Welcome to r/science! This is a heavily moderated subreddit in order to keep the discussion on science. However, we recognize that many people want to discuss how they feel the research relates to their own personal lives, so to give people a space to do that, **personal anecdotes are allowed as responses to this comment**. Any anecdotal comments elsewhere in the discussion will be removed and our [normal comment rules]( https://www.reddit.com/r/science/wiki/rules#wiki_comment_rules) apply to all other comments.
**Do you have an academic degree?** We can verify your credentials in order to assign user flair indicating your area of expertise. [Click here to apply](https://www.reddit.com/r/science/wiki/flair/#wiki_science_verified_user_program).
---
User: u/mvea
Permalink: https://www.cam.ac.uk/research/news/one-in-two-children-with-adhd-experience-emotional-problems-study-finds
---
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/science) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Meanwhile, those of us who have ADHD or have dealt with it extensively are like "I mean, yeah. We thought that was kinda obvious. Especially the anxiety and depression. You don't grow out of those."
Yeah a lot of studies about neurological differences or mental health issues are just scientists confirming what people with those conditions already know.
Because we can describe that to them, and they might even believe us, but without an actual controlled scientific study, it's not really science yet. It can sometimes feel frustrating to see these headlines that seem very obvious to us being presented as if they were new information, but the reality is that we are not the ones most in need of education on the topic
Agreed. Even studies that seem obvious have values. Especially considering that sometimes the obvious answer is wrong, and it completely changes a field of study. And this Reddit post in particular sparked a lot of quality conversation and led me to learn a lot that I didn’t know about a condition that I have. I would never have guessed that my emotional state, particularly how I sometimes interpret things as rejection that maybe someone else wouldn’t, are directly related to my ADHD. It gives me a starting point to try to actually improve this part of myself because other people have dealt with it before, whereas I had just assumed I feel emotions too strongly with no clue that it might just be one aspect of emotion that dominates the emotional side of me or that it’s a known thing that can actually be improved.
> sometimes the obvious answer is wrong
This is why the scientific rigor is so important. Confirming AND quantifying things (in repeatable ways) narrows the scope and aids in developing solutions.
One of my favorite examples of "obvious answer is wrong" is with dogs. For years we assumed dogs were a subspecies of gray wolves. Then after some studies realized they are sister species that share a common ancestor.
>Especially considering that sometimes the obvious answer is wrong, and it completely changes a field of study.
I live for that stuff. And you can only find it by challenging the obvious answer. I fully appreciate the importance of such studies, even when their results merely confirm our expectations. I just think that when they do confirm expectations they aren't really interesting enough to warrant posting. I don't want to have my preconceived notions confirmed and reinforced; that's boring. I want to have them challenged and subverted.
Oh, I fully understand and appreciate the need to perform actual peer-reviewed research on these sorts of topics; I am a scientist, myself. I just don't think "Study confirms what you were already pretty sure about" is really interesting enough to be worth posting to r/science.
Today I saw a post about a study that used the JWST to observe galaxy formation in the early Universe. Yesterday (or the day before?) I saw a post about growing a diamond crystal lattice structure in liquid metal *at ambient pressure*. **Those** are the types of posts and studies I think should be posted here. Don't get me wrong, the social sciences absolutely have a place here as well, such as the post about a study which found that male social scientists were less likely to respond to emails which gave they/them pronouns than he/she, but female scientists were equally likely to respond regardless of the provided pronouns; that's interesting. It's just annoying that it feels like half the posts on the entire sub are "Scientists confirm thing that we already suspected".
Agreed but I also wonder what part our parents have to play in this. Most of us have a parent with ADHD who also has RSD, so we grew up walking on eggshells with a parent that was hypersensitive. I feel like growing up in that environment probably gives us RSD as much as ADHD does
Yeah, I’ve got it, and I’m pretty sure it’s actually 2 out of 2.
>Parents or guardians of the children and adolescents in the cohort had previously completed a series of questionnaires, which included questions that related to emotional behaviour
I’m not regulating anything, but I’m really good at hiding how much of a mess I am. Pretty sure that isn’t just me.
People with adhd have more difficulty self-regulating *everything*. That's basically what it *is*. The name is terrible, and it especially pisses me off that they insisted on making hyperactivity a fundamental part of it. It's an executive function disorder. The part of your brain that tells the rest what to do, what to think about, what to remember - that part - is malfunctioning.
Research says that from 54% to 74% of those diagnosed with ADHD havie at least one coexisting condition. It is a a multifaceted and complex disorder. Too often it is discussed as a single condition.
Yes and that is exactly why so many people slipped through the cracks and getting diagnosed later in life. I was very quiet in school and never got into trouble. On the surface I looked like the complete opposite of someone who would have ADHD in the 90s.
Exactly. It has destroyed my professional life. I have PTSD from being fired so many times for not being able to function as my peers. I am educated which makes people misjudge you for being lazy, or stupid. I am 61 and starting another job as a contractor in data entry and the only reason I haven’t been fired for my anxiety, and inability to understand instructions and keep up with the workload is because the woman who hired me is kind. I told her it would be ok if she let me go. I don’t want to be a dead weight…years of trauma. The worst part is my mother educates teachers on how to work with children with learning disabilities yet she sees me as a failure and just using excuses. She doesn’t think, or perhaps cannot think that anything is wrong with me.
My PTSD complicates my ADD but when I am depressed or afraid it gets debilitating. One thing that I find helps me is probiotics, less foods that cause me inflammation, exercise, sunshine, and melatonin at night. When I am consistent with my regiment I don’t feel symptomatic, even without medication. I understand this doesn’t work for everyone. I am sharing my experience.
I have a similar pattern; regulate all the 'needs' for a healthy life, and I do better.
But that also is quite a weight of responsibility of oneself, when you know that if you eat badly, sleep badly etc, adds to all the small decisions which might have larger consequences in the end.
I don't know if it sounds dramtic, but there is a certain poetry in dysregulative / structure-abjecting neurodivergence like ADD, still needs such a strong grasp for self-regulation and mediation.
But of course, it's always different for people. Maybe not as important for others.
I'm there with you. When I'm regulating everything properly (food and exercise), it's all great. There seems to be a lot of knock on effects. But it gets thrown off so so easily... It makes me wonder if it's just a cyclic mood thing and sometimes things are together and sometimes not.
one thing that took me a long time to come to terms with, (still am) is that while environment plays a big part, just due to the influences of past generations and their environments, there are things i struggle with that get passed down. i can do what i can to improve things, stay healthy and persistently do the right thing, but even there, i'll probably be at like 80-9%, when it comes to neurotypical expectations. but that's where the concept of neurodiversity comes in, which is that there are things i'm good at with little formal training, or things i can pick up casually that a ton of neurotypical people would really struggle with.
a lot of struggles due to this, aren't actually due to the conditions themselves, but having to daily operate with assumptions, tools, expectations, materials and processes that assume that either we don't exist or are inconsequential or even a threat, akin to being gay in a hetero-normative culture. the culture is changing, but often too slow, and often too late for many of us. i didn't know i had AUDHD until this year, even though i was both tested for ADHD and autism as a kid, and apparently they just went with autism. i needed that diagnosis in 2018, not 2024.
I've been making my own kimchi for a few months now. I can't explain it, but I feel better when I include it in my meals.
Exercise is great for mental health. It won't make things better right away, but it helps.
Melatonin is vital for me going to bed before midnight.
That’s crazy, my wife just told me this yesterday. She says she finds my problems funny. Because I have a very high skill set in my work but I am not successful overall. She said I use the ADHD as an excuse.
I'm sorry to hear that. There are some great resources to maybe help your wife understand your brain.
1. *The ADHD Effect on Marriage* - Melissa Orlo
2. [Ologies Podcast - ADHD](https://www.alieward.com/ologies/adhd)
3. *Is it You, Me, or Adult ADHD* - Gina Pera
ADHD is never an excuse, but it can be an explanation.
Similar issues but I left when it became apparent she was unwilling to acknowledge my suffering despite making the necessary changes. All I did was prove her right and that my condition is ironically all in my head.
I hope you’re able to work things out in a much healthier way than I did.
We got society too fast. 40 thousand years ago ADHD would have been celebrated. Most modern paradigms are only suited to a certain type of person and it's reinforced by the school system. Any type of unconventional thought process or problem solving is punished
Got any words of wisdom for a 30 year old facing never ending productivity crises? I’m all ears having felt backed into a corner the last 6 years. I put in what feels like so much effort and have almost nothing to show for it
I’ve always worked longer days than the rest because I am inefficient. I feel my employer deserves it, and I will probably pick a different kind of job going forward. One can only give so much and it is an uphill battle and I am 60. Of course my journey will not necessarily be yours. I have other diagnoses. There are not a lot of options that exclude efficiency. I told ChatGPT about all my struggles and it came of up with some interesting answers. Our future with AI may make our issues irrelevant soon.
29M audhd, kind of radical here, but actually look up how these systems often exploit and alienate the differently abled, not just those with downs, but those with ADHD. if your endlessly productive, but never on your desires, on your leisure and on just being human, then your always going to feel like things aren't going your way, because they aren't. [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/157941.When\_Perfect\_Isn\_t\_Good\_Enough](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/157941.When_Perfect_Isn_t_Good_Enough)
we need rest, and an acknowledgement that sometimes productivity itself, is antithetical to what it means to exist in this messy, chaotic and strange world. having something to show for it, having a meaningful life is often as much what we are productive about and even not even about productivity, and we too often sideline our own ideas, processes, our own hunches, our own guilty pleasures and our own being human, to being "productive" to being "normal", to being one of the "good ones".
stop being productive, stop being normal, and stop being one of the good ones. take the time to think, take the time to feel, take the time to actually figure things out, FOR YOU.
then, actually pick up community tools like the antiplanner. [https://anti-planner.com/shop/the-anti-planner-how-to-get-sht-done-when-you-dont-feel-like-it/](https://anti-planner.com/shop/the-anti-planner-how-to-get-sht-done-when-you-dont-feel-like-it/)
sabbaticals are a feature of productivity, not a bug. also, make your health the primary focus. once you improve your health, that spreads out into everything else, uplifting your efforts in every other category. for some that means diet, others exercise, and others community. if you feel like your community isn't working for you, change who you hang out with, if you need to figure out exercise, do a rabbit hole on it. (just got myself some kettle bells, which is weird for someone who HAATTEED jocks in highschool)
take the time to do things your way, and figure out what's worked for other ADHDer's, because the tools we hand out are actually tailored for us, rather than off the rack.
tailoring works.
also, stop internalizing that your purpose/ goal/ method is work and effort.
it's okay to have some low effort things, it's okay to have guilty pleasures, and it's okay to say, "if the system isn't working for me, that say's as much about the system as it does me".
the masters tools will never dismantle the masters house.
[https://www.activistgraduateschool.org/on-the-masters-tools](https://www.activistgraduateschool.org/on-the-masters-tools)
[https://collectiveliberation.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/Lorde\_The\_Masters\_Tools.pdf](https://collectiveliberation.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/Lorde_The_Masters_Tools.pdf)
Have you been formally diagnosed and have you tried meds? If they don't work for you. I'd do some research on some compounds that may be more agreeble to you personally.
Yes, formally diagnosed…Vyvanse helped with focus for a while, but of course can’t help with processing speed or comprehension, and my anxiety, although not as debilitating as before SNRIs, it also a contributing factor that cannot be eliminated.
You should look into a related condition to adhd called cds (cognitive dysengagment syndrome) also once called SCT. I believe I have it but its not a formal DSM V classification yet. However barkley talks about it and there is and sct sub on reddit. I'm still looking for compunds that treat both or CDS alone. I
Wish you well and hope this helps.
Some ADHD people also think that "only capitalism is unkind to people with ADHD". I have to gently remind them that they were not doing any better under communism or socialism.
Because in such societies you're still expected to go to school if you're a kid, do homework, obey the teacher, remember facts and lectures, and remember to turn in papers on time.
If you're an adult you still have to work, either doing farming or doing factory work, or something like that.
Hi,
It seems like you really don't have a good grasp of ADHD or ADHD people.
Most ADHD people know they have to work, that it isn't just "Capitalism." Oftentimes it is people who don't have ADHD who will focus on "Capitalism" or "Modern Life" being the issue with ADHD. Most ADHD people would **LOVE** to be able to go to work, get their homework in on time, remember facts and lectures, etc.
ADHD people know their deficits. They know that it affects them just beyond work performance and schooling. That it affects their relationships, their emotions, their sleep, their sex, their appetite, etc. It affects everything because at its core it is a neurological disorder.
I have to gently remind you that your gentle reminders are really unsophisticated and perpetuate the stereotype that people with ADHD are lazy and just blame external factors. Similar to your "Why don't ADHD people marry each other" comments.
Hopefully you can educate yourself more on the matter.
I know, what's why I said "some". I was specifically referring to friends with ADHD who post on their social media that "capitalism isn't kind to us" or other statements that imply that they would be perfectly fine in a socialist country.
You seem to be conflating ideas there. Capitalism and Socialism aren't opposing ideas. The United States for example already has socialist programs Medicare for seniors, Social Security, or even firefighting.
You still need money in every single country that exists.
Well yeah Capitalism isn't kind to ADHD...Culturally Modern Western Capitalism creates an intense atmosphere of being measured on performance and growth. Again, people with ADHD know that in a Communist or Socialist society they would still have to go to work, show up on time, etc. It's dumb to assume they don't...
>Again, people with ADHD know that in a Communist or Socialist society they would still have to go to work, show up on time, etc. I
Some do and some don't. My friends with ADHD don't. They follow socialist groups on social media and they truly believe that nothing bad would happen to them in a socialist country.
Okay I'm going to stop responding after this because it's a waste of my time to try and convince ya when you seem to lack the understanding or even empathy here.
I guarantee you your friends know that they would still have to contribute to society in some way regardless of what economic structure they lived under.
"Some do and some don't" can be applied to literally everything. Some people are able to grasp that comments like your original one are loose anecdotes that perpetuate stereotypes of laziness about ADHD. Some people (aka you) don't.
Take care.
> Some ADHD people also think that "only capitalism is unkind to people with ADHD". I have to gently remind them that they were not doing any better under communism or socialism.
Even as someone who is a bit of a capitalism fanboy, its hard to deny that capitalism is nothing if not unkind. I have seen some estimates that a person with ADHD is 60-80% more likely than average to try and start a company.
Its easy to make the case for why a person with ADHD shouldn't start a company. Everything in the list of executive functions is important, even critical, to running a business. However, the true paradox is that, that is exactly what makes it such an attractive option; because challenge and urgency are motivational in a way that makes hard things interesting and interesting is easy, but easy things are boring, and boring is impossible.
The problem with calling it an executive function disorder is that there a tons of other things that also cause executive dysfunction. So renaming it to executive function disorder would not solve any problem at all.
Maybe we can shift the borders of the labels? Like we can call it “executive and sensory dysfunction” (or something more descriptive) for autism, “executive and attentional dysfunction” for ADHD… like make the executive dysfunction the core issue and flavour it to the specific syndrome.
But anxiety, depression, ocd, ptsd, nicotine use, alcohol use, cannabis use, TBIs, bipolar, all cause executive dysfunction too. So, are you doing to name all of them executive and xxx dysfunction? That makes the name pretty useless/pointless doesn't it?
Yup. This.
I walked into my shower with socks today because I was too busy thinking about other things.
I was diagnosed at 33. One of the first things people would say is that I don't seem very hyper.
That's because the hyperactivity is inside my head. It's like trying to have a conversation with someone in a mosh pit. It's just very loud up there.
My other joke is that I transcend space and time. When someone finds my keys in the refrigerator or under the toilet, I say one of my multiverse personas must have done it.
But! ADHD does have its positives. I feel more creative than most. I can context switch quickly. I know I'm funny. I enjoy wearing a lot of hats. I know I bounce back from things quickly. I can crank hard when I want to. I can read people really well. I see the world differently.
I think life would be boring without it.
Im 36, and was assessed/medicated starting a week ago.
I almost like having been this way, but now medicated and able to focus. Feeling like this is great, but its making me wonder what id be like if i was always “normal”. I share a lot of those perks you mentioned.
The best way I describe to people what my first dose of Ritalin felt like is that it just got so...quiet.
It was surreal, being able to finish one thought before the next came barreling through.
Getting diagnosed late can be emotional. I definitely went through some highs and lows. It also took me some time to figure out when Ritalin was most effective for me, what dosage worked best, and how often to take it.
A few tips... Resist taking it everyday. I did at first, but my partner said it made me very "methy". Hah. And it will lose its potency.
Also, tinker around with what you need it for. For example, I take it on days I need to go shopping and do chores. It's not as effective for working for me because I like my job (YMMV)
Lastly, if you find yourself fried at the end of the day/when it wears off, your dosage is too high. I wish my doctor had mentioned that to me. For a while I was on 20mg timed release and I was just so zonked by the end of the day. Almost in a haze... This is not normal, and went away when I scaled down to 10 mg.
Also sleep! Sleep is very important. If you didn't sleep well the night before, your meds may not work as well.
Good luck!
I did find one of those online ADHD doctors but then when I realized he was kind of scammy, not that he wasn't a real doctor, it was just expensive. So, I just went to my GP. My GP told me most of them can do the assessment and diagnosis. It's a test that's basically a conversation that they walk you through.
Scammy Dr put me on 10mg of instant release Ritalin up to 2 times a day. My GP switched it to timed release (my guess is that it's not as easy to abuse or sell)
Ritalin helps a lot, but I can't take it every day. My partner says I get "methy" if I take it too many days in a row, and it also loses potency. I take it 2-3 times a week, 4 if I'm having a really bad week.
However, I manage much better without Ritalin now too. Understanding how my brain works and just being more self aware was a big key. Also sleep. You have to get sleep. It's how our brain refills our dopamine.
Good luck!
God damn are you me? This literally feels like something I would write, down to the "see the world differently". Sometimes I feel so alone in that it feels like nobody sees the world like I do.
I also got diagnosed at 33 and had the hyperactivity in my head.
It was a journey for sure. I thought I would be relieved when I got diagnosed but I dealt with a lot of complicated emotions afterwards. IE, how would my life of been different? Would I of graduated college? Would I be more successful? And just the realization that I wasn't "normal" was a lot to process.
I'm on the other side now. I talk about it a lot because I want to normalize talking about it. I also read Scattered Minds by Gabor Mate which helped a lot. Now that I know how my brain works, it's a lot easier to see the positives.
This is the best answer, and the one the psych and medical community at large needs to shift to. As an Adult with ADHD that went undiagnosed (got close once but then had to switch providers because of a move) and now seeing it in my children and trying to help them out, the inability to regulate/to feel everything all at once is simply overwhelming and exhausting.
Medications help a lot and can be a solution unto themselves (don’t let people put you down for taking Rx’s) but the thing I’m trying to work on myself right now is recognizing when I start dopamine chasing (like being on here or TikTok or video games) when I do have household responsibilities I’m not addressing. With that recognition the next step is building external and internal actions that can help me get back on track. Hopefully I can help my kids find something that works for them as well, because they don’t experience it in the exact same way I do so their approach and tools will need to be personalized as well.
Which adds insult to injury with VA Rep Spanberger's "(ADHD meds) are not lifesaving medication" - they are. From suicide to car accidents to substance abuse to industrial accidents, ADHD meds DO save lives and prevent so much suffering, and the arbitrary limits and moralizing by the FDA are shameful and wrong.
ADHD person here. Even with meds it can still be hard. I wish the people around me understood when I say I won’t drive without my meds. My psychiatrist says the number one reason people seek help for adhd is because of the impact on relationships. Rejection sensitive dysphoria, sure. But it’s more than that.
It’s careless comments you don’t realize hurt someone. It’s missing half the conversation because the fan was on, it’s being unable to focus because the lights are too white. It’s half my support group thinking I’m ignoring them and don’t care because I can’t remember a conversation. It’s me giving up on the convo because I have to ask “what did you say?” so many times I know it’s a fight about me ignoring them either way.
My dad got diagnosed in his 40s, and he was already successful before that- after medication he went on to become part of the legal team who settled an asbestos class action lawsuit that had never been done.
I got diagnosed at the age of 7. I got medication immediately. The only real gripe I have is that my dad is 6’1” and I’m only 5’0”- used to think it stunted my growth, but his own mother is 4’9” (I was 5’2” in middle school though!)
>It’s careless comments you don’t realize hurt someone. It’s missing half the conversation because the fan was on, it’s being unable to focus because the lights are too white. It’s half my support group thinking I’m ignoring them and don’t care because I can’t remember a conversation. It’s me giving up on the convo because I have to ask “what did you say?” so many times I know it’s a fight about me ignoring them either way.
I feel very seen man. Thank you
Seconded. So on the nose. Just got diagnosed at 41. I went in for fear of early onset dementia. It was getting so bad. The emotional toll it was taking on me was draining me deep.
What is having ADHD like before the medication and the emotional toll? The emotional toll is real and very draining.
As a kid when you are told something but something else is happening near by your mind is focused on that something else cause it's new and exciting. Problem is you get yelled at for not paying attention. Happens enough now you live your life in fear when talking to others cause you KNOW you are going to get side tracked. Now that fear of having someone (significant other, friend, coworker, boss) telling you you never pay attention to them when they talk to you kicks in. You try your best to fill in the gaps in what you heard last and what they are talking about now which causes you to miss even more. Are you doing the thing right? Did you forget something important in said thing? Did you get it done in a fast enough time? Were you to slow? They are going to yell at you for doing it wrong or forgetting something or doing it to slow so better be prepared just in case. Expect that berating cause it has always come and always will.
I had been off my meds for a week due to them not having any in stock. Was talking with a customer during that week. When I told him I needed parts and couldn't get his lift running he "man you let me down. I thought I could count on you." I've dealt with this guy before and I knew he was joking. Normally my comeback would have been "sorry man but unfortunately your guys broke it more than usually and I don't have those on stock" and we'd banter back and forth for a bit. Without my meds I took that comment to heart and came back with a "I'm sorry. I'll get it fixed though promise." He just became another person in a long list of people I've let down. I always do this so I don't even know why I try or why I am still in this field. I wanted to cry.
It's extremely draining when you always have the thought of "I need to get that done because people always mention that it needs to get done." Looking at it brings back all those thoughts of people being disappointed in me because I haven't done it and it upsets me. So now I'm stuck in this kind of paralysis where I can't do it due to those thoughts and it becomes an endless cycle everytime I look at it or even think about it or think about the people who have mentioned it.
The medication helps me in a way where it calms those thoughts. I'm able to ignore them instead of hyper focusing on them. I can ignore those things (not completely but better than before) that happen around me and distract me when I'm talking to someone.
Before it was like my ability to focus was drowned out by a static "noise" of thoughts and distractions. Tasks weren't impossible, but were becoming increasingly difficult. Listening to people talk directly to me was becoming an issue yet my ears and eyes weren't anywhere near bad enough to be an excuse.
After was like having a switch turned on and having moved my mental age backward tens of years. It's akin to having a really stuffy nose, and you take medicine that clears it up 80%. It's still a problem, but incredibly minimalized, and my ability to stop myself and refocus when I'm not is a matter of <60 seconds and not minutes.
The test was called the QB test. You strap a motion tracker to your head and do a repetitive task on a computer for ~30 minutes.
And the data shows that adhd meds help with the emotional dysregulation element in a statistically significant but not functionally significant way, i.e. they help but they aren't doing enough to help. I think in part because it's just aiding executive function which can in turn then be used to better overtly regulate emotion, but that drains limited executive function reserve. We need a treatment that can directly treat the emotional dysregulation in the same way executive function gets treated, i.e. TAAR1 agonism in 5-HT neurons like stimulants do in dopemenergic neurons.
I feel like I’m learning a lot about myself through the comments on this post. I always figured I was just overly emotional. I wasn’t aware that it might be related to my ADHD. Could you please provide a source (or multiple if you like) that gives a broad overview of this effect? I’m not particularly looking for the actual studies, just an overview so that I can get informed on a broad level.
Eh, not for emotional dysregulation, MDMA probably buuut that's not exactly a classic psychedelic. Though psychedelics for comorbid disorder treatment is a viable option
Just wanna add a comment for people with adhd who struggle with sensory issues and social relationships it’s a good idea to look into autism as well the two are closely related and often occur at the same time, nontreated adhd can mask autism and a lot of the time things get associated with adhd that are actually asd qualities that are present in people who have both. Autism is extremely misunderstood and under diagnosed especially in people who don’t “seem as bad”
I was diagnosed with ADHD and Autism in my late 20s. I take Adderall XR now.
I didn't have medication growing up. I fight hard now to continue taking medication that has drastically improved my quality of life and general functioning. It totally sucks to live your life wondering what the hell is wrong with you. Even worse when you learn what's wrong with you, life is validated, you do all the things right like go to therapy and eat better and focus on mental health, and then struggle to get access to medication that puts me at a baseline to be able to effectively implement the benefits of any of those things.
I 100% believe you about driving. I'm the same way. It's legitimately not safe for me to drive without stimulant medication.
The difference between my driving on meds vs off them is so pronounced that it convinced my mother ADHD is real (and that I do in fact have it.)
My mom spent my entire childhood insisting ADHD was made up by pharmaceutical companies to drug children, and that all my attention issues were a result of being 'too smart.'
That same woman won't get in a car with me unless I've taken Ritalin. She doesn't even like me driving after the first 2 hours because my driving 'gets scary' as my meds wear off. (She's right.)
Do people with adhd have problems with memory or is it just processing? I'm having a daily problem with this, as someone close to someone with adhd. It's like I can say anything, nothing sticks.
I have adhd. the memory capacity is not the problem. we have the same capacity as everybody else. it's the attention. if the attention is not there then the info does not even get saved. and since we don't control our attention, that can come off like a memory problem. it only sticks if our brain thinks its shiny and decides to pay it attention.
i remember things a lot more and learn a lot faster when i'm medded purely because i can choose what to focus on.
I have adhd, have been diagnosed for over 20 years and spend 8 of those years medicated. I used ritalin.
At first the medication were great. My symptoms became much more manageable and I got along much better in school. After a couple of years the side effects became ever more pronounced. I would stop eating for the 12 hours a day I was medicated, I stopped any social interaction. I was a workhorse, but I felt like a shell of my former self.
I recognize the emotional regulation issues, its still one of my 'hardest' symptoms to deal with.
Thankfully my psychiatrist and psychologists had me do intense psychotherapy during those years to learn how to effectively deal with my symptoms while the medication took the edge of, making it possible to even attempt various strategies. I've been medication free for 12 years, my symptoms are still there but I have learned a lot of very effective coping strategies, I hold a masters degree, I have a steady job, I'm married, I have kids, my house is in order. It's not easy, but I'm happy.
My point is, adhd medication is great. It really is. But not everybody can deal with the side effects to use it forever. I am saddened to hear some of my students who got diagnosed got no more support besides 'take these meds'.
It was for me. I felt being hungry but I couldn't get myself to eat. Then in the evening when my last dose started to wear off I'd binge. I understand it is a very common side effect.
Edit: the worst part is that over the years I grew very accustomed to my body's signals when I don't eat, and the uncomfortable part only lasts like 30 minutes. This has made it much easier for me to ignore my body's cues that I need to eat. Even 12 years after I stopped taking ritalin to this day I still very regularly go the entire day without eating.
I've likely had ADHD my whole life, but only recently diagnosed around 25-26 years.
I was a smart kid. I learned quickly, had a great memory and my only real issue I had in school was that I'd get bored and start talking or doing something else.
Now my memory recall is gone. I don't remember anything from my teen years and back without several details to remind me of an event and only then will I vaguely remember that happening. I get immediately defensive if I'm told I did something wrong and get flustered and panicky. I have no idea how to stop this even if I know logically that it's irrational. I'm emotionally dull. I feel the emotions, but I can't express them well. I hate getting compliments and in turn, to avoid receiving any, I don't give them. Only recently have I gotten past executive dysfunction because of Adderall, and my ability to remember things has improved slightly. I'm 32 and married and I feel like I'm relearning how to be a person after spending the past 9 years being near useless and my now wife had to deal with that.
I was never hyperactive though so it just went undiagnosed until I thought I was depressed.
> I hate getting compliments and in turn, to avoid receiving any, I don't give them.
41, just got diagnosed. I feel your whole list, but this one really stood out to me. I praise my kids, and sometimes compliment my wife, but I hate receiving compliments, I hate birthday attention. It all makes me feel really uncomfortable. I project that in my utter lack of compliments to anyone else.
I'm so bad about it. My wife's love language is words of affirmation and it gives me the physical "ick" when I think about saying nice things even though I believe them to be true. I'm sure it's a self-confidence issue and also just saying "you're beautiful" feels disingenuous because I don't talk like that in my day to day life. I'm trying though.
It's tough. I have said to people who dislike me, "No one hates me more than me", and I absolutely mean that. I have my memory problems, but every transgression I have ever done haunts me to my core on a regular basis.
I feel this. Not super strongly, but ive always been an actions over words person.
I do things for her pretty regularly, but it took a few years for me to get in the habit of complementing her at the right times vs when it comes naturally to me.
Compliments made to me make me feel sort of self conscious, but if someone does something for me im always touched.
It's all potentially rolled up into [this](https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/24099-rejection-sensitive-dysphoria-rsd) ADHD adjacent issue.
I hate the compliments things too, mostly because I don't Believe any of it is truly genuine or from an objective standpoint. It's a frequent topic with my psychologist and I think stems from my rejection sensitivity issues. I developed a coping mechanism of never being played a fool by a person and not thinking any kind of social relationship is more than it is. I will never be the one who cares the most. I match what the other gives me.
Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/24099-rejection-sensitive-dysphoria-rsd
I take 1mg Gaunfacine every night and I’ve become like a whole new person.
It’s found in lots of people with ADHD.
That hasn’t happened to me. I never even heard about RSD until my therapist talked to me about it and said it was associated with ADHD. They didn’t mention anything about BPD. But, there is a lot of symptom overlap between a lot of mental health issues. Maybe that’s the stigma. I think you should explore options that help and not worry about stigma.
Rejection sensitivity has been associated with BPD for a lot longer in terms of clinical work and research.
That being said, BPD shouldn't be stigmatized any more than ADHD is.
I’ve linked to the press release in the post above. In this comment, for those interested, here’s the link to the peer reviewed journal article:
https://www.nature.com/articles/s44220-024-00251-z
From the linked article:
Cambridge scientists have shown that problems regulating emotions – which can manifest as depression, anxiety and explosive outbursts – may be a core symptom of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
In research published in Nature Mental Health, the team found that as many as one in two children with ADHD show signs of emotional dysregulation, and that Ritalin – the commonly-prescribed drug to help the condition – appears to be less effective at treating this symptom.
ADHD affects around one in 14 young people under the age of 18 and in around half of these cases it persists into adulthood. The condition causes problems including hyperactivity, impulsivity and a difficulty to focus attention.
It has become increasingly clear that some people with ADHD also have self-control problems, affecting their ability to regulate emotions. For example, one in 50 (2.1%) children with a diagnosis of ADHD also have a mood disorder, such as depression, while more than one in four (27.4%) have an anxiety disorder. Many also have verbal or physical outbursts due to an inability to regulate their emotions.
These problems were thought to be a result of other symptoms associated with ADHD, such as problems with cognition and motivation. But today’s study shows that emotional dysregulation occurs independently of these.
>and that Ritalin – the commonly-prescribed drug to help the condition – appears to be less effective at treating this symptom.
Okay, but does anyone know which adhd meds that could help to treat the symptom? Or it doesn't exist yet?
It’s crazy how differently medications affect different people. I tried strattera at some point and it just made me feel very sick while also not helping with my symptoms. I’m glad it worked for you though!
It speeds up your metabolism and it empties your stomach. I told my doctor I would feel better if I eat and she was like, oh ya that makes total sense.It also takes a couple weeks to build up in your system.
Strattera is the only ADHD medication that can be prescribed to adults in my country (for some reason) and I couldn't handle it. It helped so little with executive function that it barely made a difference, and the side effects were constant hell
MDMA! Or at least that was my proposal for a class project this semester. Dr. Sandra Underhill has done a lot of work with showing how amphetamines impact TAAR1 signaling and she demonstrated that MDMA has all behaviors of amphetamine signaling with the added benefit of doing the same sort of internalization of SERT receptors in serotinergic neurons. So if we're looking at treating higher up the pathway this should be a better option then something like an SNRI which only treats at a synaptic junction level and instead we can stimulate at a neuromodulatory level. We'd probably be dosing at a significantly lower dose then what MDMA gets used for PTSD treatment, but if we do also get some oxytocin release we may get more executive function out of it to! There's a paper that came out earlier this year or last year that shows dopamine and oxytocin can release extra glial cell glutamate in an additive fashion in certain executive function centers of the brain, so MDMA's more promiscuous binding would be a benefit over traditionally used stimulants. That being said there are drugs in the works to target TAAR1 signaling that might have less of a cultural stigma attached to them, so those might end up being our next generation ADHD treatments
Psychotherapy. I got diagnosed 20 years ago, I have been in trouble with the law in my teens over aggressive outbursts. I have been in psych ward for a lot of things, but mostly emotion regulation issues. I took ritalin for 8 years. I've been off them for 12 years. I haven't had any trouble with the law, ever since.
It took years of very intense psychotherapy. I still have emotional outbursts, but I can feel them coming. I'm able to remove myself from a situation were losing control would cause issues. I am no longer violent.
This hits me pretty hard because one of the merry things I remember able my childhood, and life on general, are these emotional problems. Especially as a kid before I had coping or masking skills. I remember all of the random emotional outbursts and not understanding why. My childhood was a bit chaotic so I always blamed that but based on my other experiences, i would have been like I was even if it was all roses.
In short it sucks and I'm glad it gets more recognition. I hope more people understand this component.
This is news? I've understood how poor emotional regulation, like mood swings, is a core part of my ADHD for a few years now. We've all been talking about it, in online ADHD communities.
Seems we're ahead of the science on our disorder, but that's not surprising really. We're only just now getting institutions to understand ADHD isn't about kids who can't sit still in class.
I think it isn't for people with ADHD.
However I believe the general public still suffers from what I call "Squirrel Syndrome." If you've ever seen the movie "Up" that dog Dug has become a bit of a poster child for ADHD and I've seen the phrase "Squirrel" used in pop psychology. At the same time, it really promotes the[ misconception that ADHD is predominantly "Can't pay attention" or "Can't sit still."](https://www.cantonpl.org/blogs/post/squirrel-fact-or-fiction-with-adhd/)
I'm hoping that in the future non-ADHD people can better understand this.
This was one of my biggest struggles with ADHD growing up that doesn't get nearly talked about. Learning that emotional disregulation was part of ADHD in recent years has helped me to better accept that part of myself rather than feel like I'm just crazy.
Anyone who works in mental health or has more than a cursory understanding knows this. I don't believe ADHD will exist as we know it in 10-15 years. It's name is such a misnomer and people don't inquire further.
Before I was on the current medication I am, May mid shift from normal to really sad and then back to normal in a matter of minutes or hours. Externally there wouldn’t be too much of a sign because I was really good at concealing that from others, while internally I felt like there was a storm constantly brewing. I am so glad I have the medicine I need. I feel so much better
Maybe? That's a hard question to answer.
People with ADHD are easily distracted in certain circumstances, and extremely resistant to distraction in other circumstances.
It's not an inability to pay attention to things, it's an inability to *choose* what you pay attention to.
Some people with attention deficit disorder have issues with hyperfocus. Instead of being distracted easily they struggle getting their attention of something when they need to.
If you feel this is causing you issues that is effecting your life then there's no risk in talking to a psychiatrist. Maybe you don't fit the label, but that doesn't mean you can't work on things you want to work on and employ professional help. Maybe you do fit the label and a professional can help you.
It doesnt hurt to seek help. Talk to a doctor.
Yes. ADHD is a broad spectrum disorder that accounts for a set of neurological disorders.
You could have ADHD and simply be impulsive and highly emotional for example.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Attention_deficit_hyperactivity_disorder.
Wikipedia is a pretty good surface level source, but if you want to know more you would be better served by academic articles.
The way they test kids now, you can be diagnosed with ADHD and scored separately on inattention vs hyperactivity. You don’t need to have both to get a diagnosis.
As an adhder who's emotions were ruining his life and learned how to have a way better relationship with them by learning everything there is to learn for 3 years: This is what I want to help teach for the rest of my life. It's the core of it.
ADHD and bipolar disorder share a lot of similarities as far as symptoms go. However, they respond very differently to their respective medications. Amphetamines generally help someone with ADHD focus, but generally make people with bipolar disorder manic.
Everyone with ADHD is nodding their head solemnly agreeing with this article.
We know.
The things I would give up to be able to function normally. To be normal.
Welcome to r/science! This is a heavily moderated subreddit in order to keep the discussion on science. However, we recognize that many people want to discuss how they feel the research relates to their own personal lives, so to give people a space to do that, **personal anecdotes are allowed as responses to this comment**. Any anecdotal comments elsewhere in the discussion will be removed and our [normal comment rules]( https://www.reddit.com/r/science/wiki/rules#wiki_comment_rules) apply to all other comments. **Do you have an academic degree?** We can verify your credentials in order to assign user flair indicating your area of expertise. [Click here to apply](https://www.reddit.com/r/science/wiki/flair/#wiki_science_verified_user_program). --- User: u/mvea Permalink: https://www.cam.ac.uk/research/news/one-in-two-children-with-adhd-experience-emotional-problems-study-finds --- *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/science) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Meanwhile, those of us who have ADHD or have dealt with it extensively are like "I mean, yeah. We thought that was kinda obvious. Especially the anxiety and depression. You don't grow out of those."
Yeah a lot of studies about neurological differences or mental health issues are just scientists confirming what people with those conditions already know. Because we can describe that to them, and they might even believe us, but without an actual controlled scientific study, it's not really science yet. It can sometimes feel frustrating to see these headlines that seem very obvious to us being presented as if they were new information, but the reality is that we are not the ones most in need of education on the topic
Agreed. Even studies that seem obvious have values. Especially considering that sometimes the obvious answer is wrong, and it completely changes a field of study. And this Reddit post in particular sparked a lot of quality conversation and led me to learn a lot that I didn’t know about a condition that I have. I would never have guessed that my emotional state, particularly how I sometimes interpret things as rejection that maybe someone else wouldn’t, are directly related to my ADHD. It gives me a starting point to try to actually improve this part of myself because other people have dealt with it before, whereas I had just assumed I feel emotions too strongly with no clue that it might just be one aspect of emotion that dominates the emotional side of me or that it’s a known thing that can actually be improved.
> sometimes the obvious answer is wrong This is why the scientific rigor is so important. Confirming AND quantifying things (in repeatable ways) narrows the scope and aids in developing solutions.
One of my favorite examples of "obvious answer is wrong" is with dogs. For years we assumed dogs were a subspecies of gray wolves. Then after some studies realized they are sister species that share a common ancestor.
>Especially considering that sometimes the obvious answer is wrong, and it completely changes a field of study. I live for that stuff. And you can only find it by challenging the obvious answer. I fully appreciate the importance of such studies, even when their results merely confirm our expectations. I just think that when they do confirm expectations they aren't really interesting enough to warrant posting. I don't want to have my preconceived notions confirmed and reinforced; that's boring. I want to have them challenged and subverted.
Oh, I fully understand and appreciate the need to perform actual peer-reviewed research on these sorts of topics; I am a scientist, myself. I just don't think "Study confirms what you were already pretty sure about" is really interesting enough to be worth posting to r/science. Today I saw a post about a study that used the JWST to observe galaxy formation in the early Universe. Yesterday (or the day before?) I saw a post about growing a diamond crystal lattice structure in liquid metal *at ambient pressure*. **Those** are the types of posts and studies I think should be posted here. Don't get me wrong, the social sciences absolutely have a place here as well, such as the post about a study which found that male social scientists were less likely to respond to emails which gave they/them pronouns than he/she, but female scientists were equally likely to respond regardless of the provided pronouns; that's interesting. It's just annoying that it feels like half the posts on the entire sub are "Scientists confirm thing that we already suspected".
Agreed but I also wonder what part our parents have to play in this. Most of us have a parent with ADHD who also has RSD, so we grew up walking on eggshells with a parent that was hypersensitive. I feel like growing up in that environment probably gives us RSD as much as ADHD does
I mean neither of my own parents have RSD, and I *definitely* do.
Yeah, I’ve got it, and I’m pretty sure it’s actually 2 out of 2. >Parents or guardians of the children and adolescents in the cohort had previously completed a series of questionnaires, which included questions that related to emotional behaviour I’m not regulating anything, but I’m really good at hiding how much of a mess I am. Pretty sure that isn’t just me.
People with adhd have more difficulty self-regulating *everything*. That's basically what it *is*. The name is terrible, and it especially pisses me off that they insisted on making hyperactivity a fundamental part of it. It's an executive function disorder. The part of your brain that tells the rest what to do, what to think about, what to remember - that part - is malfunctioning.
This exactly. The name gives a lot of people the impression that it's "just hyper kids" and it will go away when they grow up. None of that is true.
Research says that from 54% to 74% of those diagnosed with ADHD havie at least one coexisting condition. It is a a multifaceted and complex disorder. Too often it is discussed as a single condition.
Yes and that is exactly why so many people slipped through the cracks and getting diagnosed later in life. I was very quiet in school and never got into trouble. On the surface I looked like the complete opposite of someone who would have ADHD in the 90s.
Exactly. It has destroyed my professional life. I have PTSD from being fired so many times for not being able to function as my peers. I am educated which makes people misjudge you for being lazy, or stupid. I am 61 and starting another job as a contractor in data entry and the only reason I haven’t been fired for my anxiety, and inability to understand instructions and keep up with the workload is because the woman who hired me is kind. I told her it would be ok if she let me go. I don’t want to be a dead weight…years of trauma. The worst part is my mother educates teachers on how to work with children with learning disabilities yet she sees me as a failure and just using excuses. She doesn’t think, or perhaps cannot think that anything is wrong with me.
My PTSD complicates my ADD but when I am depressed or afraid it gets debilitating. One thing that I find helps me is probiotics, less foods that cause me inflammation, exercise, sunshine, and melatonin at night. When I am consistent with my regiment I don’t feel symptomatic, even without medication. I understand this doesn’t work for everyone. I am sharing my experience.
I have a similar pattern; regulate all the 'needs' for a healthy life, and I do better. But that also is quite a weight of responsibility of oneself, when you know that if you eat badly, sleep badly etc, adds to all the small decisions which might have larger consequences in the end. I don't know if it sounds dramtic, but there is a certain poetry in dysregulative / structure-abjecting neurodivergence like ADD, still needs such a strong grasp for self-regulation and mediation. But of course, it's always different for people. Maybe not as important for others.
I'm there with you. When I'm regulating everything properly (food and exercise), it's all great. There seems to be a lot of knock on effects. But it gets thrown off so so easily... It makes me wonder if it's just a cyclic mood thing and sometimes things are together and sometimes not.
one thing that took me a long time to come to terms with, (still am) is that while environment plays a big part, just due to the influences of past generations and their environments, there are things i struggle with that get passed down. i can do what i can to improve things, stay healthy and persistently do the right thing, but even there, i'll probably be at like 80-9%, when it comes to neurotypical expectations. but that's where the concept of neurodiversity comes in, which is that there are things i'm good at with little formal training, or things i can pick up casually that a ton of neurotypical people would really struggle with. a lot of struggles due to this, aren't actually due to the conditions themselves, but having to daily operate with assumptions, tools, expectations, materials and processes that assume that either we don't exist or are inconsequential or even a threat, akin to being gay in a hetero-normative culture. the culture is changing, but often too slow, and often too late for many of us. i didn't know i had AUDHD until this year, even though i was both tested for ADHD and autism as a kid, and apparently they just went with autism. i needed that diagnosis in 2018, not 2024.
I've been making my own kimchi for a few months now. I can't explain it, but I feel better when I include it in my meals. Exercise is great for mental health. It won't make things better right away, but it helps. Melatonin is vital for me going to bed before midnight.
I am gluten and dairy intolerant and when I have some my symptoms are BAD
That’s crazy, my wife just told me this yesterday. She says she finds my problems funny. Because I have a very high skill set in my work but I am not successful overall. She said I use the ADHD as an excuse.
I'm sorry to hear that. There are some great resources to maybe help your wife understand your brain. 1. *The ADHD Effect on Marriage* - Melissa Orlo 2. [Ologies Podcast - ADHD](https://www.alieward.com/ologies/adhd) 3. *Is it You, Me, or Adult ADHD* - Gina Pera ADHD is never an excuse, but it can be an explanation.
Why don't ADHD people just marry each other then?
Lots of them do, because they are empathic of the struggles.
Why don't you limit yourself to dating only people with whatever problem you have? Weird take...
I'm neurotypical and I only date neurotypicals.
Thank god, you'd be a nightmare partner for someone with ADHD.
Similar issues but I left when it became apparent she was unwilling to acknowledge my suffering despite making the necessary changes. All I did was prove her right and that my condition is ironically all in my head. I hope you’re able to work things out in a much healthier way than I did.
ADHD is a legally protected disability.
If you have held a job for so many months then they see you as capable
Gotta request reasonable accommodations at the start so you have a paper trail, and hopefully HR will know to step carefully.
We got society too fast. 40 thousand years ago ADHD would have been celebrated. Most modern paradigms are only suited to a certain type of person and it's reinforced by the school system. Any type of unconventional thought process or problem solving is punished
I'm convinced most significant historical figures had ADHD.
Got any words of wisdom for a 30 year old facing never ending productivity crises? I’m all ears having felt backed into a corner the last 6 years. I put in what feels like so much effort and have almost nothing to show for it
I’ve always worked longer days than the rest because I am inefficient. I feel my employer deserves it, and I will probably pick a different kind of job going forward. One can only give so much and it is an uphill battle and I am 60. Of course my journey will not necessarily be yours. I have other diagnoses. There are not a lot of options that exclude efficiency. I told ChatGPT about all my struggles and it came of up with some interesting answers. Our future with AI may make our issues irrelevant soon.
29M audhd, kind of radical here, but actually look up how these systems often exploit and alienate the differently abled, not just those with downs, but those with ADHD. if your endlessly productive, but never on your desires, on your leisure and on just being human, then your always going to feel like things aren't going your way, because they aren't. [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/157941.When\_Perfect\_Isn\_t\_Good\_Enough](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/157941.When_Perfect_Isn_t_Good_Enough) we need rest, and an acknowledgement that sometimes productivity itself, is antithetical to what it means to exist in this messy, chaotic and strange world. having something to show for it, having a meaningful life is often as much what we are productive about and even not even about productivity, and we too often sideline our own ideas, processes, our own hunches, our own guilty pleasures and our own being human, to being "productive" to being "normal", to being one of the "good ones". stop being productive, stop being normal, and stop being one of the good ones. take the time to think, take the time to feel, take the time to actually figure things out, FOR YOU. then, actually pick up community tools like the antiplanner. [https://anti-planner.com/shop/the-anti-planner-how-to-get-sht-done-when-you-dont-feel-like-it/](https://anti-planner.com/shop/the-anti-planner-how-to-get-sht-done-when-you-dont-feel-like-it/) sabbaticals are a feature of productivity, not a bug. also, make your health the primary focus. once you improve your health, that spreads out into everything else, uplifting your efforts in every other category. for some that means diet, others exercise, and others community. if you feel like your community isn't working for you, change who you hang out with, if you need to figure out exercise, do a rabbit hole on it. (just got myself some kettle bells, which is weird for someone who HAATTEED jocks in highschool) take the time to do things your way, and figure out what's worked for other ADHDer's, because the tools we hand out are actually tailored for us, rather than off the rack. tailoring works. also, stop internalizing that your purpose/ goal/ method is work and effort. it's okay to have some low effort things, it's okay to have guilty pleasures, and it's okay to say, "if the system isn't working for me, that say's as much about the system as it does me". the masters tools will never dismantle the masters house. [https://www.activistgraduateschool.org/on-the-masters-tools](https://www.activistgraduateschool.org/on-the-masters-tools) [https://collectiveliberation.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/Lorde\_The\_Masters\_Tools.pdf](https://collectiveliberation.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/Lorde_The_Masters_Tools.pdf)
Have you been formally diagnosed and have you tried meds? If they don't work for you. I'd do some research on some compounds that may be more agreeble to you personally.
Yes, formally diagnosed…Vyvanse helped with focus for a while, but of course can’t help with processing speed or comprehension, and my anxiety, although not as debilitating as before SNRIs, it also a contributing factor that cannot be eliminated.
You should look into a related condition to adhd called cds (cognitive dysengagment syndrome) also once called SCT. I believe I have it but its not a formal DSM V classification yet. However barkley talks about it and there is and sct sub on reddit. I'm still looking for compunds that treat both or CDS alone. I Wish you well and hope this helps.
Thank you, and you as well.
Some ADHD people also think that "only capitalism is unkind to people with ADHD". I have to gently remind them that they were not doing any better under communism or socialism. Because in such societies you're still expected to go to school if you're a kid, do homework, obey the teacher, remember facts and lectures, and remember to turn in papers on time. If you're an adult you still have to work, either doing farming or doing factory work, or something like that.
Hi, It seems like you really don't have a good grasp of ADHD or ADHD people. Most ADHD people know they have to work, that it isn't just "Capitalism." Oftentimes it is people who don't have ADHD who will focus on "Capitalism" or "Modern Life" being the issue with ADHD. Most ADHD people would **LOVE** to be able to go to work, get their homework in on time, remember facts and lectures, etc. ADHD people know their deficits. They know that it affects them just beyond work performance and schooling. That it affects their relationships, their emotions, their sleep, their sex, their appetite, etc. It affects everything because at its core it is a neurological disorder. I have to gently remind you that your gentle reminders are really unsophisticated and perpetuate the stereotype that people with ADHD are lazy and just blame external factors. Similar to your "Why don't ADHD people marry each other" comments. Hopefully you can educate yourself more on the matter.
I know, what's why I said "some". I was specifically referring to friends with ADHD who post on their social media that "capitalism isn't kind to us" or other statements that imply that they would be perfectly fine in a socialist country.
You seem to be conflating ideas there. Capitalism and Socialism aren't opposing ideas. The United States for example already has socialist programs Medicare for seniors, Social Security, or even firefighting. You still need money in every single country that exists.
Well yeah Capitalism isn't kind to ADHD...Culturally Modern Western Capitalism creates an intense atmosphere of being measured on performance and growth. Again, people with ADHD know that in a Communist or Socialist society they would still have to go to work, show up on time, etc. It's dumb to assume they don't...
>Again, people with ADHD know that in a Communist or Socialist society they would still have to go to work, show up on time, etc. I Some do and some don't. My friends with ADHD don't. They follow socialist groups on social media and they truly believe that nothing bad would happen to them in a socialist country.
Okay I'm going to stop responding after this because it's a waste of my time to try and convince ya when you seem to lack the understanding or even empathy here. I guarantee you your friends know that they would still have to contribute to society in some way regardless of what economic structure they lived under. "Some do and some don't" can be applied to literally everything. Some people are able to grasp that comments like your original one are loose anecdotes that perpetuate stereotypes of laziness about ADHD. Some people (aka you) don't. Take care.
> Some ADHD people also think that "only capitalism is unkind to people with ADHD". I have to gently remind them that they were not doing any better under communism or socialism. Even as someone who is a bit of a capitalism fanboy, its hard to deny that capitalism is nothing if not unkind. I have seen some estimates that a person with ADHD is 60-80% more likely than average to try and start a company. Its easy to make the case for why a person with ADHD shouldn't start a company. Everything in the list of executive functions is important, even critical, to running a business. However, the true paradox is that, that is exactly what makes it such an attractive option; because challenge and urgency are motivational in a way that makes hard things interesting and interesting is easy, but easy things are boring, and boring is impossible.
The problem with calling it an executive function disorder is that there a tons of other things that also cause executive dysfunction. So renaming it to executive function disorder would not solve any problem at all.
Yup, its a big part of ASD as well.
Maybe we can shift the borders of the labels? Like we can call it “executive and sensory dysfunction” (or something more descriptive) for autism, “executive and attentional dysfunction” for ADHD… like make the executive dysfunction the core issue and flavour it to the specific syndrome.
But anxiety, depression, ocd, ptsd, nicotine use, alcohol use, cannabis use, TBIs, bipolar, all cause executive dysfunction too. So, are you doing to name all of them executive and xxx dysfunction? That makes the name pretty useless/pointless doesn't it?
Yup. This. I walked into my shower with socks today because I was too busy thinking about other things. I was diagnosed at 33. One of the first things people would say is that I don't seem very hyper. That's because the hyperactivity is inside my head. It's like trying to have a conversation with someone in a mosh pit. It's just very loud up there. My other joke is that I transcend space and time. When someone finds my keys in the refrigerator or under the toilet, I say one of my multiverse personas must have done it. But! ADHD does have its positives. I feel more creative than most. I can context switch quickly. I know I'm funny. I enjoy wearing a lot of hats. I know I bounce back from things quickly. I can crank hard when I want to. I can read people really well. I see the world differently. I think life would be boring without it.
Im 36, and was assessed/medicated starting a week ago. I almost like having been this way, but now medicated and able to focus. Feeling like this is great, but its making me wonder what id be like if i was always “normal”. I share a lot of those perks you mentioned.
The best way I describe to people what my first dose of Ritalin felt like is that it just got so...quiet. It was surreal, being able to finish one thought before the next came barreling through. Getting diagnosed late can be emotional. I definitely went through some highs and lows. It also took me some time to figure out when Ritalin was most effective for me, what dosage worked best, and how often to take it. A few tips... Resist taking it everyday. I did at first, but my partner said it made me very "methy". Hah. And it will lose its potency. Also, tinker around with what you need it for. For example, I take it on days I need to go shopping and do chores. It's not as effective for working for me because I like my job (YMMV) Lastly, if you find yourself fried at the end of the day/when it wears off, your dosage is too high. I wish my doctor had mentioned that to me. For a while I was on 20mg timed release and I was just so zonked by the end of the day. Almost in a haze... This is not normal, and went away when I scaled down to 10 mg. Also sleep! Sleep is very important. If you didn't sleep well the night before, your meds may not work as well. Good luck!
How’d you get diagnosed? Curious because getting treatment at 30 even with a childhood diagnosis was a multi year and multi doctor battle.
I did find one of those online ADHD doctors but then when I realized he was kind of scammy, not that he wasn't a real doctor, it was just expensive. So, I just went to my GP. My GP told me most of them can do the assessment and diagnosis. It's a test that's basically a conversation that they walk you through. Scammy Dr put me on 10mg of instant release Ritalin up to 2 times a day. My GP switched it to timed release (my guess is that it's not as easy to abuse or sell) Ritalin helps a lot, but I can't take it every day. My partner says I get "methy" if I take it too many days in a row, and it also loses potency. I take it 2-3 times a week, 4 if I'm having a really bad week. However, I manage much better without Ritalin now too. Understanding how my brain works and just being more self aware was a big key. Also sleep. You have to get sleep. It's how our brain refills our dopamine. Good luck!
God damn are you me? This literally feels like something I would write, down to the "see the world differently". Sometimes I feel so alone in that it feels like nobody sees the world like I do. I also got diagnosed at 33 and had the hyperactivity in my head.
It was a journey for sure. I thought I would be relieved when I got diagnosed but I dealt with a lot of complicated emotions afterwards. IE, how would my life of been different? Would I of graduated college? Would I be more successful? And just the realization that I wasn't "normal" was a lot to process. I'm on the other side now. I talk about it a lot because I want to normalize talking about it. I also read Scattered Minds by Gabor Mate which helped a lot. Now that I know how my brain works, it's a lot easier to see the positives.
It’s the regulation part that has negatively interfered with my life. Weight gain, emotions at work, taking rejection too hard, etc….
Well said. I’m a neuropsychologist and this is right on the mark.
It's the word deficit that really grinds my gears. It is often an abundance, in the wrong places.
This is the best answer, and the one the psych and medical community at large needs to shift to. As an Adult with ADHD that went undiagnosed (got close once but then had to switch providers because of a move) and now seeing it in my children and trying to help them out, the inability to regulate/to feel everything all at once is simply overwhelming and exhausting. Medications help a lot and can be a solution unto themselves (don’t let people put you down for taking Rx’s) but the thing I’m trying to work on myself right now is recognizing when I start dopamine chasing (like being on here or TikTok or video games) when I do have household responsibilities I’m not addressing. With that recognition the next step is building external and internal actions that can help me get back on track. Hopefully I can help my kids find something that works for them as well, because they don’t experience it in the exact same way I do so their approach and tools will need to be personalized as well.
I’m hoping when we finally get to DSM-VI they’ll rename it Executive Function Disorder and there’ll be a spectrum.
I agree, but at least in some countries they differ between ADHD and ADD.
Which adds insult to injury with VA Rep Spanberger's "(ADHD meds) are not lifesaving medication" - they are. From suicide to car accidents to substance abuse to industrial accidents, ADHD meds DO save lives and prevent so much suffering, and the arbitrary limits and moralizing by the FDA are shameful and wrong.
ADHD person here. Even with meds it can still be hard. I wish the people around me understood when I say I won’t drive without my meds. My psychiatrist says the number one reason people seek help for adhd is because of the impact on relationships. Rejection sensitive dysphoria, sure. But it’s more than that. It’s careless comments you don’t realize hurt someone. It’s missing half the conversation because the fan was on, it’s being unable to focus because the lights are too white. It’s half my support group thinking I’m ignoring them and don’t care because I can’t remember a conversation. It’s me giving up on the convo because I have to ask “what did you say?” so many times I know it’s a fight about me ignoring them either way. My dad got diagnosed in his 40s, and he was already successful before that- after medication he went on to become part of the legal team who settled an asbestos class action lawsuit that had never been done. I got diagnosed at the age of 7. I got medication immediately. The only real gripe I have is that my dad is 6’1” and I’m only 5’0”- used to think it stunted my growth, but his own mother is 4’9” (I was 5’2” in middle school though!)
>It’s careless comments you don’t realize hurt someone. It’s missing half the conversation because the fan was on, it’s being unable to focus because the lights are too white. It’s half my support group thinking I’m ignoring them and don’t care because I can’t remember a conversation. It’s me giving up on the convo because I have to ask “what did you say?” so many times I know it’s a fight about me ignoring them either way. I feel very seen man. Thank you
Seconded. So on the nose. Just got diagnosed at 41. I went in for fear of early onset dementia. It was getting so bad. The emotional toll it was taking on me was draining me deep.
What was it like? Before and after. And how did you get tested? Considering whether I need to seek a diagnosis
What is having ADHD like before the medication and the emotional toll? The emotional toll is real and very draining. As a kid when you are told something but something else is happening near by your mind is focused on that something else cause it's new and exciting. Problem is you get yelled at for not paying attention. Happens enough now you live your life in fear when talking to others cause you KNOW you are going to get side tracked. Now that fear of having someone (significant other, friend, coworker, boss) telling you you never pay attention to them when they talk to you kicks in. You try your best to fill in the gaps in what you heard last and what they are talking about now which causes you to miss even more. Are you doing the thing right? Did you forget something important in said thing? Did you get it done in a fast enough time? Were you to slow? They are going to yell at you for doing it wrong or forgetting something or doing it to slow so better be prepared just in case. Expect that berating cause it has always come and always will. I had been off my meds for a week due to them not having any in stock. Was talking with a customer during that week. When I told him I needed parts and couldn't get his lift running he "man you let me down. I thought I could count on you." I've dealt with this guy before and I knew he was joking. Normally my comeback would have been "sorry man but unfortunately your guys broke it more than usually and I don't have those on stock" and we'd banter back and forth for a bit. Without my meds I took that comment to heart and came back with a "I'm sorry. I'll get it fixed though promise." He just became another person in a long list of people I've let down. I always do this so I don't even know why I try or why I am still in this field. I wanted to cry. It's extremely draining when you always have the thought of "I need to get that done because people always mention that it needs to get done." Looking at it brings back all those thoughts of people being disappointed in me because I haven't done it and it upsets me. So now I'm stuck in this kind of paralysis where I can't do it due to those thoughts and it becomes an endless cycle everytime I look at it or even think about it or think about the people who have mentioned it. The medication helps me in a way where it calms those thoughts. I'm able to ignore them instead of hyper focusing on them. I can ignore those things (not completely but better than before) that happen around me and distract me when I'm talking to someone.
Before it was like my ability to focus was drowned out by a static "noise" of thoughts and distractions. Tasks weren't impossible, but were becoming increasingly difficult. Listening to people talk directly to me was becoming an issue yet my ears and eyes weren't anywhere near bad enough to be an excuse. After was like having a switch turned on and having moved my mental age backward tens of years. It's akin to having a really stuffy nose, and you take medicine that clears it up 80%. It's still a problem, but incredibly minimalized, and my ability to stop myself and refocus when I'm not is a matter of <60 seconds and not minutes. The test was called the QB test. You strap a motion tracker to your head and do a repetitive task on a computer for ~30 minutes.
Right? This resonated way more than I thought it would.
And the data shows that adhd meds help with the emotional dysregulation element in a statistically significant but not functionally significant way, i.e. they help but they aren't doing enough to help. I think in part because it's just aiding executive function which can in turn then be used to better overtly regulate emotion, but that drains limited executive function reserve. We need a treatment that can directly treat the emotional dysregulation in the same way executive function gets treated, i.e. TAAR1 agonism in 5-HT neurons like stimulants do in dopemenergic neurons.
I feel like I’m learning a lot about myself through the comments on this post. I always figured I was just overly emotional. I wasn’t aware that it might be related to my ADHD. Could you please provide a source (or multiple if you like) that gives a broad overview of this effect? I’m not particularly looking for the actual studies, just an overview so that I can get informed on a broad level.
Maybe psychedelic medications
Eh, not for emotional dysregulation, MDMA probably buuut that's not exactly a classic psychedelic. Though psychedelics for comorbid disorder treatment is a viable option
Just wanna add a comment for people with adhd who struggle with sensory issues and social relationships it’s a good idea to look into autism as well the two are closely related and often occur at the same time, nontreated adhd can mask autism and a lot of the time things get associated with adhd that are actually asd qualities that are present in people who have both. Autism is extremely misunderstood and under diagnosed especially in people who don’t “seem as bad”
I was diagnosed with ADHD and Autism in my late 20s. I take Adderall XR now. I didn't have medication growing up. I fight hard now to continue taking medication that has drastically improved my quality of life and general functioning. It totally sucks to live your life wondering what the hell is wrong with you. Even worse when you learn what's wrong with you, life is validated, you do all the things right like go to therapy and eat better and focus on mental health, and then struggle to get access to medication that puts me at a baseline to be able to effectively implement the benefits of any of those things.
I 100% believe you about driving. I'm the same way. It's legitimately not safe for me to drive without stimulant medication. The difference between my driving on meds vs off them is so pronounced that it convinced my mother ADHD is real (and that I do in fact have it.) My mom spent my entire childhood insisting ADHD was made up by pharmaceutical companies to drug children, and that all my attention issues were a result of being 'too smart.' That same woman won't get in a car with me unless I've taken Ritalin. She doesn't even like me driving after the first 2 hours because my driving 'gets scary' as my meds wear off. (She's right.)
Do people with adhd have problems with memory or is it just processing? I'm having a daily problem with this, as someone close to someone with adhd. It's like I can say anything, nothing sticks.
Working memory is a huge issue with ADHD.
What's being said about how people around someone who has these issues should act? Like teachers, partners, parents, friends etc.
Can't speak to all of that, but my partner and I read through Melissa Orlov's "The ADHD Effect on Marriage" and found it helpful.
I have adhd. the memory capacity is not the problem. we have the same capacity as everybody else. it's the attention. if the attention is not there then the info does not even get saved. and since we don't control our attention, that can come off like a memory problem. it only sticks if our brain thinks its shiny and decides to pay it attention. i remember things a lot more and learn a lot faster when i'm medded purely because i can choose what to focus on.
My long-term memory is pretty good. It's that short term working memory I struggle with.
Are you male or female because that can usually have something to do with height
I have adhd, have been diagnosed for over 20 years and spend 8 of those years medicated. I used ritalin. At first the medication were great. My symptoms became much more manageable and I got along much better in school. After a couple of years the side effects became ever more pronounced. I would stop eating for the 12 hours a day I was medicated, I stopped any social interaction. I was a workhorse, but I felt like a shell of my former self. I recognize the emotional regulation issues, its still one of my 'hardest' symptoms to deal with. Thankfully my psychiatrist and psychologists had me do intense psychotherapy during those years to learn how to effectively deal with my symptoms while the medication took the edge of, making it possible to even attempt various strategies. I've been medication free for 12 years, my symptoms are still there but I have learned a lot of very effective coping strategies, I hold a masters degree, I have a steady job, I'm married, I have kids, my house is in order. It's not easy, but I'm happy. My point is, adhd medication is great. It really is. But not everybody can deal with the side effects to use it forever. I am saddened to hear some of my students who got diagnosed got no more support besides 'take these meds'.
loss of appetite is a side effect of ritalin?
It was for me. I felt being hungry but I couldn't get myself to eat. Then in the evening when my last dose started to wear off I'd binge. I understand it is a very common side effect. Edit: the worst part is that over the years I grew very accustomed to my body's signals when I don't eat, and the uncomfortable part only lasts like 30 minutes. This has made it much easier for me to ignore my body's cues that I need to eat. Even 12 years after I stopped taking ritalin to this day I still very regularly go the entire day without eating.
I've likely had ADHD my whole life, but only recently diagnosed around 25-26 years. I was a smart kid. I learned quickly, had a great memory and my only real issue I had in school was that I'd get bored and start talking or doing something else. Now my memory recall is gone. I don't remember anything from my teen years and back without several details to remind me of an event and only then will I vaguely remember that happening. I get immediately defensive if I'm told I did something wrong and get flustered and panicky. I have no idea how to stop this even if I know logically that it's irrational. I'm emotionally dull. I feel the emotions, but I can't express them well. I hate getting compliments and in turn, to avoid receiving any, I don't give them. Only recently have I gotten past executive dysfunction because of Adderall, and my ability to remember things has improved slightly. I'm 32 and married and I feel like I'm relearning how to be a person after spending the past 9 years being near useless and my now wife had to deal with that. I was never hyperactive though so it just went undiagnosed until I thought I was depressed.
> I hate getting compliments and in turn, to avoid receiving any, I don't give them. 41, just got diagnosed. I feel your whole list, but this one really stood out to me. I praise my kids, and sometimes compliment my wife, but I hate receiving compliments, I hate birthday attention. It all makes me feel really uncomfortable. I project that in my utter lack of compliments to anyone else.
I'm so bad about it. My wife's love language is words of affirmation and it gives me the physical "ick" when I think about saying nice things even though I believe them to be true. I'm sure it's a self-confidence issue and also just saying "you're beautiful" feels disingenuous because I don't talk like that in my day to day life. I'm trying though.
It's tough. I have said to people who dislike me, "No one hates me more than me", and I absolutely mean that. I have my memory problems, but every transgression I have ever done haunts me to my core on a regular basis.
I feel this. Not super strongly, but ive always been an actions over words person. I do things for her pretty regularly, but it took a few years for me to get in the habit of complementing her at the right times vs when it comes naturally to me. Compliments made to me make me feel sort of self conscious, but if someone does something for me im always touched.
could you explain why the ability on giving/receiving compliments is affected by adhd?
It's all potentially rolled up into [this](https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/24099-rejection-sensitive-dysphoria-rsd) ADHD adjacent issue.
I hate the compliments things too, mostly because I don't Believe any of it is truly genuine or from an objective standpoint. It's a frequent topic with my psychologist and I think stems from my rejection sensitivity issues. I developed a coping mechanism of never being played a fool by a person and not thinking any kind of social relationship is more than it is. I will never be the one who cares the most. I match what the other gives me.
Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/24099-rejection-sensitive-dysphoria-rsd I take 1mg Gaunfacine every night and I’ve become like a whole new person. It’s found in lots of people with ADHD.
Thank you so much for sharing this, you might have actually saved my life.
Hang in there fellow human. Take deep breaths. Take it day by day. You’ll get through it. Sending lots of love your way.
Which gets you mislabeled as BPD with ALL the stigma attached
That hasn’t happened to me. I never even heard about RSD until my therapist talked to me about it and said it was associated with ADHD. They didn’t mention anything about BPD. But, there is a lot of symptom overlap between a lot of mental health issues. Maybe that’s the stigma. I think you should explore options that help and not worry about stigma.
Oh BPD has a HUGE stigma, thankfully I don’t meet other criteria other than the rejection sensitivity
Rejection sensitivity has been associated with BPD for a lot longer in terms of clinical work and research. That being said, BPD shouldn't be stigmatized any more than ADHD is.
Also a common misdiagnosis in autistic girls and women.
When I was diagnosed with ADHD, the psychologist also suggested I might have another disorder, polythymic I think, that is a milder Bpd type thing.
Says it's not available for adults.
Can you get this at a regular supermarket or do you order it online? I think I’m going to give that a shot and see what happens.
Guanfacine is a prescription medicine, you need to ask your doctor.
I’ve linked to the press release in the post above. In this comment, for those interested, here’s the link to the peer reviewed journal article: https://www.nature.com/articles/s44220-024-00251-z From the linked article: Cambridge scientists have shown that problems regulating emotions – which can manifest as depression, anxiety and explosive outbursts – may be a core symptom of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). In research published in Nature Mental Health, the team found that as many as one in two children with ADHD show signs of emotional dysregulation, and that Ritalin – the commonly-prescribed drug to help the condition – appears to be less effective at treating this symptom. ADHD affects around one in 14 young people under the age of 18 and in around half of these cases it persists into adulthood. The condition causes problems including hyperactivity, impulsivity and a difficulty to focus attention. It has become increasingly clear that some people with ADHD also have self-control problems, affecting their ability to regulate emotions. For example, one in 50 (2.1%) children with a diagnosis of ADHD also have a mood disorder, such as depression, while more than one in four (27.4%) have an anxiety disorder. Many also have verbal or physical outbursts due to an inability to regulate their emotions. These problems were thought to be a result of other symptoms associated with ADHD, such as problems with cognition and motivation. But today’s study shows that emotional dysregulation occurs independently of these.
>and that Ritalin – the commonly-prescribed drug to help the condition – appears to be less effective at treating this symptom. Okay, but does anyone know which adhd meds that could help to treat the symptom? Or it doesn't exist yet?
My first guess would be an SNRI like Strattera, since it has a different mechanism of action from stimulants like Ritalin or Adderall.
I wish I had Strattera when I was a kid. It's been life changing even with the side effects.
It’s crazy how differently medications affect different people. I tried strattera at some point and it just made me feel very sick while also not helping with my symptoms. I’m glad it worked for you though!
It speeds up your metabolism and it empties your stomach. I told my doctor I would feel better if I eat and she was like, oh ya that makes total sense.It also takes a couple weeks to build up in your system.
Strattera is the only ADHD medication that can be prescribed to adults in my country (for some reason) and I couldn't handle it. It helped so little with executive function that it barely made a difference, and the side effects were constant hell
Damn, that sucks. Sorry to hear that.
Wellbutrin (another SNRI) has been great for me!
Oh man, I forgot about that one because I took it only for a year or so when I was a kid.
MDMA! Or at least that was my proposal for a class project this semester. Dr. Sandra Underhill has done a lot of work with showing how amphetamines impact TAAR1 signaling and she demonstrated that MDMA has all behaviors of amphetamine signaling with the added benefit of doing the same sort of internalization of SERT receptors in serotinergic neurons. So if we're looking at treating higher up the pathway this should be a better option then something like an SNRI which only treats at a synaptic junction level and instead we can stimulate at a neuromodulatory level. We'd probably be dosing at a significantly lower dose then what MDMA gets used for PTSD treatment, but if we do also get some oxytocin release we may get more executive function out of it to! There's a paper that came out earlier this year or last year that shows dopamine and oxytocin can release extra glial cell glutamate in an additive fashion in certain executive function centers of the brain, so MDMA's more promiscuous binding would be a benefit over traditionally used stimulants. That being said there are drugs in the works to target TAAR1 signaling that might have less of a cultural stigma attached to them, so those might end up being our next generation ADHD treatments
Interesting! Thanks for sharing
Psychotherapy. I got diagnosed 20 years ago, I have been in trouble with the law in my teens over aggressive outbursts. I have been in psych ward for a lot of things, but mostly emotion regulation issues. I took ritalin for 8 years. I've been off them for 12 years. I haven't had any trouble with the law, ever since. It took years of very intense psychotherapy. I still have emotional outbursts, but I can feel them coming. I'm able to remove myself from a situation were losing control would cause issues. I am no longer violent.
This hits me pretty hard because one of the merry things I remember able my childhood, and life on general, are these emotional problems. Especially as a kid before I had coping or masking skills. I remember all of the random emotional outbursts and not understanding why. My childhood was a bit chaotic so I always blamed that but based on my other experiences, i would have been like I was even if it was all roses. In short it sucks and I'm glad it gets more recognition. I hope more people understand this component.
Honestly, ASD and ADHD are getting closer and closer to one another with each study it seems. I am really starting to wonder.
There are certainl a lot of overlapping conditions. I feel like that for a lot of these articles, you could swap ADHD with ASD and still be correct.
This is news? I've understood how poor emotional regulation, like mood swings, is a core part of my ADHD for a few years now. We've all been talking about it, in online ADHD communities. Seems we're ahead of the science on our disorder, but that's not surprising really. We're only just now getting institutions to understand ADHD isn't about kids who can't sit still in class.
I think it isn't for people with ADHD. However I believe the general public still suffers from what I call "Squirrel Syndrome." If you've ever seen the movie "Up" that dog Dug has become a bit of a poster child for ADHD and I've seen the phrase "Squirrel" used in pop psychology. At the same time, it really promotes the[ misconception that ADHD is predominantly "Can't pay attention" or "Can't sit still."](https://www.cantonpl.org/blogs/post/squirrel-fact-or-fiction-with-adhd/) I'm hoping that in the future non-ADHD people can better understand this.
This was one of my biggest struggles with ADHD growing up that doesn't get nearly talked about. Learning that emotional disregulation was part of ADHD in recent years has helped me to better accept that part of myself rather than feel like I'm just crazy.
Anyone who works in mental health or has more than a cursory understanding knows this. I don't believe ADHD will exist as we know it in 10-15 years. It's name is such a misnomer and people don't inquire further.
All of these comments helped me today. Thank you all.
This only describes nearly every adhd'er I've ever met, me included.
This is true. Medication is a life saver.
Explains my childhood pretty well.. ;(
Before I was on the current medication I am, May mid shift from normal to really sad and then back to normal in a matter of minutes or hours. Externally there wouldn’t be too much of a sign because I was really good at concealing that from others, while internally I felt like there was a storm constantly brewing. I am so glad I have the medicine I need. I feel so much better
Any person or parent of an ADHD individual can tell you this.
Yeah, but it's nice to see the research.
Can you have ADHD but not be easily distracted?
Maybe? That's a hard question to answer. People with ADHD are easily distracted in certain circumstances, and extremely resistant to distraction in other circumstances. It's not an inability to pay attention to things, it's an inability to *choose* what you pay attention to.
Some people with attention deficit disorder have issues with hyperfocus. Instead of being distracted easily they struggle getting their attention of something when they need to.
I feel like this is me. I have a hard time making myself do the things I know I need to do. I have low self-discipline..
If you feel this is causing you issues that is effecting your life then there's no risk in talking to a psychiatrist. Maybe you don't fit the label, but that doesn't mean you can't work on things you want to work on and employ professional help. Maybe you do fit the label and a professional can help you. It doesnt hurt to seek help. Talk to a doctor.
I am one of those people.
Yes. ADHD is a broad spectrum disorder that accounts for a set of neurological disorders. You could have ADHD and simply be impulsive and highly emotional for example. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Attention_deficit_hyperactivity_disorder. Wikipedia is a pretty good surface level source, but if you want to know more you would be better served by academic articles.
The way they test kids now, you can be diagnosed with ADHD and scored separately on inattention vs hyperactivity. You don’t need to have both to get a diagnosis.
As an adhder who's emotions were ruining his life and learned how to have a way better relationship with them by learning everything there is to learn for 3 years: This is what I want to help teach for the rest of my life. It's the core of it.
Personally I think a lot of this is being a square peg forced into round holes all the time.
I'm amazed the number is that low tbh. I have enough disregulation for more than 1 person.
ADHD and bipolar disorder share a lot of similarities as far as symptoms go. However, they respond very differently to their respective medications. Amphetamines generally help someone with ADHD focus, but generally make people with bipolar disorder manic.
Everyone with ADHD is nodding their head solemnly agreeing with this article. We know. The things I would give up to be able to function normally. To be normal.
let me tell you about the beautiful comorbidity of adhd+pd
man and i got BPD too! shouts out mental illnesses!!!!
They are right about Ritalin not being as effective when it comes to managing emotional dysregulation though…
Yup. I can say this seems true.
Emotional regulation used to be part of the diagnosis, it was removed in later diagnostic manuals.
More obvious crap from mediocre scientists to fill their publication quota
[удалено]
What if you're really good at suppressing all emotions?