Psychologist Describes the ADD Mind State

Taken from JRE #1723 w/Amishi Jha:

[javoferoz]

I have ADHD and don't be fooled by the name of the syndrome, actually the atention defficit and hiperactivity is not the hardest part of this disorder, what is really hard for me is the emotional disregulation, lack of motivation to do things of finish tasks, sleep disorders, impulsivity or compulsivity wich leads to adictions and strange behaviors and habits, feeling always like the world and the people are not on the same page as I am, feeling disconnected and just stuck in some kind of limbo thats feels like agony, I feel like Im just staying alive but not really living, not enjoying life and constantly failing to do the simplest tasks for normal people and to find them wort doing them.

[er]

As a person with ADD, it was a real challenge for me to keep my focus on while listening to this very thorough and indirect answer to Joe’s question.

[pebs]

I’ve had ADHD my entire life. The deficit is not that I can’t pay attention to things, it’s that I pay attention to everything and can’t filter anything. People can say what they want about meds but they changed my life at 54 years old. It was like taking off the cheapest, itchiest sweater you can ever imagine and finally being comfortable in my skin.

[forddriver]

I'm 54yo male, recently diagnosed with adult ADD and even my default escape 'daydreaming' brings no relief these days. I have never achieved anything, just bumbling through life, one anxious over whelming episode after another, poor at schoo, no academic achievment. No friends is the hardest part and no family support. I get why male suicide is so common around men my age. There has to be something better than this as I am so tired these days.

[DavidP]

I am a physician and have dealt with ADHD my entire life. I have read virtually every notable piece of literature on this neurologic disorder. The single biggest mistake clinicians make is looking at ADHD through the prism of attention, or lack thereof. ADHD is far more involved and goes way beyond attention pathology. It is a constant state of (relative) anxiety and desire for stimulus. Going to church, waiting in lines, listening to boring conversation...all of these things can be excruciating for ppl with ADHD.

[thecosmicperspective]

Just diagnosed at 25, was called lazy my entire life, and abused for bad grades. I felt stupid and dropped out of college at 19. JRE became my podcast of choice, and over time, listening to the various guests on the show, I’ve been inspired to read various books by them.

Today, I’m on my medication, and have re-enrolled in school in the hopes of putting the first man on Mars. I’m reading regularly, working out, and facing my fears one day at a time. It’s ok to not be ok 👌🏼

[kobalt]

I got diagnosed with ADD when I was 60, 3 years ago, it explained so much of why my life had been the way it had since I was a kid. I felt so much compassion for the young boy, teenager and man I had been, and why some things always seemed more of a struggle for me than others. They offered me Amphetamines, but I said no thank you I did all that in the 80s and 90s, Ive have survived life so far and am perfectly happy the way I am. Thank you for sharing this JRE.

[hanachan]

Having ADHD and being unaware of it and undiagnosed with it is literally one of the most isolating feelings that makes you feel insecure about yourself and hate yourself for a long, long time.

Watching everyone else do something you can’t do, and finally coming to terms that you are simply just born “stupid” and “lazy”

And then one day getting diagnosed with ADHD, it is the most emotional feelings in the world, everyone who’s been diagnosed often say the same thing

“I feel so bad for my younger self, I’m so sorry to my younger self, I gave myself such a hard time and made myself accept that it couldn’t be helped”

the reason why is because taking medication for the first time literally feels like being blind your whole life then 23 years into your life finally putting on a pair of glasses and finally seeing the world at its clearest. Medication is like finally being able to understand the world at its clearest, control our functions with ease, and do simple tasks that you couldn’t do before.

[rusmaster]

i have ADD, i noticed while she's explaining ADD, i was listening and paying attention then i started to think about how the flashlight is a good way to represent it then i realized i lost her for a few minutes because i was thinking about it then i started thinking about how i lost her and lost her again. had to watch the video a few times.

[UberTankred]

For my ADD/ADHD kindred!
The brain's attention system (AS)
00:45 The first AS is like a flashlight that *scans* narrow areas
03:20 The second AS is like a floodlight that *scans* wide areas
04:37 Both lights can be directed externally and internally
04:57 The third AS is called Executive Control and *selects* goals like an exec in a company
07:47 Is your life negatively impacted by the way your attention functions? You just might have ADD/ADHD.
08:14 Meta-awareness is deliberately focussing your attention toward the contents of conscious thought. If you have that + ADD, you might not get fired from your job, because you're functional enough thanks to Meta-awareness.
09:30 Joe asks, if behavioral focus training is better than medicating. Amishi said she let her patients take the medication while doing behavioral training. They later said, that before the training the Ritalin alone helped them to successfully focus on useless bullshit (only flashlight). After the training they developed Meta-awareness, which allowed them to *focus their focus* on important tasks (floodlight + flashlight).

[simcha]

My life changed a month ago when I read the book adhd 2.0 and then their earlier book driven to distraction by Halloween & Ratey. I cried often through the book as I listened to the authors describe with such detail many experiences and emotions I had felt since I could remember going back to early childhood.It took 44 years to finally figure out and find the diagnosis of ADHD. It’s been a rollercoaster journey to get here. Will share some aspects that might help others. I hit MDD ( major depression) about 4 years ago. As that lifted over the last few years through medicine, therapy and self care I got to a place where I was able to be more in touch with myself. With depression lifting it felt at times that maybe I was hypomanic which I still consider a possibility. My psychiatrist had mentioned over a year ago the idea that my symptoms may be consistent with ADD. I didn’t give it much thought until I stumbled on the above mentioned books.
It’s just one diagnosis and doesn’t change everything. But it certainly helps encounter challenges that I was feeling stuck navigating and now with new tools has opened up new doors. Remember diagnosis limit and put us in boxes but if we are nuanced in figuring out who we are then we can use these diagnosis to our advantage. And especially ADD where we do have extra powers in this world. But also seem to have an extra challenge of figuring out how to use them. And that challenge never goes away. We can hopefully identify it and then use it more constructively. And once we do that …oh boy do we have a gift and maybe even a super power!

We live in special times! Remember every challenge, obstacle and difficulty is a question. Did deep. Find out who you are and why you are here. Be curious. And the world will start to become your friend. Fears will dissipate. Oh this is not an easy journey. This will test you every part of you. You will doubt yourself . And as you reveal your new self to others they will often not be pleased with your new discoveries. And that’s where the real fun ( and pain ) begin. You then may have to learn to start to trust, believe and have faith in yourself. And learn how to integrate your new self and way of thinking into the old world that you left behind. Not easy. But that becomes the new challenge and question. Ok let’s stop. If this helps anyone I can continue writing.
Sending peace, love and blessings to all! ❤️

[christopherstamm]

The funny thing about my ADHD is the fact that during this video I literally put my “flashlight of attention” that she described away from the actual video and her talking, to swooping out and looking at basketball news for minutes as the video continued to play. I was literally blocking out what she was saying. Living with ADHD is crazy and people mistake it as just laziness

[DavidWeight]

Ugh. I love this. Like many here, I was diagnosed with ADHD in my early 30s and have been trying to "define" it since. I think this might be the most relatable metaphor to help the neurotypicals in my life understand how it works. What isn't talked about enough - and beyond important - is the effect that brain chemistry has in attention regulation. ADHD is, in many ways, a function of a significant dopamine deficiency. It's the search for dopamine that causes the impulsivity, emotional disregulation, predisposition to addiction, procrastination anxiety, etc. That's one of the reasons I liked this analogy, because the "executive" in the room - as she calls it - is supposed to keep the attention primarily focused on the "goals" of the given situation. Well, when the need for dopamine is extremely high, that executive is motivated to shift goals rapidly to meet the chemical need for dopamine. In a normal state, it means the urge to buy things, use drugs, put off work/chores until later, etc. are prioritized as urgent goals because they are dopamine releasing activities. I don't WANT to buy that thing, or have that drink, but my brain knows that it will give me dopamine and it makes the urges feel like a survival-oriented activity. Another dopamine releasing activity is "discovery" (finding something new that interests/excites us). This is why so many people with ADHD have a long trail of hobbies or failed pursuits. It also explains our hyperfixated state; we discover a thing that provides dopamine and we chase it like our life depends on it.

This all gets more complicated and nuanced when you layer in anxiety, but this comment is long enough (and my trains of thought are departing).

[Luschan]

I find that I actually perform tasks better if I’m “distracting” my mind by listening to podcasts. It keeps me focused on the task without getting distracted or seeking a different stimulus. Obviously it doesn’t work for everything, but it’s great for chores like cleaning or washing dishes.

[johndangerbenedictarnold]

I was diagnosed with add around 7-8 years old. Parents said I’d grow out of it. Did nothing for it. Suffered depression, drug use, failed relationships, self sabotaging etc. diagnosed again at 36 got help and my life changed. I’m happy for this first time in my life.

[missythestaffy]

Undiagnosed until 27, I struggled my whole life. Wondering why it was so hard for me to do things others seemed to be absolutely fine doing. I was volatile and being a 5'11 heavy set male that was not a great thing to be. Since starting meds, everything is easier. Life doesn't have to be so difficult. If you can get on without medication then that's great. Good for you. I didn't need to be on them until I had major responsibility.

[travrsy]

Takes bong hit..
“Shit what’d she say?”
Rewinds three times.
Takes another hit.
Goes to rewind, sees tim Dillion’s new video.
*Click.*

[Zeuts]

As somebody who has struggled with ADD my whole life, I feel extremely lucky to have found a lucrative job skill that can keep my brain from wandering. Coding for 8 hours feels like 8 minutes to me. Hyperfocusing is now a perk rather than a drawback. For anyone who has ADD, try to find an employable skill that you actually find interesting. I know it's much easier said than done, but once you find it many of your problems will become manageable or disappear altogether. That's why it's good to try a lot of different things.

[ZuluActual]

The “Attention Deficit “ in ADHD is completely false. It’s the inability to regulate attention. There’s no deficit, it’s actually an overwhelming amount of attention.

[h]

I lost attention at her even talking about this