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ADHD & Trump’s Behavior: No Sustained Effort
A.B.O.U.T. Behavior #6: No Sustained Effort
For one year, my weekly blog will address recent utterances or actions of Mr. Trump that highlight his severe, under-treated, hyperactive, adult ADHD. I do not intend to comment on his politics or policies, except as directly shaped by ADHD. My observations and analyses do not imply that all people with ADH behave like Mr. Trump, not that ADHD is Mr. Trump’s only mental health issue.
At a re-election rally in Dallas, Thursday (10/17/19), Mr. Trump said “If I acted presidential, everybody would be out of here so fast!”. He then mimed what he imagined to be the stodgy and tiresome mannerisms of career politicians. He went on to address how boring it would be for him to be president, were he to attend to all of the things that his predecessors had considered pertinent to the office of president…. things like The Constitution, laws, and policies, or that his tweets, comments, and written statements have consequences.
The extent to which he experiences these tasks to be “boring” accentuates one of the criteria for ADHD — avoiding tasks that require sustained effort and attention.
People with ADHD can stay on track and work hard on an ongoing project — but only when they are interested, or the stakes are compelling. Often…
