Mens_HealthUSA_December_2016

84 MensHealth.com | December 2016

Icons by MICHAEL BRANDON MYERS

Neeleman is known for his entrepreneur-
ial spirit, creativity, and innovative nature
(e-ticketing? That’s him). These qualities,
he says, are influenced in part by his atten-
tion deficit hyperactivity disorder—what we
usually call ADHD. The same qualities also
very likely played a role in his career lows,
including his firing from Southwest and his
departure from JetBlue.
He says his ADHD is an advantage, so he
doesn’t take medication for it. “It’s a gift to
be able to look at the world differently,” says
Neele man, who was diagnosed at 34. “You
have something special that others don’t.”
What do the experts say? The answer is
complicated. Try to pay attention, okay?

ADHD symptoms typically appear in early
childhood, as the brain grows. It’s a neuro-
developmental disorder; the brain’s develop-
ment is delayed, so there are deficiencies in
regions affecting focus and thinking. Behav-
iors linked to ADHD include impulsiveness,
hyperactivity, and trouble paying attention,
and roughly 9 percent of American kids have
been diagnosed. About 60 percent of the time,
these symptoms subside as the child grows.
That could be due to the brain’s frontal lobes
maturing or the child figuring out expected
behavior. But the condition remains for 4.4
percent of U.S. adults; the majority are men.
Maybe you’ve joked about your “ADHD”
when you momentarily lost focus. This is
more than that. An ADHD diagnosis means
that the attributes and behaviors are severe
enough to cause disruption in your life, says
Craig Bruce Surman, M.D., scientific coordi-
nator for the Adult ADHD Research Program
at Massachusetts General Hospital.
There are degrees of ADHD, from mild to
severe. Experts look for ongoing impairment
in two or more areas: home, work, and social
life. You can be disorganized or impulsive, but
if it isn’t causing harm, it isn’t ADHD. “Peo-
ple miss this all the time,” Dr. Surman says.
Also overlooked are some devastating
consequences of ADHD. People who lack
attention and focus may be more prone
to dangerous driving, dropping out of col-
lege, and losing jobs.

There are relationship repercussions too.

Studies show that people with ADHD are as

likely to get married as those without it, but

they’re more likely to divorce, says Frances

Prevatt, Ph.D., of the Adult Learning and Eval-

uation Center at Florida State University.

Despite the title of her book—Succeeding with

Adult ADHD—the condition, she says, “is not

an inherently good thing.”

One aspect of ADHD may benefit the right

person in the right situation: hyperfocus.

Adults and children who have ADHD can

struggle to focus on tasks that they find bor-

ing. However, if they’re given something

they’re interested in, they’ll focus on it to

the point of ignoring everything else around

them. For hours on end. For far longer than

most people would.

That was Neeleman. His passions were

airlines and launching new companies. “It’s

all-consuming,” he says. “It’s why it’s hard

for people with ADHD to focus on the mun-

dane things in life, like paying the bills.

Whatever your thing is, you think about it all

the time.” It’s that kind of tunnel vision that

helps a man start four successful airlines

but not, say, finish reading a book that could

have illuminated him about his condition.

Nobody is saying Neeleman’s success is

because of his ADHD—not even Neeleman.

“Saying someone succeeds because of his

or her ADHD is akin to saying someone suc-

ceeds because of cancer or diabetes,” says

Prevatt. Neeleman’s ADHD affects his work

habits and how he thinks about the business

he loves, but he capitalizes on his strengths.

That’s where the roughly 96 percent of

adults who don’t have ADHD can learn.

Neeleman, Prevatt, and Dr. Surman say that

some of the strategies they use or recom-

mend to minimize distractions and improve

focus can work just as well for people with-

out ADHD as they do for those with the con-

dition. Here are the top seven.

1/ Manage the Mundane

Use a to-do list to log the tasks you have to

do, especially if you don’t want to do them.

“Then say you aren’t going to go to bed until

you get them done,” Neeleman says. “You’ll

get good at saying, ‘I have to get three items

done today,’ and following through. ”

2/ Recognize Your Impulses

Ask why and when you’re exhibiting the

impulsive behavior. Harnessing impulsive-

ness is easier if you know when it tends to

be a problem. Plan ahead and ask yourself if

the action will make you proud. Consider the

people you’re accountable to—your kids, your

team—and how the decision can affect them.

Health

THE LONG VIEW

Hyperfocus, a

hallmark of ADHD,

has bolstered

David Neeleman’s

airline career.

Certain careers are unattractive

to adults who have ADHD. “You

probably want a job involving

high energy that will keep you

moving and doing different

kinds of things,” says Frances

Prevatt, Ph.D., an A D H D ex p er t.

Consider these examples.

Carpentry

or Trades

Physical activity

and problem-

solving make

these jobs

engaging.

Management

This is best

only if you can

rely on a trusty

assistant to

t ake c are of the

details for you.

Sports Career

The team

camaraderie

and high activity

level involved

in this arena are

both pluses.

Sales

It’s good

especially if

you’re making

deals. Flip side:

reports and

presentations.

ER physician

It’s a fast-

paced

environment

with ever-

changing

demands.

Military

The combination

of demanding

situations and a

reliable routine

can work well for

your mind.

Where the Jobs Are