#about adhd

I'm not sure what you want from me.

Yes, the post tries to speak about ADHD less negatively, by describing it like a super power. This is a common concept I have seen in many advice books and posts. A lot of coaches and therapists seem to think that it's healthier to view ADHD as a positive force than a negative one.

I understand that you don't like that. I added the tag to the post.

If you’re coming to this list from a reblog, please click through to the original post as it may be updated with more content!

Please note I haven’t read everything on this list, so I can’t speak to all it contains/accuracy, ya dig?

Executive Function (comic/art)

Autistic Traits vs Autistic Trauma

Tips for Autistic Adult Life (graphics)

ADHD Paralysis (graphics)

ADHD, Executive Disfunction & tasks

Don’t ruin our interests - ADHD & rejection sensitive dysphoria

Working Memory problems (comic/art)

Reasons we say “I don’t know” a lot (video)

On autistic voices being silenced (comic/art)

Positive traits of people with ADHD/Autistic people/Anxiety/BPD (graphics)

ADHD & Ordering Online (out of sight, out of mind) (comic/art)

Dealing With Executive Dysfunction - A Masterpost

About ADHD & Dopamine

ND Self-Tests:

RAADS-R Test for Autism

Aspie tests

Autism Spectrum Test

- -

ADHD stands for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder which is actually a bit of a misnomer. Not all people who have ADHD experience hyperactivity (or their hyperactivity is internalized) and people with ADHD don’t have a deficit of attention so much as they struggle to regulate their attention.

ADHD would much more accurately be described as an Executive Function Disorder. ADHD is a neurodevelopmental disorder which is a difference in the way an individual’s brain develops. There are observable structural differences in the brain’s of people with ADHD, specifically a deficit of the neurotransmitter dopamine and weaker structures of the prefrontal cortex. Dopamine is the brain’s ‘reward system’ for accomplishing tasks and the prefrontal cortex is the primary center for the executive functions of the brain.

So what is executive function and how does executive dysfunction affect individuals with ADHD?

Executive Function is really more of an umbrella term that refers to several essential brain functions. The specifics of executive function is debated and different models include different functions. Generally, most experts agree it includes the following: planning/organization, goal-directed behavior, attention regulation, working memory, cognitive flexibility (controlling what, when, and where you think about things), and self-regulation. If this list of brain functions sound familiar it’s probably because it almost directly corresponds with some of the most common symptoms of ADHD.

People with ADHD....

Have trouble prioritizing, planning and organizing tasks (planning/organization)

Often forget things (working memory)

Often lose things (working memory, planning/organization)

Have trouble starting and finishing tasks (goal directed behavior, planning/organization)

Struggle to focus (attention regulation)

Hyperfocus (attention regulation)

Hyperfixate (attention regulation, cognitive flexibility)

Struggle to switch between tasks (cognitive flexibility)

Struggle with regulate their emotions (self-regulation)

TLDR: ADHD is an executive function disorder. Many common symptoms are directly related to deficits in the main brain functions classified under the umbrella term ‘executive function’.

Other Resources (check these out if you want to learn more):

What is Executive Function

What Is Executive Function? 7 Deficits Tied to ADHD

INTRO

so obvi rick riordan is the master, he did ADHD correctly, but i see a lot of people writing ADHD in the way that portreys it as “SQUIRREL SQUIRREL WAS THAT A SQUIRREL???? MUST MOVE MUST MOVE MUST MOVE FHDAFHEIAIEA”

this is both HORRIBLY wrong and offensive.

ADHD is not what you think it is. ADD is not the same as ADHD. there’s a lot of parts of ADHD/ADD that nobody ever talks about. in this post i’m going to talk about ADHD using:

things i know about ADHD/ADD

my experience as an adolescent with ADD

my experience as the sister of an adolescent with strong ADHD

my experience as the daughter of an adult with ADHD

i hope this will be helpful with writing believable, non-offensive ADHD and ADD characters. 

WHAT IS ADHD?

ADHD is an executive dysfunction. ADHD is divided into four different types: 

Inattentive

Hyperactive

Impulsive

Combination (two or all of the above)

ADHD VS. ADD

ADHD: Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

ADD: Attention Deficit Disorder

ADD is a type of ADHD. As you may have guessed, is a term used when a person diagnosed with ADHD doesn’t show signs of hyperactivity.

Remember: ADD can be called ADHD, but ADHD cannot be called ADD.

They are different things, but since ADHD is more well-known, people with ADD might say they are ADHD instead to avoid having to give an explanation as to what ADD is. Unless you want to continuously have your ADD character explain what it means (or have every other character automatically know what it means, which is unrealistic) you will probably have them say they’re ADHD.

ADHD SYMPTOMS

Inattentive: getting distracted easily, having poor concentration and organization skills

Impulsive: interrupting, taking risks, poor impulse control

Hyperactive: difficulties staying on task, talking and fidgeting, never seeming to slow down

People experience these symptoms in different ways. People who were born with male chromosomes will often exhibit the more hyperactive side, while people born with female chromosomes will be more quietly inattentive.

Symptoms must effect your day-to-day life in order to actually mean ADHD! Getting distracted unusually easily once in a while doesn’t mean ADHD.

ADHD THINGS THAT AREN’T MEDICALLY SPOKEN OF

These are really just more specific things that usually come along with ADHD or ADD. (Not everybody has all--or even any--of these!)

Forgetting words 

“what’s the word??? you know, like,,,, medium but sad. if something medium-sized was depressed. its,,,,, SMALL, THE WORD IS SMALL”

“i hate,,,, i HATE,,,,, what is it, it’s like racism but genders,,,,,, you know, pink & blue toys???? its--it’s---- PATRIARCHY, I HATE THE PATRIARCHY”

“what is it wHAT IS IT IT’S,,, AH FUCK,,,,, LIKE THE WORD IS ALSO BUT I---OH THE WORD IS BUT”

“i   f o r g o t   w h a t   t o   c a l l   j o a n n e” “isn’t joanne,,, your mother?” “oh my god yes thats the word mother”

Procrastination

ugh, procrastination SUCKS. the kind of procrastination that comes with ADHD/ADD is like: 

“i have to do this ihavetodothisihavetodothisihavetodothis” running through your head while you continue to NOT do the thing. You want to, absolutely you do, but for some reason you just can’t make yourself do it.

Night Owl, But Not Really

A lot of people with ADHD experience a kind of thing where during the day, they’re slowly waking up and “loading” their brain. Then, at night, they are FULLY READY FOR THE DAY and now cannot go to sleep, resulting in a continuation of the cycle.

Out of Sight, Out of Mind

Literally. If you cannot see it, it is not there. This results in:

Losing things. CONSTANTLY.

If it ends up in the back of the fridge, it’s going to rot (unless somebody cleans out the fridge before that).

Clothes at the bottom of the drawer/back of the closet will never be worn.

If there is a pile of papers, any paper that is not (and is not directly-four papers below) the top one is gone forever.

Closed box? Say goodbye to whatever was in it.

Homework in a folder? Oof, hope that wasn’t too much of your grade.

REJECTION SYNDROME

Rejection syndrome is most prominent in women with ADHD/ADD. I’m not sure how to accurately explain rejection syndrome without showing examples, so:

Somebody glances at you (however briefly), and you immediately think they’re judging you/being mean to you.

Two people are whispering, and you immediately assume they are saying mean things about you.

basically, rejection syndrome is a forever-heightened feeling that the people around you hate or dislike you.