someone else wishes it was pointed in another direction.

I could never drive a car. That would put me in the sensing mode too much and be tiresome. If I would turn inside I would stop seeing the other cars. My friend drives very well. Training and perceptiveness. Because she "shouldn't" be as good of a driver.

Even though my friend is interested in people in a way I'm not and perceptive, she can't listen. After a while she just drifts off. I can keep attention if I listen.

What you say about the car is interesting. I consider myself a safe driver. The only accident I've been in wasn't my fault and I've only had one ticket. But I noticed that on a boring road or in heavy traffic I wouldn't always stay alert.

My solution was that I bought a manual car. Now I need to pay attention--in heavy traffic I'll stall if I don't. On a boring road, I turn stability assists off and have fun driving. The car produces the most power at the top of its range, so I need to pay attention if I don't want to replace my engine.

I also feel like a lot of roads should have higher speed limits. I hate to say I speed, but I do drive fast and feel like I'm completely alert to whats going on. When I slow down is when I struggle to stay focused.

My parents are insisting my next car be automatic because of my physical problems, but I drive my dad's SUV when I need to haul something and I don't think I could go back, unless I physically couldn't use a clutch any more--then maybe I'd need to get a stereo I can load my music collection into as what they play on the radio around here doesn't keep my focus.

As I read what I wrote, I think I've found a very expensive method of avoiding ADHD meds. It works for me, but I should probably look into getting back on them.