What Actually Is ADHD?
I get asked on lots of podcasts, and this question always comes up.
It sounds so simple, but the answer is very complex as there is still so much we don’t know.
It is different for men and women and different again for children. Even in the same families, it can be presented entirely differently.
But here is a quick overview!
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder is not a behaviour or discipline problem; it is a brain disorder caused by genetic, neurological and environmental factors that affect the production or uptake of the brain’s chemical messengers (neurotransmitters), Dopamine, Serotonin and Noradrenaline.
These messengers play a significant role in memory, reward, motivation and the ability to maintain attention.
With ADHD, these messages can be slow, lost or scrambled, especially in the limbic system, Amygdala, cerebellum and prefrontal cortex that governs Executive Functioning.
Structural differences are found in the parts of the brain required for focus and motivation, namely the prefrontal cortex, cerebellum and basal ganglia, which are all shown to be smaller in ADHDers.
All of the above causes problems with…
Activation
We struggle to get going or transition from one task to the next, making us highly prone to procrastination.
Focus
Our brains tend to flit quickly from one thing to another, meaning we can struggle to stay on track. It isn’t that we can’t focus, as we have the power to hyper-focus, but focusing on something we don’t find interesting is very difficult.
Effort
Low dopamine levels make motivation tough for us. We can struggle to work on and push through uninteresting tasks.
Emotion
This is a big one that isn’t recorded as an official symptom for diagnosis yet. However, nearly all experts agree it should, and most of my clients resonate with an inability to regulate their emotions at times.
Memory
We can struggle with working (i.e. the ability to remember instructions) and long-term memory. Interestingly, scientists believe that our long-term memory is not so much impaired, but more that we get distracted and so don’t make the memory in the first place.
As I say, that is a brief overview. Does any of it resonate or surprise you?
I’d love to know!
