Transcript of This Is What ADHD Can Feel Like
Dr. Tracey Marks
0:00Can you walk us through what a day might0:03look like for somebody who is going0:06through their day and they may not0:07realize they have ADHD? I will say it0:09really is on a spectrum. Again, I'll use0:12myself as an example. I have trouble set0:15shifting. What's that? So, going from0:17one task where you're into it and then0:19you got to stop and go do something0:21else. Oh my god. I say this to my team0:23all the time. I'm like, if we are going0:24to do a production day, I will tape for0:26nine hours straight, but the second you0:28put me in a meeting and I have to look0:30at copy, I can't go back to taping.0:33That's right. So, someone who doesn't0:34have trouble with that can like work and0:37then, oh, there's a meeting. Okay, I'll0:39stop, pick up, go to this meeting. Okay,0:41that meeting's over. Okay, go back and0:43jump right back in. No. Someone with0:45ADHD, one misconception is you can't0:48focus at all. And it's not only about0:50focusing because people with ADHD can0:52hyperfocus on things that they're0:54interested in. It's a stimulation issue.0:58That means that the ADHD brain needs1:03stimulation to stay engaged in1:05something. So it has to be something1:07that con that commands your attention1:10and keeps your attention. As soon as1:12there's boredom involved, then you're1:14gone. So your brain needs stimulation to1:18pay attention if you're somebody that1:20truly struggles with this issue of ADHD.1:24And so I'm thinking about the example1:26that absolutely all of us can relate to1:28where you have somebody in your life who1:30is can literally rot away in front of a1:34video game for two days and you walk1:37into the room and they don't even break1:41their stare. They are so hyperfocused.1:44But then getting them to put their dirty1:48clothes in the laundry basket or1:50remember to do the homework, we presume1:53that the person doesn't care or that1:54they're rude or that they're aloof. And1:56what you're saying is no, no, no, no.1:59The ADHD brain really requires some form2:02of stimulation. Is that where the2:04dopamine comes in? That's where the2:05dopamine comes in and the the whole2:07reward circuit. So because of the lower2:10levels of dopamine, then you can2:12struggle on staying engaged and paying2:14attention to things that don't interest2:16you. And you know, the thing you were2:18talking about with the leaving stuff in2:20the middle of the floor and then making2:22it look like they're just a jerk. They2:23don't care is why people with ADHD can2:26have relationship problems. A lot of2:28relationship problems. Because the the2:30nonADHD person can feel like the person2:32doesn't care. It's like you don't see2:35this tennis shoe in the middle of the2:37floor. You just stepped over it. How did2:39you miss How are you missing that? Do2:40you not care about our house looking2:42good? But it's not that they don't care.2:45It's just not on their radar.
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