It know it's really anecdotal and I don't have the Hyperactive portion of ADHD but I was diagnosed with ADD and my experiences are completely different from this doctor's explanation. From my experience the issue is that all stimulus have an equal priority in my brain. If I'm having a conversation with my boss, the ticking of the clock and the buzz of conversation in the hallway have an equal priority in my brain and my brain struggles to absorb all of the information. Therefore it takes a lot more energy to make myself focus. I've learned some adaptive skills like repeating each word/sentence that someone is saying in order to give it priority.
I was diagnosed as a kid with ADD and I don't agree with pretty much anything he said in this video, I wouldn't worry about it. It definitely seems to be true for some people, especially people with the H, but even then, my wife is ADHD and I don't see any of this in her at all, she is an amazing planner and extremely organized. Ultimately I think we are all still unique individuals and even if he is right about most people it will never apply to everyone.
Regardless, my problem was never getting things done. In fact, I pretty much always did my homework on time, and I did pretty well in school too. Sure, I'd procrastinate, but what student doesn't, minus the outliers?
Regardless, my biggest issue in life is that I couldn't finish anything in my personal life. I want to do some many things that I get stretched too thin and can't balance them all. I don't think I have relaxed a day in my life. I can't; I can't sit still and just watch a TV by myself. I have to be doing something. Video games are great for my "relaxation" because I am physically doing something and keeping those gears spinning.
I have had like 50 hobbies in my life - and basically none of them have ever stuck. I have a few hobbies currently, but I hope these stick for as long as I am physically able to do them.
Still, I am a programmer and I feel like I have quite a few fun ideas that would be neat projects, but I don't want to start them because I'll just dwell on the fact that I know I won't finish them, because like I broken record, that pattern keeps repeating.
Video games are amazing, even 30 years ago when they barely existed people were already noticing that ADD kids seemed to do extremely well with them, likely due to the combination of mental and physical stimulation. A lot of work has been put into turning education into video games, specifically because of children with disorders including ADD/ADHD. How many people remember Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego? I hope that one day they can really make it mainstream because it will help a lot of kids.
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u/itismyjob May 30 '17
It know it's really anecdotal and I don't have the Hyperactive portion of ADHD but I was diagnosed with ADD and my experiences are completely different from this doctor's explanation. From my experience the issue is that all stimulus have an equal priority in my brain. If I'm having a conversation with my boss, the ticking of the clock and the buzz of conversation in the hallway have an equal priority in my brain and my brain struggles to absorb all of the information. Therefore it takes a lot more energy to make myself focus. I've learned some adaptive skills like repeating each word/sentence that someone is saying in order to give it priority.