2E or not 2E, that is the question.
In the world of ADHD, 2E means twice exceptional. It refers to people who have both high intelligence and ADHD.
Picture someone who's really smart, yet they're also juggling the classic ADHD symptoms of distraction, endless energy, and doing things on impulse. It can be great for exploring new ideas and thinking outside the box, but terrible for the mundane. This gap between what they could do and what they end up doing can be a major source of stress.
On the downside, these folks might live under such labels as “careless” or “disengaged”, or my all time favorite, “not performing up to potential”. Coupled with the rejection sensitivity that is common in ADHD, we have a perfect setup for self-disappointment, anxiety and depression.
But it's not all doom and gloom. Their ability to look at problems and see solutions no one else thought of is an incredible gift. And learning new things for 2E folks is like a superpower, so long as the interest level stays high.
In an ideal world that catered to the neurodivergent as well as the neurotypical, learning and workflows would bend and twist, trying as much as possible to stay away from the repetitive and the mundane. There would also be organizational support for those times when the path is hopelessly lost. If done well, I believe this could lead to a society where the need for medication wasn’t nearly as prevalent, but unfortunately, in my lifetime, we’ve gone the exact opposite direction.
But knowing what you’re dealing with is more than half the battle. 2E people can harness their big brain power to learn to manage the vicissitudes of ADHD and steer the ship as straight as possible through the bounding seas of neurodivergence.
Dr. Mefford treats ADHD and related disorders across the state of South Carolina via telemedicine. His office is located in Mount Pleasant, SC. He sees people from all areas of South Carolina including Charleston, Hilton Head, Beaufort, Myrtle Beach, Columbia, Greenville, Spartanburg, and Rock Hill.
