ADHD sucks, but not really | Salif Mahamane | TEDxUSU

Summary

This transcript discusses ADHD, highlighting common misconceptions and the struggles individuals face. The speaker, who has ADHD and a PhD in cognitive psychology, explains the condition's prevalence, potential evolutionary advantages, and how natural environments can aid focus. They emphasize the importance of understanding and supporting those with ADHD, suggesting society's rigid norms contribute to the associated distress. The speaker encourages nurturing ADHD traits and concludes with a personal tactic for maintaining self-love and resilience in the face of misunderstanding and frustration.

Takeaways

• 🧠 The speaker is working on a PhD in experimental cognitive psychology and has ADHD, highlighting the irony of studying thinking while having a condition that affects focus.
• 🔢 Statistics show that in 2011, 11% of children and 4% of adults in the U.S. were diagnosed with ADHD, indicating its prevalence across different age groups.
• 🌳 The speaker suggests that natural environments may help restore focus due to their ability to attract involuntary attention, which is overactive in individuals with ADHD.
• 🏞️ A genetic variant implicated in ADHD traits was found to be beneficial for a nomadic group in Kenya, suggesting that what is considered a disorder today may have been an advantage in the past.
• 🤔 The speaker questions the pathologization of ADHD, pondering if it should be seen as a disorder or an adaptive trait that is out of place in modern society.
• 💡 ADHD individuals can be highly creative and good at brainstorming, as their minds are rarely quiet and can generate numerous ideas, even if some are not fully formed.
• 🌟 The speaker is comfortable venturing outside their comfort zone, driven by curiosity and the desire to explore new ideas and cultures.
• 💪 Resilience is a key trait of ADHD individuals, who can bounce back quickly from setbacks and adapt to new situations with creativity.
• 🔄 The speaker acknowledges the challenges of inattention but also the ability to embrace and manage it, becoming adept at damage control and problem-solving.
• 🔥 Passion in ADHD individuals is authentic and intense, as they cannot feign interest and are naturally drawn to what truly captivates them.
• 🤝 The speaker calls for societal understanding and support for those with ADHD, encouraging nurturing of their abilities rather than punishment for their shortcomings.
• 💔 High rates of self-harm and suicide among individuals with ADHD highlight the importance of self-love and societal acceptance to combat these issues.

Q & A

What is the speaker's educational background according to the script?

The speaker is finishing a PhD in experimental cognitive psychology, which is the scientific study of thinking.

What is the speaker's personal condition mentioned in the script?

The speaker has Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), specifically the predominantly inattentive type.

What percentage of children and adults were reported by the CDC in 2011 to have been diagnosed with ADHD?

In 2011, the CDC reported that 11% of children ages 4 to 17 had been diagnosed with ADHD, which is about 6.4 million kids. Additionally, 4% of adults had been diagnosed, amounting to 9.8 million people.

What is the role of involuntary attention in people with ADHD?

Involuntary attention is heightened in people with ADHD, making them easily distracted by sudden movements, noises, bright colors, or any anomaly in their environment. This type of attention is reflexive and can disrupt voluntary attention needed for focus.

How does the speaker suggest natural environments can benefit individuals with ADHD?

Natural environments can restore or even improve the ability to sustain focus because they provide a break from the constant engagement of involuntary attention, allowing voluntary attention to be more effective.

What evolutionary advantage might the traits of ADHD have provided?

The traits of ADHD might have been adaptive during human evolution, aiding in the detection of slight movements, colors of ripe fruit, faint sounds of water, or distant herds of prey, contributing to survival and nourishment.

What is the potential impact of the stigma associated with ADHD on individuals with this condition?

The stigma of ADHD and its exclusion from mainstream ideas of functionality can suppress the potential strengths of individuals with ADHD, preventing them from realizing their full capabilities.

What are some benefits of ADHD that the speaker identifies as applicable in the modern world?

The speaker identifies benefits such as effective brainstorming, comfort with a busy mind, the ability to navigate outside one's comfort zone, resilience in the face of setbacks, adaptability in dealing with inattention, and authentic passion for interests.

What does the speaker suggest is the source of distress for individuals with ADHD?

The speaker suggests that the distress for individuals with ADHD comes from not fitting well within the narrowly standardized educational and industrial institutions of society.

What is the term the speaker uses to describe a societal condition that demands uniformity?

The speaker uses the term 'Pro Uniformity Disorder' or 'PUD' to describe a societal condition that demands uniformity and conformity.

What advice does the speaker give to those who are close to individuals with ADHD?

The speaker advises to check frustration, nurture abilities instead of punishing shortcomings, ask about their thoughts to show interest, and encourage spending time in nature, which can be as beneficial as medication.

What self-affirmation technique does the speaker recommend for personal resilience?

The speaker recommends looking in the mirror and reassuring oneself with 'I love you' to foster self-love and resilience, especially in moments of feeling misunderstood or unappreciated.

Outlines

00:00

🧠 ADHD and the Struggle with Modern Society

The speaker, who is completing a PhD in experimental cognitive psychology, candidly discusses living with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). They highlight the prevalence of ADHD among children and adults, suggesting that the condition may be a result of modern environments that overstimulate the brain's involuntary attention system. The speaker argues that this system was once adaptive in a natural setting but is now a source of distraction. They also touch on the evolutionary benefits of ADHD traits in certain contexts and challenge the pathologization of the condition, suggesting it might be a 'fish out of water' scenario rather than an inherent dysfunction.

05:02

🌟 Embracing the Positive Aspects of ADHD

The speaker explores the potential benefits of ADHD in today's world, such as enhanced brainstorming capabilities, a natural curiosity that drives exploration beyond comfort zones, and resilience in the face of setbacks. They also mention their adaptability to forgetfulness and the authenticity of their passions, which stems from an inability to feign interest. The speaker questions the notion of ADHD as a disorder, suggesting that the distress associated with it may arise from societal expectations rather than the condition itself. They propose the idea of a 'Pro Uniformity Disorder' (PUD) as a societal issue that fails to accommodate diverse cognitive styles.

10:14

💔 The Impact of ADHD on Mental Health and Self-Love

In this paragraph, the speaker addresses the darker side of living with ADHD, including higher rates of suicide and self-harm among those affected and their families. They argue that comorbidities such as self-loathing and depression are not inherent to ADHD but are largely a result of societal reactions to those with the condition. The speaker calls for support and understanding from those around individuals with ADHD, urging them to foster self-love and to appreciate the unique abilities that come with the condition. They conclude with a personal tactic for self-affirmation in moments of distress, emphasizing the importance of self-love and acceptance.

Keywords

💡ADHD

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsiveness. The speaker, who has ADHD, explains its impact on their ability to focus and manage attention, illustrating how it affects everyday life and the perception of others.

💡Involuntary attention

Involuntary attention is a type of attention that is automatically captured by sudden movements, noises, or bright colors. The video highlights how natural environments engage involuntary attention, providing a break for voluntary attention, which is beneficial for people with ADHD.

💡Voluntary attention

Voluntary attention refers to the intentional focus on tasks that require mental effort. The speaker mentions that individuals with ADHD struggle with sustaining voluntary attention, which is crucial for completing long and mundane tasks in modern society.

💡Natural environments

Natural environments are areas with elements such as trees, water, and wildlife. The speaker discusses research showing that these environments can restore and improve attention, particularly beneficial for people with ADHD by engaging their involuntary attention and giving their voluntary attention a rest.

💡Urban environments

Urban environments are characterized by buildings, roads, and human-made structures. The speaker contrasts these with natural environments, noting that urban settings are less effective in restoring attention for individuals with ADHD.

💡Adaptive traits

Adaptive traits are characteristics that have evolved to enhance survival and reproduction. The video suggests that some traits associated with ADHD, such as heightened sensitivity to movement and curiosity, were advantageous in nomadic societies but may be less compatible with modern sedentary life.

💡Hyperfocus

Hyperfocus is the intense concentration on an interest or activity, often to the exclusion of everything else. The speaker highlights that while ADHD is typically associated with inattention, it also includes the capacity for hyperfocus, which can be harnessed for deep learning and productivity.

💡Pro-uniformity disorder (PUD)

Pro-uniformity disorder (PUD) is a term coined by the speaker to describe society's tendency to favor conformity and standardization. The speaker argues that this societal preference makes it difficult for individuals with ADHD to thrive, as their unique traits are often seen as problematic rather than advantageous.

💡Self-love rebellion

The self-love rebellion refers to the speaker's personal journey to embrace and appreciate their ADHD traits despite societal stigma. This concept encourages individuals with ADHD to focus on their strengths and self-worth, advocating for a supportive and understanding environment.

💡Stigma

Stigma refers to the negative perceptions and discrimination faced by individuals with certain conditions, like ADHD. The speaker discusses how societal reactions contribute to feelings of self-loathing and depression among those with ADHD, emphasizing the need for greater acceptance and support.

Highlights

The speaker is working towards a PhD in experimental cognitive psychology while living with ADHD.

ADHD is not just a childhood condition; it affects 4% of adults, totaling 9.8 million people.

Natural environments can improve focus and sustain attention, which is beneficial for individuals with ADHD.

Involuntary attention is heightened in people with ADHD, making them easily distracted by sudden movements or noises.

Voluntary attention is the type used for focusing on important but mundane tasks, which ADHD individuals struggle with.

A genetic variant implicated in ADHD was found to be beneficial for certain nomadic groups in Kenya.

There is debate over whether ADHD should be considered a disorder or an adaptive trait in different contexts.

The speaker identifies several benefits of ADHD, such as effective brainstorming and being an idea generator.

People with ADHD tend to be good at navigating outside their comfort zones and pursuing intriguing interests.

Resilience is a key trait of ADHD, allowing individuals to bounce back quickly from setbacks.

The speaker discusses the authenticity of passion in those with ADHD, as they cannot feign interest.

ADHD includes the capacity for hyperfocus, but the challenge is choosing what to focus on.

The distress associated with ADHD may stem from not fitting into standardized societal structures.

The speaker introduces the concept of 'Pro Uniformity Disorder' (PUD) as a societal issue, not an individual one.

High suicide rates among individuals with ADHD suggest the importance of self-love and societal acceptance.

Encouraging outdoor activities for those with ADHD can have therapeutic effects similar to medication.

The speaker shares a personal tactic for self-affirmation to combat feelings of misunderstanding or unappreciation.

Transcripts

hi everyone I don't have too much time

so pay it pay attention what's wrong

with you focus for someone so smart you

can be so stupid I mean how could you

forget about that we just talked about

it cutting something wrong with your

brain do you even think I do think

actually um in fact I'm finishing a PhD

in experimental cognitive psychology or

literally the scientific study of

thinking but I have attention deficit

hyperactivity disorder predominantly

inattentive I mean I've spent so much

time distracted by extraneous things you

may notice that one of my eyes has

almost permanently dedicated itself to

my periphery but seriously okay as of

2011 the CDC reported that eleven

percent of children ages 4 to 17 had

been diagnosed with ADHD that's six

point four million kids three houston's

and unlike fruity cereal ADHD is not

just for kids but four percent of adults

had been diagnosed nine point eight

million people New York City plus

Philadelphia one thing I forgot to

mention all of the expressions that I

began with have something in common

they've all been said to me by people

who have proven time and again their

unconditional love support and

willingness to do anything for me

but in those moments they were extremely

frustrated so being so common

where does ADHD come from long before I

knew my cognitive traits were called

ADHD I began studying how natural

environments affect attention compared

to urban environments where research

consistently shows is that natural

environments can restore even improve

your ability to sustain focus that's

because they attract or they contain

more item

that attract what's called involuntary

attention sudden movement noise and not

odor bright colors anything that breaks

the consistency of your environment that

you reflexively turn your attention to

is engaging involuntary attention and

that's the kind that's cranked up in

people like me so it doesn't take a loud

noise or a bright color to distract us

but any noise or any color engaging in

voluntary attention like natural

environments do gives the other kind of

attention voluntary attention a break

that's the kind we use to stay focused

on long mundane but important tasks that

make us feel mentally tired because it

runs out it's the kind you pay it's also

the kind that ADHD folks particularly

suck at but it's kind of important not

to suck at in modern society but it's

likely that involuntary attention was

adaptive during human evolution the

ability to notice slight movement in the

brush the color of ripe fruit behind

leaves detect the faint trickle of water

or catch sight of a distant herd of prey

just before they disappear over the

horizon

and the impulse to follow them would

have contributed to your eating lunch

and not becoming it a few years ago

scientists discovered that men of a

certain nomadic group in Kenya who had a

genetic variant that's implicated in the

restlessness and shifting curiosity of

ADHD were better nourished than their

counterparts without the variant but in

a group of those same people who split

off to live sedentary lives the men with

the variant were undernourished compared

to their counterparts interesting this

is this information has Kindle

discussion as to whether ADHD should

even be pathologized I mean if it was

adaptive for survival then it's supposed

to be here and whether you know it or

not humankind you're grateful for us so

could we at least start going by

potential hunting-and-gathering badasses

instead

but what good would that do us right I

mean the sixteen point two million

people in America alone with ADHD can

all abandon Modern Life for hunting and

gathering I mean I'm definitely

considering it but it just gets one

thinking is ADHD inherently

dysfunctional or is it more of a fish

out of water condition imagined traits

that were once potent fuel for the fire

of nomadic success are now remnants

glowing embers waiting to be stoked

nurtured back to life what if the stigma

of ADHD and its exclusion from

mainstream ideas of functionality is a

prohibitive drizzle suppressing those

embers though unable to extinguish them

in this fire light I've noticed from my

own experience several benefits of ADHD

that are applicable in the modern world

for one brainstorming sure my mind is

rarely quiet but I'm comfortable in that

the sheer number of thoughts and ideas

is astounding even if a lot of them are

bad or half-baked they're great

jumping-off points for deeper thinking

one distraction can lead to an unending

train of thought

fueled by intrigue for each next thing

it's like popping popcorn one kernel

goes and then they all take off I'm also

good at navigating outside my comfort

zone

if something's intriguing I can't not

pursue it so my interest often trumped

any anxiety from exploring something

foreign I have to know what's over there

that culture that school of thought that

hobby or lifestyle or literally beyond

the next mountain so instead of being

encamped I've explored to know what I

love and hate about opposing political

ideologies or parenting styles or

subcultures and yeah it's scary to

explore but scarier by far is the

thought that I still don't know what I

don't know

and I'm resilient I have to be parts of

having ADHD in this world really really

suck but I quickly get distracted from

them well whether it's a conflict with a

family member or frustration with my own

shortcomings it's true emotionality is

higher and self-regulation is more of a

challenge but I find I'm able to move on

from negativity pretty quickly by a

simple change of setting or activity

sometimes I even forget I was upset and

I'm adaptive with inattention you have

to embrace the fact that you will forget

misplace overlook put off constantly so

you learn to bounce back from the

consequences quickly and creatively I'm

kind of a damage control expert I often

without ruminating will jump to not

salvageable what about this problem is

useful even for the few that aren't my

fault

and finally my passion is authentic I'm

really bad at feigning interest because

I can't inhibit my natural intrigue so

if I'm showing interest in a person

activity or idea that's real I don't

have to try to pursue my passions that's

all I can pursue people often don't

realize that ADHD includes the capacity

to hyper focus and absorb information

like a sponge just not to choose upon

what you're hyper focused but it is not

laziness and it's not changing so again

with all these pluses is it really a

disorder well it does result in

significant distress and is

characterized by diminished functioning

an ordinary life but what is that

distress come from not fitting well

within the narrowly standardized

educational and instant industrial

institutions of our society well not

without pharmacologically dulling some

of my own favorite traits anyway what if

some disorders aren't of individuals but

of whole groups maybe even whole

cultures or societies I think that as a

society we suffer from what I

like to call p you d pro uniformity

disorder or affectionately PUD despite

my superpowers a month and a half ago I

was up late standing in my kitchen while

my family slept and was in a bad way

I could see my traits affecting my

partner my son I was not making progress

on work long overdue trying medication

overdoing it on self-care taking time to

recharge but still unable to focus and I

thought to myself wow I'm supposed to

give a TEDx talk in six weeks about why

I'm glad I have ADHD but I'm not shortly

thereafter a suspiciously timely image

came through social media that really

impacted me I'd like you all to just

take a moment with me and reflect on it

with respect to your own lives

are you rebelling are you helping the

people around you win their own

rebellions are you helping the children

around you never have to fight one the

suicide rate is higher in people with

ADHD and their families my clinical

colleagues have shared with me that many

children they see with ADHD have already

begun at young ages to self love even

having thoughts in often actions of

self-harm or suicide

the youngest example shared with me was

7 years old

daily thoughts of self-harm the stress

of not being able to function in an

environment for which you're not adapted

while expected to is heavy people often

think the comorbidities of ADHD like

self-loathing and depression are purely

inherent to the condition but I'd argue

they're in large part due to how

Outsiders react to us so if you're the

parent Guardian teacher sibling friend

of or care about a child who is a

potential hunting-and-gathering badass

or a literally unstoppable brainstorm ER

help them win their self-love rebellion

check your frustration if instead of

punishing their shortcomings nurture

their abilities if you find they're

distracted ask them what were you just

thinking about not because they're in

trouble but because it could be

fascinating and get them outside in

nature it can actually be as good as

Ritalin

I'm still fighting my rebellion everyday

and it's far from one but it's even

further from lost so I'm going to leave

you with a very simple tactic for

fighting your own rebellion whatever

your battlefield may be since I was a

kid whenever I feel completely

misunderstood or unappreciated alone

because I don't think right I'll seek

out a mirror look straight in my eye and

reassure myself not narcissistically or

egotistically but genuinely I love you

because as long as you do somebody does

and as long as somebody does Cuddy you

gonna be alright thank you

you