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The opposite of ADD?

 
 
Reply Mon 16 May, 2005 01:19 pm
What would be the opposite of ADD?

Would it be asperger's syndrome? autism?

Aren't all of those an inability to process incoming information in a "normal" way?

In what ways are they the same? Different?

I'm just curious.

Thanks!
 
sozobe
 
  2  
Reply Mon 16 May, 2005 02:53 pm
Maybe OCD -- that could be termed attention surplus disorder. :-)
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FreeDuck
 
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Reply Mon 16 May, 2005 03:01 pm
Hmmm. That's an interesting question. I think of ADD as a process whereby the brain is unable to filter signals and every new signal interrupts or displaces a previous thought thread. If that were the case, then the opposite would be a brain that is unable to interrupt a thought thread until it has been completely processed. So I would imagine someone who is constantly tuning everything else out and can only ever concentrate on one thing at a time.

Imagine an old slow computer, as an illustration of what I'm describing as the opposite. The ADD computer would be the super fast new one that drives you crazy with floating helping paperclips and popups but can't actually do what you want it to do.
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Bi-Polar Bear
 
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Reply Mon 16 May, 2005 03:53 pm
SUBTRACT?
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roger
 
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Reply Mon 16 May, 2005 03:58 pm
If FreeDuck is right, cats have it in spades. The little fluff brains are not especially bright, but, boy do they know how to concentrate.

Maybe the reall opposite of ADD is obsessive/compulsive?
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roger
 
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Reply Mon 16 May, 2005 03:59 pm
Oh, that's what soz said. Didn't catch the abbreviation.
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boomerang
 
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Reply Mon 16 May, 2005 04:52 pm
Hi all. Very interesting. Thanks for your responses.

I looked up the diagnostic criteria for ADD, Asperger's and OCD so I could look at them all side by side and in light of your comments.

I need to think about it a bit more (and I have to go run errands) but I'll be back.....

ADD
Quote:
Inattention
often fails to give close attention to details, or makes careless errors in schoolwork, work, or other activities
often fails to sustain attention in tasks or play activities
often appears not to listen to what is being said to him or her
often fails to follow through on instructions or to finish schoolwork, chores, or duties in the workplace (not because of oppositional behavior or failure to understand instructions)
is often impaired in organizing tasks and activities
often avoids or strongly dislikes tasks, such as housework, that require sustained mental effortoften loses things necessary for certain tasks or activities, such as school assignments, pencils, books, toys or tools
is often easily distracted by external stimuli
is often forgetful in the course of daily activities

Hyperactivity
often fidgets with hands or feet or squirms in seat leaves seat in classroom or in other situations in which remaining seated is expected
often runs about or climbs excessively in situations in which it is inappropriate (in adolescents or adults, only feelings of restlessness may be present)
is often unduly noisy in playing, or has difficulty in engaging quietly in leisure activities exhibits a persistent pattern of excessive motor activity that is not substantially modified by social context or demands Impulsivity
often blurts out answers before questions have been completed
often fails to wait in lines or await turns in games or group activities
often interrupts or intrudes on others (e.g., butts into others' conversations or games)
often talks excessively without appropriate response to social constraints
Inattentionoften fails to give close attention to details, or makes careless errors in schoolwork, work, or other activities
often fails to sustain attention in tasks or play activities
often appears not to listen to what is being said to him or her
often fails to follow through on instructions or to finish schoolwork, chores, or duties in the workplace (not because of oppositional behavior or failure to understand instructions)
is often impaired in organizing tasks and activities
often avoids or strongly dislikes tasks, such as housework, that require sustained mental effortoften loses things necessary for certain tasks or activities, such as school assignments, pencils, books, toys or tools
is often easily distracted by external stimuli
is often forgetful in the course of daily activities
Hyperactivityoften fidgets with hands or feet or squirms in seat
leaves seat in classroom or in other situations in which remaining seated is expected
often runs about or climbs excessively in situations in which it is inappropriate (in adolescents or adults, only feelings of restlessness may be present)
is often unduly noisy in playing, or has difficulty in engaging quietly in leisure activities exhibits a persistent pattern of excessive motor activity that is not substantially modified by social context or demands Impulsivity
often blurts out answers before questions have been completed
often fails to wait in lines or await turns in games or group activities
often interrupts or intrudes on others (e.g., butts into others' conversations or games)
often talks excessively without appropriate response to social constraints


Asperger's
Quote:
Asperger syndrome (AS) is a neurobiological disorder, which most researchers feel falls at the "high end" of the autistic spectrum. Individuals with Asperger syndrome can have symptoms ranging from mild to severe. While sharing many of the same characteristics as Pervasive Developmental Disorder, Not Otherwise Specified and High-Functioning Autism, Asperger syndrome is a relatively new term in the United States, having only recently being officially recognized as a diagnosis by the medical community.Individuals with AS can exhibit a variety of characteristics and the disorder can range from mild to severe. Individuals with AS show marked deficiencies in social skills, have difficulties with transitions or changes and prefer sameness. They often have obsessive routines and may be preoccupied with a particular subject of interest. They have a great deal of difficulty reading nonverbal cues (body language) and very often the individual with AS has difficulty determining proper body space. Often overly sensitive to sounds, tastes, smells, and sights, the person with AS may prefer soft clothing, certain foods, and be bothered by sounds or lights no one else seems to hear or see. It's important to remember that the person with AS perceives the world very differently. Therefore, many behaviors that seem odd or unusual are due to those neurological differences and not the result of intentional rudeness or bad behavior, and most certainly not the result of "improper parenting."
By definition, those with AS have a normal IQ and many individuals (although not all) exhibit exceptional skill or talent in a specific area. Because of their high degree of functionality and their naivete, those with AS are often viewed as eccentric or odd and can easily become victims of teasing and bullying. While language development seems, on the surface, normal, individuals with, AS often have deficits in pragmatics and prosody. Vocabularies may be extraordinarily rich and some children. However, persons with AS can be extremely literal and have difficulty using language in a social context.


OCD
Quote:
A. The Person Exhibits Either Obsessions or Compulsions
Obsessions are indicated by the following:
The person has recurrent and persistent thoughts, impulses, or images that are experienced, at some time during the disturbance, as intrusive and inappropriate and that cause marked anxiety or distress
The thoughts, impulses, or images are not simply excessive worries about real-life problems
The person attempts to ignore or suppress such thoughts, impulses, or images or to neutralize them with some other thought or action
The person recognizes that the obsessional thoughts, impulses, or images are a product of his or her own mind (not imposed from without as in thought insertion)
Compulsions are indicated by the following:
The person has repetitive behaviors (eg, hand washing, ordering, checking) or mental acts (eg, praying, counting, repeating words silently) that the person feels driven to perform in response to an obsession or according to rules that must be applied rigidly
The behaviors or mental acts are aimed at preventing some dreaded event or situation; however, these behaviors or mental acts either are not connected in a realistic way with what they are designed to neutralize or prevent or are clearly excessive.
B. At some point during the course of the disorder, the person has recognized that the obsessions or compulsions are excessive or unreasonable. (Note: this does not apply to children.)
C. The obsessions or compulsions cause marked distress, are time consuming (take more than 1 hour a day), or significantly interfere with the person's normal routine, occupational/academic functioning, or usual social activities or relationships.
D. If another axis I disorder is present, the content of the obsessions or compulsions is not restricted to it (e.g., preoccupation with drugs in the presence of a substance abuse disorder).
E. The disturbance is not due to the direct physiologic effects of a substance (e.g., drug abuse, a medication) or a general medical condition.
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sozobe
 
  2  
Reply Mon 16 May, 2005 05:02 pm
In truth, I don't think there can be an "opposite." Without getting too much into semantics, I don't think the opposite of a disorder can be another disorder -- I think it all lies on a spectrum, or at least is a variation of a theme rather than "opposite."
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boomerang
 
  1  
Reply Mon 16 May, 2005 06:20 pm
I agree, soz, that there really isn't an "opposite" but more a continuium.

I guess I'm just really wondering what might be a normal attention span.

I was talking to someone the other day about film editing and how it has become so frantic and how the "news in depth" segments are all of two minutes. It seems that even book chapters are getting shorter.

It's really kind of a chicken or egg thing. Are our attention spans getting shorter because we are bombarded by so much information and so many ways to intrude or vice versa?
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FreeDuck
 
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Reply Tue 17 May, 2005 07:05 am
Interesting questions, and I of course know almost nothing about mental health. But I lean toward the former -- our attention spans get shorter because we are bombarded or constantly interrupted. It could be that they started developing these things for a small segment of the population who couldn't sustain focus for longer than a few minutes, and in the process caused those who maybe could to no longer need to.

But that's all pulled right out of my rear-end.
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Noddy24
 
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Reply Tue 17 May, 2005 11:50 am
Remember, Shakespeare's plays were originally produced uncut--and the audience stood through them.

Attention spans aren't what they used to be.
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boomerang
 
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Reply Tue 17 May, 2005 01:02 pm
That's interesting, FreeDuck. It sounds almost like we might be evolving into shorter attention spans!

Noddy's excellent observation really points out that even HOW we attend things has changed rather dramatically.

There was a beer commercial on TV the other night that was a full minute long, with very few cuts and it really stood out. It was almost like a little movie.

Remember when all commercials were a minute long? I think I read about a 5 second Yale lock commercial that ran during the Super Bowl - 5 seconds!

And interruptions! Don't even get me started.
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Now your simptoms
 
  1  
Reply Sat 7 May, 2011 11:38 pm
I believe that I am cyclothymic; it is the only thing that describes my erratic tendencies, and it does this right down to how I perceive creativity. I often get nothing done, not because i’m distracted, but because I simply get so immersed in a topic, I study every single substituent until I feel it is fully explained. I'm not distracted in the way that a person with ADD might be, but rather distracted by my inability to achieve the perfection that I have envisioned from the start. I often stay awake for days on end, and I feel empowered when I do this. It's probably mixed with OCD, but without the rituals.
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