ADHD - what’s it all about? — Alison Scott Hypnotherapy in Buckinghamshire and Online

October is ADHD Awareness Month. Suddenly it seems that ADHD has become more common and certainly people are more aware of it than ever before.

The now outdated idea that it was mainly a condition of ‘naughty’ young boys who couldn’t sit still has thankfully been replaced with a much more compassionate and accurate view of this complex condition.

Yet ADHD still seems to carry a stigma. In spite of evidence to the contrary, many remain unconvinced that ADHD is a medical condition but rather an excuse for people being bad-tempered, ill-mannered or just plain lazy. The fact that ADHD symptoms appear to come and go, depending on the situation, only serves to reinforce this view.

What is sad is that many undiagnosed people with ADHD have this view of themselves too and really suffer with low self-esteem as a result. Getting an accurate diagnosis can be a huge relief, bringing with it a level of awareness, understanding, and self-acceptance that is life-changing, even without any form of medical intervention.

So what is it?

ADHD stands for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and is a neurodevelopmental condition. There are many symptoms, the three key ones being:

inattention / inability to focus
hyperactivity / hyperfocus
impulsivity.

What does ADHD look like?

One way ADHD affects the brain is that it makes it harder for people to control how they emotionally respond to things, resulting in regrettable explosions of anger or sadness. ADHD sufferers are often impatient, finding themselves getting annoyed over the smallest of things. They also have a tendency to worry.

Typically, the ADHD mind feels all over the place, accompanied by forgetfulness, difficulty focusing on one task, and time blindness. People with ADHD often experience 'brain fog' like there is a barrier or fog coming between the person and their thoughts.

People with ADHD can live in a permanent present and have a hard time learning from the past or looking into the future to see the inescapable consequences of their actions.

How do ADHD’ers suffer?

Anxiety, depression and low self-esteem are common, but there are many less well-known outcomes that can negatively impact the quality of life of those who live with ADHD. Some of these are:

Feeling a near-constant state of guilt or shame
Mood swings
Putting off making plans
Racing thoughts
Clutter and chaos at home / at work
Unfocused thinking due to internal and external distractions
Tension and conflict with others
Others perceiving them as unreliable, uncommitted, or lazy
Late fees or penalties due to putting off bills
Impulsive spending / financial problems
Unmotivated /procrastination
Living unintentionally without clear direction
Binge eating or forgetting to eat
Unemployment / lack of consistency in careers
Trouble with the law
Alcohol or drug misuse
Frequent car accidents or other accidents
Unstable relationships
Periods of poor physical and mental health

Low Dopamine and Serotonin

Experts believe that ADHD occurs as a result of low levels of dopamine but why this is remains unclear. Dopamine levels affect a person’s mood, attention, motivation, and movement. Dopamine also regulates the brain’s reward system, increasing when a person experiences pleasure, such as eating food or having sex.

It is still unclear but people with ADHD may have a higher concentration of dopamine transporters in the brain. These remove dopamine from brain cells. When there are more transporters in one area, they do this too quickly, which means that dopamine has less time to exert its effects. Reduced levels of the neurotransmitters serotonin and norepinephrine may also contribute to ADHD.

Emotional Regulation

Adults with ADHD can often be excited one moment and sad the next, angry then anxious. They can fluctuate between having trouble paying attention and hyperfocusing. There may be bursts of energy and fatigue. Sometimes, they feel emotions intensely and have difficulty regulating or making sense of them.

Heightened emotions in ADHD’ers can lead to 'shutdowns', where they are so overwhelmed with emotions that they space out, find it hard to speak and struggle to articulate their feelings until they can process their emotions. This is particularly something to watch in children, who do not need to be punished on top of everything else they are struggling with.

In the other extreme, ADHD’ers can have what looks like a tantrum, even in adults, which can include crying, shouting, laughing and moving frantically, driven by experiencing many different emotions at once.

Social Anxiety

Mood swings, defensiveness and low self-esteem can lower confidence levels, especially with unfamiliar people or big crowds. With all that noise in the head, it’s often easier to be alone or spend time with only close friends.

Relationship and Work Struggles

Many ADHD’ers find it hard to hold down a job or stick with a relationship. They can make snap decisions without thinking them through, only to regret their impulsivity later. Knee-jerk decisions can cause immense damage to careers and relationships. They can get stuck in self-destructive patterns, fall prey to addictions, and succumb to plenty of negative thinking even when life is going well.

People with ADHD may be seen as insensitive, self-absorbed, or disengaged with the world around them. Emotional detachment, or the act of being disconnected or disengaged from the feelings of others leads to intense feelings of loneliness in the ADHD’er and hurt to those who love them.

Communication Challenges

This may be forgetting to check or reply to text messages or completely misinterpreting the tone of voice of texts (sarcasm, joking, etc.). It can also result in not being able to focus on lengthy emails and ignoring important details.

Bored?

The ADHD brain seeks stimulation and craves mental and physical tasks that hold their interest. When bored, they can suddenly zone out, fidget, or seek interest elsewhere. The frustration can make it feel like there is suddenly something missing in their life, when there isn’t.

In adult life, filling in forms and completing dull or seemingly ‘boring’ administrative tasks and routine chores can quickly become overwhelming and take longer to complete than for other people. This can lead to feelings of shame, embarrassment and further procrastination.

The Issue with Rejection

Nearly everyone with ADHD answers a big, fat ‘yes’ to the question: “Have you always been more sensitive than others to rejection, teasing, criticism, or your own perception that you have failed or fallen short?” This is the definition of a closely related condition called rejection-sensitive dysphoria (RSD) which so often goes hand in hand with ADHD and is less known about.

Rejection sensitivity can lead to avoiding intimate relationships for fear of getting hurt. This trait can also negatively impact friendships as ADHD’ers are prone to feeling left out or let down by people unnecessarily.

Adults and children can suffer from being super sensitive to disapproval, rejection, and criticism. There can be regular misinterpretation of other people’s reactions as criticism, disapproval, or even insult, when none was intended. This can make them self-defensive or quick to get angry, leaving those around them confused.

Stress and Anxiety

Those with ADHD can find it hard to filter out the excess stimuli in their heads, increasing stress levels. Unmanaged stress can aggravate ADHD symptoms. Anxiety, often stemming from approaching deadlines, procrastination, and the inability to complete important tasks can raise stress levels even more. A vicious circle of stress and worry can then take over.

People with ADHD under stress may zone out during conversations, resulting in partners and friends feeling ignored and devalued. They may also miss important details or mindlessly agree to something they forget later, which can be frustrating for loved ones. Forgetfulness and losing things can be a regular and maddening trait.

Hyper-focus

The hyper-focused side in those with ADHD can often lead to obsessiveness, possessiveness and jealousy. When combined with insecurities and the fear of abandonment, relationships of all kinds can be a very real struggle.

Learning with ADHD

Memory problems such as forgetfulness and poor working memory are linked to ADHD. They may have difficulty processing information in their working memory, which leads to problems with long-term memory.

Learning Challenges

Sadly, ADHD’ers often underachieve in school or at work even though they are often bright and motivated. That ‘feeling stupid’, especially at school, can massively impact their sense of self. ADHD students typically have a short attention span and can find it hard to concentrate and learn, especially in group situations. They can also hyper-focus when interested in a subject or skill which can mask the condition.

About 3 in 10 people with dyslexia also have ADHD. An ADHD’er is six times more likely than other people to have a mental illness or a learning disorder, such as dyslexia. Having ADHD does not mean there is dyslexia too but it can add further learning issues, especially with processing, reading and spelling.

Creating a quiet and productive study environment will help students with ADHD be motivated, concentrate more, and develop retention. They need an organised space to study, free from distractions and certainly not many office or educational spaces offer this level of peace.

In general, those with ADHD are right-brained learners. They learn visually, by watching or doing a task in an activity-based, hands-on format, not by listening to lectures, practicing drills, or memorising.

Those with ADHD often have strong creativity and problem-solving abilities. Individuals with ADHD and dyslexia may be particularly skilled at coming up with creative solutions to problems or finding alternative ways to teach individuals who learn differently. They can bring a sense of ‘fresh air’ to any workplace.

What makes ADHD symptoms better?

The good news is that symptoms can be managed by lifestyle choices, therapy, awareness and medication.

Exercise – ideally every day; many people with ADHD feel more relaxed when they are active, so getting physical can often be very comforting
A healthy balanced diet high in protein, especially at breakfast
Allowing time to create an orderly, uncluttered environment
Plenty of sleep and downtime to relax and unwind
Routines and checklists put in place
Therapy
Medication

Exercise is probably the most important way to help control ADHD symptoms as it increases dopamine and norepinephrine in the brain. ADHD’ers with addictions and cravings to sugars and carbohydrates will need high levels of exercise to counterbalance any binge eating.

Which foods can help?

Protein is essential for ADHD brains. One of the major amino acids needed to create dopamine is called tyrosine found in protein-rich foods, so eating these foods will help ensure the body has everything it needs to create dopamine. Beans, cheese, eggs, meat, soy and nuts are great sources of protein. They improve concentration and can make ADHD medications work longer.

Vitamins B and C can also help alleviate symptoms of irritableness and fatigue. Vitamin C, zinc, iron, and magnesium are great for supporting dopamine levels. Bananas are a great source of zinc and magnesium.

What are ADHD Superpowers?

Here’s the good news! People with ADHD can hyperfocus, with ‘superpowers’ such as resilience, creativity, great conversational skills, spontaneity, and abundant energy. If these assets can be honed, they are a great advantage. Many accomplished musicians, for instance, will have benefitted from their ability to practice on end for hours.

ADHD’ers often have a unique perspective that others find interesting and valuable, especially when it comes to problem solving. Bill Gates struggled with ADHD, with difficulties in concentrating and learning. This did not stop him from reaching the most incredible professional heights! Rory Bremner, Emma Watson and Jim Carrey are also high-achieving ADHD sufferers.

What can therapy do to help?

ADHD brains typically expect the worst, and stressful periods further encourage negative thinking. Learning to moderate negative thoughts and actively seeking out what in life is going well is an essential strategy for managing worry before it spirals out of control. Sharing and discussing those thoughts with a good therapist enables the sufferer to make sense of them and to look at life from a more helpful perspective.

Therapy that supports goal setting and emotional regulation can help the ADHD’er stay on track and learn to navigate life in a more joyful and self-compassionate way. A therapist may also help people make sense of any past traumas and reframe the lessons learned from the challenges and disappointments that their ADHD may have had on their lives.

Medication

Stimulants are the most common type of medication used to treat ADHD. There are two stimulant medications, methylphenidate (in Ritalin) and amphetamine (in Adderall, Vyvanse). They are used to regulate mood and increase focus. Many people find medication can really help if they find the right dose.

What help is there?

ADHD is listed as a mental health disability in the Mental Health Act (1990). Many people don’t know there is real help out there. ‘Access To Work’ is the Government’s support system and a formal diagnosis of ADHD is required to qualify. ADHD sufferers may be able to get help from a support worker and specialist coaching.

A private ADHD assessment can be expensive so the first step is to talk to your GP. Waiting lists for a diagnosis are currently long, so the sooner this is done, the better.

I’ve written this article to help not only those who suffer with ADHD symptoms but for those whose loved ones, either adults or children, are also suffering and not understanding why. So many clients have come to me for help with anxiety and low self-esteem and sometimes this has been due to undiagnosed ADHD.

I’m not qualified to diagnose but I do feel it is important that everyone, especially therapists, get to understand this complex condition.

Mostly, GP’s will offer CBT therapy for ADHD sufferers. While it has many merits, this approach does little to address underlying psychological issues and deep-seated belief systems.

Hypnotherapy can help people understand what has led to their troubles and can reframe unhelpful beliefs on a deep, unconscious level. I use an integrated approach to helping clients, incorporating CBT and NLP practices alongside powerful hypnotherapy techniques.