Alpha Delta Delta is a co-ed, non-pledging fraternity for people with ADD/ADHD.

In my mind, Alpha Delta Delta exists for one purpose, to make life easier for those of us with ADD. Alpha Delta Delta fulfils this purpose in many ways.

The first is simple fellowship. As a child and teenager with ADD, I often felt isolated. Then I came to college and discovered people like myself. These weren't the stereotypical "Special-Ed" kids with massive behavioral problems, like I had previously believed. These were real, intelligent adults who, like me, had trouble focusing the way all the other kids could. Sure, we were a little weird, but, hey, it sure keeps the boredom away. Our interaction with each other keeps us from feeling isolated, abnormal, depressed, or stupid.

Another way to fullfil this purpose is to work with each other in treating our common disorder. Each of us is from a diverse background. We have learned different ways of coping. Alpha Delta Delta allows us to share coping strategies that we have learned.

No, we are not a scientific organization. We are not doing research by the scientific method. Any "findings" we come to are opinion at best. We may disagree with the medical and psychological establishment. That's OK, we're just a bunch of regular people who happen to be drawn together by ADD.

The best, in my opinion, of all the ways that we help each other is humor. We laugh at ourselves, each other, and ADD. Don't get us wrong, we do take ADD very seriously, but surely laughter is indeed the best medicine. (At the very least, as good as Ritalin.) You may have noticed our saying: "We can't even finish a" lacking (very obviously) the ellipsis. (We forgot to put it in, we got distracted.) Equally in good humor is our motto: "It's not just a disorder, it's a way of life." Laughing at our disorder makes it easier to deal with. Therefore, these two 'philosophies' sum up Alpha Delta Delta.

Also, we are allowed to make fun of ADD/ADHD for the simple reason that we have it. If you don't have ADD/ADHD, don't make fun of it. However, we have the right (and the responsibility) to make fun of it.

Sure we often forget to do things that you might not. Yeah, we might act (be) weird. Ok, we might have a disorder, but hey it's ok. I believe that laughing at your problems is one valid way to deal with them (at least for ADD). So it is with great pride that I present to you Alpha Delta Delta, the only fraternity in the world that's named after a mental disorder!


Greg Irwin, President Emeritus and Founder