The following resource is a collection of information from the ADDitude website: https://www.additudemag.com/
This website has a plethora of information about ADHD and what I present below is a small sample of topics available there.
This resource intents to explain the most observable ADHD symptoms along with other commonly associated areas also impacted by ADHD. Not all people with ADHD will present with the same areas of impact. Helpful strategies for the different areas can be found by following the provided links.
What is ADHD (from a neurodiversity affirming view)
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental condition that affects the functioning of the brain. It is often stereotyped by difficulties in regulating attention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity. However, ADHD isn’t actually about a deficit of attention; people with ADHD often have an abundance of attention but regulate attention and emotions in different ways than a neurotypical brain would. People with ADHD have a different filtering system such that their brain (specifically the brainstem reticular formation) does not block out irrelevant stimuli. People with ADHD may have a hard time knowing what information around them is relevant and staying focused on the relevant information.
From a neurodiversity affirming perspective, it is important to understand the symptoms of ADHD and how they are connected to brain chemistry and dopamine levels. This understanding can help us better support those with ADHD by recognizing their unique needs and strengths, instead of simply viewing them as having a “disorder” or “deficit”. With this knowledge, we can work towards creating environments that better support individuals with ADHD so they can reach their full potential.
Key symptoms/concerns
The diagnostic criteria for ADHD represent easily observed traits of the ADHD brain. These traits vary according to individuals and their ADHD “sub-type” but can include:
· Short concentrations of attention, especially for non-preferred tasks
· Hyperactivity, which may be physical (e.g., increased physical energy), verbal (e.g., talking or making noises often), and/or emotional (e.g., being very passionate or having strong emotional reactions).
· Impulsivity, which may manifest as recklessness or doing things without thinking them through despite being aware of “rules” or negative consequences of actions
· Fidgeting or restlessness
· Disorganization and difficulty prioritizing tasks
· Poor time management and time blindness
· Forgetfulness and poor working memory
· Trouble multitasking effectively and executive dysfunction
· Trouble completing tasks and frequent procrastination
· Distractibility
· Difficulty waiting turns or frequently interrupting others
ADHD Brains:
The cause of ADHD comes from genetic components that results in imbalances of neurotransmitters. Structural imaging has shown that people with ADHD brains have lower levels of dopamine activity and reduced functioning of the brain’s frontal lobe.
Dopamine is a chemical messenger that plays an important role in the brain's reward system. It is released when we do something enjoyable or rewarding, such as eating food, playing video games, or achieving a goal. This dopamine release motivates us to continue doing these activities, reinforcing our behaviour and making us more likely to do them again in the future.
Dopamine also plays an important role in attention and motivation. It helps people focus on tasks and stay motivated to complete them. People with ADHD often have low levels of dopamine which can make it difficult for them to focus on tasks and stay motivated.
Activities that release dopamine quickly and more intensely are highly motivating for people with ADHD and can increase their focus and motivation levels. At times, people with ADHD can become hyperfocused on these kinds of activities. These activities include exercising, playing video games, eating, social media, and anything with a greater personal relevance than other daily tasks.
However, in their quest for constant stimulation, people with ADHD can experience over-stimulation of their brains which can lead to difficulty regulating their responses and emotions. This can manifest in the form of a “crash”, whereby they become irritable, tearful, restless or aggressive.
Medication will often be recommended to support people with ADHD, with stimulant medication the most commonly prescribed option. Stimulant medications normalise dopamine function in the brains of people with ADHD. Medications for ADHD has advanced by leaps and bounds over the last few decades. This means parents and adults have more options than ever when it comes to ADHD medication. It is best to talk through all these options with your prescribing professional, which in Western Australia must be a paediatrician or psychiatrist.
Learn more here: https://www.additudemag.com/category/adhd-add/adhd-brain/
Additional areas of impact
Sleep:
ADHD is known to affect sleep by creating difficulties with:
· Falling asleep: due to hyperactive thoughts that are hard to shut down at bedtime.
· Staying asleep: restlessness continues to disrupt the lives of people with ADHD in their sleep.
· Waking up: once in deep sleep, people with ADHD can be hard to wake. ADHD sleepers are commonly irritable, even combative, when awoken before they are ready. Many of them say they are not fully alert until noon.
Sleep disturbances associated with ADHD can appear later in life, at around age 12, on average.
Sleep disturbances have been incorrectly attributed to the stimulant-class medications that are often used to treat ADHD. The remedy usually involves something called sleep hygiene, which considers all the environmental factors that support the initiation and maintenance of good quality sleep.
Learn more here: www.additudemag.com/adhd-sleep-problems/
Daily living skills:
Distractibility, hyperfocus, time blindness, and emotional dysregulation all hijack the ability to complete self-care and other daily living tasks. Having consistent routines, visual reminders, and rewards for good behaviour can help with the completion of these tasks.
Behavioural issues:
Due to the impulsive nature of people with ADHD, many people with ADHD will act without thinking through all the possible consequences of their actions. This can lead to children with ADHD presenting with “behavioural issues” or being described as disobedient or defiant. Kids with ADHD when calm and offered an opportunity to think carefully about things, can express they know “right from wrong” and can demonstrate an understanding of “the rules”. However, in real life moments this information is forgotten and the child reacts impulsively.
In many cases, a child with ADHD presents with “behavioural issues” not because they are defiant, but simply because they becomes distracted from the task at hand. Distractibility is a common symptom of ADHD — something that he may be unable to control.
Traditional parenting strategies such as implementing consequences for actions and other punishments do not work for ADHD children. Often their behaviour is outside of their own control and when a child is repeatedly punished for behaviour they can’t control, they are set up to fail. Eventually, their desire to please others evaporates. They think, “Why bother?” The parent-child relationship suffers as a result.
The best approach in situations like this is to be mindful of the impact of ADHD on your child and utilise positive parenting strategies and supports such as reminding your child of expectations regularly, supporting them to complete tasks, praise effort, offer immediate rewards for desirable behaviours, and anticipate difficult situations and offer support. More information on positive parenting for kids with ADHD can be found here: https://www.additudemag.com/category/parenting-adhd-kids/positive-parenting/
Another common experience for children with ADHD is “lying”, check out more information on ADHD and lying here: https://www.additudemag.com/why-do-children-lie-adhd/
Learning problems:
ADHD affects people in every environment they engage in. In some environments where the demands are low or the environment supports engagement in areas of interest, ADHD symptoms are less evident. School can be particularly challenging for people with ADHD and achievement at school can be lower than their peers.
People with ADHD are often intelligent and very capable individuals. However, the stimulating environment of a classroom can make focusing on learning hard. People with ADHD can have reduced academic achievement due to difficulties with regulating movement and knowing how to focus on relevant stimuli and ignore irrelevant stimuli. Furthermore, mainstream schooling can place unrealistic demands on people with ADHD.
While ADHD is not a learning disorder itself, it can often cooccur with specific learning disorders such as dyslexia. Further assessment for a learning disorder, after treating ADHD is warranted in some cases.
Emotion regulation/low frustration tolerance:
ADHD impairs the ability to regulate emotions and to experience them in a controlled way. People with ADHD often react to minor problems quickly and more intensely than others. People with ADHD can also require more time and support to calm down once a strong emotion has taken hold. Learning about emotions is something a mental health profession can help with. A key starting point is to tune into the signs within the body when experiencing certain emotions, from there labelling the emotion with three words to describe it can really help too. After you’ve caught that tension in your body and named that emotion, you have the opportunity to release it. And the best way to release an emotion is to replace it — with gratitude, for instance. Gratitude vaporizes negative emotions. Personal development guru Tony Robbins notes: “When you’re grateful, there’s no anger. It’s impossible to be angry and grateful simultaneously”. Diet, sleep, exercise, mindset, and other lifestyle adjustments will help protect you from emotions.
Learn more here: https://www.additudemag.com/adhd-emotion-setback-to-positive-energy/
Rejection sensitivity:
Rejection sensitivity dysphoria (RSD) is a psychological experience that causes people to feel extreme distress and anxiety when they perceive they are rejected or criticized. It is typically associated with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) but can affect people without ADHD as well. It may also be triggered by a sense of falling short such as failing to meet their own high standards or others’ expectations, leading to feelings of extreme distress, anxiety, and depression. They may also have difficulty forming relationships with others due to fear of being rejected or judged.
Recognizing the signs of RSD is important in order to seek treatment and help manage symptoms. Due to the sudden onset of RSD, psychological strategies offer limited benefit. However if there is associated depression or anxiety, then therapy could help. Medication is sometimes used to treat RSD; the symptoms of RSD can be significantly reduced with non-stimulant ADHD medication in about 60% of adolescents and adults.
Learn more here: https://www.additudemag.com/category/adhd-add/adhd-brain/rejection-sensitive-dysphoria/
ADHD and sugar:
Food is a significant activator of dopamine in the brain. People with ADHD often find their eating habits are affected due to ongoing battles with impulsive behaviours and lower self-regulation. People with ADHD may also pay less attention to the internal signals that modulate eating behaviours. This can lead to ignoring early signs of hunger, binge eating, and/or seeking sugary foods and carbohydrates. ADHD brains have been found to have reduced glucose metabolism in the prefrontal cortex, which can lead the ADHD brain to demand sugary foods and carbohydrates. sugary foods and carbohydrates provide the ADHD brain with a surge of dopamine, an increase in glucose-based energy that improves attention, and a serotonin-based calming of restlessness.
Research is unclear if sugar makes ADHD worse, but if you feel there is a connection between your ADHD brain and sugar consumption, consider reducing sugar intake slowly, limit processed foods, swap out sugary drinks, and be aware of recommended sugar intakes for individuals.
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