Does INFJ = ADHD?
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I would make the argument that modern society is the "cause" of ADHD. We are surrounded by flashy touchscreen devices that provide instant gratification with practically any form of digital media we desire at any time. Everything has to be LOUD. It's no wonder some people find it hard to focus; step into a public space and there are probably any number of advertisements, people, or things competing for your attention.
I recently went back on medication for ADHD, and I've realized a few things. First up is that anxiety and lack of energy are probably bigger issues for me than staying focused on a task I'm engaged in, although the "engaging" part was definitely an issue as well. Second is that it is still difficult to focus on a single task when there are distractions all around. I work with some pretty eccentric people and for some reason, a few of them feel the need to be as LOUD AS POSSIBLE. MAKE ALL THE NOISES. I thought I'd be able to concentrate better with medication and while it does help, it can't silence my coworkers bodily noises, or need to constantly beatbox, or scream profanities, etc.
Fuck I hate working in a cube farm.
The whole theory about it being a means of government control is a bit comical. The medication that is prescribed is typically Schedule II in the US (there may be alternatives or less restricted medications but I'm not aware of them). It was a real pain in the ass to convince the first psychiatrist I went to that I wasn't fishing for drugs to get high. On top of all this, I'm probably going to have to go see my doctor every time I need my prescription refilled since it's a controlled substance. Oh yeah, and it was ~$350 for a single bottle of pills (yes, I have insurance but with an unfortunately high deductible). I would think that if the government wants to stifle creative minds they would make it a bit easier to get the evil medication that turns you into a mindless, subservient drone. Amphetamines seem like the wrong kind of drug for that particular effect, anyway.
Was ADD/ADHD "real" 100 years ago? Maybe, maybe not. With the proliferation of inexpensive computing devices, obnoxious advertising and constant stimulation, though, it's no surprise to me that there is a percentage of the population that has trouble concentrating and Getting Things Done.
I recently went back on medication for ADHD, and I've realized a few things. First up is that anxiety and lack of energy are probably bigger issues for me than staying focused on a task I'm engaged in, although the "engaging" part was definitely an issue as well. Second is that it is still difficult to focus on a single task when there are distractions all around. I work with some pretty eccentric people and for some reason, a few of them feel the need to be as LOUD AS POSSIBLE. MAKE ALL THE NOISES. I thought I'd be able to concentrate better with medication and while it does help, it can't silence my coworkers bodily noises, or need to constantly beatbox, or scream profanities, etc.
Fuck I hate working in a cube farm.
The whole theory about it being a means of government control is a bit comical. The medication that is prescribed is typically Schedule II in the US (there may be alternatives or less restricted medications but I'm not aware of them). It was a real pain in the ass to convince the first psychiatrist I went to that I wasn't fishing for drugs to get high. On top of all this, I'm probably going to have to go see my doctor every time I need my prescription refilled since it's a controlled substance. Oh yeah, and it was ~$350 for a single bottle of pills (yes, I have insurance but with an unfortunately high deductible). I would think that if the government wants to stifle creative minds they would make it a bit easier to get the evil medication that turns you into a mindless, subservient drone. Amphetamines seem like the wrong kind of drug for that particular effect, anyway.
Was ADD/ADHD "real" 100 years ago? Maybe, maybe not. With the proliferation of inexpensive computing devices, obnoxious advertising and constant stimulation, though, it's no surprise to me that there is a percentage of the population that has trouble concentrating and Getting Things Done.
I think I'd lose the last few frayed, tiny vestiges of my sanity I've managed to keep intact. :[
The first example of a disorder that appears to be similar to ADHD was given by Sir Alexander Crichton in 1798.
Cheers,
Ian
But the criteria for diagnosis are much more stringent than that. Finding it hard to focus isn’t even one of them.
I would hate that too. That said, my meds do a great job of helping me filter out extraneous sound. It’s magical.
Agreed on the above. I have no problems with the doctor side of things, but I have similar insurance, so my meds cost me $304 per month (generic).
Absolutely.
A few months ago, a mother with kids in tow rear-ended our company’s work truck (box truck). She was using a tablet at the time, and the impact caused a shard of glass from the shattered tablet screen to slice her neck. They estimated she bled out and died in less than 10 seconds. When I got out to see if people were OK, all I could see was blood covering the inside of the windows of the SUV, and all I could hear were children crying.
Sitting high in the truck, I got to see what people do while driving. The usage of phones and tablets is just insane.
I’m Dx’d ADHD-PI. I don’t do jack while driving other than enjoy driving. To do otherwise would mean my death, someone else’s, or both.
Cheers,
Ian
aeon said:
Cool, didn't know that. I didn't make any effort to look into the history of the disorder. I just wanted to be able to address the problems I was having.
I don't know the exact criteria for diagnosis and did not intend to imply as such if it came across that way. The first time I went to see a psychiatrist (years ago), he was convinced that I researched everything so that I knew exactly what to tell him so I could get drugs. I avoided looking anything up the second time around for this reason.aeon said:
Just for clarification, I'm by no means an expert on the disorder. Everything I've stated so far (with the exception of the medications legal status) is my own experience or opinion. I avoided going to see someone about my inability to study or see a task through to completion for the longest time. I went 6 years without treating or doing anything about it so I'm just now trying to get used to the idea of medication and changing my habits to progress in the ways that I think I should be able to.
Certainly a fair argument. However, I don't believe it's morally responsible to medicate children (or anyone) for simply having an erratic attention span for the aforementioned reasons.
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I don’t either, and I agree with you completely in this. That is why I think a diagnosis should only be had via a clinician whose area(s) of specialty include(s) the disorder, and the full criteria for presenting symptoms across multiple life domains must be met.
I was diagnosed at 41 years of age. I can only wonder what might have been possible had I been diagnosed and medicated as a child.
Cheers,
Ian
I doubt that all INFJs have clinically relevant ADHD. That said, dominant Ni and inferior Se probably does have some similarities in appearance with ADHD-PI. The question is clinical relevance. If someone can function well enough to keep a job and maintain satisfactory relationships, then perhaps they are just differently gifted, and a diagnosis of ADHD may be unwarranted. However, there are those of us who are a danger to ourselves and our families when we are unmedicated. I have no issues with long term planning, decision making, or impulsivity. The thing that gets me is moment to moment functioning. I don't get distracted by external stimuli, I get distracted by the workings of my own mind. I cannot keep track of things in my immediate physical environment. I zone out and cannot remember whether or not I completed an important task. So I waste a lot of time checking myself. Yet I still somehow miss important things. I am not hyperactive at all, except in my mind... it will zoom in and hyperfocus on whatever concept I am interested in, while the rest of me operates on autopilot. I forget where I am going and why I am there. I look for things like my glasses or my phone when they are already in my hand...
I wasn't diagnosed until I was an adult. It embarrassed me to admit that I really had a problem. But after I made a mindless mistake that could have been very dangerous, it scared me enough to get medicated. Meds are a long way from perfect. I still struggle with being spaced out and unaware of my surroundings. I still have to set up reminders on my phone for important things, or they won't happen. Meds help me function better on some levels, but I think my ability to commit things to long term memory is much worse. Or maybe I am just getting old.
In my opinion there is a huge difference between ADHD-PI and classic ADHD. I hate that the term ADD is no longer used, because ADHD-PI does not describe what I have, and it sounds misleading IMO.
I am of the personal opinion that classic ADHD is much more likely to correspond to ESTP or ESFP personality types... sensory types with high energy who notice everything in their environment. Completely different from Ni dominant types who live in their minds and lack awareness of the environment.
I wasn't diagnosed until I was an adult. It embarrassed me to admit that I really had a problem. But after I made a mindless mistake that could have been very dangerous, it scared me enough to get medicated. Meds are a long way from perfect. I still struggle with being spaced out and unaware of my surroundings. I still have to set up reminders on my phone for important things, or they won't happen. Meds help me function better on some levels, but I think my ability to commit things to long term memory is much worse. Or maybe I am just getting old.
In my opinion there is a huge difference between ADHD-PI and classic ADHD. I hate that the term ADD is no longer used, because ADHD-PI does not describe what I have, and it sounds misleading IMO.
I am of the personal opinion that classic ADHD is much more likely to correspond to ESTP or ESFP personality types... sensory types with high energy who notice everything in their environment. Completely different from Ni dominant types who live in their minds and lack awareness of the environment.
No. Quite opposite. Others tell me my composure is odd. That I am too calm. I scare others because of my abilities to remain calm in crisis. But, perhaps it has come with age ...though I have not been very "excitable" in the past...rather the one who gets others to focus 
Hello--fellow ADD + INFJ here!!! I think there must be some overlap between INFJ traits and also ADD (or ADHD)....I was undiagnosed until my 30's and while it was a relief to find out, I unfortunately suffered for years undiagnosed. By the grace of God I did well in school--I think the structure helped, and I found many subjects (minus math) interesting so i could hyper focus and do my work. But my self-esteem took big hits. I am working on loving myself and accepting my disablity and even laughing and enjoying the wackiness that comes with it. I've taken the Myers Briggs test twice, years apart, and both times came out as INFJ. Interestingly, despite there supposedly being a small percentage of people of INFJ-ers, I tend to attract or find them everywhere. Many of my good friends are INFJ (females). I often wish I could find a support group for ADD. Any thoughts?
I am INFJ and ADD (inattentive, daydreamer flakey type). Maybe there are more of us out there than one would think. How about INFJ/ADD/ and Left handedness??
