Sarah Palin: Is It All Just ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder)?
There are, to be sure, many possible personal and/or political reasons for Sarah Palin's decision to quit mid-stream. She may want/need to cash-in and her star may be fading. She may have become bored with governance. She may have recognized that the remainder of her term would be difficult because of the falling price of oil, or that she had to preside over accepting stimulus money to help low-income Alaskans with fuel costs. She may have decided that her national aspirations could be better served by campaigning for others, accumulating chits, and then calling them in--just as Richard Nixon had done in 1968 after announcing "his last press conference" in 1962.
Or, perhaps she just has Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), and that explains much of her behavior?
Consider these behaviors and whether they suggest a diagnosis of severe ADHD: attending 6 different colleges to get a bachelor's degree; rambling directionless speaking jumping from one thought to another, providing a laundry list of nonsequiturs and believing she has cogently answered a question, abruptly changing subjects when a questioner is digging into an inconsistency, nonsequitur or lunacy, the McCain campaign's inability to get her focused in debate preparations, her total indifference to her extraordinary lack of knowledge or ridiculously inappropriate assertions (e.g., foreign policy experience = "we can see Russia", "when Putin rears his head"), winking into the TV camera during the one debate trying to convince people she could be Vice-President, and on and on.
People with ADHD feel truly persecuted when others try to pin them down, even when such continued inquiries have no ulterior purpose except to clarify a particular fact or statement. It is a reaction triggered by an uncontrollable psychological need. Any norm, or those who try to hold up norms, are enemies. Accountability is not high on their wish list.
For Sarah, it is the press. When the press followed up ridiculous answers to their questions with more probing, she was offended. That's "unfair" to someone aspiring to be a heartbeat away from the Presidency? To an ADHD'r, it is grossly unfair, and it is not that they just think it is unfair, they feel it, they feel an acute need to escape. An ADHD'r cannot stand norms ("maverick, maverick, maverick"), they cannot stand still and they are easily bored and distracted.
What did all, literally all, the Republicans who felt Sarah could be their savior suggest she do after losing the Vice-Presidency? Return to Alaska, do a good job of governing, and 'study up'. If she were serious and did not have ADHD, that is precisely what she would have done, because she already possessed what others long for but cannot create -- star power (aka the ability to arouse Rick Lowry). Governing and studying up is the easy part for most people.
But, she seems incapable, not because of her intellect (that seems adequate), but because of her underlying psychology: a person with ADHD does not have the ability to focus, concentrate and analyze. All they want to do is "get on with it", whatever the "it" happens to be. They can learn, but only osmotically -- by being sufficiently involved and exposed to be able to absorb, usually with a kinetic component. People in Alaska who have dealt with her say she is OK for the first 10 minutes of a discussion, but not really engaged beyond that, another sign consistent with ADHD. As with her Governor's term, she starts things, but does not complete them.
A person with ADHD does not respond well to being questioned. The little details are too pesky and unimportant. They crave being "left alone", and make those who would pursue those details uncomfortable about doing so because they themselves appear so uncomfortable. As Governor she could make the details disappear by appointing cronies, and complaining that people are just out to get her, neither of which, of course, answers the questions.
An ADHD'r, looking for some stability but unable to focus and concentrate to think matters through, would find fundamentalism (religious or otherwise) very appealing. Answers to unsettling questions are considered absolute and they are spoonfed. Thinking is unnecessary--and, actually, dangerous to the fundamentalist position. Fundamentalist religions are particularly attractive to them because the little voice, chattering away constantly in their heads, can be deemed to be the divine, and thus all actions are not only "rational" but justified, and whether others "get it" or not is their problem. And, in a fundamentalist church, they do not have to sit still--I've attended a few, and people yell out whatever they want, whenever they want, a stark contrast to the mainstream churches where the services are controlled and scripted.
ADHD is not just a diagnosis of childhood. It can persist one's entire life. By the time people reach adulthood, they usually develop coping strategies, but not always, and not if their behaviors are indulged, in which case they become reinforced. Could it be that those whom Sarah stuck with in life, and did not reject, were those willing to enable her behaviors? Is Palin an adult ADHD'r who never had to learn to cope with her unaccountable, escapist instincts.
Depending on its severity, ADHD is not all negative. ADHD'rs can be very interesting and exciting people to be around, and they can make very positive impressions especially in early encounters: they are often full of ideas, highly energetic, and can make the more disciplined feel as if they are missing something in life. After a short time, it may become apparent that not everything adds up, and there is difference between an ADHD'r and someone who is truly innovative or an out of-the-box thinker, or who pushes the limits of endurance. If Sarah indeed has ADHD, it may be, at once, what makes her politically attractive and the cause of her fall-from-grace.
After one gets to know ADHDrs, some of the luster often fades. Resistance to being pinned down on anything conveys lack of reliability and even dishonesty. Sarah's resignation is a case in point, and her explanation is sheer lunacy. This was her 'logic': lameduck governors take foreign excursions at taxpayers' expense, do not do anything but waste money, she said, as if she, as a lameduck, would be compelled to do the same. And, it would mean that the Governor of Virginia, who only gets one term, ought to resign immediately upon election since he is a lameduck by statute. Now try pinning her down on this, and she will fob it all off as unimportant or the question being overly critical or both.
Or, watch what happens when her primary rationale for resigning in midstream---not wishing to spend taxpayer money on lawyers defending her instead of schools--is shown to be misleading because the money was already allocated to attorneys. If Palin has ADHD, she will feel persecuted just by being legitimately pinned down to clarify herself.
In her resignation ramble, Palin suggested a subtle comparison to Barack Obama, the 'other person' who, in her mind, quit his job to take on a larger role. In her mind--and this is the danger such a mind is--her quitting in midterm is the equivalent of Barack Obama leaving the Senate to become President, or Hillary Clinton resigning her Senate seat to become Secretary of State.
But, don't assume Sarah Palin's political demise yet. She has star power, and, if her problem is ADHD, a little Ritalin or Strattera may go a long way...Todd, at least, would sing their blessings!
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I think you actually might be onto something, and parts of this are hilarious because your points start off so potentially accurate. Would have been so much funnier though if some of your generalizations about those of us with ADHD weren't just heartbreaking.
Can't speak for all of us, but I spend tons of time and energy overcompensating...being obsessive about following through with commitments to others, for example or organized to a fault because I fear letting others down. Most who discover that I have ADHD are shocked because I don't fit most of the obvious stereotypes. Many of us are far more likely to blame ourselves most of the time, than anyone else, for perceived shortcomings or errors. If anything, I short myself more often than those around me...I'm smart, articulate, educated, thoughtful and, gasp, a leader in my community...I'm a huge fan of political satire (if that was in fact your intent)...but when it goes over the line into just plain mean it's just not funny anymore. No matter how much I can't stand Miss Sarah (and she's pretty much at the top of my "most annoying" list).
Oh gee, I took this post a little personally...maybe I'm offended because I have a misunderstood disability that people love to crap on in front of me because they don't realize I have it...oh, or I'm just narcisscistic ;) This post was SO close to being insightful and funny...better luck next time...
For all of the outrage and offense I see here, there's little, if any, real debate about the specifics of this post. The article is an argument, and the author gives numerous facts and premises in support of his conclusion -- which is really just a question: Perhaps ADHD explains much of Palin's behavior?
Instead of addressing the argument, this question has been characterized by the offended as a "diagnosis" -- even a "clinical diagnosis" -- despite the fact that the article asks the reader to: "Consider these behaviors and whether they suggest a diagnosis of severe ADHD."
The author has been attacked: "[W]hat makes you an expert?," "Your biography certainly shows a lot of skipping around [...]," "I'd like to know how Dr. Abrams -- an oncologist -- became such an expert[?]"
So, if these weren't true, you'd have no problems with his argument? And, unless one is an expert, one can never make a persuasive argument?
"watchingyoutoo" wants to know whether I'm dishonest and unreliable based on this quote: "Resistance to being pinned down on anything conveys lack of reliability and even dishonesty."
Yeah, if I refuse to be pinned down, I convey unreliability and/or dishonesty. You don't?
We know how insulted you are, but you still haven't told us what you disagree with in the author's argument.
Sir,
Iconoclasts should not iconise people by the icons of a disease.
If a non medical professional, it is not on you to diagnose a disease nor to recommend pills out of your non professional pocket knowledge.
ADHD symptoms are symptoms of a dis-ease, in the material sense of the word.
Not acquired but inherited, unaviodable, unchangeable dis-ease.
Nice to see the levels of your common sense knowledge about ADHD.
But dont make a joke out of the handicaps, that others might probably appear to suffer or to be affected of.
The paradigmatics of your approach is harmful in a wider general discourse, discriminating the dignity by the handicaps of the iconised person, and therefore unacceptable, unethical.
While your opinion that Palin may need some Ritalin could be accurate, your fallacies of presumption concerning attention deficient disorder cause me to wonder if you intend this piece as satirical. I am fascinated by either your sheer brilliance (that is an article regarding en explanation on someone's poor logic by sprinkling the article itself with examples of poor logic) or what I fear is more like absolute stupidity given your misstatements concerning attention deficit disorder.
A certain ADHD drug--some side effects--just Google--dry mouth, dry lips. Lip-smacking, lip licking. Paranoia--everyone is out to get me. Weight loss. Addiction to ADHD med possible. Hmmmm... What could this mean?
Paul Abrams, thanks for an insightful post.
Well, Mr. Abrams, you have heard a few points of view about your blog. It would be courteous for you to respond.
". . . from he11's heart I stab at thee; for hate's sake I spit my last breath at thee."
This just keeps on getting better. It's as if Palin, rather than a barracuda, is Moby Dick. I've never seen
a politician turn so many people into self-destructive Ahab's.
Oh, please; cry me a river. Enough with the "I'm offended, so apologize!" bologna. There is no making fun of folks with disabilities, no name calling, and no diagnosis -- it's a blog post! And, even if there were, you don't have a right not to be offended, and you apparently weren't offended enough to stop reading the article.
As an adult with ADHD, I loved the article. You might be on to something. Bizarre behavior from the governor indeed. I agree that ADHD is one possible explanation based on a continued pattern of behavior over many years -- behavior that is in line with many symptoms of ADHD. Just on example: the questionnaire my doctor gave me regarding ADHD even specifically asked about focus timing at meetings.
I also found the article funny. Poor Sarah (or anyone else) being thrust upon the national stage with unmanaged ADHD is funny; and to purposefully continue to seek the limelight is even funnier. Like, funny ha-ha. Maybe because I know how totally insane this could be, and boy would it be.
Life is too short to take so seriously.
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DISCLAIMER: This is a comment to a blog post and not a medical diagnosis; it is not intended to replace the services of a physician. This comment may offend those who were offended by the above mentioned blog post. Stop reading and contact your doctor immediately if you experience feelings of offense; these may be signs of a serious medical condition.
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So perhaps you beleive the follwoing applies to you?
"After one gets to know ADHDrs, some of the luster often fades. Resistance to being pinned down on anything conveys lack of reliability and even dishonesty."
Are you unreliable and dishonest? Is that a characteristic of ADHD that a medical professional should be teaching?
For a medical professional to use a clinical diagnosis to criticize-not help- is wrong. No matter how you look at it.
Dear watchingyoutoo ,
You might want to be careful in what you ask teh07h3r0n3. Remember, "A person with ADHD does not respond well to being questioned. The little details are too pesky and unimportant."
Also, "People with ADHD feel truly persecuted when others try to pin them down, even when such continued inquiries have no ulterior purpose except to clarify a particular fact or statement."
I still feel that there are a plethora of ways to critique Palin without resorting to parlor psychology. And many bloggers have shown that their standards of reporting are equal if not better than mainstream media. Unfortunately, Paul Abrams is not one of them.
So sad to see that otherwise "enlightened" people still think it ok to use disability name-calling as an way to denigrate others. This essay is really just a cloaked way of calling her the "r" name ( a word that I would not use). This is not worthy of being published by a reputable news and opinion site.
Touche! Blanket statements about any group of people falls into the category of stereotyping, and I believe that few people on this site would tolerate it if instead of "ADHDers," Dr. Abrams used "Americans," "immigrants," "oncologists," or "chemotherapy patients."
Out of curiosity, I'd like to know how Dr. Abrams -- an oncologist -- became such an expert in diagnosing psychiatric/psychological disorders.
Paul,
I have to tell you, this blog is one of the most superb written about Palin. I have been thinking she has Narcissistic Personality Disorder, and she may, but it hadn't occurred to me that she also may have ADHD. Your analysis is spot on!. Brilliant. Keep them coming. I crave reading these pieces, even more so now, as her star is rapidly declining.
Are you a professional in the field, or do you have ADHD? I'd be interested to know why you believe this "analysis is spot-on".
If you are a professional or a person with ADHD, do you believe this is the proper avenue for discussion of this disability? Would you as a professional or a person with a disability discuss an individual's disability in this type of forum?
Paul,
Narcissistic Personality Disorder might be apt, but the problem is that diagnosis is simply descriptive of behavior and says nothing about the underlying cause. That's why the prognosis for NPD is often so poor.
At its heart, I think it's widely accepted that NPD centers on a lack of empathy.
Depending on how it manifests, ADHD can limit a person's ability to empathize with others (or even to recognize that another point of view is possible) -- either through brain-based deficits in empathy (which is, after all, a function of the brain) or through the impulsivity, distractibility and inattention that are the common hallmarks of ADHD.
Gina Pera, author
Is It You, Me, or Adult A.D.D.?
http://www.ADHDRollerCoaster.com
It is highly offensive for you to use pretend diagnosis of a disability to discredit a politician with whom you disagree. It is not only offensive to those with ADHD, but is offensive to all with a disability. You have absolutely no basis by which to make such a diagnosis. You owe an apology.
-- Second time posting this --
As an adult with ADHD, I'm insulted by the comparison. Pray tell where you got the expertise to make this diagnosis -- was it in the fields of biotech, political science, or economics? Or your own personal experience, as a highly functioning individual with ADHD?
I'm an adult with ADHD. Are you? If so, why didn't you say so? If not, what makes you an expert? Your biography certainly shows a lot of skipping around -- consistent with a highly functioning individual with ADHD -- but I don't see how biotechnology, political science, and economics would make you qualified to diagnose Sarah Palin. In any case, I am insulted by the comparison.
Thank you for giving me a new way of thinking about Palin's blind followers. Enablers.
What a shame the GOP doesn't have some form of Al Anon to address their codependency. "P-Alinon."
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