Viewing a single comment thread. View all comments

Too_kewl_for_my_mule t1_iyv3z32 wrote

Can you explain the "3 things going on at once bit"? I never got diagnosed with ADHD but I can relate to your post so much that I'm wondering if I need to get tested!

2

decoy1985 t1_iyw1nvh wrote

Our brains are constantly in overdrive trying to scrape up the dopamine and noroepinephrine which we can't produce or regulate like normal brains. So we need a lot of extra stimulation. That can mean trying to do a bunch of things all at once, or watching a show while playing a video game and talking to someone, using a fidget toy while engaged in other things, etc.

It can also mean taking hours to fall asleep because your brain can't stop. It can mean being super distracted because whatever you're doing isn't stimulating enough (with adhd most things aren't because our brain lacks the necessary chemicals to generate that feedback) so your brain keeps going on a little adventure. When we do find something that interests us enough and provides that extra stimulation, novelty, etc we need to get those chemicals, we can become hyperfocused and obsessed. My mom thought I was deaf and got my hearing tested when I was 6 or 7 because I'd just be gone when I was in that mode. Wouldn't hear a word she said. It's common for us to go through hobbies constantly because we get obsessed for a short period, then the novelty wears off, and we can't get interested again, leading to one form of ADHD tax where we waste money on tons of supplies and tools, then a month later forget about them and never touch them again.

It also causes issues with working memory and short term memory, impulse control and executive function (either you can't stop yourself or no matter how hard you try you can't make yourself do something). ADHD can be debilitating. I was a disaster before I got help.

I got diagnosed at 32. I didn't ever consider it, because I didn't know enough about it, until a friend who had a degree in early childhood education recognized it and suggested I look into it. Once I read more into it it made sense, and especially once i went over all my old school records and my symptom history with the specialist. Getting diagnosis, therapy, and meds completely turned my life around.

It's worth at least looking into if you think you might have it.

2