How to (Explain) ADHD

Summary

This script enlightens the audience on the complexities of ADHD, emphasizing its impact on attention regulation and executive functions. It clarifies misconceptions, such as the hyperactivity stereotype, and highlights the unique strengths of individuals with ADHD. The video script advocates for understanding and support, illustrating the brain's challenges with vivid metaphors and emphasizing the importance of empathy and tailored strategies for those with ADHD.

Takeaways

• 🧠 ADHD is often misunderstood and can be challenging to explain due to its common behaviors that everyone occasionally exhibits.
• 🔄 People with ADHD may frequently engage in behaviors like losing keys or forgetting assignments, but these actions are not necessarily due to a lack of care or effort.
• 🌟 ADHD brains develop and function differently from neurotypical brains, and these differences can be valuable, despite the challenges they present.
• 🚀 ADHD individuals have a unique ability to regulate or shift attention, sometimes jumping between tasks or hyperfocusing on one, which can be difficult to manage.
• 📍 The executive function system in ADHD brains develops more slowly and is less effective, impacting planning, prioritizing, and sustaining effort.
• 💡 Hailey Melville's metaphor compares the brain to a secretary and CEO, illustrating how ADHD brains struggle with managing distractions and impulses.
• 🧠 Working memory in ADHD is often more limited, leading to difficulties in following multi-step directions and the need for external aids like post-it notes.
• 🏃‍♂️ Not all individuals with ADHD are hyperactive; there are three presentations of ADHD, including an internal restlessness that can be exhausting.
• 🎨 ADHD can be associated with creativity, generosity, curiosity, and entrepreneurial spirit, but managing ADHD is crucial to leveraging these strengths.
• 🛠 Dr. Ned Halliwell's analogy compares an ADHD brain to a race car engine with bicycle brakes, emphasizing the need for strategies to control its power effectively.
• 😢 Emotional dysregulation in ADHD can make emotional experiences more intense and painful, adding to the complexity of living with the condition.
• 🤝 Understanding and acceptance of ADHD's challenges are vital for self-esteem and mental health, as misinterpretation can lead to feelings of inadequacy and self-doubt.

Q & A

What is the common misconception about ADHD behaviors?

The misconception is that frequent ADHD behaviors, such as losing keys or forgetting assignments, indicate a lack of care or effort, whereas they are actually symptoms of a neurological condition.

How does the brain of a person with ADHD differ from a neurotypical brain?

The ADHD brain develops and functions differently, with differences that can be valuable but also impairing without the right support.

What is the role of the executive function system in the brain?

The executive function system is like the brain's self-management system, allowing us to plan, prioritize, and sustain effort toward goals, inhibit impulses, and ignore distractions.

How does ADHD affect the executive function system differently compared to neurotypical brains?

In ADHD brains, executive functions develop more slowly and there is a deficit in brain chemicals that aid their function, leading to difficulties in effectively managing tasks and impulses.

What is the analogy used to describe the attention regulation in ADHD brains?

The analogy is that neurotypical brains have a dial to regulate attention from 1 to 10, while ADHD brains have a dial with only two options: random and 15.

How does working memory function in individuals with ADHD?

Working memory, the ability to temporarily hold information, is often more limited in those with ADHD, leading to behaviors like blurting out answers or asking for repetition.

What are the three presentations of ADHD?

ADHD has three presentations: hyperactive, inattentive, and combined type, which can change over time and may not always be externally visible.

How can the energy associated with ADHD be directed positively?

When directed well, the energy can manifest as creativity, generosity, curiosity, and the tendency to think outside the box, with a higher likelihood of starting one's own business.

What is the 'race car engine for a brain' analogy used to describe ADHD?

The analogy compares the ADHD brain to a powerful race car engine that needs stronger brakes (better management strategies) to control its power effectively.

How can emotional dysregulation affect individuals with ADHD?

Emotional dysregulation can make even minor negative interactions feel extremely painful, similar to a sunburn where even a gentle touch causes discomfort.

Why is it important for individuals with ADHD to understand their condition?

Understanding ADHD helps individuals accept their challenges, find strategies to manage them, and avoid self-blame, allowing them to focus on their strengths and contributions.

What is the recommendation for those who want to learn more about ADHD?

The script suggests watching more educational videos on the topic, visiting understood.org for tools to experience ADHD, and asking individuals with ADHD about their experiences.

Outlines

00:00

🧠 Understanding ADHD: The Invisible Struggle

This paragraph delves into the complexities of ADHD, challenging common misconceptions and emphasizing the unique developmental and functional differences in the ADHD brain compared to neurotypical brains. It highlights the executive function system's role in self-management, including planning, prioritizing, and sustaining effort, and how it develops more slowly in individuals with ADHD. The paragraph also addresses the misconception of attention deficit, explaining that ADHD brains struggle with attention regulation rather than a lack of attention. It uses metaphors to illustrate the challenges of hyperfocus and the difficulty of shifting attention, comparing the ADHD brain's attention regulation to a dial with only two settings: random and 15. The summary acknowledges the potential strengths of ADHD when managed properly and the importance of support systems.

05:03

🌟 Embracing Neurodiversity: The Emotional and Social Impact of ADHD

The second paragraph focuses on the emotional dysregulation aspect of ADHD, comparing it to having a severe sunburn where even light touches are painful. It discusses the personal journey of self-discovery and the realization that ADHD is not merely a personality flaw, but a condition that affects both behavior and emotions. The speaker shares their own experience of growing up with undiagnosed ADHD and the negative impact it had on their self-esteem. The paragraph also touches on the coexistence of ADHD with other conditions like anxiety and depression, and the importance of understanding and accepting these challenges to improve self-perception and mental health. It concludes with an encouragement to learn more about ADHD, to foster empathy, and to appreciate the unique contributions of neurodiverse individuals to the world.

Keywords

💡ADHD

ADHD, or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by difficulty with sustained attention, impulsivity, and hyperactivity. The video script emphasizes that while these behaviors are common to everyone occasionally, they are more persistent and impairing for individuals with ADHD, affecting their daily functioning and self-esteem.

💡Neurotypical

Neurotypical refers to individuals whose neurological development and functioning are considered to be within the typical range. In the context of the video, the term is used to contrast the experiences of those with ADHD to those who do not have the disorder, highlighting the differences in brain development and functioning.

💡Executive Function

Executive function is a set of cognitive processes that includes planning, problem-solving, and the ability to inhibit impulses. The script explains that individuals with ADHD often have a slower development of executive functions, which can lead to difficulties in managing tasks and controlling impulses, a central theme in understanding the challenges faced by those with ADHD.

💡Hyperfocus

Hyperfocus is a state of intense concentration on a single task or object, often experienced by individuals with ADHD. The video script uses the term to describe how the brains of those with ADHD can sometimes become overly fixated on one thing, making it difficult to shift attention to other necessary tasks.

💡Working Memory

Working memory is the cognitive system that holds information temporarily for processing. The video script points out that working memory is often more limited in individuals with ADHD, leading to challenges in tasks that require holding and manipulating information in mind, such as following multi-step directions.

💡Emotional Dysregulation

Emotional dysregulation refers to difficulties in managing and responding to emotional stimuli appropriately. The script uses a metaphor to illustrate how individuals with ADHD can experience heightened sensitivity to emotional triggers, which can contribute to feelings of frustration and self-esteem issues.

💡Stigma

Stigma is the negative stereotype or prejudice against individuals with certain characteristics or conditions. The video script discusses the stigma associated with ADHD, explaining how misunderstandings about the disorder can lead to hurtful judgments and a negative impact on self-esteem.

💡Support

Support in the context of the video refers to the assistance and understanding needed by individuals with ADHD to manage their condition effectively. The script emphasizes the importance of appropriate support to help those with ADHD leverage their unique strengths and minimize the challenges they face.

💡Medication

Medication is one of the strategies mentioned in the script for managing ADHD. It is used to help regulate the brain chemicals that influence executive functions and attention, thereby assisting individuals with ADHD in better controlling their symptoms and improving their quality of life.

💡Metaphor

Metaphors are used throughout the script to explain complex aspects of ADHD in a relatable way. They serve to illustrate the experiences and challenges of those with ADHD, making the abstract concepts more tangible and easier to understand for viewers.

💡Self-Esteem

Self-esteem refers to an individual's overall sense of self-worth. The video script discusses how the misunderstanding and stigmatization of ADHD can negatively affect the self-esteem of those with the condition, leading to feelings of inadequacy and frustration.

Highlights

Understanding ADHD is challenging due to its common behaviors that everyone occasionally experiences, such as losing keys or forgetting assignments.

ADHD behaviors are often misunderstood as a lack of care or effort, rather than a neurological condition.

ADHD brains develop and function differently from neurotypical brains, with these differences sometimes being valuable.

ADHD brains struggle with executive functions, which are essential for planning, prioritizing, and sustaining effort.

The executive function system in ADHD brains develops more slowly and is impaired by a deficit in brain chemicals.

ADHD individuals often have a binary attention regulation system, described as 'Random and 15', unlike the 1-10 dial in neurotypical brains.

Working memory in ADHD is often more limited, leading to difficulties in following multi-step directions and retaining information.

ADHD is not always externally hyperactive; it can present as internal restlessness, which is mentally exhausting.

ADHD brains can be highly creative, generous, and curious, with a tendency to think outside the box.

Managing ADHD often requires a combination of medication and other strategies to leverage brain strengths.

ADHD can be likened to having a powerful race car engine for a brain but with bicycle brakes.

ADHD brains have difficulty regulating emotions, which can make emotional dysregulation painful and distressing.

Misunderstandings about ADHD can lead to low self-esteem and conditions like anxiety and depression.

Understanding ADHD challenges can help individuals accept them and find strategies to work through them.

The video encourages viewers to learn more about ADHD and to appreciate the unique strengths it can bring to the world.

The transcript emphasizes the importance of asking individuals about their ADHD experience for a deeper understanding.

The video is supported by a community of ADHD individuals and resources from understood.org, showcasing diverse perspectives on living with ADHD.

Transcripts

Hello Brains! And probably people sent here by Brains. I get it.

It can be hard to understand ADHD, and even harder to explain it to others.

Most ADHD behaviors are things everyone struggles with once in a while. Losing your keys, spacing out during a conversation, forgetting to turn in an assignment.

Sound familiar? Yeah, and when someone with ADHD does these things a lot,

it's easy to assume that it means the same thing as if someone without ADHD does them. Once in a while is understandable,

but if it happens a lot, they must not care or not be trying hard enough or not be very

good at stuff. But before we judge their behavior or write them off as a bad...

Whatever. It's important to remember behavior is affected by the brain and ADHD brains develop and function much differently from average

or

neurotypical brains. Those differences can be valuable, which is why as someone with ADHD, I wouldn't trade my brain for the world.

But without the right support, they can also be incredibly impairing. The struggle is real.

It's also invisible, which can make it very hard to see. So, to help you understand what it's like inside the brain of your ADHD

person, we reached out to our community of ADHD brains as well as the community at understood.org to ask how they explain it.

For example, fun fact: despite the name,

we don't actually have a deficit of attention. When we forget to change the laundry or have trouble focusing in class,

it's because our brains have trouble regulating or

effectively shifting our attention.

So sometimes our brains jump from one thing to the next and other times our brains actually zero in or hyperfocus on one thing

and it can be hard for us to pull ourselves away. As Eric Peterson puts it,

neurotypical brains have a 1 through 10 dial they use to regulate their attention. With ADHD brains

our dials have two options. Random and 15, and this applies to all aspects of our lives.

The ability to regulate attention is part of something called the executive function system. It's kind of like our brain's self management system.

What allows us to plan, prioritize, and sustain effort toward a goal, say making dinner without getting sidetracked.

It's what allows us to inhibit or not act on our

impulses and ignore distractions so we can stay on task and switch when it's time to switch. In the ADHD brain,

executive functions develop much more slowly than in neurotypical brains, and we have a deficit in the brain chemicals that help them function.

So we usually know what to do and have the best intentions, but our executive function system isn't always

developed or functioning well enough to effectively help us do it. And it's just as frustrating for us as it is for anyone else.

Hailey Melville explains it like this.

Your brain is like a secretary, and you're the CEO in a meeting doing a task.

In a neurotypical brain, their secretary greets guests, potential distractions,

lets them know that the CEO is in a meeting, and either encourages them to make an appointment or shows them the door.

My secretary either lets everyone into the meeting, or lets no one in.

Even if it's something important.

Another executive function is working memory.

That's our ability to

temporarily hold information in our heads so we can work with it. Like look at a recipe and then remember the steps while we cook.

It's our brain's version of RAM.

Everyone has a limited capacity of working memory, but it's often more limited in those with ADHD.

Which is one reason we might blurt out an answer before we forget it or we ask you to repeat what you just said.

Timothy Warnky says it's like my brain is a whiteboard and I have to write down everything that's happening right away,

but I write kind of big. So pretty soon, I have to erase a bunch of stuff to make more room. By the way,

that's also why we tend to have trouble following multi-step directions.

It's also why post-it notes are helpful.

Another fun fact about ADHD: not everyone with ADHD is hyperactive, at least not on the outside.

ADHD has three different presentations and they can change over time.

So even if someone doesn't look like they have ADHD,

they still might; even if they're not bouncing around the room, their brain might be. It's often referred to as internal restlessness,

and it's exhausting. Diana Debater-Murray explains her mind like being on a hamster wheel you can't ever get off of.

Debra Credible says it's like a pinball machine with the ball constantly hitting and bouncing between all the bumpers.

All this energy can be great when we can direct it well. It often shows up as creativity,

generosity, curiosity. We tend to think outside the box, and we're three times more likely to start own business. But for us to take advantage

of our brain strengths, it's important that we learn to manage our ADHD. Which often means using a combination of medication and other strategies.

ADHD expert Dr. Ned Halliwell explains it like this. Having ADHD is like having a race car engine for a brain:

it's very powerful and it can propel you to win races. There's just one problem:

you have bicycle brakes.

But! With the help of a brake specialist,

you learn to strengthen your brakes and control that powerful engine. Then, your race car stops spinning out on turns and starts

winning races. Because we do tend to crash a lot while we're building up those brakes, those of us with ADHD tend to get

corrected or teased more often than our peers and unfortunately another aspect of ADHD can make that extra painful for us.

Our brains don't just have trouble regulating our attention,

they have trouble regulating our emotions, too. Jennifer Petersen explains, when it comes to emotional dysregulation

it's like I have a really bad sunburn; even a playful slap on the back hurts so bad.

If you didn't know some of these things about ADHD, don't worry.

I didn't either until a couple of years ago, and I actually have it!

I thought I was just too sensitive or a space cadet or

weird because

that's what I was always told and I'm not alone.

That's why ADHD brains made this video and why we hope you'll share it. When our ADHD symptoms are seen as

personality defects it can be hurtful and worse: we believe it.

It takes a huge toll on our self-esteem and can lead to other conditions like anxiety and depression and honestly

it's really confusing. As Comiendo Piscocho puts it: it's like being the smartest,

stupidest, most motivated and laziest person in the room, all at the same time.

But if we, and others, understand what our challenges are,

we can accept them, find strategies to help us work through them, and more importantly

stop beating ourselves up about them so we can focus on more important things,

like what we're good at and we can stop writing off ourselves or others

for being different and start appreciating what that difference can bring to the world. Thanks for watching.

There's a lot more to learn if you're curious,

so check out some of our other videos (links in the description) and head over to understood.org to experience what it's like to have

ADHD and other conditions with their tool through your child's eyes.

Remember though ADHD looks different for everybody and those with ADHD often have other conditions as well.

So the best way to understand somebody's brain is to ask them about it.

Thank you to our brain board and all our Patreon brains for supporting us through the process of making this video.

Check out our daily vlogs on

Patreon to see how we did it and to our community and the community at understood.org for submitting such great metaphors.

I've highlighted a few more that we loved in the pinned comment below and thank you for taking the time to learn a little more about ADHD.

Because you are, you're making the world a better

shinier place for those whose brains work differently. If you want to shine that light a little further, please share this video.

Bye brains!