The Seven Wonders of ADHD: Let’s Identify Your Unique Strengths!
Author: Erika Kawamura, Psy.D
Whether you were diagnosed with ADHD as a young child or later as an adult, you may have felt confused by that reference to the “seven wonders of the world” and how ADHD can possibly be in the same sentence. More often than not, you may be more used to hearing the criticisms, disappointments, and the “why can’t you just…” by various people throughout your life, and associate your ADHD with various negative qualities and possibly even feeling ashamed by it. As you may be aware, ADHD is considered to be a “neurodivergent” condition, so that can also lead to certain strengths and skills that may not come as easily for the brains that are wired in a “normative” way.
Let’s discuss seven strengths that are commonly presented in people with ADHD, and see which one(s) are relatable to you! [N.B. This is not a comprehensive list, nor does it suggest that a person has or doesn’t have ADHD based on whether or not they have these strengths.]
1) Creativity: This can be any form, whether it is in art/design/fashion, music, theater/film/other media, writing, out-of-the-box ideas, or innovative solutions to problems. People with ADHD can notice details that others might miss, be intuitive, or connect ideas or images that may not be obvious or make sense initially but “know it just works.”
2) Passionate and Driven: Once a person with ADHD finds something they care about, feel passionately about, or truly interested in, the person can become hyperfocused on that mission until the desired, high quality outcome is achieved. This can be anything from excelling in their career, to advocacy efforts for a cause they feel strongly about, to sticking up for a friend or loved one and making sure the other person is put in place.
3) Crisis Management: In times of stressful crises or life-threatening situations, most people may try to escape in the opposite direction or become paralyzed with fear and/or overwhelm. However, people with ADHD can operate at their best during times of urgency and high pressure, and thrive on that adrenaline rush, so they may remain calm and effectively lead the group to resolution.
4) Entertaining and Socially Intelligent: Despite some of the interpersonal tendencies that can get them into trouble or frustrate others, people with ADHD can be the life-of-the-party and make friends easily with their outgoing, empathic, and funny nature, and their contagious positive energy. They can also be compassionate, generous, great conversationalists, and hold high importance for fairness for everyone including themselves.
5) Adrenaline Seeker, High Energy, and Risk Taker (different from “reckless”): Where most people might shy away, people with ADHD might say “Why not? I’ll try!” This can motivate people with ADHD to challenge themselves to win or set records in sports and competitions, pursue and master niche hobbies (e.g. skydiving, climbing Mt Everest literally, class V whitewater rafting), or become lucrative entrepreneurs and venture capital investors.
6) Spontaneity and Openness to New Things: People with ADHD may prefer to live-in-the-moment and take life as it comes without plans, which allows for the appreciation of taking in life’s unexpected adventures. They may also enjoy being one of the first people to try new things or those experiences that are outside the “tried-and-true” processes or comfort zones for many people; this can be anything from unique cuisines to new trends in technology to exploration of unconventional/experimental solutions or decisions.
7) Resilience and Persistence: Living with the challenges of having ADHD can strengthen these skills to cope and navigate through the setbacks in life, adapt to new situations, and pursue one’s goals regardless of others’ comments or other barriers.
Did any of these resonate with you? As a bonus exercise, take a few minutes to reflect on yourself to identify some of your additional strengths and talents. By starting to understand your natural set of strengths, you can use them as tools to navigate life challenges, to set yourself up for success by positioning yourself in situations in a way where you’ll be called upon to rely on these strengths, or to remind yourself of them to boost your confidence & self-esteem.
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