Playing video games is a popular activity amongst people with ADHD. That’s because these games give you instant feedback and a dopamine boost.
Gaming can be even more fun when you suspect your video game hero might be a fellow ADHDer! One such character that comes to mind is my old favorite, Sonic the Hedgehog. Does Sonic the Hedgehog have ADHD?
Sonic the Hedgehog was one of my earliest special interests
Sonic the Hedgehog is one of the first video games I ever played, if not the first. In the 90s, we had a 16-bit Sega Megadrive, and my brother and I were both eager gamers.
I instantly fell in love with Sonic, so much so that Sonic the Hedgehog became one of my special interests. Sonic remained my special interest into adulthood, making the blue hedgehog one of my most long-lasting obsessions.
Now Spyro the Dragon has somewhat replaced Sonic’s spot as my special interest. Nevertheless, Sonic will always have a special place in my heart.
Does Sonic the Hedgehog have ADHD?
Back in the 90s, I didn’t know I was autistic and had ADHD. I didn’t even know what these conditions meant. Much later, when I had finally been diagnosed with both, I started to spot signs of ADHD in my childhood hero, Sonic.
Sonic has many classic ADHD traits. Now, I’m using the Sonic video games as an example instead of the movie.
If you don’t touch the controller for a while and let Sonic be idle, he becomes bored and starts tapping his foot. He also looks at you with an annoyed expression on his face.
One of Sonic’s most prominent traits is that he’s fast; like REALLY fast. That’s why he’s called Sonic! Sonic becomes even faster when he becomes Super Sonic. And when he becomes Hyper Sonic, that’s like Super Sonic on steroids!
Hyper Sonic also sounds like hyperfocus, which is a kind of ADHD superpower. Although hyperfocus has its downsides.
Overall, Sonic is hyperactive, fast, impulsive, and impatient. So he’s a classic ADHDer.
Sonic’s ADHD represents the hyperactive type
Sonic the Hedgehog is a predominantly hyperactive/impulsive ADHDer. The stereotypical person with ADHD is just like Sonic; hyperactive and constantly fidgeting. But this is actually the least common type of ADHD.
While I have ADHD, I’m not like Sonic because I seem to do everything slowly. I’m not fast. I was diagnosed with predominantly inattentive ADHD. But that’s not accurate because I’m also impulsive and hyperactive. My hyperactivity is internal, though. My thoughts run as fast as Hyper Sonic! But I’m not hyperactive externally. So I have more likely combined type ADHD, which is the most common type.
Doctors only look at your external behavior and don’t care about what’s happening inside your head. If only they would bother to ask. I almost didn’t get an ADHD diagnosis because I was able to sit still and didn’t behave in a hyperactive manner.
Sonic, on the other hand, wouldn’t have trouble getting an ADHD diagnosis. That’s because his ADHD traits are easy to spot based on his behavior. Also, his hyperactivity would cause distraction in the classroom. And Sonic is still a teenager and he’s male so he’s more likely to get diagnosed than a daydreamer ADHD girl who doesn’t distract others.
ADHD is Sonic’s superpower
I’m not sure if they would give Sonic Adderall, though, since he’s a hedgehog! And Sonic is doing perfectly well with his ADHD. In fact, ADHD is his superpower because as a video game hero, Sonic benefits from his speed and bounciness. In the classic Sonic games, the levels have a time limit, so you have to be fast! And there are all those rings and emeralds to collect, so you have to be all over the place, exploring your environment.
Sonic the Hedgehog proves that in the right environment, ADHD can be a superpower. It probably was a superpower for our hunter-gatherer ancestors as well. They didn’t have to worry about paying bills or sitting in a classroom.
Do you think Sonic has ADHD? Please share your thoughts in the comments below!
