What super power does your disability or condition brings you ? I have adhd

[Nothingisblackandwhite]

I know mostly we speak about the negatives of disabilities but what “ super power “ does yours bring you ?
I have ADHD , it can make work harder or easier depending on the day . I work from home and manage my own team and I’ve been so hyper focused today that I did my days work by 10:30 ( started at 7 ) . Was about to progress to tomorrows work but decided against it as I have in the past had reminders not to expect others to work as fast as me . So I’m organising tomorrow work instead .
My oldest has autism and he never forgets a place , we can be years and years without visiting a country and he will still know the way around streets and can always find a car in a car park .

I think this thread should have highlighted from the start that it’s only relevant to ND conditions and not physical disabilities or long term physical illnesses.

It’s well known that people with ADHD and Autism can have abilities that could be classed as super powers as that’s a natural occurrence within the diagnosis, however, there is very rarely any positive sides to having a physical disability or long term illness.

I think that’s why people are getting offended…..because we don’t like being told that just because we can’t find a positive super power that comes from living with our disability then it means we have the “wrong attitude.”

I assume you've lost your leg/had cancer and so are talking from experience?

If not, then I can tell you that losing any limb or any of the other things you mention are not a wonderful opportunity to battle and be a survivor.

Were you trying to be offensive? If not then I'll give you the benefit of the doubt and suggest you gain a superpower in engaging brain before writing.

I have sometimes joked I can't see that vile thing just described.

(I have said that I'm glad I was born with my visual impairment as it's meant never learning to drive and having to then give up)

My dd is autistic she is thoroughly miserable. No superpowers here.

I think it's great to get this out in the open, Most of us have very spiky profiles and why shouldn't we celebrate them.

I am absolutely brilliant at my job, complete work far more quickly than anyone else, creative, great at problem solving, but I can't get through any interviews as I find it impossible to lie. I once went for a PR Job and was told I was the only person they'd even seen that undersold themselves so much....so go figure. Seems dishonesty, not talent is the way to get .on in life.

I also have great musical skills, almost perfect pitch & rhythm, ability to improvise and play by ear but struggle to read music

It’s well known that people with ADHD and Autism can have abilities that could be classed as super powers as that’s a natural occurrence within the diagnosis, however, there is very rarely any positive sides to having a physical disability or long term illness.

Isn't it something like 70% also have a LD and 5-10% are gifted? We aren't all rain man

Autistic and adhd, I got left out of the super power handout, only major negatives for me.

@MargaretThursday I think that poster was dripping with sarcasm about the narratives society likes to use

Indeed my severely autistic non verbal13_year old hasent shown me his naturally occurring super power yet

I’m not so offended by the sentiment of looking at positives. I know some people find it helpful.

I truly hate the superpower term. I feel offended by being told I don’t have the “right” thought process. I have autism and personally it very much is a disability not a difference.

I have a number of disabilities. I hate them all. They haven’t given me positive things that non disabled people don’t have. My life would have been very different if I hadn’t been disabled and better.

That’s why I said some people can have super abilities. Not that all people will.

That’s why I said some people can have super abilities. Not that all people will.

'Super abilities' or just being good at something that non disabled people are also good at? Honestly I'm tired of all the gripes about autism and I'm increasingly sceptical of the ND movement.

My nephew has severe autism
my sister/ his mum is incensed at the idea that he should have ‘a superpower’

she has had years of poo smearing /bed wetting /meltdowns / grass eating / no meaningful communication from him / eating or refusing to eat /wear clothes and shoes etc etc
all while being an exhausted single mum with no job - she’s unemployable because there is no respite here anymore and no wrap around care or holiday clubs that can take him - and even school expect you to collect him within 45 mins of him being sick after eating grass.

no superpowers there

I'm visually impaired. 99% of the time it's a pain in the rear, but there's definitely some positives.

Not driving means I'm very good at getting to places using public transport. If there's an airport or station, I can find a way to get there.

I can touch type and get up to a decent speed.

I do have sensitive hearing, and when tested, I'm still able to hear frequencies that most people have lost so I do somewhat fit that stereotype.

There's more downsides - I struggle with reading large amounts of text, I have to have my desk in a specific part of the office where glare and lighting aren't a problem, I'm at the mercy of all the train strikes, and navigating a busy place like London, a theme park or an airport is a test of my patience (I've been close to whacking the ankles of clueless people with my white cane before now...) and is mentally exhausting.

Sometimes it's nice to take a moment to think about the positives, although I wouldn't call them superpowers.

Yes, my very clever ASD y12 won’t go to school as she can’t cope with the demands.

Great to k ow she has a superpower that she can’t actually use🤔

I have OCD focused on harm coming to my loved ones and I do think it makes me cherish them even more.

I also have a defective gene which causes me a whole world of shit and theres nothing good about it.

I have pcos. Because of this, through necessarity, I have an incredibly healthy diet.

My super power is I just don't eat unhealthy food. It baffles people.

My DS from about 7 could do 100 piece jigsaws upside down 😂😂 As in only looking at the cardboard side of it all…

@MargaretThursday, I was indeed dripping with sarcasm as @OneFrenchEgg correctly points out. My posts got separated by a page break but the part that unfortunately caused you offence was expanding on this which I had said a few minutes earlier:

I'm not sure about toxic positivity. I think the root of it is an idea about making disability 'palatable' and 'acceptable' by showing that some disabled people are 'merely' differently able and thus still 'valuable' in society. Which is nice for those it includes perhaps, but heaps additional misery on those who are then doubly excluded as not 'normal' and not 'super' either.

To be expressly clear, I do not agree with the differently able/superpower/warrior narratives and was using sarcasm to express my distaste.

You were quite rude, to be honest- and unfortunately digs about lack of intelligence hit home in a way you might not have considered to the mother of a severely learning disabled DC.

That’s very familiar to me .

Unless you're new to Mumsnet I'm surprised you're surprised by the reactions to your thread given the past debates around the use of the term 'superpower' being applied to disability. The majority, as you have seen, do not like the term.

My dad was disabled and if you said he had superpowers from it he'd say actually I preferred my life before when I could walk more than 10 mins and work.

Having said that his determination to get things done against the odds was remarkable. He never gave up.

An ability to cope with pain - 25 years of various levels pain have given me a tolerance that surprises medical professionals
When I had my babies I was monitored heavily and when I went into labour early this was redoubled and when I was having my contractions the midwife was astonished how well I was coping with very strong contractions, they didn't realise how strong they were until they looked at the print out. Unfortunately I failed to progress after several days of heavy contractions and ended up with a c-section anyway.
Same goes for when broke my foot.
It's not a great super power just a coping mechanism