ADHD and Creativity

[Yarko]

I was diagnosed with ADHD, Bipolar, OCD (mild) and Panic Disorder quite sometime ago. I would be curious to discover whether or not a natural proclivity to hyper-creativity (which my P-Doc says is manifest in my conditions) brings on these conditions or if these conditions predispose one to fits of creative exploration by nature. I am a composer, writer, painter and graphic designer (my day job). I am utterly useless with mathematics or any other science for that matter - save an innate curiosity about them.

I've often wondered if I were to avoid these creative outlets for a time the symptoms of the conditions would lessen in intensity. Am I making any sense at all? Please say I am or I'm libel to launch into an unwarranted, 2,500-word diatribe in an effort to clarify things! Thanks,

-Yarko

[itsy1]

I agree with paying_it_forward, I think us ADHDers are a creative bunch.  Because of our unique way of experiencing the world we are the ones who see what no one else can, the ones that go out and do the exciting thing, make the discovery, write the novel, paint the picture, discover what others would not think exsists.

I don't know what a doc would tell you from a medical standpoint, but as a creative writer I can say that my creativity lets me release my energy in a positive way.  As a writer I can both hyper focus and get  my stories done and let my inner wanderer out and create my own people, places, and events.  I've found when I don't write is when my add symptoms start to mke me anxious, sad, and frustrated.  It sounds like you're channelling your natural tendencies well with your creative outlets.

For what it's worth:  I've met so many people who are concrete thinkers, with a gift to be grounded and do well in math, engineering, science, ect, who have said "you're so lucky to be able to write like you do" or "how did you think of that?".  Some of these people are actually surprised that I'm impressed by their ability to do what they do naturaly.

[paying_it_forward]

I have no idea lol. Though I would think that participating in such activities is a good thing because you have a job that incorporates a sense of creativity. Providing that it doesn't cause stress or trigger your panic disorder very often.

I too have ADHD (though was only diagnosed in March...and I'm 25) and i find that when I'm researching for an assignment i will go into hyper-focus mode and before i know a great many hours have passed :S I was never good at mathematics either...though when it comes to creative things...I flourish! I think because our brains a wired in a different way we do have that ability to create amazing things and see things people don't see. Just google famous people with ADHD and so many of them are inventors of amazing things :) Us ADHD'ers tend to have hyper-focus on the things we enjoy the most *nods*

"Medically" I have no clue if stopping your creative activities for a period of time if the intensity will decrease. Is the intensity a bad thing?