How Is the ADHD Brain Different?

If you’re online, you may notice that conversations around ADHD are everywhere. You may even be starting to wonder, as you flick from one app to the next, that you yourself may have ADHD. So in Part 1 of this series about ADHD, Julian explores what this disorder is, what’s happening in the brain, and so much more.

So, what is ADHD? ADHD can come in a few different flavors. Typically, when we think of ADHD, we think of someone who's hyperactive. Someone who's just all over the place, but ADHD is a disorder, a diagnosis that describes someone who struggles with executive functioning, and with attention, typically to the degree that it causes pretty significant disruption to daily life.

People with ADHD aren’t just particularly inattentive and/or hyperactive, their brains are empirically different compared to people without ADHD.

People with ADHD appear to be low on two important chemicals in their brains, dopamine and norepinephrine. But their brains might not just fire differently, they could be built different. Particularly there appears to be differences in the circuitry that connects the front of their brains to other parts of it.

#ADHD #ADD #Neuroscience #Seeker #SeekerPlus

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Read More:
Why everyone's talking about ADHD right now (and why it’s kinda annoying)
“Over the past year or so, ADHD (attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder) seems to have exploded on social media, particularly on TikTok and Twitter. Simultaneously (almost inevitably), the growing interest sparked increasingly contentious online discourse about it.”

What is ADHD?
“ADHD is one of the most common neurodevelopmental disorders of childhood. It is usually first diagnosed in childhood and often lasts into adulthood. Children with ADHD may have trouble paying attention, controlling impulsive behaviors (may act without thinking about what the result will be), or be overly active.”

7 Differences in the ADHD Brain vs. the Neurotypical Brain
“A 2017 MRI imaging study found that overall brain volume and brain volume in six of the seven brain structures listed below were smaller in people with an ADHD diagnosis. Multiple studies have validated significant brain developmental delay and 3-5 percent smaller whole brain volume in individuals with ADHD compared to neurotypical brains.”

Neuro Transmissions
“Neuroscientist Alie and clinical therapist Micah created Neuro Transmissions with a singular mission in mind: explain the brain . . . simply!”

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[Teefs]

ADHD mood of clicking this video, saving it for later, forgetting about it, finding it recommended, increase the speed, and then finally enjoying it. Love this channel so dearly

[dingdud]

The life of a person with ADHD: people constantly questioning if it’s even real while also berating you for not acting normal and asking why you can’t just DO THE THING and you not having any answers for them because you’re really trying and you don’t understand why you can’t do it either. All I’m gonna say is, my friends and family started believing ADHD is real when I got medicated and suddenly became a functional human being.

[raddish]

Even at 56..people think I'm brilliant and ask how come I didn't get a college degree...i tried but it was hard..i missed assignments..i couldn't follow lectures..i was so much better in high school. I dropped out. I got diagnosed after my teenage daughter was diagnosed...I'm on medication and its so much better. I wish I had known. Its like when i got glasses i was shocked that this is how people see with regular vision see and think.

[Sam_on_YouTube]

I was diagnosed with ADHD shortly after passing the bar exam about 10 years ago. I've noticed more and more people coming out as well and I HEAVILY relate to those experiences. I think one of my daughters may have it too. I need to see about a diagnosis for her.

[dishkols]

This topic is very closely related for me, my son (8) is diagnosed with ADHD. I can really see how he strugles with it constatly. After he was diagnosed, I'm trying to find every peace of information that i can get my hands on. My son is very smart child, he have a fenomenal memory, but his short term memory is a mess and its a huge problem for him. What i found to work best for him is expesing love and understanding, that really help a lot.

[Stack-]

I have ADHD and I try to look at my friends and people who don’t have the symptoms and mirror their personalities. It really helps me cope with the disorder but I always feel like I can’t be myself because I have to copy other people to look “normal”

[RextheRebel]

My least favorite thing people say is "it's all in your head".

Well no duh, genius. It's a neurological disorder.

[Soooooooooooonicable]

I was diagnosed with the inattentive version of ADD when I was a kid. Essentially, ADD without the hyperactivity. I've never had any issues with impulse control or any trouble sitting still. I'm just prone to easily forgetting tasks due to my mind wandering. I also put very little effort into organization.

[themanful]

I was diagnosed with adhd in 2nd grade, I’m a sophomore in college now, it’s really weird. Basically just like a brain that never sits still and breaks the fourth wall constantly

[Trishula]

From my experience people who are labelled as adhd or add are Intelligent, having a strong heart or strong will, are a lot of the time intellectuals who are very intelligent when it comes to certain subjects.

[garretthoward]

0:25 When he said that we have most likely already changed out focus to something else while this is playing in the background, I had literally just done that haha

[benw.]

As a licensed clinical therapist who specializes in ADHD treatment, I can definitively say we are just scratching the surface of what all ADHD encompasses in a person’s brain. Each ADHD case a treat is unique and comes with its own sets of symptoms and quirks. Great video on bridging the gap between ADHD myths and truths.

[dynasty]

Just a PSA
ADHD is not quirky or a gift.
To me personally, it just ruins my life, each and every day the simplest things are sometimes the biggest struggle

[sistermadrigalmorning]

The caffeine thing during pregnancy is probably correlation not causation-- undiagnosed ADHDers are very likely to self medicate with large amounts of caffeine (since it's a socially acceptable and readily available stimulate) to function better. Even if pregnant then, they are more likely to just cut down rather than give it up because without some stimulant their ADHD tendancies are more uncontrolled.

[Alexus]

As a (M 21) person with both AD(H)D and atypical autism diagnosed in early childhood, I may or may not have immediately tapped on this video as soon as I accidentally glanced at the title..

[REDCLAYHOMESTEAD]

Tried to watched this but then started reading the comments.

[dbuc]

mental illnesses or disorders obviously arent the only thing that determines your overall behaviour in life. theres the environment u grew up in, your parents values and how strict they are, your blood type, your gender, how many siblings you have, your ethnicity, what you eat, lifestyle habits etc. these definitely dont apply to everyone but most people are either directly or indirectly affected by one or more of these factors to a certain extent.

[The_SCPFoundation]

When I was younger, it was called "being bad" or "calm your ass down" disorder.




Smh... I feel like my childhood was so shortchanged by the generation before mine

[Sossingro]

I'm wanting to get a formal diagnosis, it's a bit difficult as I love in China but it seems abundantly clear that I have it. I'm currently reading Scattered Minds and I can relate to so much of it. My wife read it first and recommended it to me, I trust her so judgment so others might find it good too!

I find ADD to be a blessing and a curse, more often a curse.

Here's an example, at school I had the widest range of results of any student.

For the subjects I enjoyed, I would have the best results in class. For the subjects I didn't enjoy, I would be near the bottom. I came out as an average C student in almost every subject (some were Bs) as in an academic subject, half of the course I would enjoy and half I wouldn't.

I didn't need to study at all for the parts I enjoyed, I just knew them and they made sense immediately as the teacher was teaching. For the ones I didn't enjoy, they might make sense but I would need to study them to ensure a higher grade.

The only time in recent memory that I could consistently fall asleep (as an insomniac) was trying to study for something I didn't enjoy. I have never been able to do revision for something I find disinteresting in my entire life.

On the topic of sleep, I've heard about some clinical studies of ADD sufferers taking melatonin due to their body's clock (I can't remember the name for it knowing when it's time to sleep) is often delayed by 2 hours but by consistently taking melatonin supplements many saw a marked improvement.

[kpoperlyf]

I have ADD and I hate it. My dad has even told me it was a big mistake to tell me bc he didn't want me to feel any different. On my end I want to know what medical issues I have so I can deal with it better.