Who wouldn’t want to pretend to be Maria from The Sound of Music? It is a fairy tale story of aloneness to acceptance and love, rags to riches. Did this real life figure truly suffer from ADHD? It is easy to believe from the character of Maria in the movie.
True or not, I was intrigued by the title of the recent article in ADDitude magazine, “My ADHD Story: Maria Von Trapp and Me,” Zoe Kessler’s comparison of her personal experience with ADHD with the character of Maria as we commonly view her, is food for thought.
Before receiving an ADHD diagnosis, many of us wore other labels — none of them complimentary. Just as the nuns called Maria “as flighty as a feather,” my mother used to beg me to “light somewhere.” My constant movement drove her crazy. I also heard, “you’re giving me a headache,” so I could imagine playing Maria while the sisters call her “a headache,” “a pest,” and “unpredictable as weather.” Piece of cake. I wouldn’t even be acting.
Unflattering labels, lack of understanding, criticism, and resulting low self-esteem are a few of Zoe’s experiences that parallel Maria’s.
When the captain finally professes his love for Maria, she is befuddled. How could anyone possibly love her? She searches her memory to find something lovable about herself. “Somewhere in my youth or childhood, I must have done something good.” Only she can’t think what.
By the time an undiagnosed ADHDer reaches adulthood, her self-esteem is often shot. It’s hard to remember that “something good” among so many failures. Feeling like failures, undiagnosed ADHD adults may hide behind drugs or alcohol, instead of away in a convent.
My response is to want to be more understanding, more accepting of differences in people. I want to give that other person the benefit of the doubt when his/her behavior is puzzling at best and at worst repellingly rude. Thank you, Zoe, for this insightful look into a more common experience than we realize.
“How do you take a cloud and pin it down?” Let’s not do that; we need all the clouds, clowns, angels, and moon beams we can get!
Read the entire article here. You can also sign up to be notified of future ADDitude magazine editions via email on the same page.
Chronic Disorganization: Maria Von Trapp and ADHD?
Tuesday, January 5th, 2010Who wouldn’t want to pretend to be Maria from The Sound of Music? It is a fairy tale story of aloneness to acceptance and love, rags to riches. Did this real life figure truly suffer from ADHD? It is easy to believe from the character of Maria in the movie.
True or not, I was intrigued by the title of the recent article in ADDitude magazine, “My ADHD Story: Maria Von Trapp and Me,” Zoe Kessler’s comparison of her personal experience with ADHD with the character of Maria as we commonly view her, is food for thought.
Unflattering labels, lack of understanding, criticism, and resulting low self-esteem are a few of Zoe’s experiences that parallel Maria’s.
My response is to want to be more understanding, more accepting of differences in people. I want to give that other person the benefit of the doubt when his/her behavior is puzzling at best and at worst repellingly rude. Thank you, Zoe, for this insightful look into a more common experience than we realize.
“How do you take a cloud and pin it down?” Let’s not do that; we need all the clouds, clowns, angels, and moon beams we can get!
Read the entire article here. You can also sign up to be notified of future ADDitude magazine editions via email on the same page.
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Tags: disorganization, learning styles, simplify