Rashida: 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 have started to form around the way someone thinks about themselves. Hi, everyone, my name's Rashida Dungarwalla. I'm a registered psychologist, and today, we're gonna be answering questions about ADHD that have come from the ReachOut Online Community and Instagram. So ADHD being a neurological condition versus purely a behavioral condition means that the different neural circuitry in different areas of the brain can result in symptoms such as a shortened attention span, a shortened focus on certain things, impulsive behavior, sometimes forgetfulness and knowing when it's your turn to speak in a conversation, sometimes excessive talking, a sense of internal restlessness, a feeling like you're always on the go. These can make up some of the symptoms of ADHD. 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 friends' circles. Having this diagnosis is understanding the strengths whilst managing all of the symptoms. 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. 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. 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. 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 and in front of you at that given time. That is if you are 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. 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. Traditionally, we often thought that only boys and men experienced ADHD. Now with more research, awareness, and information, we know that women are also experiencing ADHD and have been diagnosed with ADHD. Some of the reasons why it was traditionally seen as something that only affected boys and men is the type of symptomology that boys and men experience with ADHD versus women. Women have a tendency to experience more of the inattentive symptoms versus boys and men experiencing more of the hyperactive impulsive symptoms. In certain environments, the hyperactive and impulsive symptoms were more noticeable than those of inattention. 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. 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 have started to form around the way someone thinks about themselves. 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. 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. They can help support in understanding different treatment pathways for ADHD. They can explore dual 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 wanna ensure that you're receiving the correct diagnosis, and that will lead to the right treatment for that diagnosis. 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 gonna 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 behavioral strategies as well as medication. 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. These could be seeking a psychologist for therapy, introducing some behavioral changes and strategies, and finding support in things like the ReachOut Online Community.