Does INFJ = ADHD?

Ryso89 said:
Attention deficit "disorder" is a term created by our government / system (the man) to medicate and dumb down those who have creative, dreaming minds.

Because what are we? Dreamers, idealists, artists, and people who make moves for the betterment of all things. We are an absolute inherent threat to the system and they seek to control us because we act on our dreams and values, likely to a much further extent than all of the other personality types. The label of "disorder" is a fascist term used to create subservient, human drones existing only to please a ruling oligarchy. It's an attempt at thought control by telling us that it's "wrong, bad, or unhealthy" to dream, to critically assess and analyze information. It is fear mongering. It is systematic oppression.

Essentially, it is an attack on our intellect because of what we can achieve when left to our own ideals; something they are very afraid of.

No child who dreams or can't pay attention (be controlled) has a "disorder". He or she is born that way, and it is a product of his or her personality.
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The clinical science disagrees with you.


Cheers,
Ian
 
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.
 
J. Cardigan said:
Was ADD/ADHD "real" 100 years ago? Maybe, maybe not.
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The first example of a disorder that appears to be similar to ADHD was given by Sir Alexander Crichton in 1798.

In this disease of attention, if it can with propriety be called so, every impression seems to agitate the person, and gives him or her an unnatural degree of mental restlessness. People walking up and down the room, a slight noise in the same, the moving a table, the shutting a door suddenly, a slight excess of heat or of cold, too much light, or too little light, all destroy constant attention in such patients, inasmuch as it is easily excited by every impression. The barking of dogs, an ill-tuned organ, or the scolding of women, are sufficient to distract patients of this description to such a degree, as almost approaches to the nature of delirium. It gives them vertigo, and headache, and often excites such a degree of anger as borders on insanity. When people are affected in this manner, which they very frequently are, they have a particular name for the state of their nerves, which is expressive enough of their feelings. They say they have the fidgets. ~Crichton, 1798.
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Cheers,
Ian
 
J. Cardigan said:
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.
Click to expand...

But the criteria for diagnosis are much more stringent than that. Finding it hard to focus isn’t even one of them.

J. Cardigan said:
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.
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I would hate that too. That said, my meds do a great job of helping me filter out extraneous sound. It’s magical.

J. Cardigan said:
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.
Click to expand...

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).

J. Cardigan said:
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.
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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:
The first example of a disorder that appears to be similar to ADHD was given by Sir Alexander Crichton in 1798.
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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.

aeon said:
But the criteria for diagnosis are much more stringent than that. Finding it hard to focus isn’t even one of them.
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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.

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.
 
aeon said:
The clinical science disagrees with you.


Cheers,
Ian
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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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Ryso89 said:
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
 
Ryso89 said:
Attention deficit "disorder" is a term created by our government / system (the man) to medicate and dumb down those who have creative, dreaming minds.

Because what are we? Dreamers, idealists, artists, and people who make moves for the betterment of all things. We are an absolute inherent threat to the system and they seek to control us because we act on our dreams and values, likely to a much further extent than all of the other personality types. The label of "disorder" is a fascist term used to create subservient, human drones existing only to please a ruling oligarchy. It's an attempt at thought control by telling us that it's "wrong, bad, or unhealthy" to dream, to critically assess and analyze information. It is fear mongering. It is systematic oppression.

Essentially, it is an attack on our intellect because of what we can achieve when left to our own ideals; something they are very afraid of.

No child who dreams or can't pay attention (be controlled) has a "disorder". He or she is born that way, and it is a product of his or her personality.
Click to expand...
Who is "they"?
 
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 definitely do not have ADHD, therefore not all INFJ people have ADHD. What was I saying?
 
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 :-)
 
H8s7e1LKOp9 said:
Hey, I have ADHD and am an INFJ. A lot of the traits of an INFJ are also characteristics of someone with ADD/ADHD. The only difference really is someone with ADHD can be an extrovert or an introvert.

Maybe INFJs can be mis-diagnosed with ADHD, or maybe INFJ is just a personality type for those who have ADHD?

Thoughts? Have you been diagnosed with ADHD?
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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?
 
IndigoSensor said:
No, I don't think being ADD/ADHD is a common occurance for an INFJ. There are too many personality clashes that occur with the diagnostic tools for ADD (in particular, ADHD). Is it possible? Of course. How likely is it? Very unlikely.

INFJ's are not really all that spontenious, as our actions are mostly planned out. While yes, I do like stimilulation as much as I can get, I can survive without it. I would venture to guess most INFJ's are the same way.

I agree though that being intuitive can be seen as being ADD because to an outside observer it might appear as if things are comming out of nowhere (this would be more Ne then anything, a function INFJ's don't have to use). That is a fallicy though because there is order to most people's intuitive thoughts, or at the very least some kind of order is created.
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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?? :)
 
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