26 years of ADHD: Here's what I learned

Summary

In this insightful video, Nick, the creator of ADHD Vision, shares his personal journey and hard-earned life lessons for individuals with ADHD. He discusses the challenges of dealing with mood, motivation, and focus due to dopamine deficiency, and offers practical solutions like cold showers and aerobic exercise to naturally boost dopamine levels. Nick also addresses the common issue of 'ghosting' in relationships due to ADHD and emphasizes the importance of open communication. He advises seeking novelty to stay inspired and motivated, and introduces a bonus lesson on embracing the ADHD brain's unique work pattern of sprints, rather than comparing oneself to neurotypical work habits. The video aims to empower ADHD individuals to thrive by understanding and leveraging their unique strengths.

Takeaways

• 🧠 ADHD and Dopamine: People with ADHD have lower and more volatile levels of mood, motivation, and focus due to a dopamine deficiency, leading to a tendency to seek quick dopamine hits from social media, fast food, or drugs.
• 🚿 Natural Dopamine Boosts: Engaging in activities like cold showers and aerobic exercise can significantly increase dopamine levels naturally and sustainably, improving mood, motivation, and focus.
• 🌡️ Dopamine Graph Insight: The graph illustrating the spike and subsequent drop in dopamine levels after taking cocaine highlights the temporary high and long-term negative effects of unhealthy dopamine sources.
• 🏃‍♂️ Healthy Dopamine Habits: Establishing sustainable habits for natural dopamine intake, such as cold showers and exercise, can be challenging but ultimately beneficial for ADHD individuals.
• 👥 ADHD and Relationships: The 'out of sight, out of mind' symptom of ADHD can lead to unintentional ghosting of friends and loved ones, necessitating open communication about this aspect of ADHD.
• 🔄 Introducing Newness: To combat the ADHD-induced struggle with repetitiveness and loss of motivation, introducing new experiences and environments can stimulate and re-energize the brain.
• 🌟 Embracing Novelty: Traveling and changing work environments are effective ways to provide the novelty that ADHD brains crave, helping to maintain inspiration and motivation.
• 🔄 Work in Sprints: Recognizing that the ADHD brain works best in short, intense bursts, it's beneficial to work in sprints rather than against the brain's natural rhythm.
• 🤝 Strengthening Relationships: Being vulnerable and communicating the challenges of ADHD with close ones can lead to stronger, more understanding relationships.
• 🎯 Accepting Uniqueness: Accepting that the ADHD brain is different, not broken, and finding ways to work with its unique strengths can lead to increased productivity and self-acceptance.

Q & A

What is the primary message of the video script?

The primary message of the video script is to share three impactful life lessons for individuals with ADHD and a bonus lesson on productivity, which the author had to learn the hard way.

Why is it challenging for individuals with ADHD to maintain consistent mood, motivation, and focus?

It is challenging for individuals with ADHD to maintain consistent mood, motivation, and focus due to their brain's dopamine deficiency, which leads to a constant search for quick and easy dopamine hits, such as social media, fast food, or drugs.

What are some natural ways to increase dopamine levels mentioned in the script?

Some natural ways to increase dopamine levels mentioned in the script include taking cold showers, which can increase brain chemicals by 500%, and engaging in aerobic exercises like running or dancing to good music.

How does the author suggest managing the tendency to 'ghost' friends and loved ones due to ADHD?

The author suggests being open and vulnerable with the people that matter, communicating the aspect of ADHD that leads to ghosting, and asking them to initiate contact or plan time together to maintain relationships.

What is the 'out of sight, out of mind' phenomenon as it relates to ADHD?

The 'out of sight, out of mind' phenomenon as it relates to ADHD refers to the tendency for individuals with ADHD to forget about things or people that are not physically present around them, leading to unintentional ghosting of friends and loved ones.

Why does the author emphasize the importance of seeking newness for individuals with ADHD?

The author emphasizes the importance of seeking newness for individuals with ADHD because novelty is stimulating and motivating for the ADHD brain, which can help counteract feelings of boredom and lack of motivation.

What is the author's strategy for dealing with the ADHD-related challenge of losing interest in previously enjoyable activities?

The author's strategy for dealing with the challenge of losing interest in previously enjoyable activities is to introduce new things into life, such as changing environments, meeting new people, traveling, or doing things that are out of the ordinary.

How does the author describe the ADHD brain's work pattern?

The author describes the ADHD brain's work pattern as working best in short bursts of high focus and productivity, particularly when a task is new, interesting, challenging, or urgent.

What is the 'work in sprints' strategy mentioned in the bonus lesson, and how does it benefit individuals with ADHD?

The 'work in sprints' strategy involves breaking work into short, intense periods of focus, which is beneficial for individuals with ADHD because it aligns with their brain's natural tendency to work best in bursts of high energy and concentration.

How does the author propose to 'trick' the ADHD brain into a productive state?

The author proposes to 'trick' the ADHD brain into a productive state by creating a sense of last-minute pressure each day, which helps to activate the ADHD brain's natural tendency to work in short, intense bursts.

What is the significance of the graph showing dopamine levels after taking cocaine in the context of the script?

The significance of the graph showing dopamine levels after taking cocaine is to illustrate the difference between the temporary spike and subsequent drop associated with unhealthy dopamine sources versus the more sustained and less volatile increase from natural and healthy sources.

Outlines

00:00

🧠 Understanding ADHD and Dopamine Deficiency

The speaker, Nick, shares his personal journey with ADHD, diagnosed 7 years ago. He emphasizes the importance of recognizing the impact of dopamine deficiency on mood, motivation, and focus. Nick explains that due to this deficiency, individuals with ADHD may be more prone to seeking quick dopamine hits from social media, fast food, or drugs, leading to habitual addictions. He describes the struggle with inconsistency and unpredictability in life due to the constant search for instant gratification. To combat this, Nick discovered the benefits of natural dopamine boosts through activities like cold showers and aerobic exercise, which have a more sustained and positive effect on mood and motivation. He encourages establishing sustainable systems for natural dopamine intake and finding enjoyable activities that can provide a healthy dopamine boost.

05:01

🤝 Communicating ADHD Challenges in Relationships

Nick discusses the common ADHD symptom of 'ghosting,' where individuals with ADHD may unintentionally lose touch with friends and loved ones due to the 'out of sight, out of mind' phenomenon. He shares his experience of realizing the negative impact this can have on relationships and the importance of being open about his ADHD with those he cares about. Nick suggests that asking friends and family to initiate contact can be a game-changer in maintaining connections. He stresses the importance of vulnerability and communication to strengthen relationships and ensure that others understand the nature of ADHD and its effects on social interactions.

🚀 Embracing Newness to Stay Inspired with ADHD

In this section, Nick talks about the struggle of losing motivation and interest in daily life due to the repetitive nature of activities, which can be particularly challenging for those with ADHD. He shares his strategy of introducing novelty into his life to reignite motivation and inspiration. Nick suggests doing out-of-the-ordinary activities, such as traveling, meeting new people, or changing environments, to provide the brain with new stimuli. He also mentions his love for travel and the benefits of breaking routine to keep his ADHD brain engaged and motivated.

🔄 Working in Sprints for ADHD Productivity

Nick addresses the unique work patterns of individuals with ADHD, who may experience intense focus followed by periods of inactivity. He explains that comparing oneself to others in terms of productivity is unproductive and that understanding the ADHD brain's preference for working in short, intense bursts is key. Nick shares his method of 'tricking' his brain into a last-minute pressure state to complete tasks efficiently, regardless of interest. He advocates for accepting the ADHD brain's work style and adapting work habits to align with it, such as working in sprints rather than against it. Nick also mentions an upcoming free online event where he will share more about this productivity technique.

Keywords

💡ADHD

ADHD stands for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by inattention, impulsivity, and hyperactivity. In the video, the speaker discusses their personal experiences with ADHD and the life lessons they've learned. The theme revolves around coping strategies and personal growth in the context of living with ADHD.

💡Dopamine

Dopamine is a neurotransmitter associated with reward, motivation, and pleasure. The script mentions that individuals with ADHD often have a deficiency in dopamine, leading to a constant search for quick ways to feel good, which can result in unhealthy habits. The video suggests natural ways to increase dopamine levels, such as cold showers and exercise, to improve mood and focus.

💡Mood and Motivation

Mood and motivation are central to the video's message as they are directly affected by dopamine levels in individuals with ADHD. The speaker describes how the unpredictable nature of mood and motivation can lead to feelings of being stuck and confused. Strategies such as engaging in activities that naturally increase dopamine are suggested to stabilize mood and motivation.

💡Self-Awareness

Self-awareness is the ability to recognize and understand one's own emotions, motivations, and actions. The video emphasizes the importance of self-awareness for individuals with ADHD to understand their own behaviors and patterns. It is a key component in building a life that one loves and in improving self-esteem.

💡Ghosting

In the context of the video, 'ghosting' refers to the act of suddenly cutting off all communication with someone, which is a common behavior among individuals with ADHD due to forgetfulness and the 'out of sight, out of mind' phenomenon. The speaker advises being open about this aspect of ADHD with loved ones to maintain strong relationships.

💡Novelty

Novelty is the introduction of new and fresh elements or experiences. The script discusses how seeking novelty can be particularly stimulating and motivating for individuals with ADHD, as it helps to combat feelings of boredom and lack of motivation. Examples include traveling, meeting new people, and changing environments.

💡Habits

Habits are regular patterns of behavior that are hard to establish for individuals with ADHD, as mentioned in the video. The speaker shares their personal journey of establishing habits such as cold showers and exercise, which took over three years but ultimately led to significant improvements in their life.

💡Executive Dysfunction

Executive dysfunction refers to difficulties with executive functions, such as planning, organizing, and completing tasks. The video describes how individuals with ADHD often struggle with executive dysfunction, and the speaker shares a strategy of working in sprints to overcome procrastination and maintain productivity.

💡Sprints

In the context of the video, 'sprints' refer to short, intense bursts of work that are more effective for individuals with ADHD than trying to maintain long periods of focus. The speaker explains that working in sprints aligns with the ADHD brain's preference for new, interesting, and urgent tasks.

💡Productivity

Productivity is a central theme in the video, as the speaker discusses various strategies to improve productivity for individuals with ADHD. Techniques such as working in sprints, seeking novelty, and establishing healthy habits are presented as ways to overcome challenges related to ADHD and enhance one's ability to accomplish tasks.

Highlights

ADHD diagnosis and the journey of self-discovery and building a fulfilling life.

The importance of understanding the impact of ADHD on mood, motivation, and focus due to dopamine deficiency.

How quick dopamine hits from social media, fast food, and drugs can lead to habitual addictions for those with ADHD.

The challenge of maintaining consistency and predictability in life due to ADHD's effect on goal pursuit.

The revelation of finding sustainable ways to provide the body with healthy and natural dopamine daily.

The astonishing fact that cold showers can increase brain chemicals by 500%, aiding in ADHD management.

The benefits of aerobic exercise and music for boosting natural dopamine levels.

Understanding the difference between unhealthy and healthy dopamine and the impact on mood and motivation.

The significance of establishing habits for natural dopamine intake and the journey to make them routine.

The common ADHD symptom of 'ghosting' and its effects on relationships.

The importance of open communication with loved ones about the ADHD symptom of forgetfulness.

The struggle with motivation and the need for novelty to stimulate an ADHD brain.

The concept of seeking new experiences and environments to maintain inspiration and motivation.

The unique work patterns of ADHD individuals and the challenges of comparing oneself to others.

Learning to accept the ADHD brain's different working style and the benefits of short bursts of productivity.

The strategy of working in sprints to align with ADHD's productivity patterns and overcome executive dysfunction.

An invitation to a free online event to learn more about managing ADHD and boosting productivity.

Transcripts

I got diagnosed with ADHD 7 years ago

and there are a lot of things I wish

someone told me right after getting

diagnosed that I had to figure out for

myself today you will learn three of the

most impactful ADHD life lessons no one

will tell you about that I had to learn

the hard way to go from feeling stuck

judging myself and being confused to now

being able to build the life I love

being more self-aware centered and

positive about the future there will

also be a bonus lesson which was the

most impactful of for me so make sure to

stick around until the end welcome back

to ADHD Vision where we help you thrive

instead of just survive so if you have

ADHD why don't you consider subscribing

I'm Nick and you may have already seen

me on your Tik Tok or Instagram feed

because that's actually where I started

posting this ADHD life lesson series

which has now gotten over 100 million

views in total and we also have over 2

million followers on these platforms

it's great to see you and without

further Ado let's jump right into it

lesson number one one of the most

important things about ADHD that I had

to learn the hard way was that you will

naturally have lower and more volatile

levels of mood motivation and focus

because of your brain's dopamine

deficiency which means you'll constantly

be looking for something quick and easy

to make you feel good social media fast

food drugs can therefore quickly become

habitual addictions for us much more

quickly than for a neurotypical person

and this makes your life a lot less

predictable and consistent because no

matter how good your intentions you just

never know if you can actually follow

through on your goals because you always

get sidetracked by those quick dopamine

hits you therefore lose trust in

yourself and your self-esteem takes hit

after hit I was stuck in this pattern

for a really long time it's like you

don't have control over your brain but

your brain has control over you and we

live in a dopamine age right now it's

everywhere from The Fast Food Cafe just

two blocks from where you live to the

endless entertainment over your phone

and TV you cannot Escape it dopamine is

marketed and sold to you every minute of

every day making this the most

challenging time for us adhders this is

when I learned that I need to find

sustainable ways to give my body healthy

and natural dopamine daily I learned

that taking cold showers literally

increases those brain chemicals by 500%

and aerobic exercise like running or

just putting on good music will have

similar effects and here's this is truly

life-changing check out this graph it

shows your dopamine levels after taking

cocaine you see that Spike followed by

the big drop it means you feel really

bad after in fact you feel worse than

before and if you think about it all

fast ways of getting dopamine are like

this you have this huge rush you feel

great but then you feel worse after

which is why I like to call this

unhealthy dopamine however the amazing

thing about getting natural and healthy

dopamine from cold showers sunlight

movement certain Foods is that dopamine

levels rise over time and don't drop as

quickly this can give you boosted mood

motivation and focus for hours instead

of minutes and has completely changed my

life a cold shower in the morning a bit

of movement after lunch and eating the

right Foods in the afternoon takes care

of my dopamine deficiency really well

throughout the day which improves

virtually any brain function I have

dopamine has a huge effect on your way

of seeing and functioning in the world

now habits are hard for us to establish

harder than for neurotypical people as

anecdotal evidence has shown and it took

over 3 years but I've not gotten to the

point where it feels weird not to do

these things which has led to my whole

life improving remember your brain is

like a motor and natural dopamine is its

jet fuel lesson one create sustainable

systems for natural dopamine starting

from when you wake up and side note what

will have an even bigger effect is doing

things that you naturally enjoy like

running or playing a specific sport for

healthy dopamine as Studies have shown

let me know your favorite way of

boosting your dopamine naturally down

below let's jump into lesson two and

believe me I had no idea this one was

ADHD ghosting friends and loved ones you

didn't you didn't know either yeah

welcome to the club if you have ADHD you

will often end up ghosting friends

family or loved ones because everything

that you don't physically have around

you is out of your mind out of sight out

of mind is a cal common ADHD symptom and

is the reason for why we constantly need

physical reminders like Post-it notes

everywhere right and so in relationships

you always have these really intense

phases of connection only to end up

completely going off grid and the longer

you don't reach out the more guilty you

start to feel because it's not that you

don't want to but you simply forget and

if you remember you don't have the

energy or motivation to do it the real

problem ends up being that people think

you don't like them or are doing it on

purpose purpose and so they can get

really confused and even build up this

hate for you which you usually only

realize once it's too late and you have

no idea what happened in the first place

it's odd and confusing for everyone

including us this is when I had to learn

to communicate this aspect of my ADHD

openly with the people I care about and

ask them to actually start calling or

planning iners time with me if they

wanted to reconnect yes this seemed very

weird to do at first but it's been a

complete Game Changer for me because my

closed circle now knows that it's

nothing personal when I don't reach out

which has strengthened my relationships

beyond measure because people understand

me we can't always assume people

understand without them knowing how our

brains work lesson two be vulnerable

with the people that matter lesson three

if you have ADHD you will often

inevitably come to points in your life

where it will start getting difficult to

get out of bed again because whatever

you started out doing in the most

enjoyable fashion has somehow lost its

spark it's difficult to put into words

but everyday life just becomes a

struggle because it seems too repetitive

you start feeling guilty for not

following through on things you

absolutely loved just a few weeks ago

this is when I had to learn that I

needed to start introducing new things

into my life again do something

completely out of the ordinary like

switching up environments meeting new

people traveling doing things you don't

usually do or have never done it could

be as simple as taking a random drive

somewhere you've always wanted to go

because this can help your ADHD brain

get some novelty novelty is stimulating

and motivating you know what I'm talking

about when you're in a new environment

everything feels so intense and your

brain is taking in everything from all

angles and is part of the reason for why

I have fallen in love with traveling I

now also regularly switch where I work

and sometimes have a few days off where

I completely break out of my routine on

purpose remember your brain is literally

allergic to Bor lesson three seek

newness to stay inspired and motivated

now last but not least here is the

promised bonus lesson I want to share

with you all if you've made it this far

make sure to subscribe it may not seem

like much for you but each subscriber

helps this channel improve the videos

get more experts and so please just hit

that button if you haven't already let's

jump into the bonus lesson this is one

of my favorite lessons for productivity

if you have ADHD you often have this

guilty relationship with work because

while other others seem to effortlessly

finish their tasks every single day you

have phases where you're incredibly

motivated and end up getting 5 days work

done in a few hours only to end up

becoming intensely focused on a single

irrelevant activity and experience

existential dread for days and therefore

feel like there must be something wrong

with you because compared to the norm

what are you even doing you're slouched

on the couch for 5 days only to work 24

hours so you can meet a deadline people

often question our sanity because of

this Behavior am I right this this is

when I had to learn that my brain isn't

broken but just works differently and

that comparing myself to others in

regards to work simply makes no sense

because my ADHD brain tends to work best

in short bursts which activate when a

task is new interesting challenging or

urgent nice in short so you can remember

that I therefore need to start

normalizing working in Sprints rather

than play against my brain and try to

run a marathon if you really think about

it though like really think about it

what's normal about being able to sit

still for 12 hours at a time and work on

one boring task day in day out we're not

robots right so learning to accept

myself on that front has been huge

because now whenever my brain has off

days I've learned to accept it knowing I

get it all done in record time once the

deadline approaches and the pressure

builds what's really great about this is

that I found a way to trick my brain

into this last minute pressure State

each and every day this allows me to

complete any task I want to no matter if

I'm interested in it or not it works 99%

of the time and for me it's a really

simple solution that eliminates my

executive dysfunction and

procrastination and has allowed me to

stay so consistent with uploading the

videos you all know from me if you want

to know how I do this or you think this

sounds too good to be true I'm hosting a

100% free online event where I'll show

you exactly how this works simply click

the link in the video description to

sign up Lesson Four work in Sprints be

sure to check out these related videos

if you haven't already stay inspired and

I'll see you very soon