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Inability to sustain attention/concentration is just one of the most common facets of ADHD. Yes, you could have more/others impairments in your executive funct

Inability to sustain attention/concentration is just one of the most common facets of ADHD. Yes, you could have more/others impairments in your executive function than just attention. Impulsivity is commonly measured as well. ADHD is really an umbrella term for several syndromes. I disagree with the notion that "inability to choose" is necessarily a definitive part of ADHD . It often is, and is common, but it's not unique to ADHD at all. It can also be due to anxiety, PTSD, all sorts of other issues, and people with those issues improve on anxiolytics/tranquilizers, instead of stimulants.

ScottFree 7y ago
> ADHD is really an umbrella term for several syndromes. That does seem to muddy the water a bit, doesn't it? Thanks for the detailed response!
- internet_user 7y ago
  It certainly does. In these comments you could see anything from people that think it's not an illness to people who have secondary impairments due to obstructed airway at night. And they are all probably right to some degree. This stuff - attention, executive function, ability to self regulate and direct your own attention - meta-cognition, if you will - is very poorly understood. Treatments are very crude, we will eventually see them as barbaric. It probably is one of the youngest developments, evolution-wise. Fascinating stuff.
bnjms 7y ago
> It can also be due to anxiety, PTSD, all sorts of other issues, and people with those issues improve on anxiolytics/tranquilizers, instead of stimulants. Is this true? What sort of anxiolytics? I’m pretty sure I’m diagnosable adhd-pi but I have anxiety that decreases with low dosage adderall.
- internet_user 7y ago
  Read up the studies. I'd say it's probably best studied in schizophrenia, they have all kinds of cognitive improvements on antipsychotics, rather very unpleasant drugs. Dopaminergics like amphetamines, ritalin or bromantane do help with anxiety, it's common knowledge, but I don't think the effect is sustainable long term, at least not that I've heard. More common for that effect to fade away with time on chronic dosages and more of a jitterness surface later on.

ScottFree 7y ago

> ADHD is really an umbrella term for several syndromes. That does seem to muddy the water a bit, doesn't it? Thanks for the detailed response!

internet_user 7y ago
It certainly does. In these comments you could see anything from people that think it's not an illness to people who have secondary impairments due to obstructed airway at night. And they are all probably right to some degree. This stuff - attention, executive function, ability to self regulate and direct your own attention - meta-cognition, if you will - is very poorly understood. Treatments are very crude, we will eventually see them as barbaric. It probably is one of the youngest developments, evolution-wise. Fascinating stuff.

bnjms 7y ago

> It can also be due to anxiety, PTSD, all sorts of other issues, and people with those issues improve on anxiolytics/tranquilizers, instead of stimulants. Is this true? What sort of anxiolytics? I’m pretty sure I’m diagnosable adhd-pi but I have anxiety that decreases with low dosage adderall.

internet_user 7y ago
Read up the studies. I'd say it's probably best studied in schizophrenia, they have all kinds of cognitive improvements on antipsychotics, rather very unpleasant drugs. Dopaminergics like amphetamines, ritalin or bromantane do help with anxiety, it's common knowledge, but I don't think the effect is sustainable long term, at least not that I've heard. More common for that effect to fade away with time on chronic dosages and more of a jitterness surface later on.