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This perspective fails to appropriately recognize ADHD and related phenomena as executive function disorders. Depression, shame, regret, and stress are actually

This perspective fails to appropriately recognize ADHD and related phenomena as executive function disorders. Depression, shame, regret, and stress are actually highly correlated with ADHD, OCD etc., because this exact executive function disorder often leads to the sufferer having a less than ideal life. And so it is akin to telling a person who suffers from real, clinical depression, to "just not be depressed". It's tautological advice. As for the nature of these daydreams; Understand that it's a general condition. The author's daydreams are likely all over the place, everything at once. My own rapidly change just like a real dream, from happy to sad over and over. It's not like the author is fixated on buying some dream car or living in a big house. There is an element of compulsive fixation on general daydreaming which can be extremely hard to overcome whenever it is caused by actual disorders in brain structure. For example, ADHD is characterized by a number of gene mutations which lead to reduced number of dopamine receptors throughout the brain. [0] There is no psychological way to just "get over" this. What needs to happen is society needs to accept that these are real disabilities and it can be just as rude telling someone who has an extreme case "don't dream it, be it," as it is to tell someone with general intellectual disabilities to just "study harder". Then maybe we can stop leaving otherwise very intelligent individuals behind to suffer in lifelong economic and psychological disparity. [0] https://www.omim.org/entry/143465 https://www.omim.org/entry/143465

lazide 3y ago
If the ADHD symptoms are caused by real, ongoing abuse by someone with say NPD - treating it as an executive function disorder will leave them stuck in a terrible situation, albeit with slightly less dysfunction. I’ve seen people get more functional - then be immediately attacked by said NPD person (indirectly) through gaslighting and sabotage, which of course put them back where they were. ‘The meds stopped working’. Or maybe it was the meds stopped working - except for what I saw going on, at least.
- soulofmischief 3y ago
  Good point. Severe stress and depression can cause a number of symptoms normally presented by ADHD, OCD, etc. While I was young my severe depression and stress came from living in an abusive household under an ex-boxer Catholic deacon and his narcissistic, control-freak wife. Always told myself things would get better once I got out of the situation; instead I found out the worst symptoms of my mental disorders were simply being masked by external factors. I recently broke down for an entire day after a judgemental encounter with someone, and learned about Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria, that I have had it for my entire life and that almost all ADHD sufferers experience it at least once. Just learning about it really helped change my perspective and gave me a way to move forward. Having had multiple run-ins with narcissists over the years, including my mom, I've had a habit of letting myself get harmed and being trapped by guilt or some misplaced loyalty. Now I know the (at least in part) the source of this habit and can change it. https://www.additudemag.com/rejection-sensitive-dysphoria-and-adhd/ https://www.additudemag.com/rejection-sensitive-dysphoria-an...
  - lazide 3y ago
    Not sure if this is related, but interestingly enough too, I’m wondering if RSD is actually a PTSD trauma reaction triggered by the rejection. If someone was neglected or attacked by a caregiver when they approached them for help, especially if it was infrequent, and repeatedly told they weren’t allowed to feel bad about it/it wasn’t happening/if it was happening it was all their fault, and suffered significant distress because of it - how else would it present? Especially if it was at an age where they couldn’t process or verbalize what was going on, and the parent was one they couldn’t reject themselves (because they needed them or they’d be orphans or whatever). If RSD is really due to emotional neglect/rejection based Complex PTSD underlying the whole thing. It would make a lot of sense.
    - soulofmischief 3y ago
      Hmm. I experienced this. As a child, I chewed on my shirt. No one could figure out why. From kindergarten to maybe 4th grade, it was a problem. My guardians' response was to collude with the school administrations and instruct teachers to call me out in class and belittle me if they saw me chewing on my shirt, and to send me to the principal's office. Then I would get beaten/punished at home. This happened with regularity. A lot of shame and punishment. At the time, I had undiagnosed OCD. And, it turns out, the medicine which I was being given against my will for an ADHD diagnosis I received at age 5, was causing me to experience dry mouth, which made me instinctually suck on the buttons and corners of my shirt. Mystery solved. But two therapists and years of punishment didn't figure that out. I did, in my adulthood. I had the same experience with uncontrollable, hour-long bouts of laughter which would end in vomiting and extreme stomach pain. Punished for them, told I was just trying to get attention. Turns out that was an expression of OCD. And dozens of other things not worth mentioning. The older I got, the more I came to appreciate the level of misunderstandings about my issues which led to even more violence inflicted upon me. So that is a possible avenue of explanation for why RSD and ADHD seem to be correlated. After speaking with some friends who have borderline disorder (I don't have this, but I do have bipolar disorder type II) it seems to be something they have experienced as well. And a great deal of BPD cases involve trauma. There is little doubt that something chemical is taking place given that specific gene mutations seem to cause these disorders, or at least predispositions to them. I'm sure that there is a correlation between RSD and the dopamine reuptake issues which characterize ADHD. But the feedback systems in nature vs nurture mean that these disorders can cause problems which themselves exacerbate the disorders or cause new symptoms to present.

lazide 3y ago

If the ADHD symptoms are caused by real, ongoing abuse by someone with say NPD - treating it as an executive function disorder will leave them stuck in a terrible situation, albeit with slightly less dysfunction. I’ve seen people get more functional - then be immediately attacked by said NPD person (indirectly) through gaslighting and sabotage, which of course put them back where they were. ‘The meds stopped working’. Or maybe it was the meds stopped working - except for what I saw going on, at least.

soulofmischief 3y ago
Good point. Severe stress and depression can cause a number of symptoms normally presented by ADHD, OCD, etc. While I was young my severe depression and stress came from living in an abusive household under an ex-boxer Catholic deacon and his narcissistic, control-freak wife. Always told myself things would get better once I got out of the situation; instead I found out the worst symptoms of my mental disorders were simply being masked by external factors. I recently broke down for an entire day after a judgemental encounter with someone, and learned about Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria, that I have had it for my entire life and that almost all ADHD sufferers experience it at least once. Just learning about it really helped change my perspective and gave me a way to move forward. Having had multiple run-ins with narcissists over the years, including my mom, I've had a habit of letting myself get harmed and being trapped by guilt or some misplaced loyalty. Now I know the (at least in part) the source of this habit and can change it. https://www.additudemag.com/rejection-sensitive-dysphoria-and-adhd/ https://www.additudemag.com/rejection-sensitive-dysphoria-an...
- lazide 3y ago
  Not sure if this is related, but interestingly enough too, I’m wondering if RSD is actually a PTSD trauma reaction triggered by the rejection. If someone was neglected or attacked by a caregiver when they approached them for help, especially if it was infrequent, and repeatedly told they weren’t allowed to feel bad about it/it wasn’t happening/if it was happening it was all their fault, and suffered significant distress because of it - how else would it present? Especially if it was at an age where they couldn’t process or verbalize what was going on, and the parent was one they couldn’t reject themselves (because they needed them or they’d be orphans or whatever). If RSD is really due to emotional neglect/rejection based Complex PTSD underlying the whole thing. It would make a lot of sense.
  - soulofmischief 3y ago
    Hmm. I experienced this. As a child, I chewed on my shirt. No one could figure out why. From kindergarten to maybe 4th grade, it was a problem. My guardians' response was to collude with the school administrations and instruct teachers to call me out in class and belittle me if they saw me chewing on my shirt, and to send me to the principal's office. Then I would get beaten/punished at home. This happened with regularity. A lot of shame and punishment. At the time, I had undiagnosed OCD. And, it turns out, the medicine which I was being given against my will for an ADHD diagnosis I received at age 5, was causing me to experience dry mouth, which made me instinctually suck on the buttons and corners of my shirt. Mystery solved. But two therapists and years of punishment didn't figure that out. I did, in my adulthood. I had the same experience with uncontrollable, hour-long bouts of laughter which would end in vomiting and extreme stomach pain. Punished for them, told I was just trying to get attention. Turns out that was an expression of OCD. And dozens of other things not worth mentioning. The older I got, the more I came to appreciate the level of misunderstandings about my issues which led to even more violence inflicted upon me. So that is a possible avenue of explanation for why RSD and ADHD seem to be correlated. After speaking with some friends who have borderline disorder (I don't have this, but I do have bipolar disorder type II) it seems to be something they have experienced as well. And a great deal of BPD cases involve trauma. There is little doubt that something chemical is taking place given that specific gene mutations seem to cause these disorders, or at least predispositions to them. I'm sure that there is a correlation between RSD and the dopamine reuptake issues which characterize ADHD. But the feedback systems in nature vs nurture mean that these disorders can cause problems which themselves exacerbate the disorders or cause new symptoms to present.