Rashida Dungarwalla, a registered psychologist, is sitting down and speaking directly to camera:

People with ADHD are usually extremely creative. They score higher in divergent thinking tasks. They think outside the box. They are very innovative in the way that they think. 

Hi everyone. My name is Rashida Dungarwalla. I'm a registered psychologist in Sydney, Australia. And today we're going to be talking about ADHD.

[As Rashida speaks, an animated brain appears in the centre of the screen as the symptoms appear around it in sync with Rashida's voice]

So ADHD being a neurological condition versus purely a behavioural condition means that the different neural circuitry in different areas of the brain can result in symptoms such as a shortened attention span or shortened focus on certain things, impulsive behaviour, sometimes forgetfulness, and knowing when it's your turn to speak in a conversation. Sometimes excessive talking, a sense of internal restlessness or feeling like you're always on the go. These can make up some of the symptoms of ADHD.

Question: What are some ways ADHD can affect your life outside of school and work?

[As Rashida speaks, an animation appears. A capsule with the word 'YOU' appears in the centre of screen as the domains appear around it with emoji symbols that reflect each domain]

ADHD may affect us in many domains of our life outside of school and work. It can affect us in our relationships, in our family life, in our social settings, and in our friend circles. 

Question: What are some strengths that people with ADHD have?

Having this diagnosis is understanding the strengths whilst managing all of the symptoms. Something that research has recently shown us is that those with ADHD often have a higher justice sensitivity, meaning that they have a really strong moral compass. This may be seen by people that have ADHD wanting to speak up if they see an injustice occurring or within themselves feeling a strong sense of fairness.

Question: Are there different types of ADHD?

So what you might be surprised to know is that ADHD can manifest in three different types. So we can have ADHD primarily inattentive, ADHD primarily hyperactive, impulsive, and a combined presentation where we have some of the symptoms of hyperactive impulsivity and some symptoms of inattention. You may have someone in your life who has received a diagnosis of ADHD and their symptoms and presentation may look totally different to someone else in your life that also has a diagnosis of ADHD. This is something important to remember as we learn more about ADHD and the awareness increases.

Question: What is 'time blindness'?

A term you may have come across with ADHD is time blindness. Time blindness refers to exactly that, a feeling of losing time or being blind to time. The reason why this might be more prominent for those that have ADHD is that the ADHD brain is a very present-focused brain. This means that your attention is usually taken by what is present to you when in front of you at that given time. 


[As Rashida speaks, an animation of a clock appears, separated into time slices of time (similar to a pie chart). Around the clock words appear that indicate different activities associated with different slices of time, such as 'Lunch', 'Answering email', 'Cooking dinner' and 'Watching TV'. The clock changes as Rashida talks about hyperfocus, with slices of time becoming bigger or smaller to reflect the idea of spending more or less time on tasks]

That is if you're interested in it. If you're really interested in what is in front of you and what you're doing, you can have a tendency to hyperfocus on it, meaning that you can spend hours doing that task or that activity or that thing, and you may not dedicate time to the things that need to get done. At the same time, if there's something that you're disinterested in or that you're not that passionate about, you can end up procrastinating it or not finding the time to actually complete it.

Question: What is rejection sensitivity?

For those experiencing ADHD, you may notice an experience of rejection sensitivity. Rejection sensitivity is where you might feel sensitive to perceived or real rejection. This may look like perfectionistic tendencies, procrastination, or people pleasing tendencies. This could occur in your social settings, in your relationships, or even at work. 

Question: Is ADHD linked to addiction?

Research has shown us that there is a strong correlation between those that have ADHD and addiction. What we know also with an ADHD brain, is that it is producing slightly less dopamine than that of someone that is neurotypical. This means that people that have ADHD are often seeking out stimulating environments and stimulating activities in order to boost their level of dopamine.

Question: Can self acceptance help me with my ADHD symptoms?

[As Rashida speaks, an animated horizontal graph appears with represents the idea that people with ADHD are three times more likely to receive criticism across their lifespan. The top column is titled 'without ADHD' and the bottom column is titled 'with ADHD]

We know that sadly, people that have an ADHD diagnosis have usually received three times the amount of criticism or negative feedback across their lifespan. So it is extra important that we challenge that narrative that might've started to form. This can be done with the support of an ADHD specialist or with really changing the narrative and the language that we use towards ourself, being more gentle towards ourselves and understanding that you are trying your best. Research shows us that when we're being highly critical towards ourselves and experiencing a lot of negative self-talk, we're actually exacerbating the experience of feeling distracted and finding it difficult to stay focused and pay attention to certain things. So with challenging that narrative, it practices acceptance of ourselves in all forms.

Question: What should I do if I think I have ADHD?

If you've been seeing material on social media or elsewhere regarding ADHD and you feel that this experience resonates with you and these symptoms resonate with you, I would encourage going to see a professional that works with ADHD. Some of these professionals include GPs, psychologists, psychiatrists, and neuropsychologists. 

[As Rashida speaks, animated emoji symbols appear across the middle of the screen to reflect treatment pathways, dual diagnosis and medication]

They can help support in understanding different treatment pathways for ADHD. They can explore your diagnosis with you, and they can even look at treatment options such as medication. The reason it might be really important to see a professional regarding ADHD is that there are other conditions that may mimic the symptoms of ADHD. So we want to ensure that you're receiving the correct diagnosis and that will lead to the right treatment for that diagnosis.

Question: Can medication help?

Medication can be a really great pillar of support in the treatment of ADHD. In order to continue down that journey of medication, you would be seeing a psychiatrist who would be able to prescribe medication. That journey may look like trialing different types of medication or different dosages of medication until you find the correct dosage and the correct medication for you. Medication is not going to be a magic wand on the symptoms of ADHD. Like any condition, the treatment is a combination of different options. In the case of ADHD, it may be behavioural strategies as well as medication. 

Question: What can I do while waiting to see an ADHD professional?

If you are currently waiting to see a psychiatrist regarding your ADHD, then remember that there are other pillars of support that can still be incorporated in your treatment plan. 

[As Rashida speaks, an animated balance scale appears with. Emoji symbols are then dropped onto each side to reflect the balance of options available]

These could be seeking a psychologist for therapy, introducing some behavioural changes and strategies, and finding support in things like the ReachOut Online Community.