I have ADHD. I am not a health care person or ka student of medicine or science to fully understand or explain ADHD. I know me, and I know my weaknesses. I know what works and does not work for me.
My understanding of ADHD may more fully develop over time as I gain more knowledge about it. But what I understand is that ADHD affects executive functioning, but has no correlation to intelligence. In other words, a person can have ADHD but still be intelligent and sometimes above average in intelligence. Or less. There is no correlation or connection. As an example, there was an old move with Steve McMurray. His character was a brilliant scientist who kept forgetting to go to his own wedding, because he was so absorbed or hyperfocused on his work.
The Cleveland Clinic explains executive function as the skills required to manage daily tasks. These are broken down into three components.
- 1. Working memory
- 2. Cognitive Flexibility
- 3. Inhibition control
- A fourth component not mentioned by the article I found by Cleveland Clinic is:
- 4. Time blindness
Dr. Russell Barkley, a psychologist and ADHD focused researcher coined the term time blindness. According to studies, all people with ADHD have time blindness.
Some experts would say ADHD is a not a lack of attention but rather a problem with regulating attention. People with ADHD can hyperfocus on tasks or be helplessly unable to focus. And it is not a matter of choice. It is sort of like the expression all or nothing.
Because people with ADHD can be seen hyperfocusing on tasks, the problem with regulating focus is an invisible disability within the brain that is misunderstood when people with ADHD struggle to complete tasks and struggle to meet important deadlines.
From my own experience, I can say that when I hyper focus on a task for one hour or five hours, I am unaware of the passing of time. I can therefore be unrealistic about estimating time for tasks. And that is commonly said by people with ADHD.
I had ADHD all my life, but I was diagnosed after…well let us just say at or after middle age when I hit a wall. I am more the inattentive type. It is thought to be genetic, and I can see the more hyper but less typical type for women in my female relatives. It is a family thing.
So what does that have to do with ministering to women with ADHD? Or to help neurotypical women udnerstand?
Provebs 3:5 tells us to not lean on our own understanding.
I would encourage neurotypical believers to remember and obey the verse in Colossians 3:13 to forbear one another and forgive one another. They symptoms of ADHD can be unintentionally annoying. Forbearance is to show patience.
But let us talk about inteinton. ADHD does not excuse us from bad intentions. To others, our heart intentions may not be obvious and are not to be judged by others. But we are to judge ourselves.
Back to Proverbs 3:5. We a not to lean on our own understanding. I take that to mean our intellectual and logical understanding as well as our heart felt emotional understanding. These two aspects the world understands. But there is a spiritual understanding. When we are born again, God makes us a new person in the inner man. And we are instructed to put to death the deeds of who we used to be.
The fruit of the Spirit has nothing to do with how our phyiscal brain functions. I do find it can affect my prayer life, because of less working memory and trouble regulating focus. But how our physical brain functions has little to do with our relationship to God and being guided by the Holy Spirit or my choice to obey. I would say here that a believer with alzheimers can become aggressive to no fault of their own. Also other conditions including ADHD can affect emotional regulation. I’m just saying there is more to logical thinking and emotional thinking. There is a matter of our choices to pursue righteousness or to pursue sin. ADHD does not excuse willful sin.
Where I am going with this? ADHD does affect impulse control even in adults. ADHD does not go away and a person never outgrows it. But ADHD does not excuse willfull sin. I am repeating, but it is worth repeating. We may have to find coping strategies tht works for us to be able to pause and not act on those impulses.
In Hebrews 12:1 we are instructed to lay aside the sin that so easily besets us. ADHD or not, each of us have our weaknesses and individual sins tat are more of a temptation than other sins.
So what does this mean? Hold intentional sin accountable but be patient with the unintentional weaknesses of others.
Judge our own heart to see if we are harborng intentional sin. Try to be aware fo our affect on others. Try to find coping strategies to help overcome what does not come naturally.
some ADHD coping tools and strategies
-clocks
-timers
-artificial deadlines
-calendars
-organizers and planners
-writing things down
-willful intention to make ourselves pause before talking or taking action
This is not a complete list of ADHD tools but a starting point. You have to find what works for you. Some people do well with electronic calendars but not me. I need real paper calendars. And I have to make myself look on a regular basis.
And remember if you have ADHD, you are uniquely made and equiped by God even if misunderstood by others. God knows your heart.
Walk humbly and love God. I do not know if the apostle Peter had an ADHD brain, but he seemed to have traits. It is not a fact but could be a possibility. Peter was impulsive, but was a follower of Jesus and dearly loved by our Saviour. Peter was chosen by God for ministry.
Beloved sisters don’t think too highly of yourselves. But neither underestimate what God can do through your weakness.
Remember 2 Corinthians 12:9. God’s grace is sufficient for us. The strength of God is made perfect in our weakness.
May the love and peace be to you who sincerely love the Lord Jesus Christ. An may the Lord bring unbelievers to a saving knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Notes
Reference my.cleveland.org Executive Dysfuction: What It Is, Symptoms and Treatment
Reference Russell Barkley and time studies
Please note not all reference have Christian world view, but are reference for known research on the topic.