What’s it Like to Have Adult ADHD?
Three times Tour de France winner Greg LeMond sat down with TotallyADD to talk about finding out he has Attention Deficit Disorder.
Greg LeMond on Having ADD
ADD was getting out the news and and the teachers recommended for one of my kids to go see a doctor for ADD and so I went with them and I just as they were getting examined I’d read this this thing 20 questions and I’m like check, check, check, and I had every one of them so and..
Now I look back I laugh at it cuz it’s like of course it explains a lot of stuff. It just stood out like a sore thumb my childhood I mean it was just a classic kid that couldn’t pay attention was couldn’t stand still and his seat and I said I was always kind of not in trouble but always kind of yeah, not trouble trouble not like doing really bad things but always mischief you know?
But it always got me to the principles, meeting the principal or talking to somebody you know? I’m sorry, you know it’s kind of like it was very frustrating I mean it definitely lowers your self-esteem and I said I had a sister that was really good in school so it just made me feel like an idiot. I always thought I had trouble in school because we moved from Los Angeles to Lake Tahoe mid-season halfway through the school year and I started new school.
The only person I befriended was a really wild and crazy kid I mean went to prison but we were so out of control and so and I was held back in third grade and so I always I can’t tell if it was I always thought that was the reason and that I didn’t like school but in in hindsight I because my memory of school was before that was good and then after that it was horrible.
So it’s, but I look back I obviously I had it at a very young age and I just probably was in a more stable spot not having to change school than I liked school more and and but I could think of that third grade fourth fifth sixth those were my most until I got in cycling really, horrible years, and what would have I … I mean I think it’s I’ve been able to do it to myself that I’ve realized that I’m not dumb I’m not I have capabilities of learning you know I have my own set of intelligence and exercise I’m telling it just it it it opened my brain to learning and…
But it has to be more than just walking. It’s got to have some intensity where your heart rates really high and so you know that’s the hardest part, today’s kids are de-conditioned they’re suffering from obesity and just to get started on that very hard. It’s kind of painful because it’s kind of like you know I I say hey excuse me I do have ADD and sometimes you have to try me two times or if you give me a card I might lose it so I try to be up front with it but it’s it’s sometimes also it’s dismissive also even me as a person where they just think I’m disorganized or I’m, you know and I’ve got a lot on my lot on my plate and I actually do get stuff accomplished but it’s kind of a sometimes a butt of jokes so you know.
I can take it though it’s okay. I am Who I am and there are times I get really III say sad for myself as a child like why weren’t my parents tracking me why did I have to go through this I mean and you know my grades reflected it. The issues that came out in school reflected it and but there wasn’t education at that time it was always it’s not my parents they didn’t know they were young parents and but I wish I would have had that the somebody there to tell me you know you’re smart you just need a different tactic. A different way of learning.
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