What is executive dysfunction? I tried to google it but all the answers were so wordy and hard to understand. Is it a symptom of ADHD? A disorder? I don't quite understand.
Executive dysfunction can be kind of a confusing thing, and it’s a few different things, so I’ll try and boil it down a bit :)
Plain old Executive Function is basically what makes us do the things we’re supposed to do. Say you have an assignment due for school. Executive function is what lets you:
1. Remember that you have the assignment.2. Budget time for it.3. Take initiative to start working on it.4. Stay focused until it is complete.
Executive DYSfunction, is the condition of having a dysfunctional executive function. So with the same assignment, and executive dysfunction, you would:
1. Forget the assignment (out of sight, out of mind)2. Not be able to forecast how much time or energy the assignment will take, and then not budget correctly (thinking you can write an entire paper in one night or one hour)3. Even when you want to work, you can’t initiate working (your body feels like it can’t obey your brain)4. You lose steam early on and don’t have the energy or focus to finish the assignment, and you may or may not even turn in the assignment.
It’s not the same as procrastination. When you procrastinate, you have the initiative to work and just don’t want to. With Executive Dysfunction, you just can’t work, even if you really want to.
Executive function is present in every part of your life. It’s associated most with school and work, but it also takes EF to feed yourself regularly and in a healthy way, to take showers, to pay bills, to clean your home, it all comes down to executive function.
I hope that helps! I have a few posts tagged either “executive function” or “executive dysfunction” which show people’s real life experiences, and that will give you an idea of the scope as well!
