4 ms·

ADHD is a quantitative disorder, not qualitative. To some extent, everyone gets mild versions of ADHD symptoms, especially if tired/bad nutrition/no exercise,

ADHD is a quantitative disorder, not qualitative. To some extent, everyone gets mild versions of ADHD symptoms, especially if tired/bad nutrition/no exercise, etc. ADHD is when these symptoms harm quality of life significantly across many domains and since you were prepubescent (it's a brain malformation, not a series of bad habits)

steve_adams_86 3y ago
To expand on that, I think it can be clarified somewhat by describing the mechanism at work. People without ADHD have a generally-working motivation/reward system which is undergirded partially by dopamine. This neurotransmitter is relatively low in ADHD brains, which seems to lead to signal:noise issues. That’s likely a cause of having a highly distractible baseline state, but also leads to bursts of dopamine seeming more salient and arousing. You have a harder time regulating motivation and evaluating perceived rewards. A lot of what happens in the brain is based on relative states. If your dopamine is always low, something making it spike will seem more interesting than it necessarily should. If your dopamine trends higher, you’re going to have an easier time regulating interest, motivation, and an ability to transition through things you need to do — particularly things you don’t want to do. The inverse of a dopamine spike is a dopamine drop. This impacts the brain in important ways as well. In a person with ADHD, going from a high to a low can often cause serious declines in mood and energy. In a more typical brain, the same effects are present but less severe. So while these are all normal challenges people face because they’re the product of the same brain mechanics, a low dopamine baseline makes these mechanics more extreme in people with ADHD. They are primed for distraction and clinging to things which increase their dopamine. This could be video games, relationships, drugs, hobbies, etc. It could even be work too. They’re also primed far harder falls from their highs. This extreme oscillation often means some aspect of life suffers due to a lack of balance. That’s why it can be a disability. Hopefully that helps explain the quantitative aspect.
- AndrewKemendo 3y ago
  Thank you for this very straightforward and concise explanation I'm almost 40 and just realizing that I probably have some version of ADHD and your description of the Dopamine roller-coaster fits perfectly with my experience, both good and bad.
  - steve_adams_86 3y ago
    I highly recommend reading up on it if that particular aspect resonates with you. Driven to Distraction is a very useful and informative read with a decent amount of technical information as well as personal accounts to help relate how the condition manifests. It’s very diverse. It isn’t always bad, but often is, and even people with god outcomes can often benefit from the insight of understanding why they’re different.
- ck425 3y ago
  It's also why hyperfocus is common and more extreme in ADHD. You can't always control it but when you do get into something everything else becomes a blur and you can go for hours because that high burst of dopamine obliterates everything else.
_gmax0 3y ago
And to think psychiatrists are bestowed with the authority to mass-prescribe amphetamines upon accurately deducing the presence of ADHD from brief patient self-evaluations is eyebrow raising. Looking forward to when a portable EEG monitors are available at an affordable price.

steve_adams_86 3y ago

To expand on that, I think it can be clarified somewhat by describing the mechanism at work. People without ADHD have a generally-working motivation/reward system which is undergirded partially by dopamine. This neurotransmitter is relatively low in ADHD brains, which seems to lead to signal:noise issues. That’s likely a cause of having a highly distractible baseline state, but also leads to bursts of dopamine seeming more salient and arousing. You have a harder time regulating motivation and evaluating perceived rewards. A lot of what happens in the brain is based on relative states. If your dopamine is always low, something making it spike will seem more interesting than it necessarily should. If your dopamine trends higher, you’re going to have an easier time regulating interest, motivation, and an ability to transition through things you need to do — particularly things you don’t want to do. The inverse of a dopamine spike is a dopamine drop. This impacts the brain in important ways as well. In a person with ADHD, going from a high to a low can often cause serious declines in mood and energy. In a more typical brain, the same effects are present but less severe. So while these are all normal challenges people face because they’re the product of the same brain mechanics, a low dopamine baseline makes these mechanics more extreme in people with ADHD. They are primed for distraction and clinging to things which increase their dopamine. This could be video games, relationships, drugs, hobbies, etc. It could even be work too. They’re also primed far harder falls from their highs. This extreme oscillation often means some aspect of life suffers due to a lack of balance. That’s why it can be a disability. Hopefully that helps explain the quantitative aspect.

AndrewKemendo 3y ago
Thank you for this very straightforward and concise explanation I'm almost 40 and just realizing that I probably have some version of ADHD and your description of the Dopamine roller-coaster fits perfectly with my experience, both good and bad.
- steve_adams_86 3y ago
  I highly recommend reading up on it if that particular aspect resonates with you. Driven to Distraction is a very useful and informative read with a decent amount of technical information as well as personal accounts to help relate how the condition manifests. It’s very diverse. It isn’t always bad, but often is, and even people with god outcomes can often benefit from the insight of understanding why they’re different.
ck425 3y ago
It's also why hyperfocus is common and more extreme in ADHD. You can't always control it but when you do get into something everything else becomes a blur and you can go for hours because that high burst of dopamine obliterates everything else.

_gmax0 3y ago

And to think psychiatrists are bestowed with the authority to mass-prescribe amphetamines upon accurately deducing the presence of ADHD from brief patient self-evaluations is eyebrow raising. Looking forward to when a portable EEG monitors are available at an affordable price.