What is ADHD?

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Disclaimer: All of the information on this channel is for educational purposes and not intended to be specific/personal medical advice from me to you. Watching the videos or getting answers to comments/question, does not establish a doctor-patient relationship. If you have your own doctor, perhaps these videos can help prepare you for your discussion with your doctor.

[NikkiDoesStufff]

I am adhd primary inattentive and because of that I wasn’t diagnosed until adulthood. In school they only thought the hyperactive kids (mostly boys) had adhd and because I could sit still but not focus I was just “lazy, spacey, daydreamer” because I couldn’t maintain my attention except for things I would find interesting and hyperfocus on and because I could hyperfocus on certain things that meant the things I didn’t focus on was just me being lazy. Finally getting a diagnosis has been extremely validating and allowed me to forgive myself for things I used to get very mad at myself for and for the negative feedback my teachers always gave my mom about how I “didn’t reach my potential”

[wolfdreams]

Im 62 and was just dx a few months ago with adhd combined type, but leaning heavily towards inattentive type. Possibly asd, too. So ive been trying to learn what this all means for me. 😮
Thanks, Dr Marks!

[a.o.]

Im really loving the short format. I have shared you videos with friends. Thank you for help understanding things.

[johneaston]

I really value your content Dr. Marks. On this topic I would like to add an addendum to broaden the definition beyond the limits of the DSM to better align with the lived ADHD experience. Dr. Russell Barkley, a prominent figure in the field of ADHD research, defines Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) as a disorder (I prefer cognitive difference) of self-regulation and executive functioning. He emphasizes that ADHD is not just a problem of attention but primarily a disorder of executive function – the brain's ability to prioritize and manage thoughts and actions. This deficit in executive functioning leads to difficulties in regulating attention, emotions, and actions. Barkley describes ADHD as a developmental impairment of the brain's self-management system, often resulting in persistent patterns of inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity that are more severe and frequent than typically observed in individuals at a comparable level of development. I will go on to say that in groups of the 150 people or less that humans were designed to live in as hunter a gatherers ADHD might not have be an issue. It might more likely be a survival advantage. The overcrowded modern, urban environment that comes with a dump truck size mound of psychic weight is what possibly turns our difference into a so called disability.

[Helfirehydratrans]

I had a mixed journey with ADHD. I was first diagnosed at like 7 years and was on it till I was in high school and then at 17 I smoked weed and tobacco’s I wasn’t addicted till I was 18 and I wasn’t dependent on weed will I was 20 and homeless and now I’m 25 and I have been using them as coping mechanisms of my adhd and anxiety and depression that i have because how I grown up as a kid and teen now I’m just more aware of that I’m not normal and have to be high 90% of the time to act right with our worries about anything

[AlexAedh]

When we refer to it as a disorder I feel we are leaving out the side of it that is just describing a brain that works differently from that of the ones who decided it's a disorder in the first place. It never felt like a disorder for me unless I was stuck comparing myself or was depressed and was dealing with PTSD as well. Like any other brain under stress...I wish we were talking more about the need to rename this set of qualities that describe these highly creative and unusual brains :)

[julzgulz]

I wish I could see you weekly! Had to go off ADHD meds for pregnancy and breastfeeding and it’s been rough. Can you offer any suggestions for mothers with ADHD? Is my child likely to have it? Thank you!

[hemto]

I match all symptoms for adhd, all tests that I take say I have a very high risk of ADHD. I haven’t talked to a doctor yet but I will…

[divatalk]

Why am I seeing this everywhere in my algorithm lately?😊

[ghostygyrl]

Is it a trauma response? If so are the interventions to manage day to day similar will it go away with treatment of the trauma?

[Some_Joker]

So what are the good attributes that come with ADHD?

[Pravduh]

Does medication help make me more attentive and does it help me focus?

[Bizarro]

Sometimes I wish I had the hyperactivity type because I can be like a zombie with this inattentive type and people don't know that you're suffering inside as a kid and need help.

[RhondaR]

What can one do for hyperactive impulsive?

[_Willow_The_Therian_]

Why not have it called DAVE? Stands for Dopamine Attention Variability Executive-distinction, DAVE

[JustAnothwrfker]

Bipolar 1 and adhd is an interesting combination. 😅

[nicktaber]

People should be way more careful about accepting this label. Do you really want to identify with a label that is just the subjective opinion of a mental health professional?

[Ordeijall]

I specifically didnt know that i had adhd. I have 3 of those!

[AJManol]

It’s ridiculous and confusing that they condensed it to only the hyperactive adhd. Maybe instead of add, adid?

[leifotto]

It’s “Leviosa, ” not “Leviosah.” 🙄

I love it when a quasi-science bickers with itself over terms that are essentially pointless. Until brain scans evolve in detail and become the *routine* first-step in assessment, people will continue to suffer at the whims of therapists who have their *own* mental issues un-dealt-with while they employ methods that fail for 70%+ of patients. Whether sadistic or incompetent, I see the tragic results for patients who end up worse off than when they started with standard therapy - due to misdiagnoses at best, and deliberate victimization at worst. The inherent subjectivity of this industry makes harping on the “proper” designation for ADD ridiculous.