Though not included in the official DSM-5 diagnostic criteria for ADHD, hyperfocus is a condition familiar to many individuals with ADHD who report becoming intensely focused on activities they find rewarding or interesting.Īnecdotally, we have known that, when a person with ADHD experiences hyperfocus, his or her attention becomes laser-like. Gifted social/emotional traits may shape your child's or your own interests, sensitivities, passions, and quirks, but when these cross the line into distress and psychological symptoms, please seek the support of a licensed mental health professional.A newly published study has pried the lid off the mysterious phenomenon of “ hyperfocus,” tying it inextricably to symptoms of attention deficit disorder (ADHD or ADD) in adults. If that nagging voice inside tells you that something more is going on, that you or your child are more distressed, or that additional support will help you navigate a difficult period in time, get some help. Depression needs to be treated and not just dismissed as the existential angst so many gifted teens experience. Unlike what you may read in online forums or hear from well-meaning acquaintances, not every ADHD diagnosis springs from corrupt physicians in bed with "big pharma." Not every diagnosis of social anxiety disorder ignores the role of giftedness in your child's heightened sensitivities. We don't want to "overpathologize" and ignore how giftedness contributes to social and emotional functioning, but symptoms of distress should not be dismissed as "just a part of being gifted" or "a phase" that will pass. We need to remind ourselves that children's and adult's emotional struggles must be taken seriously. ![]() Your child's or your own giftedness may be pathologized, or conversely, used to explain away more serious levels of distress that warrant treatment. You or your child may be mislabeled, misdiagnosed, or not appropriately identified as gifted. As parents, we often are vulnerable to the opinions of others - family, friends, social media, self-help authors, pediatricians, teachers, spiritual leaders. Children have different needs depending on their developmental phase, interests, abilities, family dynamics, and unique personality. Remaining attuned to your child's intellectual abilities, emotional and social functioning, and interpersonal needs is much easier said than done, of course. After all, who wouldn't want this to be true? It's just Dabrowski's overexcitabilities - not depression - right? He just overthinks everything - he'll get over the anxiety eventually - won't he? They had hoped the problems were less serious. Perhaps, they needed psychotherapy years ago, or their child is more distressed than they had imagined. They dismiss others' warnings and comments - or their own nagging doubts. Yet, some gifted adults and families understandably hope that giftedness is the culprit. And while gifted intelligence and social/emotional issues can provoke their own set of unique troubles, sometimes. Over the years, I have noticed a trend where some gifted adults or parents of gifted children, well-versed in the gifted literature, assume that their troubles are exclusively due to giftedness. I still think like a clinician and take a history and listen through the "ears" of a psychologist. Although coaching is quite different from psychotherapy, my perspective as a psychologist remains an integral part of what I do. ![]() These diagnostic questions also arise in my work as a coach, where I consult with gifted adults and parents of gifted children. I have also seen individuals who are gifted, but have co-occurring mental health concerns. But what about when the diagnoses are valid?Īs a clinical psychologist, I have encountered situations where teens or adults have been misdiagnosed, and when problem behaviors resulted from social/emotional traits associated with giftedness, or the social ramifications of being gifted.
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