ADHD and rock climbing

I was recently diagnosed with this "condition" and it was explained to me that it made sense that I became a rock climber because of the urgent nature of the task at hand when rock climbing. In other words climbing FORCES you to pay attention.

Upon further reflection it became clear to me that this condition would lend itself better to short rock climbs and longer ones would be more difficult for the ADD afflicted, consequently I am much better at shorter climbs than the longer ones that demand consistent, sustained focus.

Just curious to hear if anyone out there has a similar condition. I also want to know how others deal.

oooo are you really tom selleck?

Tom, spomewhat similar experiences on my part, though I attribute them differently.
For me climbing does not require deliberate attention, it demands it. And it engages the senses and quiets the mind in a way that few other things do. But the way you describe it makes me wonder if you are not talking more about compulsion than hyperactivity.
For my own part, I find it very hard to focus on sequences in order. I either do or do not, but rarely project anything. It's rare that I even try twice if I fail. It is that focus that allows me to boulder pretty hard but I can only climb low 5.12. Thing is, it is the long stuff that I enjoy.

Tony B wrote:quiets the mind

well put.

i think ADD, ADHD, OCD, etc, labels get thrown around quite a bit, and sometimes confused with eachother. everybody exhibits these kind of behaviors in one way or another, and from time to time... but i think when it starts interfering with ones life is when it is a bit extreme and maybe needs a "condition" or label, and eventually drugs. or not. but i think climbing is a good outlet.

do you have a mustache like magnum pi?

This might explain a lot, another trait the condition manifests is a bigger-than-normal need for stimulation. Which is a commonality we all share

I agree about over-use of terms such as ADD, ADHD, etc., but IF you had to apply a label, I'm a classic adult-adhd case... I get bored with (and make mistakes at) things that don't demand my full attention, yet excel at things that are sometimes considered "overwhelming" to mainstream.

I was drawn to rock climbing because it demanded my attention. Specifically, long trad climbs... not only do I have to be strategic with gear, and focus on the climbing technique, I also have to apply this for a full day of a long, slow climb. I also love the quiet of hard-to-reach climbs, and the feeling of being humbled by a massive piece of rock stronger than I'll ever be... Then there's the comradderie of relying on a partner, and having them rely on you... No other hobby satisfies so many aspects of my personality than climbing. The benefits are a sustained sense of peace and tranquility, almost as if in a meditative state, which carries over long after the climb ends.

re. your thoughts on short climb vs. long... I agree, which is why I keep pushing myself on trad... I would become bored/distracted on a 5.6 multi pitch, yet would find peace on a 5.9-5.10 (my top limit). It's also why the "sustained" climbs attract my interest more than climbs rated based on the crux alone.

Friends and I have discussed this before, and they would agree that they have ADD traits. Other people who love trad seem to be a bit OCD. Many of my climbing friends are detail-oriented engineers, the opposite of ADD, yet we find common ground on trad routes. Maybe ADD folks demand focus, OCD people require it... hmmm...

We've also noticed that there are trends for personalities drawn to trad, sport, toprope, boulder, etc. Personally, I've found the energy and personalities of bouldering to be a bit intense for my taste, and keep gravitating back to my trad rack and remote climbing locations. Nothing against other climbing or personalities, it's just not as satisfying for me.

It took everything I had to focus on this answer and not start tangents... damn! I just did it, anyway...

Welcome to the club Tom!

I too was recently diagnosed with Adult ADD, and I'm also of the opinion that climbing may well be a natural activity for folks with ADD. I know of at least 2 other climbers who have been diagnosed with the condition, and others who suspect it.

I'm not sure about your long/short climbs thoughts though. I have always enjoyed long day, or multi-day routes far more than short climbs.

Mattq331 wrote:Welcome to the club Tom! I too was recently diagnosed with Adult ADD, and I'm also of the opinion that climbing may well be a natural activity for folks with ADD. I know of at least 2 other climbers who have been diagnosed with the condition, and others who suspect it. I'm not sure about your long/short climbs thoughts though. I have always enjoyed long day, or multi-day routes far more than short climbs.

With regard to the long versus short climbs thing: For me it took a LONG time to be comfortable on a grade IV. For me long climbs requiring aid, bivies etc. became sensory overload, short circuiting and....yep....bailing. I've been referred to as having a strong back and a weak mind. Let us dismiss the pejorative term weak and substitute ADHD and then maybe we can try to overcome and deal with said...weakness.

Overcoming the "weakness" might involve drugs...shit...I'll take anything. Or I could just do easier climbs and work up to the level of psychological difficulty that matches my physical ability. Does that make sense?

TC ,Higgins, Rick and I are gonna go get shithoused now.

Apollo...Zeus!!!

I don't buy into ADD, ADHD and the likes, I don't think all things that are uncomfortable are things that need to be "fixed". My grandfather died, I was off, I morned, I learned, I grew, I moved on. My response was to be expected and I'm a better person for it, calling it depression and treating it as such would have circumvented the learning process.

As a child I had EXTREME ADD and ADHD, my parents were amazing parents in that they let me be me and refused to fix me by feeding me pills, instead they channeled my thirst for new things, my exuberance and also the fact that often times I would be overly zealous about something and out of no place no longer have any interest in it. They saw the system was flawed and there was nothing about me that needed "fixing", that while it had downfalls it also had HUGE upsides. As an adult, I'm fine, I've adjusted "my" world to who I am instead of who I am to the world. If I were to try and fit in, it would go poorly but I don't try and call it law of attraction or whatever but by being true to me I've managed to find a lot of friends like me.

This brings me to Carl Jung, if you know the MBTI test (processes how you take in your information) and types I think some types are prone to having what doctors call ADD. These types would be the extroverted perceivers, ENTP, ENFP, ESTP and ESFP and I would guess many climbers fall into those groups.

As an ENTP, I don't care in the least about details, I'm an ideas man, I'm the inventor, the guy with 50 started projects and none finished. I'm fine with that though I don't care if I fit in or not, I don't care if I'm single or not, I'm fine in my own little world so this of course helps a lot with not caring what others think.

If you want a link to the test let me know, I'll start another post with more detailed information.

ADHD is a so-call condition that is not based on anything other than the opinion of APA. It's something that just about any human can be diagnosed with. It is extremely popular with the psycho-pharma industrial complex. If you wish to agree with them then they will make a ton of money off you and muddle your mind with their dope.

Climbing is not a solution to some condition as the psych may tell you. It is an activity that makes you feel alive and real. PM me if you would like holistic natural solutions to help get control of your own mind and attention. Don't take their drugs.

Im ADHD and I like climbing 30 pitch alpine climbs.. and walls....

Well, err thanks for the holistic babble Spider Savage. I'm guessing your opinion counts as you have one, but probably not.
If you think the meds that are prescribed for ADD 'muddle' your mind, then I can only assume you speak from pure ignorance.

And climbing has been my life for more than 30 years - while ADD was only diagnosed recently - hardly a 'solution'.

Spider Savage wrote:ADHD is a so-call condition that is not based on anything other than the opinion of APA. It's something that just about any human can be diagnosed with. It is extremely popular with the psycho-pharma industrial complex. If you wish to agree with them then they will make a ton of money off you and muddle your mind with their dope.

Unless you've got a great deal of education in psychology and psychiatry, that would be a really arrogant thing to say.
In fact, the DSM requires that a battery of symptoms be apparent for a sustained time, and that those symptoms are sever enough to be both maladaptive and inconsistent with the otherwise level of development of the individual in question.
In other words, it has to be a sustained, multifaceted, and abnormal set of symptoms complete with consequences to qualify for diagnosis.

Spider Savage wrote:PM me if you would like holistic natural solutions to help get control of your own mind and attention. Don't take their drugs.

Not that I could go on and on about the 'naturopathic' snake-oil salesmen or anything... IE: Can you make my erection fuller and harder? Turn my Garter Snake into a Python? (giggle) Yeah, I thought so... No need to take those 'drugs.' let's face it, some of the real swindlers have moved on from meds to 'herbs and suppliments' because they are unregulated.

I appreciate all the responses.

I think in general we call attention to a "condition" when our actions are disconnected or disassociated with our true selves. My particular interest in this condition in my life and in climbing is a byproduct of a disconnect between my apparent capabilities and my achievements. I am much stronger physically than I have climbed. There is a malalignment of sorts between mental ability and physical ability. I long to bring the two together. Drugs or no drugs. The same goes for what I do for a living. It has been called to my attention that I could do much better in both climbing and my work. There is a disconnect between ability and achievement and more importantly satisfaction in both areas.

As to the naysayers regarding a condition of any sort with regard to ADHD....Fuck off. You don't know what it's like to be in anyone else's head.

The darkness around us is always deep. All we have is this stunted, coarse attempt at connecting called communication. Take it seriously and with an ounce or two of humility.

T Bubb thanks for your serious responses.

You have chosen the blue pill. You'll wake up and everything will be fine.

Google: Truth about ADHD

I'm going to Fuck Off now. Bye.

Spider Savage wrote:ADHD is a so-call condition that is not based on anything other than the opinion of APA. It's something that just about any human can be diagnosed with. It is extremely popular with the psycho-pharma industrial complex. If you wish to agree with them then they will make a ton of money off you and muddle your mind with their dope. Climbing is not a solution to some condition as the psych may tell you. It is an activity that makes you feel alive and real. PM me if you would like holistic natural solutions to help get control of your own mind and attention. Don't take their drugs.

I've chosen to take my own drugs in the interest of self medication. I'm looking for a cleaner product. Whaddya got?

tom selleck wrote: As to the naysayers regarding a condition of any sort with regard to ADHD....Fuck off. You don't know what it's like to be in anyone else's head. The darkness around us is always deep. All we have is this stunted, coarse attempt at connecting called communication. Take it seriously and with an ounce or two of humility. T Bubb thanks for your serious responses.

I never said there was no such thing, there's ADHD, HSP and all sorts of other things, take somebody that's really super nice, you don't say they have RSNS (really super nice syndrome) and try to fix them but because ADHD doesn't fit in as well with what people expect of us we try to fix it.

Anything is a weed if it's growing where you don't want it and nothing is if it's growing where you want it.

Wow Spider - you caved easy. After such sweeping comments, surely you have more backbone than that?

No?

What a surprise...

Well, just so I am on the level here- I'm not pro-meds for most cases of ADHD, I am trying to say that I think that it's more than a minor thing.

Some people treat mental illness like it's "all in your head" (pardon the pun) but most problems have a real basis. The brain, like any other organ, can malfunction in many different ways. The attention center is one of them that if not properly functioning can lead to serious problems.
Imagine being on a permanent, hard-core LSD trip that you just can't get off of. That's like an intergation disorder.
Imagine dreaming while awake and not being able to separate the dream from the reality. That's florid Schizophrenia.
Imagine being completely unable too read tone of voice or facial expressions, or understand humor, irony, or relate emotionally to another person. That'd be autistism.
Imagine having a disorder where you compulsively repeat every word you hear (Echolalia) or every motion you see (Echophraxia), or say or act out thoughts without will or choce (Tourette's), which is a compulsive disorder.
I think it is quite possible that Compulsive Disorders, Attention Issues, and certain Social Disorders (IE O.D.D.) may be over-diagnosed or over-medicated (we do live in a society that wants a pill for everything), but it sure doesn't mean that they are not real, nor does it mean that a herbal treatment is any different or more valid than a pill. Going off on strangers on the net who you have not evaluated regarding what you know about their condition or what treatment is right for them is pretty raunchy.

Having had people with a few different types of mental illnesses in my life including Depression, ADAH, Autism, and Schizophrenia I can assure you that they are real, and can be very painful for everyone involved when they are severe. Sometimes these end in death.
I've had friends who have blown their brains out, or hung themselves, and two that have chosen to take a handful of pills... one of those two lived. I don't know if I could live with myself if I were the one to tell them that their condition was not real or serious the day before they did it. I try to keep that in mind when I am dealing with someone who says that there is 'something wrong.'
Treating any of mental conditions like 'nothing' and talking down to people with real problems is disrespectful. It may not have been their choice to have had the umbilical cord around their necks for the better part of 9 months, and surely nobody wanted their parents to kick their asses every night for 16 years (which DOES effect one's physiology), but it happens and it hurts people, you know?

What is this forum about? I can't pay attention long enough to finish a single post. Better go climbing.

Yeah, I'd love to add my name to the ADHD chalkboard, never tested though. I found that micro-biotics played a significant role it the severity of ADHD for me. For instance, if I eat honey, I cannot focus on anything for longer than five seconds. Fructose and Sucrose cause the largest problem for me. I found slow foods s l o w m e d o w n. For instance: I cook whole grains for breakfast, literally wheat, rye, and oat kernals. I sweeten them with dried apples (gleaned from an old field). The fiber slows the absorbtion of the suger. Bitter foods really help me me focus too. I have tracked many ADHD agitating foods, and load up on those foods when I know I will have time to space out. Focusing on a climbing project helps me keep track of progress with other projects, not get overloaded, and to endure heavy discipline to accomplish objectives.

Besides ADHD, I have been tracking the "sedentary intolerance" I possess, have yet to figure out how to best channel it. I relocate about every two to three months and also have the constant urge to move during daily routines. Any suggestions?

I probly should have read through all of the responses before making my post, but...hey look something shiny.