Walk In My Shoes: ADHD

Many people can relate to the times when they were unable to fully concentrate, couldn’t regain focus, drifted from task to task, or were unable to sit still in their seat. Most people can relate to these behaviours, but when they’re a constant part of a person’s life, a patient may be diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). This video looks at the life of a person with a common form of ADHD, and delves into a list symptoms to help raise awareness about this disorder and its effects on individuals due to atypical brain functions. However, it’s no cause for alarm! We’ll end off our discussion with common research-supported strategies to cope with this disorder so as to live a regular functional life. This is the first instalment of our interactive video series "Walk In My Shoes," where we’ll be raising awareness and learning from the lives of individuals afflicted with learning disorders.

This video was created by McMaster students Shara Chowdhury, Vanessa Miranda, Mishaal Qazi, and Peter Tso in collaboration with the McMaster Demystifying Medicine Program

Copyright McMaster University 2017

This video is provided for general and educational information only. Please consult your health care provider for Information about your health.

#DemystifyingMedicine, #MentalHealth

References:
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Kolar, D., Keller, A., Golfinopoulos, M., Cumyn, L., Syer, C., & Hechtman, L. (2008). Treatment of adults with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment, 4(2), 389–403.
Lou, H. C., Henriksen, L., & Bruhn, P. (1984). Focal cerebral hypoperfusion in children with dysphasia and/or attention deficit disorder. Archives of neurology, 41(8), 825-829.
Millstein, R. B., Wilens, T. E., Biederman, J., & Spencer, T. J. (1997). Presenting ADHD symptoms and subtypes in clinically referred adults with ADHD. Journal of Attention Disorders, 2(3), 159-166.
Rubia, K. (2002). The dynamic approach to neurodevelopmental psychiatric disorders: use of fMRI combined with neuropsychology to elucidate the dynamics of psychiatric disorders, exemplified in ADHD and schizophrenia. Behavioural brain research, 130(1), 47-56.
Rubia, K., Overmeyer, S., Taylor, E., Brammer, M., Williams, S. C., Simmons, A., & Bullmore, E. T. (1999). Hypofrontality in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder during higher-order motor control: a study with functional
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Sonuga-Barke, E. J., Dalen, L., Daley, D., & Remington, B. (2002). Are planning, working memory, and inhibition associated with individual differences in preschool ADHD symptoms?. Developmental neuropsychology, 21(3), 255-272.
Sullivan, K., Hatton, D., Hammer, J., Sideris, J., Hooper, S., Ornstein, P., & Bailey, D. (2006). ADHD symptoms in children with FXS. American Journal of Medical Genetics Part A, 140(21), 2275-2288.

[chloe-yrhn]

Anyone else go straight to the comments because can't focus on the video

[Mana-ctwh]

Me: Diagnosed with adhd, working with a psychiatrist, working with meds, doing treatment

Dad: *It's because that damn phone*

[keithhalachief]

Imagine a school only made for ADHD students. That would be awesome

[kaeleykerns]

Anyone else when they are in a perfectly normal situation randomly start hearing everything everyone around you is saying and it gives you major anxiety?

[kikiz]

My mom thinks i cant study because of my phone

[usuitakumi]

Does anyone else feel more motivated when doing stuff with friends by watching them work?!

[fourthhorsemendeath]

As someone with high functioning ADHD, when someone's asks being in my shoes is like, I tell them "go a whole day without being able to control your impulses or not being able to stand loud sounds. Your thoughts come and go in an instant and constantly listening to music helps you focus and calm down."

[Hiroto]

Me: **trying to focus at class**

ADHD: Hey draw some squares and circles

[alihernandez]

Who else started daydreaming in the middle of this?

[thatoneitalian]

Having ADHD is like the “that was so funny I forgot to laugh” joke, but with everything.

[luckystar]

Whenever I’m reading I always think about other things and somehow I finished a whole chapter and I don’t remember even reading.

[bridgetfloatsonclouds]

*Throws something*
“Why’d you do that?!”
Good question.

[madelynmorrado]

I wish I could be able to finish an assignment without getting sidetracked, unmotivated, or forgetting about it because my attention went to something else and not get so angry and frustrated at myself and the people around me who don't get it that I just wanna seclude myself but HERE WE ARE

[KristysEdits]

I couldn't even watch the whole video LMAO.

[hannahbridges]

Something I realized a lot of people are unaware of (I also have ADHD and finally sat down after many years to fully research it) and basically people with ADHD are Neurodivergent (like people with Autism and other learning disabilities) and also have bad sensory issues. It's because we take in too much sensory input but at the same time if we don't get enough, we'll become depressed. So we also do stimming behaviors(repetitive movements done to stimulate or regulate yourself) like shaking our legs to like, distract us if we are overwhelmed or stimulate us if we're bored. Actually researching ADHD is super fascinating and I think everyone with ADHD should do it. Turns out it's not really a matter of lacking attention, and more of a matter of not being able to regulate it. We're either full on or not at all and don't really have control over this. It's also a common known fact, scientifically proven, that people with ADHD, our brains actively take in more sensory information than mentally healthy people. Normally people can ignore things like a subtle touch a smell outside etc but people with ADHD, our brains take it all in and that's why we get anxious and overstimulated

[soliswolis]

I’m sorry but I was so focused on trying to pay attention to this video that I forgot to pay attention.

[Shiny]

So I have adhd, but imagine if I got so unlucky, that I inherited my grandmas short term memory loss, the second you get distracted, it’s all over.

[loganvanhemert]

ADHD SQUAD WHERE U AT
Edit: THANK FOR ALL LIKES FOLKS

[Amsixo]

I literally zoned out for most of this lmao

[charliedallachie]

I feel like a lot of the mainstream ignores adult "ADD"...meaning I'm not necessarily constantly fidgeting or cant sit still, just I'm always thinking of other things than what I should be thinking about in that point in time. For example ...thinking about what I'll work on when I get home while my manager is explaining what he wants me to do in the next couple days.... then I have to track back and rely on memory or embarrassingly ask him to repeat himself.