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It's not about not getting excited; it's about literally being unable to. Someone with ADHD can sit there and really mean to get excited, and yell at themselves

by borski 5y ago

It's not about not getting excited; it's about literally being unable to. Someone with ADHD can sit there and really mean to get excited, and yell at themselves to, and they simply can't do it; their brain won't let them. Someone neurotypical can usually convince themselves to at least do it, and "will" themselves into it. But you're somewhat right, and this is why getting a real diagnosis from a professional is so important: lots of people have some of these symptoms. What distinguishes the ADHD brain from the neurotypical brain is the duration and frequency of these symptoms, and an inability to adjust for them even with disciplined effort. And it's not about medication, necessarily, though for 80% of people with ADHD, medication is extremely helpful; often, just learning about the syndrome and finding a therapist/coach to help build tools and stop blaming yourself for the things you cannot change is extremely helpful on its own too.

conductr 5y ago
That helps a lot. I know I'm 100% able to do the thing, I'm just a lazy bastard some days
- ksaj 5y ago
  People with ADHD have a hard time starting and then completing even things they do want to do. Everyone with ADHD has a dozen unfinished recent projects they adore, but will probably never finish. Hyperfocus gets them started, and they go REALLY far with the project, and then it wears out, and the project is neglected thereafter. Even if the person still adores the project and hopes to finish it. Without the hyperfocus, nothing gets done.
  - yazaddaruvala 5y ago
    This also sounds like the 80/20 rule and/or procrastination. 80% of the thing takes 20 % of the time, and then a feeling of diminishing returns blocks us from doing the other 80% of the effort. > the project is neglected thereafter. Even if the person still adores the project and hopes to finish it. I am also curious why this is labeled ADHD. To me this seems to just be “the human condition”. I guess from what I’ve read in this thread, using the term “ADHD” seems to allow people the ability to forgive themselves for the very human condition of procrastination and/or “not achieving perfect completion”. For anyone reading this, you can also choose to forgive yourself for not being perfect without the professional diagnosis. At least I definitely do.
    - borski 5y ago
      It really is hard to describe and, to be fair, is certainly only one symptom of ADHD and a dozen other things. This is why a diagnosis needs to come from a professional, but if someone has been struggling to put together the pieces of their own puzzle, there are likely far more behaviors that have driven them to consider this.
    - ck425 5y ago
      You may be right and indeed there's many psychiatrist who openly say that the definition of ADHD and where you draw the line between having it and not is somewhat arbitrary. But if people are struggling and having this diagnosis and these treatments helps with minimal downside then why not use them? I recently got diagnosed and it may just be that I'm naturally very distractible and bad at paying attention. But if the diagnosis and meds make my life significantly better at minimal risk/cost then what's the harm?
      - yazaddaruvala 5y ago
        Given it helps, I would not ask anyone to stop what they are doing. I was just curious if it might be more “placebo” than chemical, and clearly both the placebo and the chemicals are useful. Meanwhile, I was just trying to provide extra data, i.e. it’s possible and acceptable to forgive yourself for not being perfect without any diagnosis. Hopefully it just provides any one who reads this, one extra strategy to help themselves.
        Apocryphon 5y ago
        To forgive oneself is not universally easy. In those cases the problem isn't (only) ADH, but other issues. For someone very deep down the rabbit hole it might be the most crushingly difficult first step, indeed.
slingnow 5y ago
In what way is yelling at yourself to get excited going to work? How can you _really mean_ to get excited? Who on earth is in such masterful control of their emotional state that they can do this? I personally think that we've taken something completely normal and turned it into a "disorder" simply because it goes against the societal norm of sitting quietly at a desk for 8 hours a day.
- borski 5y ago
  It's hard to describe, but it isn't just about work or not being able to sit for 8 hours at a desk. It pervades the rest of your life; often, even things you want to be doing, you simply cannot get started on, because your brain is filled with distractions and you do not have the executive function to be able to stop it. It is a syndrome rooted in physical causes, but one we don't yet fully understand. The research is very clear though: our brains are simply different.

by borski 5y ago

conductr 5y ago

That helps a lot. I know I'm 100% able to do the thing, I'm just a lazy bastard some days

ksaj 5y ago
People with ADHD have a hard time starting and then completing even things they do want to do. Everyone with ADHD has a dozen unfinished recent projects they adore, but will probably never finish. Hyperfocus gets them started, and they go REALLY far with the project, and then it wears out, and the project is neglected thereafter. Even if the person still adores the project and hopes to finish it. Without the hyperfocus, nothing gets done.
- yazaddaruvala 5y ago
  This also sounds like the 80/20 rule and/or procrastination. 80% of the thing takes 20 % of the time, and then a feeling of diminishing returns blocks us from doing the other 80% of the effort. > the project is neglected thereafter. Even if the person still adores the project and hopes to finish it. I am also curious why this is labeled ADHD. To me this seems to just be “the human condition”. I guess from what I’ve read in this thread, using the term “ADHD” seems to allow people the ability to forgive themselves for the very human condition of procrastination and/or “not achieving perfect completion”. For anyone reading this, you can also choose to forgive yourself for not being perfect without the professional diagnosis. At least I definitely do.
  - borski 5y ago
    It really is hard to describe and, to be fair, is certainly only one symptom of ADHD and a dozen other things. This is why a diagnosis needs to come from a professional, but if someone has been struggling to put together the pieces of their own puzzle, there are likely far more behaviors that have driven them to consider this.
  - ck425 5y ago
    You may be right and indeed there's many psychiatrist who openly say that the definition of ADHD and where you draw the line between having it and not is somewhat arbitrary. But if people are struggling and having this diagnosis and these treatments helps with minimal downside then why not use them? I recently got diagnosed and it may just be that I'm naturally very distractible and bad at paying attention. But if the diagnosis and meds make my life significantly better at minimal risk/cost then what's the harm?
    - yazaddaruvala 5y ago
      Given it helps, I would not ask anyone to stop what they are doing. I was just curious if it might be more “placebo” than chemical, and clearly both the placebo and the chemicals are useful. Meanwhile, I was just trying to provide extra data, i.e. it’s possible and acceptable to forgive yourself for not being perfect without any diagnosis. Hopefully it just provides any one who reads this, one extra strategy to help themselves.
      - Apocryphon 5y ago
        To forgive oneself is not universally easy. In those cases the problem isn't (only) ADH, but other issues. For someone very deep down the rabbit hole it might be the most crushingly difficult first step, indeed.

slingnow 5y ago

In what way is yelling at yourself to get excited going to work? How can you _really mean_ to get excited? Who on earth is in such masterful control of their emotional state that they can do this? I personally think that we've taken something completely normal and turned it into a "disorder" simply because it goes against the societal norm of sitting quietly at a desk for 8 hours a day.

borski 5y ago
It's hard to describe, but it isn't just about work or not being able to sit for 8 hours at a desk. It pervades the rest of your life; often, even things you want to be doing, you simply cannot get started on, because your brain is filled with distractions and you do not have the executive function to be able to stop it. It is a syndrome rooted in physical causes, but one we don't yet fully understand. The research is very clear though: our brains are simply different.