Why Can I Never… What was that? Tackling ADHD
A common scenario that people talk about with ADHD is the one with the squirrel. Someone is talking about something, they’re focused on one thing, then all of a sudden, a squirrel darts across their field of vision. They can’t help but follow the squirrel, completely losing track of what they were saying and thinking about prior. This is part of the beast that is ADHD. The human brain is naturally hardwired for survival. Thousands of years ago, humans would need to be conscious of that rustling noise to make sure it wasn’t a threat lurking. Now, it mostly just causes people trouble while they’re paying attention in class. In this post, we’ll be visiting the topic of ADHD, some struggles it has presented me with, and some strategies I use to try to be as functional as possible.
When looking into ADHD and the actual reason for it, unfortunately you won’t find a whole lot. One of the nuances of some of these disorders is that scientists can only speculate as to what causes it. Some scientists believe it has to do with dopamine, whether through issues in processing the neurotransmitter, or just in creating it. To put it in less science-y terms, one of the chemicals related to that feeling of reward and feeling good is not as present in your brain. Maybe. I say maybe, but this is a pretty widely accepted point of view, even though it isn’t certain. This lack of dopamine leads to more of a want for it, thus leading to impulsive behaviors that may end up being regretted later. One big one with me is spending of money. The inability to delay gratification and reward in the mind of an individual with ADHD, such as myself, leads to things like this. The impulsivity is one thing. The lack of an attention span is another thing. And since ADHD is an issue very prevalent in adolescent communities, attention, or lack thereof, is an extremely important thing to note. Kids are having their academic abilities overlooked and undermined because of things they are unable to control. And don’t get me started on the meds. I personally strongly dislike them, as they make me feel like a zombie. I know that other individuals with ADHD feel the same way about being medicated, but there are people who find that the meds work very well for them and need them. And I respect the heck out of that and am glad they found something that helps them. Luckily, there are other ways to deal with ADHD besides meds! So, whether you are medicated or not, or even if you don’t have ADHD, these ideas could be useful!
Blaring caution sign! Blaring caution sign! These strategies I talk about have been ones I cooked up over the span of 8 years. They work for me most of the time, but that does not guarantee they will work for you dear reader. Because there are plenty of times where these don’t work for me and I am left to my own ADH-Devices and that doesn’t always bode so well. I encourage you to try these methods and whatever ones you create yourself and find what works for you, because we are all so very different. With that being said, here are some things that tend to help me stay focused and not be as impulsive in the decisions I make. The first big one is to limit the amount of time I spend on electronics. Those sporadic dopamine hits I get when I’m scrolling are best eliminated by just staying off my phone in the first place. Another good one is exercise. I am a collegiate athlete so this is really easy for me to do, but I love working hard and feeling like I’m burning off that nervous energy. Added bonus if you go outside, because sunlight and nature are beautiful gifts to be able to experience. A third thing is to limit the amount of sugar I take in. And red 40. Yes, it’s funny or whatever, but this stuff interacts with your brain differently on a molecular level than it does an individual without ADHD. Sugar will make you hyperactive, then you’ll crash extremely hard. That need for dopamine makes it much easier to get addicted to things that produce it, so get addicted to exercise or being outside as opposed to sugar or nicotine. As for the impulses, if you find yourself about to make an impulsive decision that you think will leave you questioning how good of a call it actually was, talk to yourself about it. Reason with yourself. Decide if this is truly something worthwhile or not. And for the concentration. This is the hardest one by far. Convince yourself you are interested in some aspect of what you’re trying to concentrate on because lets be real, if you’re not interested, there’s no shot that you give that thing any energy at all. Convince yourself you’re interested in it, and go show yourself you’re more than capable of completing whatever is giving you trouble. Part of the issue with these spells of not being able to focus or not being able to control impulses are that there are specific catalysts for these actions and reactions. And if you want to take the most extreme route to deal with these, start just completely removing things from your field of vision. Put your phone away when you’re trying to work. Don’t buy the sugary snacks. Don’t surf the web and “accidentally” stumble across something you want to buy. Have discipline to not even put yourself in a position to even be exposed to the things that could distract you or be the root of your impulsivity. You got this friend. I have all the faith in you.
Yours,
Stuart