ADHD — Not as Seen on TV
BY ABBY SWANSON — Cedar Times Staffer
You’ve probably heard the term “ADHD” at least once in your life. Maybe you’ve seen it on TV. You know…the kids who are always running around and can’t pay attention in class. Or the ones who are always talking and constantly interrupt other people? It’s all just a quirk. They can fix it if they really wanted to…everyone has a bit of ADHD anyways. They just want to be troublemakers and immature. At least this is what comes to people’s minds when they envision ADHD. Do you even know what it stands for? Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. It’s real, it’s not just a hoax, and everyone certainly does NOT have ADHD.
Most people who have heard about ADHD don’t know what it means past the extent of the “hyper and spacey” part. It is one of the disorders where it’s lifelong. Medication will help manage it, but it’s something that people have to live their whole lives with. A way of explaining it is essentially your brain being hardwired in a completely different way.
It affects parts of your life that you wouldn’t think to consider could be impacted from having ADHD. This ranges from things such as peer issues, sleeping difficulties, skin picking, constant guilt, to symptoms that are often acknowledged as ADHD. Hyper focus, non-stop thoughts, being forgetful, and a variety of other symptoms that are the most commonly associated with ADHD. The list feels like a never ending black hole.
Executive Dysfunction
Unable to control frustration? What about struggling to do tasks from start to finish? Can’t pay attention no matter how hard you try? Executive functioning appears to be out of order. Executive dysfunction can be connected to multiple different ADHD symptoms. It happens in the prefrontal cortex of the brain which is responsible for self regulation.
Non-Stop Thoughts
A part of the stigma with people with ADHD is there’s this idea that they are so spacey that they just aren’t thinking? Or they’re thinking about the most unimportant things. This symptom is very misunderstood. The types of non-stop thoughts you might have with ADHD range from simple things like whether or not you forgot to do the dishes, or what tasks you need to do for the day. It can even be thoughts of peers and other social thoughts. Non stop thoughts can be seen as a part of something called ADHD paralysis.
No, ADHD paralysis is not actually being paralyzed, not physically at least. It’s also referred to as an ADHD “shutdown”. For many, it looks like you’re just laying in bed all day on your phone scrolling. It’s actually not that simple whatsoever. It’s caused by so much in your brain that it gets overwhelmed to the point where you’re just stuck. ADHD paralysis goes hand in hand with time blindness, where there’s a major lack in a sense of time.
Self Esteem
I’m sure the pattern can be seen here with ADHD being a lot more internal than external. A part of this is self esteem related issues. Getting constantly told that you’re talking too loud, to stop interrupting conversations, and to just pay attention takes a toll on how you feel about yourself. It’s this immense guilt hanging over you not just because you feel bad about yourself, but also sometimes upsetting the people around you. How could you possibly upset people around you just from having ADHD? In simple terms, when your brain is hardwired differently than others, there’s a lot of room for misunderstandings that can lead to some negative internal feelings.
Overstimulation
A lot of people enjoy summer right? Being out of school, hanging out with friends, getting to enjoy time outside, it’s a good time. Not for some however. Sometimes the heat, sweat, noise, bugs, people, it all gets too much. By too much I mean trying not to have a mental breakdown because you’re overstimulated. Summer, bugs, heat, etc. are all aspects of what may overstimulate some, but it’s basically endless with the things that can lead to overstimulation. This is another symptom some people have without having ADHD, but it’s very present with those who do have the disorder.
Impulsivity
Impulsive, irritable, and impatient. The 3 I’s. Physical impulses (sometimes seen as hyperactive) are the ones that people envision when picturing ADHD; blurting out answers, chiming into conversations, constant movement, and sometimes engaging in some reckless behavior. Other impulses that are more mental than physical are getting impatient, saying first things to come to mind, and having outbursts that are full of temper and frustration. These are all things that aren’t necessarily intentional, it’s all from the difficulty in thinking before acting. When you see some ADHD impulses, it can kind of look like they’re just in their own world.
Social Isolation
Sometimes it feels like there’s been an unplug in the social world with ADHD. It’s always feeling like the odd one out, never being completely understood. You can be in a room full of people, even friends or family, and still feel a lack of connection. It’s a desolate and depressing feeling to have. Having this sense of isolation can ultimately result in peer issues of many kinds. Relationship problems, family disputes, arguments with friends, “going ghost”, are all parts of social isolation in ADHD.
The feelings of being rejected are amplified in a person with ADHD more than a person without it. ADHD’ers have been found to feel more intense emotions. Due to this, when they have a feeling like rejection, it is not taken well. Some may perceive this as being sensitive or weak, but that’s just not the case. ADHD alters social aspects significantly, ranging from social interactions themselves, to what feelings are felt as a result of social situations.
Invisible Illness
While some people believe that those with ADHD are easy to identify through their “hyper behavior”, that’s just not true. It’s an invisible illness, it’s not a physical disability that can be seen on the surface. There’s people around you that you most likely aren’t even aware of that suffer from their ADHD. This is problematic in a social context. Having disorders that are on the spectrum of neurodiversity (ADHD, Autism, Dyspraxia, and Dyslexia) often change how they are perceived. This is called “masking”. A simple explanation is it’s toning down your personality to fit in with societal norms and not be judged for your traits.
We shouldn’t have to mask and pretend to fit in with what’s considered “normal”. Despite the negatives of ADHD, it’s not entirely bad. Since it’s a disorder that cannot just go away, it’s best to make peace with it and enjoy the quirks.
ADHD’ers have their own “superpowers”, like a wild imagination, resilience, amazing conversation skills, emotional intelligence, and many more.
Awareness in general is something everyone should be practicing, especially when it comes to stigmatized disorders. Advocating and educating people about stigmatized disorders helps open minds, along with validating the feelings of those struggling with their mental health. The truth of ADHD is not as seen on TV.
