ADHD, it's not just 'THAT KID'

What the hell is ADHD anyway??

We're all aware of the classic stereotype of ADHD, usually a small boy sometimes with a box on their head, running around shouting and with the inability to focus on anything for more than five minutes. The bane of teachers, universally dismissed by grown-ups with children who 'behave', a magnet for tuts and sighs in public places where such behaviour isn't tolerated.??

ADHD = Naughty??

And it's not surprising, if you name a condition attention deficit hyperactivity disorder then people are going to assume that it's something that happens to people who can't concentrate and run around with an excess of energy.?

The truth is much more complicated?

It's not just kids?

It’s not just men??

It's not just people with binary genders??

ADHD sits under the umbrella of Neurodiversity like autism, Dyspraxia, Dyslexia, Dyscalculia, Dysgraphia, and Tourette's', people with ADHD don't think like most other people, they can’t.?

?I can only speak for myself, I was an outgoing, engaged child who didn't struggle to sit still, I was lucky enough to enjoy learning and bright enough to follow the rules. This didn't make me better than those who struggled to concentrate, just different, and in the grand scheme of things maybe it would have been better if I had been identifiable as having ADHD in childhood, I might have been diagnosed and provided with more help.?

I can't blame anyone for my lack of diagnosis, science and psychology has moved on and teachers were not aware that there were other manifestations and just as a critically, nor was I!?

So, what is ADHD???

It's an oversimplification but an ADHD brain is one which is naturally low in a crucial chemical called Dopamine, which sits in between neurons in the brain.??

Dopamine is POWERFUL! The brain knows it's not got enough, and it craves it so much it will create manufactured situations to enhance the levels.?

Dopamine is a pleasure chemical; not having enough causes what in my simple terminology I'll call hunting.??

Dopamine hunters come in various forms, some of us constantly crave novelty, they are distracted looking for the hit of 'newness', novelty, constantly keeping moving. Some crave excitement or danger to get their hit. ?

?You might be surprised to know that the population of prisons has a massively disproportionate number of people with ADHD. Seeking excitement can lead to criminality, as can a lack of patience in getting what we want.?

?People with ADHD are more likely to become addicted to substances, some illegal substances can raise the level of Dopamine and other are used to cope with the effects of living with ADHD, which are numerous including stress, feelings of rejection, emotional dysregulation and imposter syndrome.?

?For me my 'hit' comes from various different things, I get Dopamine rewards from being told I'm valued, from the little rewards that come from things like gaming. Unlike 'classic' suffers I can sit still, especially if I'm learning something that I'm interested in or playing a game/ watching a movie.??

Some people call this hyperfocus and it can be useful, but it's almost impossible to direct. Being able to spend hours doing the same thing can be useful for employers but what happens when you’re asked to do something that isn't rewarding (to your brain), you lose interest.?

For employers this can be a curse, my brain will ignore things like paperwork and hunt the next big thing. I've been threatened with written warnings multiple times in my working life because I haven't done what turns out to be a 10-minute job.?That said I’ll be first volunteer to deal with a crisis. Some people with ADHD stay call in a crisis situation, in fact the short term stress can bring us to a prime operating state. Just don’t ask me to do the paperwork afterwards!?

My ADHD causes me to lose things, make stupid mistakes (this post will be littered with them), if I'm engaged with something rewarding you don't want to interrupt me, I'll bite. I love puzzles and problems but God forbid you come to be with an unsolvable problem, it'll destroy me. ?

?I can turn my mind to anything which has novelty to me, I've thrived in roles which need instant focus and I'm great in a crisis, especially if I'm doing something which I'm not engaged with when it arises!?

I get fixes from research and acquisition, I have thousands of pounds of board games, which after research (which usually involves procrastinating at work) I'll get the delivery and instantly lose focus.?

Amazon deliveries? I'll order stuff for the excitement of receiving it, track it with the anticipation of a hunting puma, take the delivery and promptly lose any interest in the product.?

My brain is very confused about human interaction, I crave it but can lose my bottle and back out of arangements with anxiety. New people, big rush; old friends; well I don't have many and they are the ones that don't need manintainance. I can flip from introvert to extrovert and back in an anxious heartbeat.?

There are so much more ways in which ADHD has affected me, it’s a complex condition and it's hampered my career and personal life?

It's taken 30 years for science to progress enough to throw off the stereotype of the naughty little boy and me another 20 to get past my own prejudices and preconceptions and get a diagnosis.?

I'm hoping to move forward with my life and maybe make some reparations and apologies. I'm very lucky that people have put up with my idiosyncrasies. Maybe if I can help employers to recognise the symptoms of ADHD in adults I can make a difference. I’ll write more about my experiences in employment because I think its important that people understand and don’t assume that its always, stress or depression when people break down at work. With a little support and understanding and the willingness of employers to flex there is nothing stopping us. I’ve spoken to councellors, doctors, ocupational health practitioners and many other rofessionals and no one ever suggested getting checked for ADHD. ?

Don’t get me wrong, I have been depressed, I have suffered stress in the workplace but these were I believe a direct consiquence of the sysmptoms of ADHD.?

I've started medical treatment now, it's not perfect, it has risks to my physical health, and it will take time and experimentation to get the most out of it, but I’m already more able to manage the everyday.?

?Its only by talking about these things that more people will be able to get the support they need, let's support one another to be happier.?