“Karen’s Noggin’ 🧠 Nuggets” #38 ~ October 21, 2022
WHO DID I GET MY ADHD FROM???
One of the most enlightening pieces of information that I’ve received in my classes this year is the fact that what causes ADHD is genetics! WOW! You mean all the misinformation out there is truly misinformation. I didn’t get it from TV, eating too much sugar, or being exposed to toxins in the environment. I’m thankful for Laurie Dupar discussing this in detail and providing the truth in our classes at https://www.iactcenter.com/
Laurie states that “We inherit ADHD the propensity for ADHD from our biological parents, the same way we inherit eye color, height, and predisposition to other medical disorders.
If a parent has ADHD, a child has more than a 50% chance of inheriting it. If a sibling has ADHD, a child has more than a 30% chance of inheriting it. https://www.webmd.com/add-adhd/childhood-adhd/adhd-causes#1-2
It isn’t a random coincidence to see a trait similar to yours among other family members. Traits are inherited and passed from parent to child through their genes. Some are passed from the mother and some from the father—others from both parents.”
“There are anywhere from 25 to 45 genes that are considered high-candidate genes for ADHD.” ~ Dr. Barkley https://chadd.org/adhd-weekly/is-adhd-hereditary/
“Both parents’ genetics influence what traits and characteristics their child will have. Some more so from one side of the family than the other. Left-handedness is primarily inherited from the mother’s genes, as are diabetes, thyroid disease, hair type, and color. Traits inherited from the father include eye color, height, dimples, lip shape, and teeth structure.
Family and genetic studies estimate a 25-90% chance of inheriting ADHD. This means it is highly likely that if you or your child has ADHD, the relational, behavioral, and emotional trans-generational patterns of ADHD extend in your family for multiple generations.”
This was great news for me. There was nothing I did to get ADHD. It’s not my fault I have it. This fact and knowledge are so liberating for me. Especially since I’ve spent so many years beating myself up because I’ve done something to get this or I’m bad because of having it. The crazy lies we believe cause such destruction and further self-loathing. We don’t know what we don’t know so that’s why we need to be educated.
Now, who did I get ADHD from? That’s easy. Without a doubt and my first thought is my paternal grandmother. My Grandma Hansen was a hoot. She was fun, we played lots of games together and watched Nebraska Cornhuskers while eating donuts and drinking root beer. She wore brightly colored clothes and wild sunglasses. Before we moved her to Wisconsin to be close to us, she would travel from Omaha, Nebraska on a bus to Kenosha, Wisconsin just to see her grandkids. This was in the 1960s when traveling was not as convenient. Do you know how long that trip took her? It was a 35-hour bus trip! WOW! Just to see her grandkids. That’s amazing to me. And she never complained about it. She would praise the bus driver for getting her safely to her destination. My brothers who are much older than me tell me that she was always encouraging, positive, and didn’t have any complaints. She passed away when I was only 10 years old and that was so painful. I referred to her as my twin. We were so close. So, no wonder I automatically know who I got my ADHD from. It’s mainly from my Grandma Ethel Hansen and that’s probably why we were so close. I’m sure she saw me as her mini-me. How fun!
Now Grandma wasn’t perfect. Grandpa thought she talked too much. Isn’t that funny? I guess she could start a conversation with everyone and anyone. Lol. When we went to restaurants, she would take a coffee cup, sugar, or creamer container and wrap it up and put it in her bag, and leave a dollar on the table. When she passed away, I recall my dad having to go through hundreds of items that Grandma took from restaurants. Oh, dear. When Grandma and Grandpa Hansen were visiting us for one year, they stayed at the Howard Johnson Motel. Grandma liked that the towels had an H on them so she took them. Grandpa was beside himself. She was something else. With all her quirky ways, I didn’t care. I loved her and how she made me feel. I knew I was special to her.
As I learn more about ADHD and how it is truly a family affair, I just have to laugh. As painful as ADHD is at times, I know there’s more for us to learn when we realize who in the family had/has it and how we can help others see it too. I know that others in my family had ADHD too and I look forward to looking at their lives in more detail. Until then, I’m thankful for my Grandma Hansen and all the positive attributes that have been handed down to me to be her Mini-Me!
For more information on this subject and/or if you would like to work with a Life Coach to work through some struggles or have someone beside you in the trenches, contact Karen at https://happybrainlifecoach.com/
Thank you for reading “Karen’s Noggin’ 🧠 Nuggets” #38 ~ October 21, 2022
