ADHD: Evolutionary Remnant Or Disorder?

Here is a fascinating concept that has finally been put into a context where I finally feel comfortable talking about ADHD as a step in the evolutionary progress of man.  It’s not that this is new to me, but rather there is a connection to a real investigation versus someone making wild claims without being able to provide any support or evidence to suggest there might be truth to it.

What Am I Talking About?

Could ADHD have been an evolutionary trait that kept humans alive at one point?  Were the traits of ADHD that we now find so unacceptable actually responsible for keeping us alive and alert?

This article presents an interesting argument from the results of a research study conducted by Dan Eisenberg of Northwestern University.  I’ll spare the details for now, but basically the researchers observed a tribe in Africa where half have settled into an agricultural system and the other half remains more nomadic (hunter-gatherers).

For anyone interested in this topic, I would strongly suggest reading the article in it’s entirety.  It’s just fascinating to think that ADHD-like behaviors were once likely responsible for our success to stay alive while roaming the plains, hunting for food.  It’s just amazing to think about ADHD having some “nobler” purpose than how many of us in the public understand it today.

What if ADHD actually were positive versus all the people who see it is a negative or want to blame someone with ADHD for being too lazy?  Could that change anything for you?  Would that change the public perspective of how ADHD could be adaptive in the right environment?  Under the right conditions?

After all, humans flourish under “ideal conditions” and maybe not all of us are intended to punch a clock, sit in a cubicle, and follow the rules set forth by modern America.

What Do You Think?

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